SaaSy Talk S01.49: A Deep Dive into the World of Tech Sales

About The Guest(s): Bringing over 20 years of comprehensive sales experience, Michelle is an accomplished sales leader with a love for all things sales. Her experience consists of 11 years of sales leadership and 9 years of being an Individual contributor. She has spent the last 6 years at G2, before G2 she had a long tenure at CareerBuilder and also Quill.com.  Michelle has honed her expertise in building a collaborative, high-performing sales culture and also has been recognized for her commitment to developing Sales Professionals, not just in their sales career, but by helping them set and achieve personal goals that will improve their lives as a whole. Michelle resides in the Chicago area and has 2 young kids. In her free time, she loves to run, read suspense books, and play tennis.  Episode Summary: In this episode, Michelle Vu, VP of Sales at G2, shares her journey into the world of tech sales and provides valuable insights into the sales process. She emphasizes the importance of effective discovery and asking the right questions to uncover customer pain points. Michelle also discusses the onboarding process for sales teams, the role of account executives in prospecting, and the challenges of forecasting. She highlights the significance of metrics and conversions in evaluating sales performance and shares her approach to deal reviews. Michelle's passion for developing sales talent and her excitement for leveraging AI in sales make this episode a must-listen for anyone in the sales industry.Key Takeaways:  Effective discovery and asking the right questions are crucial in sales to understand customer pain points and provide value. The onboarding process for sales teams should focus on developing skills in uncovering pain points and having meaningful conversations with customers. Account executives should take ownership of prospecting and not solely rely on other sources for pipeline generation. Metrics such as conversion rates and the number of contacts in an account are important indicators of sales performance. Deal reviews and collaborative selling play a significant role in improving sales outcomes and addressing challenges. Notable Quotes: "You can learn your product, but what you need to learn is how to uncover pain and have meaningful conversations with customers." - Michelle Vu "Sales is not a lone wolf role anymore. You have to be okay with taking advice and giving advice." - Michelle Vu Chapters 02:15 From Office Supplies to Tech Sales 04:16 The Importance of Face-to-Face Selling 06:27 The Role of Discovery in Sales 07:14 Onboarding Process for Sales Teams 09:19 The Role of Account Executives in Prospecting 11:14 Preparing for Success in 2024 and Beyond 13:03 A Day in the Life of a Sales Leader 15:39 Hiring the Right Salespeople 16:37 The Importance of Feedback in Sales 19:05 Transitioning to Metrics 20:29 Dealing with the 'Ronaldo's' of Sales 21:07 Setting Expectations and Maintaining Consistency 22:04 Discussing Forecasting Challenges 24:23 The Importance of Deal Reviews 29:27 Quick Fire Round Subscribe on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZVkJ12FIqD39oqgj7Kcjq  Subscribe on Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saasy-talk-unfiltered/id1709426070 Subscribe on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSyTalkUnfiltered Subscribe on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasy-talk-unfiltered Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@saasytalkunfiltered Visit our Website:  https://saasytalkunfiltered.transistor.fm/   Follow Ricky Sevta on Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickysevta/ Follow Sean Diljore on Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandiljore/