Ep. 37: How the Deal Was *Not* Done, Navigating Cultural Differences with Colin Specter

Colin Specter shares his experiencing becoming the top seller at his company and a formative deal that he fell short on and what he learned from it.

Background:

• Colin Specter started his career in SaaS sales at Namely where he became a top 1% seller and progressed to a leadership role now at Orum.
• The deal involved namely, a tech company specializing in HR software, to the CFO of a large financial services company

Challenges:

• Failing to better understand a company’s broader culture and norms.
• Facing to check overconfidence when a deal seems to be made already

Key learnings:

• Research and adapt to the corporate culture and expectations of potential clients, especially regarding dress codes.
• Building a strong relationship with various stakeholders, not just the primary contact, to navigate corporate dynamics effectively.

Timestamps:

• (0:10:25) Immediate Judgment Based on Attire... Colin describes the moment his attire led to a snap judgment by the CFO.
• (0:13:09) Cultural Missteps and Adaptations... Colin discusses adapting to different corporate cultures.
• (0:13:56) East Coast vs West Coast Business Culture Differences... Insights into differing business practices between "New York" and "California" businesses and startups.
• (0:16:47) Building Partnerships and Networks... The importance of building networks and how past connections influence current opportunities.

• (0:19:23) Learning from Losses... Reflecting on how losses can be more memorable and educational than wins.

Resources:

Colin's LinkedIn

The Nazare Wave 

Episode with Ewing Gillaspy

Thank you to OrgChartHub for Sponsoring this episode. OrgChartHub helps HubSpot customers get big deals done since 2018. Learn more at OrgChartHub.com/Podcast

Questions, comments, ideas - reach out to Andrew Kappel