Masters of MEDDICC - Level Up your Sales Teams with Adam Quartermaine - Episode #14
Nov 28, 2023
auto_awesome
Adam Quartermaine, a sales development expert, joins MEDDICC CEO Andy Whyte to discuss the importance of embracing failure, adaptability, and explaining why the Economic Buyer should care. Adam shares quick tips for selling to the C-suite and highlights the value of practical experience, building relationships, and measuring success beyond closing deals. The chapter descriptions include the significance of technology in business, personal career shifts, self-development, identifying the economic buyer, building decision criteria, the role of champions, and the importance of bullet points and customer success stories in sales.
Getting an early 'no' can be the key to a final 'yes' in sales.
Pivotal moments with individuals at a higher level of excellence can inspire personal growth.
Understanding the criteria and priorities of economic buyers is essential for sales success.
Deep dives
The Importance of Technology in Business Growth
Many people underestimate the role of technology in business growth. It is crucial to recognize the substantial opportunities technology presents to enhance careers and achieve meaningful goals. However, individuals must actively invest in self-development and set clear goals to measure progress and establish realistic timelines. The current business landscape is characterized by accelerated growth, leading to some individuals taking on roles they may not be fully qualified for. To succeed, individuals should focus on honing their skills, mastering tactics, and strategy, and continually developing themselves to deliver desired outcomes.
The Value of Pivotal Career Moments
Pivotal moments in one's career can have a significant impact on personal growth and trajectory. These moments often involve encountering individuals who are at a higher level of excellence, which challenges one's own potential. Such encounters can shift perspectives and inspire individuals to strive for greater heights. These pivotal moments provide opportunities to build credibility, learn from experienced professionals, and develop new skills. Embracing such moments can shape successful careers and open doors for future opportunities.
Selling to Economic Buyers in Challenging Times
In the current business environment, economic buyers, often CFOs, play a crucial role in the purchase decision-making process. Organizations are scrutinizing investments, demanding quick returns, and measuring investments against various alternatives. It is essential for salespeople to understand the criteria and priorities of economic buyers. Crafting a compelling business case that addresses the buyer's need for cost savings, risk mitigation, and value realization is vital. Salespeople must lead clients through the journey, articulate the next steps, and deliver a clear return on investment. With economic buyers, success lies in offering a clear path to unlocking value and patiently investing in self-development.
Importance of identifying stakeholders and establishing value
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of first understanding the organization, its priorities, stakeholders, and change agents. The focus then shifts to building a clear point of view on the value that can be created. This value should align with growth initiatives, agility initiatives, customer experience initiatives, and transformational agendas within the organization. By identifying stakeholders with power and influence, and demonstrating the value that can be delivered to them, sellers can establish the existence of value. The next steps involve mitigating risks, ensuring alignment with the executive buyer (E.B.), and quantifying the value to build a business case that aligns with the E.B.'s decision criteria.
The power of vulnerability and curiosity in sales
Another key point highlighted in the podcast is the importance of vulnerability and curiosity in sales. It is emphasized that curiosity cannot be faked, and genuine curiosity allows salespeople to build relationships and understand the customers and their priorities better. Vulnerability is also crucial in establishing trust and authenticity. The speaker highlights the need for sales teams to foster a safe environment that celebrates transparency and vulnerability. It is through vulnerability that salespeople can admit to challenges, seek help, and ultimately provide genuine value to the customers. The podcast also touches upon the significance of celebrating small wins and focusing on outcome-oriented approaches rather than just closing deals.
In this episode of Masters of MEDDIC, MEDDICC CEO Andy Whyte is joined by Adam Quartermaine to dive into numerous ways MEDDPICC acts as a compass to success, both in your career and in your deals.
Being too wary of the word ‘no’ can be a salesperson’s downfall. Adam talks to Andy about how getting an early ‘no’ can be the key to a final ‘yes’. Development is crucial for sales people, and part of that development comes with failure. As Adam says, “You’ll learn a lot more when it’s hard than you’ll learn when it’s easy.”
Adaptability is an essential quality of a salesperson. More and more often, the Economic Buyer is the CFO, so you need to earn their time. Together, Andy and Adam discuss the importance of explaining not what you do and how, but why the Economic Buyer should care. Tune into this episode to hear Adam’s quick tips for selling to the C-suite (and what not to wear).
Adam is GVP Europe at Sprinklr. Prior to Sprinklr, Adam held leadership and AE roles at BMC, BladeLogic, Salesforce and EMC. Adam is passionate about scaling, sales excellence, the recruitment and development of top talent, continuous improvement, diversity & inclusion. Adam is a father of 4, loves sport and is an avid supporter of the Childrens Hospice, Shooting Star.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode