BillyHoyle

Senior Account Executive

Ever Shadow a High Performer and Scratch Your Head?

Just moved to a new team in middle market, non-transactional SaaS and was shadowing a call of the top performer on our team and was dumb founded at how mid their first call was. Buyer had legitimate interest, but our side just did not execute any sort of solid positioning. This is example 1000 of my career where I'm starting to think luck (I.e. good patch) is equally important as execution of your craft. Has anyone else had moments like this or is just me?

🌽 Roast

👍 Sales Process

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poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

You can be the shiniest turd in the port-a-potty, but you’re still a turd.

Some folks are at the top because they have no predators. Go on and attack, Billy boy.

DataCorrupter

Politicker

Account Executive

So eloquently said, pbc

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I've seen that... more often than not. The surprise is when you're shadowing someone and they blow your mind while solving and presenting. Why doesn't that happen more often!?!

BillyHoyle

Tycoon

Senior Account Executive

Nothing better!

topperfume

SDR

I believe that some top perfumers keep their best strategies for themselves and do not share them. They’ll be competing. But the ones who dominate are the real ones!!!

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Hot take for sure. So you’re saying it’s about olfactory action?

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Yup. Dumb luck and favoritism are big factors. It's disappointing as hell.

BitcoinAddict

Opinionated

Timing, Territory, and Talent. In that order.

Sales Specialist

This, so much this. In that exact order!

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

Luck is just as important if not more important than skill. While you could be a great seller, if your luck is horrible, you will look middle of the pack at best.

Phillip_J_Fry

Opinionated

Director of Revenue

For years, there was a guy that existed in our office, that was more of a rumor than anything. Everyone had seen his name, as he closed the biggest deals in company history and he only managed this one massive account. No one knew what he looked like, where he sat, etc.
This account gets so big that he is unable to keep up with it and leadership wants to add a second rep to it, and I am the lucky winner.
I meet the guy, who is tucked away in the farthest corner of the building, a good 150 feet from the next closest person. He's wildly anti-social, never takes phone calls and only communicates via email with customers. He shows up 2-3 hours late every day, takes a two hour lunch and is home by 4. He maybe works for 30 minutes each day and spends the rest of his day looking at scantily clad women on the internet on the company laptop.
This guy probably made close to 7 figures every year. No idea how he got the job but I'm 1000% sure he would drown in any other role that required any sort of actual sales skills. His patch just dropped so much money in such short windows (I saw multiple 7 figure deals that would close within 48 hours) that it was almost impossible to fail.

BillyHoyle

Tycoon

Senior Account Executive

Man, what a dream.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Where do I sign up?

NoToBANT

Catalyst

Senior Account Executive

I think we both worked with the same guy

That guy is now retired from sales and owns a franchise of like 12 gyms and takeaway shops

Honestly, I listened to his calls and was like “wtf is this bullshit?” But turns out his lack of knowledge about product and his zero-charm was the key to success

snafu_sales

Catalyst

SaaS Sales

Goes to show that results aren't always a true reflection of skill... hitting target is great, but unless you can show a process that will get you there again and again, in different companies/territories etc then how can you say you are successful

MyAnonymousName

Opinionated

Sales Leader

Yes territory/luck and product market fit are huge in your success and are for the most part outside of your control.

Outside of that there are too many unknowns in your scenario to really know what is going on.

No one does everything well, but to be at the top they probably at least do 1 or 2 things well, learn those from them.
Also it is 1 call, hardly a sample size to judge from.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

I'm glad you called out PMF, it's a huge part. Territory as well.

If your product is complex, someone who is awful at sales won't be at the top even if these are really good. BUT they'll probably do pretty well.

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

Account executive

Easier to hit a home run on a slow pitch than a 100 mph heater no matter how good you are at baseball.
Territory + talent is where big money is made but if you had to pick one its territory every time.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Not…exactly true. A 40MPH meatball needs a ton of batspeed to get the launch angel and exit velocity required to climb out of the park. Needs a minimum velocity.

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

Account executive

I'll keep it a stack with you im not very knowledgeable on baseball

BossMan

Fire Starter

Director of Sales

Good territory, early hire, friend of leadership, luck. All reasons why someone is doing better than you. Stick to your craft, dont' compare yourself to others, stop bitchin, and grind. You'll get there and someone will eventually say the same about you.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It's often luck. Landing with a good PMF and a solid, knowledgeable team to back you up can make any savvy rep fat & happy.
That's why all these influencers crack me up. Acting like their brief good fortune actually makes them good at salescraft. Most of it's the ability to listen and follow up.

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

Director of Sales NA

Not fully but certain aspects of all performers even the best I find myself scratching my head. Usually take the good, put my spin on it and make note to avoid the bad.

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

You'll always find this one guy at the top who's not soo good and we wonder, why's he gods fav!? haha!

Show em who the real crusher is!

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

when you have no competition you are the top and bottom dog

RevOpsRenegade

Good Citizen

Director of Rev Ops and Enablement

3 T's - Territory, Timing, Talent, in that order. If you have a great territory, you'll be adequate. If you have a great territory and the right timing (luck or skill), you'll be good. If you have all 3, you're a top performer. There are a lot of combinations, but you are probably seeing the first two in your example.

stepchad

Contributor

Account Executive

One of my SEs used to call it the Three T’s:

Timing
Territory
Talent

Be blessed with only one, and you’ll be on a PIP. Be blessed with two, you’ll go to club. Be blessed with all three, you’ll die a rich (wo)man.

snafu_sales

Catalyst

SaaS Sales

Don't lower yourself to their level, the cream rises to the top so sounds like you will be number 1 in no time!

I am always surprised by the number of people in sales who are bad at selling.

If the product is good and solves a need, it will sell regardless. Seeing genuinely good salespeople at work is genuinely inspiring.

Rosie

Catalyst

Sales Director

Agree with most comments from fellow warriors. Though adding that sometimes there is a breed of sellers that can have other superpower skills that overshadow their poor demoing skills or makes them poor at executing calls; though top performers should all be solid presenters imo but the reality is that some are just good at other things.

Product market fit, having a sweet management and team that goes beyond the limit with you to help you close is tremendously helpful as well. Add to that luck as a key factor as well and even better if you are working in an industry with low competition, large deal sizes and a solid efficient process, good ressources - that is a lovely thing to have.

Account Executive

God can I ever resonate... I think this is especially true for older industries where someone has been in their territory for 10+ years.
That just doesn't happen anymore...

alcana579

Customer Sales Support

Yes I have! But thas is just because top performers keep the best techniques of handling customers for themselves

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BillyHoyle

Ever Shadow a High Performer and Scratch Your Head?

31 comment

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