Alexander Stefansson

10 salespeople spend a minimum of 500 hours in sales conversations / month. Yet, 95% of the information from these conversations is typically lost. The Consequence: - Lack of understanding of customer pain points and buying behavior. - Poor Go-To-Market Strategy. Capturing customer conversations and transforming them into actionable insights is the most crucial action in your go-to-market strategy! #sales #b2bsales #salesmeeting #ai #customer

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What we think is the 🔑 for reps unlocking millions in pipeline: “All I need is just 1 high intent signal” What you actually need: Well-defined TAM and ICP Strong account strategy on the account  Strong messaging and templates for outreach Reps who can work across channels  Social selling skills  Multithreading Sales enablement on how to do deep discovery Tools to help reps prioritize  Building unique signals for your business (don’t rely on what’s out of the box or popular) Reminder that silver bullets don’t exist. Building a great GTM engine is hard work. And most importantly pipeline is a team sport - need the entire GTM team (and if you’re small enough the whole company) to get onboard and help.

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More salespeople ≠ More sales. In a demand-poor environment, hiring more sales reps can dilute your efforts and lower conversion rates because you won’t generate opportunities from the top funnel but the middle funnel (people already engaged). ✅ Instead, focus on creating demand and training your sales. By optimizing your funnel and concentrating on demand generation, you can produce more revenue for your business. 🔗 Sam Blond, at SaaStr, highlights the importance of generating a demand-rich environment and sourcing the right people. Link in comment. -> Create demand, optimize talent.

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Most businesses neglect sales pipeline automation: - Rely on manual lead tracking with no system in place. - Focus on closing deals but neglect the follow-up process. - Ignore key insights by failing to track the sales journey. - Use outdated tools that don’t integrate seamlessly. They skip 90% of what makes a pipeline effective. The truth? They don’t believe in the power of automation. They see it as unnecessary tech rather than a way to streamline sales. This mindset leads to inefficiencies like: - "We’ll just track leads in a spreadsheet for now." - "We don’t need reminders; the team can handle it." - "How did that deal slip through the cracks again?" They expect strong results from a broken system. And the consequences are clear: - For the Business → missed revenue opportunities. - For the Team → wasted time on manual tasks. - For the Leads → poor experiences and lost trust. It always ends like this: Founder: "Our sales process isn’t working. We need more leads." Me: "You don’t need more leads. You need a better pipeline on 3 layers." 1. Pipeline Strategy Layer Start by understanding your sales cycle and buyer journey. Map every step to identify where deals stall. Automate follow-ups, lead scoring, and task assignments to keep momentum alive. 2. Pipeline System Layer Set up a CRM that fits your needs. Connect it to your lead generation tools, email platforms, and reporting dashboards. Ensure seamless integration to avoid manual data entry. 3. Pipeline Optimization Layer Track your metrics such as conversion rates, pipeline velocity, and deal stages. Use this data to refine automation, improve team performance, and focus on what works. Sales pipeline automation isn’t just a tool. It’s the backbone of consistent, scalable growth.

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Most sales managers waste their 1:1s. They focus on things like - Current activity metrics - How key deals are going - Current quota attainment - What else is in the pipeline As a result they turn their 1:1s into forecast meetings. Don't be that manager. Give your sales reps some room. - How are they doing? Mentally, emotionally? - Are they on track with their personal & career goals? - What are challenges this week where you can support? - In what areas do they need coaching to get to the next level? The point of 1:1s is to develop talent. Not to talk about day to day business. Repost ♻️ if you think 1:1s shouldn't be forecast meetings. What does your ideal 1:1 meeting look like?👇🏼 PS: Join 70+ members who receive weekly live coaching: https://lnkd.in/gTbPiShP

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Kick-off 2025 with getting more leads into your deal-flow by eliminating the tedious tasks, such as research and freeing up those extra 2 hours a week to close more deals. You don't even need to write a single line of prompt! Meet merlin - your Smart Research Assistant for sales meetings. Merlin eliminates the tedious task of pre-sales research so you can focus on doing more of what you love - building relationships and closing deals. Sign-up to test-drive the beta version today and get free access for a limited time at www.usemerlin.io or DM. #b2bsales #research #admin #agentic #AI #futureofwork

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How often do you start your workday as a B2B sales professional only to feel your motivation drained? The endless cold calls, unreturned emails, and mounting pressure to meet targets are overwhelming. I used to face this daily. Traditional prospecting methods felt like shouting into the void. The lack of responses was disheartening, leading to frustration and self-doubt. I felt trapped in a cycle of effort without reward, unsure how to break free. Then, I discovered a transformative approach. It seemed almost too simple at first. By posting content on LinkedIn, I could engage prospects more organically. A single strategic shift that promised to rejuvenate my sales efforts. I began by sharing personal experiences and solutions to problems on LinkedIn. It was a manageable change, something I could commit to consistently. This small step opened the door to meaningful interactions. Gradually, I noticed increased engagement from potential clients. They appreciated the value I provided, leading to more productive conversations. This positive feedback loop motivated me to share more, fostering trust and credibility. Over time, I expanded my content strategy, incorporating diverse formats and topics. Each piece resonated with a broader audience, attracting prospects who aligned with my offerings. It was like a domino effect, each content piece building momentum. Starting with just one thoughtful post. What's one small change you can make today to alleviate your prospecting frustrations? One action that aligns with your long-term sales goals but integrates seamlessly into your routine. Sometimes, the slightest adjustment can lead to the most significant breakthroughs. Want guidance on implementing this strategy? Register for my FREE event. Details in my featured section →

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FREE TOOL: Create sales videos that actually get watched (and drive deals forward) Tired of your sales videos disappearing into the void? Our free Chrome extension helps you: ✅ Record and share videos in seconds ✅ Keep everything organized in your digital sales room ✅ Share videos alongside your key sales materials ✅ Track who's watching (and for how long) Here's what makes it different: 🎯 Videos live right next to your sales materials 📱 One organized space for all deal communications 📊 Detailed viewing analytics 🔄 Seamless integration with your sales process The best part? It's completely FREE to download. Click the link below to get started: https://buff.ly/3OM8l9p Abrazos, Andy Click the link below to get started: https://buff.ly/3OM8l9p

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SaaS companies are missing their growth goals left and right because they still put all their bets on the wrong horse. Quota attainment has reached an all-time low and it's no surprise. It's not because customers buy less but because they reduce risks. Instead of buying new stuff, they are doubling down on the products already delivering substantial ROI. Consequently, they stop paying for everything that does not at the same time. No magic sales training can change the reality and solve this problem. As long as you - CEOs, COOs, and CROs - don't get that you are a lost cause. And your company and its employees are paying the price for your shortsighted- and stubbornness. The only way out of the growth slump and cash drought is to double down on delivering customer value to 💰 make renewals a no-brainer 💰 create demand for expansions and upsells 💰 get access to 2nd order sales 💰 charge value-based prices and there are 3 fundamental requirements to get it done 1️⃣ Align all teams on a single mission and goal - the customers' desired outcomes 2️⃣ Stop wasting your CSM teams' time with non-relevant tasks 3️⃣ Rebalance your budgets and invest in CSM education and training to build a world-class team This is the way. PS: Learn how to deliver, grow, and monetize customer value --> https://lnkd.in/dK36YWGv #saas #customersuccess #customervalueledgrowth

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Stupid questions kill cold calls. Few examples: - Is this [first name]? - Are you the decision maker? - Can you tell me about your role? - Does [company name] ring a bell? - When are you free to meet? - Do you have budget? They're the biggest reason sellers fail on the phone. With every question your prospects trust silently disappears. And no trust = no meeting. ❌ Stop qualifying. ✅ Start trust building. Because trust is the fastest way to do business. What questions do you hate? --- PS. Here's more stupid questions from the comments... - What keeps you up at night? - Does that make sense? - Is this a bad time?

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Writing solution-focused cold sales e-mails?   Your prospects don’t care about:   - products lists and features - how long your company has been in business   Instead, they care about:   - the solution you provide - how they will benefit from working with you   Writing cold sales e-mails with this in mind will bring much higher response rates. -- Want to write cold sales e-mail which actually get responses? Send 'EMAIL' in a direct message to get free cold e-mail templates and an instructional video. #JamesEEnglish #Sales #China

