WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:04.719 You know, when reps tell me they're having trouble with metrics, it's typically 2 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:10.519 because the metrics they're talking about aren't resonating with the people they're in conversations with. 3 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:18.199 You're listening to the Audible Ready Podcast, the show that helps you and 4 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:23.280 your teams sell more Faster. We'll feature sales leaders sharing their best insights on 5 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:27.719 how to create a sales engine that helps you fuel repeatable revenue growth, presented 6 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:31.480 by the team Offorce Management, a leader in B to B sales effectiveness. 7 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:36.920 Let's get started. Hi, It's Rachel with the Audible Ready Sales Podcast. 8 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:41.079 I'm excited to bring you this topic today because it's one that I know many 9 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:47.880 of you struggle with. Today we're talking about metrics. John Kaplan joins me 10 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:50.520 today. Hi. John, Hey, good morning, Rachel. I think 11 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.439 this is another great topic, so thanks for bringing it to the top. 12 00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:57.920 I think this is an area that I've seen a lot of reps get tripped 13 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:02.119 up on, and I think the reason is they're not using this concept in 14 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:04.359 the right way with their buyers. So we're going to talk a little bit 15 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.200 about that today. Right, that's an important point. It's still an important 16 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.519 concept, but you have to use it in the right way. So let's 17 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:17.000 start with first defining metrics. So some have the perception that metrics are the 18 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:21.560 only thing that the buyer cares about. They're important, but they're not the 19 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.519 whole story. So let's talk about kind of what metrics are. Metrics are 20 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:32.359 the way you measure required capabilities or the requirements for a solution success. You 21 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:36.760 need some proof in the implementation process that you're doing what you said you could 22 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:40.560 do. If you're going to run a race, you need some sort of 23 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.840 benchmark to know that you're on the right path. And metrics help us focus 24 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:49.439 on how we're measuring the capabilities of the solution, measuring the solution capabilities. 25 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:53.319 And I've heard you say that the feedback you get sometimes is that when reps 26 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:59.799 use metrics in those conversations, higher ups in the organization don't care about how 27 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:02.879 they measuring success. But that's really not the case, and it often has 28 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:07.879 to do with how the reps are using the metrics using that topic in those 29 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:12.000 sales conversations. Yeah, exactly. So you know, as salespeople, we 30 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:15.719 have the ability to adopt our conversation as we go up and down in an 31 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:21.039 organization. One of the ways I've seen reps get tripped up is by focusing 32 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:24.879 too much of the conversation on metrics. So metrics are important, but it's 33 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:29.759 how you use metrics. As with anything else in sales, you have to 34 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:34.319 adapt your conversation to whom you're speaking. You know. Remember we always say 35 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:38.639 you get delegated to those that you sound like. So metrics help us focus 36 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:45.039 on how we're measuring the capabilities of the solution. They don't necessarily solve the 37 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:50.280 positive business outcomes. Your metrics are driving the outcomes, but they're not the 38 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:53.919 whole story. You know. When reps tell me they're having trouble with metrics, 39 00:02:53.960 --> 00:03:00.400 it's typically because the metrics they're talking about aren't resonating with the people there 40 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:05.960 in conversations with They're likely focusing too much on the metrics and the sales conversation 41 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:12.120 because they are often technical in nature, and therefore they won't get you very 42 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:15.199 far as you work your way up to the executive buyer. That's a good 43 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.360 point. They're often technical in nature, and I know sometimes John, you 44 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:23.199 use this analogy of the house when making this point, So walk through that 45 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:27.479 analogy to help the people listening visualize the concept you're talking about. Okay, 46 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.960 So let's say you're having a great conversation with a buyer who's at a lower 47 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:36.240 level in the organization. So if it were a house, this person would 48 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:39.560 be in a small room in a lower level. The windows are closed, 49 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:45.960 the door is shut. You're talking to them without consideration of the rest of 50 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:50.039 the house. You know, you're so busy with this one person that you 51 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:53.680 don't have any idea of what's going on in the other rooms. So what 52 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:58.080 do you do? You know, you really have two choices. Leave that 53 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.479 person behind and go out of the room room and go to the other rooms. 54 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:05.319 Or the better choice, I believe is to open the door, open 55 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:10.960 the windows, and connect this buyer to the rest of the house. Right, 56 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.080 and metrics are part of that conversation. But they're not the only way 57 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.000 to take that buyer to the rest of the house. No, they're not. 58 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:23.399 So you require capabilities in metrics are typically at a technical level, So 59 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:28.079 you as a rep need to open the windows and translate those bullet points into 60 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.120 the positive business outcomes. You've heard us say many times, you need to 61 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:36.399 attach to the biggest business issue facing the customer. That's what we mean so 62 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:42.319 when you take your technical buyer up the stairs with you, the metrics are 63 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.800 important, but they are technical in nature. They aren't typically what a C 64 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:51.199 level executive is going to care about. It's not that they don't care about 65 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:56.160 them, it's just that they believe that they have other people in their organization 66 00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:59.800 that should care about them when they're more technical in nature. So therefore, 67 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:04.319 you can't focus your conversations on the metrics alone. It's about the outcomes, 68 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:08.720 right, and the outcomes is with the sea level is focused on. You 69 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:13.079 know, if your solution, for example, let's say, decreases network latency 70 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.879 by X number of milliseconds, that's important, that's in critical. But improving 71 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:21.000 customer experience is that business outcome that the sea level executive is going to care 72 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:25.399 about. So this is sort of what you're talking about, is you need 73 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:30.480 to adjust your sales conversation based on what's top of mind to that particular decision 74 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:34.439 acre exactly Exactly. You can't assume that the rest of your decision makers are 75 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:40.040 going to understand the importance of those technical metrics, you know, considering the 76 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:43.879 house metaphor, Again, they're important to the people in that one room. 77 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:47.399 They impact the rest of the house, but they aren't the focus of the 78 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:50.879 people and the rest of the house, you know, like upstairs, they're 79 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:56.079 looking at the weather, if it's raining, when the temperature is increasing, 80 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.639 and if there's a tornado on the way. Yeah, it's really about a 81 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:04.040 line to what's important to that particular person. It's all about being audible ready, 82 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:08.120 and remember it. You know you said at the top you get delegated 83 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.160 to whom you sound like, so you want to make sure that you're focusing 84 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:15.759 these sales conversations on what's important to that person in the room and then opening 85 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:18.399 up the doors, opening up the window, and getting to the other levels 86 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:20.879 of the house. So, John, I kind of summed up some of 87 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:24.800 your points there. But you're also great at giving a bottom line, and 88 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:27.319 I'm sure you have one when it comes to metrics. Yeah, so you 89 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.360 know, the bottom line for me is the best sellers I see today know 90 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:36.839 how to integrate the technical conversation with the business conversation and this is where the 91 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:43.040 required capabilities, metrics and positive business outcomes come together. And as you said, 92 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.600 you just have to remember you get delegated to those that you sound like. 93 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:51.560 Make sure the people that you're targeting in a particular conversation, you are 94 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:58.319 prepared to sound like them. You'll find your answers in the intersection between require 95 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:02.959 capabilities metric some positive business outcomes there. It is all right. Thank you 96 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:05.920 all for listening. Thanks John for breaking it down for us today. My 97 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:12.759 pleasure. At force Management, we're focused on transforming sales organizations into elite teams. 98 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:17.920 Are proven methodologies, deliver programs that build company alignment and fuel repeatable revenue 99 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:23.319 growth. Give your teams the ability to execute the growth strategy at the point 100 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:28.160 of sale. Our strength is our experience. The proof is in our results. 101 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:32.040 Let's get started. Visit us at force management dot com. You've been 102 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:36.199 listening to the Audible Ready podcast. To not miss an episode, subscribe to 103 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:40.160 the show in your favorite podcast player until next time.