Read time: 6 Mins My client's eyes lit up when I presented the solution; I'd nailed it! The room hummed with my own triumphant energy. But as the conversation shifted, my heart started pounding, palms getting sweaty. Ugh, I dread this. It was time to talk pricing.😰 Have you ever experienced this? Money conversations remain one of the most challenging aspects both in life and sales. As a result, salespeople often give in to discounts too easily and leave significant money on the table. Or...
8 days ago • 5 min read
I’m getting a head start on this week’s newsletter as I’ll be running the Hawkes Bay Half-Marathon this weekend. I couldn’t be more excited! I'll fill you in how I go! This week, we’ll explore how to build deal momentum in complex enterprise sales. Enterprise sales are dynamic and rarely linear. They're often a winding road involving multiple stakeholders, lengthy timelines, and complex decision-making processes. Without a clear plan, deals can lose steam and end up in limbo. But here’s the...
17 days ago • 4 min read
There's something about the last step of the sales process that makes every salesperson uncomfortable and uneasy. Asking for the sales order. Many salespeople present their proposed solution and stop there, assuming the value they've outlined is enough to close the deal. They might send a few follow-up emails or make a couple of calls to check in, but when there's no immediate response, the deal often starts to stall. Weeks go by without progress, and eventually, communication cuts off...
22 days ago • 6 min read
⛑️ If you often feel frustrated with navigating complex b2b or enterprise decision-making and clients who struggle to make decisions, I would love to help you develop strategies, manage processes, and implement behaviours that enable your clients to make decisions and consistently win business. Learn more about my customised sales training and coaching, would love to hear from you. Read time: 6 minutes I've been playing with Eleven Labs AI, if you prefer listening to reading, you can tune in...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Sarah, one of my students, asked me, Ren, how can I politely ask my client if we need to talk to other stakeholders? I'm speaking with a junior person, and I feel I'm not getting the complete information. I don't want to offend them. This newsletter topic was inspired by Sarah. Let me share my response to her question before we deep dive into it. Here is how I would frame it: In our experience working with companies your size, we have learned that these kinds of initiatives require...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Hope you're all well! This week's newsletter is a few days late—I was busy kicking off 7th cohort of Elite Sales: Win High-Value Enterprise Deals on Maven. We're running both AM and PM sessions to accommodate our diverse participants across different time zones. It's taking a lot of energy, but it's absolutely worth it! When it comes to any successful sales conversation, getting the order of the sales process right is key. Sales professionals often get this wrong by jumping into solution...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Last Thursday, I ran a training program for a boutique strategy consulting company based in Asia (comprising alumni from Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, United. Yes, they were a bunch of really smart operators). We dove into a controversial discussion: how should you handle a presentation or pitch when the decision-maker suddenly can't attend? Do you carry on in their absence to avoid missing your chance? Or do you reschedule and risk delaying the sales process? Also, how do we avoid...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
We don't talk about this often. I lost one of my best clients last year. What do you do when you lose one of your best clients? The truth is, losing a major client hurts—especially when you're not used to it. It's scary and unsettling. But you know what? Good things happen when there's change. In my experience, when one door closes, a better one always opens. Believe me this is not wishful thinking, it’s true! Still, it hurts. Ironically, we managed to win the client back, we just signed them...
2 months ago • 4 min read
One of the biggest deal and most memorable deal won in my career was rolling out a public wifi network for Spark (an NZ Telco) when I was working at Ruckus (a wireless networking company). It’s not just because it’s a 7-figure deal but because it taught me and my team a lesson I'll never forget. We were pursuing New Zealand's largest mobile operator, I initially did what most tech vendors do – led with our superior technology. Our pitch was polished: best-in-class outdoor Wi-Fi access points,...
3 months ago • 2 min read