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20Sales: 12-Week Step-by-Step Framework to Crush Every Sales Quarter | Moving from SMB to Enterprise: How and When | Verticalised Sales Teams: Why They are a Gamechanger and How to Build Them with Ben Fiechtner, CRO @ Clari

Aug 2, 2024

Ben Fiechtner, Chief Revenue Officer at Clari, shares insights from his extensive experience leading sales teams. He discusses how to close deals faster by creating urgency and understanding the client’s buying process. Ben emphasizes the critical transition from SMB to enterprise, highlighting common pitfalls and cost-effective strategies. He advocates for verticalised sales teams, detailing their benefits and best practices for implementation. Plus, discover his key signals for hiring top sales talent and fostering a growth mindset.

55:04

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Ben Fiechtner

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Quick takeaways

To close deals faster, sales reps should focus on creating urgency, accurately identifying champions, and understanding the internal buying process.

Transitioning from SMB to enterprise requires startups to recognize their timing and avoid common pitfalls, while minimizing expenses and investments.

Implementing a verticalised sales strategy enhances effectiveness by allowing teams to focus on industry-specific challenges and resourcing appropriately.

Deep dives

The Four Key Aspects of Sales

The podcast discusses four essential aspects of sales: create, convert, close, and turn. These buckets help salespeople focus their efforts on optimizing their strategies and processes. By understanding these components, sales professionals can streamline their sales cycle and drive better results. Recognizing their ultimate goal to navigate efficiently from point A to point B allows salespeople to adopt a more productive mindset.

Curiosity and Authenticity Drive Success

01:29

Own Your Pricing to Craft Deals

01:29

Navigating Budget Trends and Accurate SaaS Forecasting

02:27

Identify Gaps to Drive Sales Success

01:16

Intro

2min

From T-Shirts to Sales Mastery

12min

Navigating Sales Forecasting in a Consolidated Market

10min

Optimizing Sales Strategies Through Effective Tools and Team Collaboration

2min

Navigating the Sales Landscape

12min

Hiring Sales Talent: Key Insights

15min

Balancing Professional Ambitions with Personal Relationships

3min

Ben Fiechtner is Chief Revenue Officer at Clari, where he drives global go-to market & revenue operations. Ben previously served as SVP at UiPath, growing their key accounts and regulated industry verticals from $150m to $450m. Before UiPath, Ben was at Salesforce where he held multiple senior roles, achieving significant year-over-year growth and always on the bleeding edge of Vertical teams.

In Today's Episode with Ben Fiechtner We Discuss:

1. How to Close Deals Faster:

What are the top 3 ways sales reps can increase urgency in a deal cycle?
Should reps be discounting? If so, what level can be appropriate?
What is the right way to ask prospects for their internal buy process? How do you know if you are dealing with a champion?
What are the single biggest reasons that deals are delayed in closing?

2. SMB to Enterprise: How and When:

When is the right time to move into the enterprise?
What are the single biggest mistakes startups make when making the transition?
How does Ben advise startups to do it but with minimal spend and investment?

3. Verticalisation: Why, When and How:

Why is it important for founders to consider a verticalised sales strategy? What are the benefits?
When is the right time to consider a verticalised approach?
What is the right way to resource each sales team for a verticalised approach?
What are the biggest mistakes companies make when verticalising sales teams?

4. How to Hire the Best Reps:

What are the top signals that a candidate will make for an amazing sales rep?
What question does Ben ask in every interview? What do the best answers have?
What are the biggest mistakes founders make when hiring sales reps?
How fast do you know when a hire is a good hire or not?

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