Founder-led sales are common in early-stage startups. But, they could be much more effective with a deeper understanding of sales fundamentals. Joining us today is Leslie Venetz, founder of The Sales-Led GTM Agency to discuss how founders can level up their skills and transform their sales. Drawing on her extensive history in B2B sales, which includes over 250,000 cold calls, Leslie covers everything founders need to know, from earning the right to your prospect’s attention to efficiently managing your time during the sales process. She shares her top tips on crafting concise, value-driven emails, how to use AI in sales without over-relying on it, and how to strategically time your demos. Leslie also shares her unique perspective on objections, including how to figure out which objections are worth addressing, and why you should always lead with curiosity.

Key Points From This Episode:

* Some background on Leslie Venetz and her extensive background in sales.

* Improving founder-led sales, especially in early-stage startups.

* The key to developing active listening skills and why it is essential in sales.

* Cold emails: best practices and common mistakes.

* Key components of highly relevant messaging and how to audit your emails.

* What your initial email outreach should look like.

* Why you need to earn the right to write longer emails.

* Leslie’s advice on how to use AI in sales – and how not to use it.

* The importance of personalized outreach in the age of AI.

* How to strategically time your product demos in a prospective customer call.

* Recognizing different types of objections and how to address them.

* Utilizing events as part of a multi-channel marketing approach.

* Leslie answers our rapid-fire questions on AI, cold-calling, and more!

Quotes:

“Founder-led sales, which is usually the norm for early-stage startups, can be so much more effective if only founders could better understand some of the foundational aspects of sales.” — @veenormous [0:04:17]

“It is your responsibility to earn the right to your prospect's time” — @LeslieVenetz [0:11:41]

“We want to do everything that we can to reduce the cognitive load – and make it easy for them to scan and digest that email.” — @LeslieVenetz [0:15:16]

“Especially for early-stage founders. You all are busy. – You do not have the time to spend an hour sending an email to a prospect that doesn't actually want you to email them.” — @LeslieVenetz [0:34:05]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Leslie Venetz

Leslie Venetz on LinkedIn Jill Konrath

Snap Selling

Tim Zonca on LinkedIn

Tim Zonca on X

Vidya Raman on LinkedIn

Vidya Raman on X

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit veenormous.substack.com

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