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Sales Leaders - Avoid this Mistake! Please don’t give your SDRs access to Smartlead/Instantly and ask them to manage multichannel workflows like LinkedIn touchpoints and cold calling. It doesn’t integrate well with your CRM, dialler or data provider meaning it will make a simple workflow very complex. You might actually be better off with a traditional sales engagement platform like Outreach, SalesLoft, or even Lemlist (even though you're hearing something else from Linkedin.) Instead you should think of SmartLead/Instantly as an additional SDR on your team that can send emails at such a high volume and low cost. Use it to reach out to your Tier 3 and some Tier 2 prospects where the average deal size doesn't justify having a dedicated SDR. ----------------------------- Hi, I am Leo, former head of sales now agency founder of the The Playbook Agency

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What if I told you you could increase your win rate by 300%?  Imagine the revenue impact and quota attainment if your team closed three deals for every five opportunities instead of just one. One of the recurring themes in any sales organisation is that one wishes to have greater pipe and close more opportunities. Throwing headcount at the problem was a favourite strategy when companies were flush with cash but have in recent years been less of a one-size-fits-all go-to-market strategy. The AEs might have created air castles of pipe all forecasted to be closed at the end of the year. But when that end of quarter arrived, castles evaporated, pipes reset, PIPs created. Getting AEs to be better, and if I shall be a tad cynical, getting rid of the Cs and improving the Bs, is a much clearer path to profitability.  You can not have AEs that aren't bringing in ACV.  It is too costly. Pavilion and EBSTA published a report last year analysing over 3 million opportunities. And concluded that organisations that implemented MEDDPICC fully vs those who did not, saw a 3X increase in win rate. What would it mean for your organisation to see these improvements? Do you think that good sales organisations use MEDDPICC or that MEDDPICC makes good sales organisations? (Visualisation practice below: Imagine yourself in the midst of upward pointing growth arrows and high ACV floating in a MEDDPICC filled topos)

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High-paid SDRs: ❌ make 200+ dials a day ✅ make 40-50 dials to ICP prospects ❌ send 1000s of automated emails ✅ send 25/30 manual emails per day ❌ connect with everyone on LinkedIn ✅ only connect with top prospects ❌ ignore 'not interested' email responses ✅ call them and figure out why no interest ❌ build new sequences every week ✅ A/B test their existing sequences ❌ attend every internal meeting possible ✅ treat selling time as the number 1 priority ❌ add 1000s of contacts to sequences ✅ pick who deserves to go in the sequence ❌ moan about their AE being rubbish ✅ execute with their AE every single day ❌ hand over opps with 1 stakeholder ✅ multithread before the AE handover SDRing isn't rocket science. It's relentlessly putting in high quality reps. Do you agree? ♻️ Repost to share with others in your network. ---- PS. My SDR courses are all 51% off for Black Friday right now. Ends this week.

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My goal this year: Hire zero new sales reps. If you are below 3 Mio. ARR and go after >50k deals, you do not need more than five people who are selling. The calculation is rather simple: Every sales rep should make min. 3x their salary. That is what you need to have a viable business model. And salespeople can realistically make 5x their salary as a max. If you have 5 sales reps at 180k per year, every rep should generate 540k of ARR per year as a minimum. With 5 reps, that is 675k per quarter, and 2.7 Mio. per year. At their lowest productivity. This should go up to 4.5 Mio. ARR per year with 5x the sales rep's salary. Unless you want to go from 3 Mio. to 9 Mio., you likely have enough sales reps to reach your yearly target below 3 Mio. ARR. If your sales reps are not at 3x their salary yet, you have no PMF, and no feasible business model yet. So work on that first. Don't hire new sales reps. Before you reach the 3x mark.

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Old deals in pipeline, not deals with ICP? 🎯 As a sales director, having a fresh pipeline is crucial! Check out the Pipeline Structure Analysis in SalesGang app - if you use Pipedrive CRM, enjoy a free trial. Gain insights on your deals based on age or value perspective in my latest article (screenshots included) : #Sales #CRM #PipelineAnalysis

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How we book calls and generate pipeline from enterprise accounts —all through cold email. Our playbook: - Market Understanding: Know our clients' ICP inside out—better than they do. - Aggressive Testing: Solve for either problem awareness or solution awareness. - Offer Positioning: Focus on speed, cost, or efficiency to nail the right offer. - CTAs: Identify best response drivers—whether a call or a lead magnet. - Follow-Up & Nurture: Enhance our sequence with compelling social proof. They say cold email doesn't work for enterprise prospects. Not true.

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