Adapting to the Modern Buyer: The Shift Towards Self-Service Sales

FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS

• Understand the VEX Scale: Classify prospects as Vetted (using a competitor), Educated (familiar but undecided), Cold (new to the space), or Self-Service. Tailor your approach accordingly.
• Ask About Their Journey: Send an email upfront asking where they are in their learning process. This helps you position the conversation at the right level.
• Skip Basic Discovery for Vetted Prospects: If they already use a competitor, focus on their current solution’s gaps and ideal outcomes instead of re-explaining the category.
• Avoid Restarting Discovery: When new stakeholders join later calls, recap prior findings first, then ask how those problems impact their specific role.

JAKE'S PATH TO PRESIDENT’S CLUB

• CEO @ Skaled Consulting
• VP Sales @ Nowait, Inc. (acquired by Yelp)
• Head of Sales & Customer Success @ Chartbeat
• Vice President of Sales, Success, and Sales Operations @ Glassdoor

RESOURCES DISCUSSED

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• Things you can steal