“You must go looking for bad news. That’s how you eliminate surprises.”
Steve Barnhurst is Enterprise Sales Director at Ebsta. “My job has always been to create the conditions where other people can be successful.” Steve brings his wide range of experience as a sales leader through start ups to major PE backed corporates to bear as we explore why tracking engagement is such a critical indicator or deal and pipeline health.
“More time, more fun, enjoy work more, get more done, do better work. We’re trying to maximise collaboration. We must get rid of the Lone Wolf syndrome in sales. Enterprise sales are won by teams not individuals. Lack of predictability and consistency leads to a loss of trust. You know something is awry when your salespeople are having to sell their deals as hard internally as they are to their prospects.” How many management blindspots come from salespeople seeing through rose tinted spectacles? (or plain lying to cover their backs – my words )
Uncertainty in the pipeline leads to an erosion of trust in the Sales Director, who passes the bad news up the chain of command to the CEO and the Board who get a nasty awakening from the investors if it was a surprise. The consequences of that conversation can be painful.
Steve offers suggestions for building certainty and predictabliity, creating the conditions where discretionary effort is everyone’s best effort.
Contact Steve via linkedin.com/in/stevebarnhurst. He’s hiring as of 19 April 2022.
Website: ebsta.com (Company Website)
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