So this one is big, millions big and of course current biggest company deal...and some how bigger than the company's largest deal ever that I sold back in Q3 2023 (seems so long ago now lol). The most recent iteration of this deal started with a client partner asking me how quickly I could schedule a demo. Instead of jumping at the blue bird opportunity, I pushed back on scheduling off the rip. Turns out I was smart to. This organization is one that 7 years ago my org had been after and onsite only to have their champion disappear faster than adoption volunteers at a pro life rally. It also turns out, I had demo'd for these guys about a year ago when I created a program for my clients to sell deals for me. Either way, I held my ground and had my client partner spill the tea. Apparently, after that demo in passing I gave a year ago, they put my org/offering in a box and went with another option. They got board approval and were about to walk hand in hand into the sunset when the prospect's IT team VETO'd the deal in the 23rd hour. THiS WAS MY IN! I don't want to talk to anyone but the fucking IT team that has enough weight to swat fully funded and approved deals down like Dikembe Mutombo at the local synagogue's all star game.
So I get the IT team to sit down but before I do the project coordinator working under the VP of Freight hits me with a questionnaire packet they've created for this project purchasing that put to shame the ACT I never attended b/c my parent's thought I was a trustworthy enough high schooler to waste a Saturday with standardized testing. This thing was thick and detailed and a bit scary. I looked at it and thought there might be some issues we couldn't address BUT it was a great buying sign, they knew exactly what they wanted, as if the fully lit deal that got 86'd wasn't enough of one before. Any who I have my senior engineer look at the thing along with my CTO and they have issues BUT ITS OK! CEO (CRO left so I work directly for the man, call me the diet VP of Sales) says fuck it, we can do all of this and with the implementation timeline a project like this has, we'll have time to completely rework the product roadmap to match the needs. It pays to not work at the giant places sometimes. So we have tech to talk to tech and man the prospect is trying hard not to act flirty but you can tell they like the cut of our jib. We say our entire goal (acting coy) is an onsite visit. But mind you this is December and holiday and EOY are right in the middle of everything PLUS they want a video to share to their board independently b/c if the owners get in a room or call together it's an anti trust violation that would make Rockefeller jealous.
So what do we do? I make the resident power point bitch (read marketing) help me make a detailed video just for them that shows how damn DTF we are. THEY EAT IT UP AND SAY WHEN CAN YOU FLY IN? I'm riding high in the sky and talk my CEO into joining me and bringing 4/5 other executives in the company with my engineer to show them we mean fucking business...AND IT WORKED. They gave us the grand tour and walked us through every inch of their process for 5 hours and we addressed everything we could do. They then explained their hilarious approval process that has to go through 2 separate councils and then finally the board. They gave us a whole quarter of shipping data and I had the audacity to say I'd turn that bitch into an ROI over the weekend....I didn't fucking sleep and I lived in excel and after I crunched the numbers and put my summary though ChatGPT i sent the shit out.
I'll skip the rest as it gets less exciting b/c the prospect team really liked my open approach and transparency in data gathering and expectations for the entire deal process and after we left basically said they were on team FILTH and just needed help getting the board to fall in love with my org they did. Got the contract signed today and go onsite with my A team implementers and engineers for a 3 day 2 night data gathering and workflow mapping. Made a deal with the CEO that I get the same pay as the client partner which is 5% of the MRR every month until I or the client leaves (they are locked in for at least 5 years and I'm planning on milking my current position for at least 7 - freight ain't going anywhere and I have a lot of freedom and high ceilings and low quotas). If you're still reading thanks for letting me share and thanks for taking the ride...now I just have to figure out how to get the Next company biggest deal while being an AM...I'm going to rub this into my AEs faces for at least a month :D Now excuse me while I somehow drop 70 of my 75 current accounts to just 5 and have the illusion of a peaceful work life.
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