Sgt_Trollingham profile picture
Sgt_Trollingham profile picture

Sgt_Trollingham

Business Development Director

Valued Contributor
Opinionated
Catalyst
+4

What do you savages think?


I feel like this is one of those classic clickbait type posts... I've been in sales over 5 years and I have never felt that the funnel was outdated. I have certainly skipped leads ahead to later funnel stages, but the over simplification on the right is just designed to get clicks.

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NoSuperhero
Politicker
3
BDR LEAD
I see what you mean, but a lot of people are veering away from the new model, like yes BDR's get the meeting. But it's up to us (BDRs) to start the conversation and then get the meeting for the AEs to continue to move prospects through the sales funnel.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
2
Business Development Director
I see the value in SDR/BDR to AE workflow. Currently, we don't run that model, we're without the SDR/BDR aspect. Our Sales reps go through the full cycle.
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
Buyers aren't "moved through the sales funnel".  Sellers follow buyers through the buyers funnel.  The challenge is being able to differentiate between buyers and shoppers.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
3
Business Development Director
That resonates with me a lot... never framed it that way!
goose
Politicker
0
Sales Executive
It's not popular as most sellers think they control the process.  In some cases they may control parts of it.  But in my opinion sellers are the experts in the process and help buyers navigate their way through.
NoSuperhero
Politicker
1
BDR LEAD
I can see that Goose, especially now in a more buyer-centric sales role. But still is in the AEs hands to walk them down the buyer's journey, IMHO
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
There aren't many people with the patience needed for the "old way".  Not necessarily saying the "new way" is better but as a buyer I'd prefer to see a demo and decide if it's something I'd like to try.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
2
Business Development Director
That makes sense. We don't really gate our demos in any way! So we're kinda there already.
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
I listened to an Andy Paul podcast where Joe Caprio from Reprise was promoting the idea of making it easier for buyers to demo products.  It was very interesting.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
2
Business Development Director
Can you link it? I would love to take a listen.
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
901: Sales Autonomous Zone, with Joe Caprio - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
2
Business Development Director
Thank you!

NoSuperhero
Politicker
1
BDR LEAD
Really? I mean what if the solution really doesn't have any relevance and that could be found out with a 5 min conversation. Nothing against asking for a demo right away, but hardly do I get a prospect that tells me ''just show me what it does'' within the first 2 mins, idk it might be just me.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
3
Business Development Director
That is what SDR's are for right? So yeah, I think it helps everyone. Spend 5 minutes to potentially save 30, rather than 15 minutes into the demo establish they have no use.
goose
Politicker
2
Sales Executive
That's the thing.  If the solution doesn't have relevance then I'm back to "not interested".  What I don't want (and I think this resonates with buyers a lot) is someone to take time to ask me what keeps me up at night.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
3
Business Development Director
That's fair. The trick is being concise while still trying to solve for a real challenge/need... The biggest issue is if people come to your site and haven't been able to understand what your company does. 

Is it just me, or is marketing copy on tech websites completely confounding!? I go to a site, and they make a simple product seem like this highly complex tool that nobody understands but them. Honestly, makes me less likely to engage and buy.
goose
Politicker
2
Sales Executive
You're not wrong.  It's probably not a popular opinion but I tend to think that cold outreach is a marketing function to try to get buyers aware of your offering... like a billboard on the freeway. 
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
3
Business Development Director
So should people cold calling report into marketing? Or is that simply a marketing function they can choose to perform in a sales role? I guess the lines between marketing and sales are always somewhat blurred anyway.
goose
Politicker
0
Sales Executive
I believe SDRs and BDRs should report into marketing.
NoSuperhero
Politicker
0
BDR LEAD
That's fair. But again, i've never run into someone to call me out like that. 
NoSuperhero
Politicker
0
BDR LEAD
Why?? The greater benefit is in the AE's hands. Marketing should report to sales more often than what I've experienced.
RealEstateVeep
Politicker
1
VP of Real Estate
Definitely it can be more efficient than the old method but the right is definitely over simplified. In some way - the funnel is the same even in an increasingly digital world.
ragnarlothbrok
Politicker
1
Key account manager
seems legit, although i do a lot of work with design engineers so we are stuck in the old ways 

JustGonnaSendIt
Politicker
1
Burn Towns, Get Money
See I never liked the analogy of a funnel. I know it LOOKS like a funnel... but the same amount of stuff you put into a funnel comes out the bottom, just moving faster with a smaller cross-sectional area.

I wish we called it the sales filter instead. Or something of the like. Much more apt analogy.

This "new way" may work just fine for transactional sells and companies that spend more on marketing than R&D or actually selling. But for large, complex sales, there is often very little linearity in the activities since so many stakeholders are involved.

I prefer to think of things as a continuum of trust and thought leadership. 

Does the prospect trust your company and solutions to be able to solve their problem?

Does the prospect see your company and solution as a thought leader? or a commodity?

Attack those two thought streams by understanding the customer rather than constantly talking about you, you, you, and trying to 'own' their attention. The goal is for them to own your product or service, not for you to gain some ownership over them.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
2
Business Development Director
This!
Adored
Executive
1
Sales Director
A product that can be instantly demoed is either brilliantly simple or so basic as to provide little value (the former is insanely rare)...this model only applies to very transactional solutions.

Also, how many SDRs do full length demos?
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
1
Business Development Director
None that I know of.
Adored
Executive
0
Sales Director
That's what I thought, weird concept to demo straight away.
AnchorPoint
Politicker
1
Business Coach
Without proper discovery, a presentation of any sort is fruitless.  Would you trust a doctor's prescription if he never met you and asked you no questions?  
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
1
Business Development Director
Agreed... I was a demo only salesperson at one point. I came into a call, started into my demo and after about 30 minutes. The prospect said... this is really great software, I'm sure your clients love you guys, but we aren't in the market for this at all. 

If only the dingbat that set up the call had thought to ask a few disco questions...
AnchorPoint
Politicker
1
Business Coach
And I am huge believer in only demoing what the client is interested in!  No need to go through every feature and benefit, especially if some are of no interest or will not be used.  Focus on the need, sell the solution, and move on!
User1234567
Politicker
1
User1234567
sell sell sell is the name of the game 
GDO
Politicker
1
BDM
Buyers would love the new way. But would it be better/more effective or efficient? I don’t know
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
Definitely it can be more efficient than the old method but the right is definitely over simplified.
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
There aren't many people with the patience needed for the "old way". 
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
I don't sell anything that can just be demoed at any point. This doesn't work at all for true enterprise software.
Sgt_Trollingham
Valued Contributor
1
Business Development Director
So you guys run the classic funnel approach, I guess?
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
I mean, I don't really agree with that breakdown either but generally yes.
MR.StretchISR
Politicker
0
ISR
I see what you mean, but a lot of people are veering away from the new model, like yes BDR's get the meeting. But it's up to us (BDRs) to start the conversation and then get the meeting for the AEs to continue to move prospects through the sales funnel.
Mr.Floaty
Politicker
0
BDR
Facts! I think, a well done video explaining how they can search already existing threads will do the trick.
Cyberjarre
Politicker
0
BDR
Facts! I think, a well done video explaining how they can search already existing threads will do the trick.

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