Key points
- Sift CEO Kris Nagel says selling is a process and a science, and advises talking less than 30% of the time.
- Nagel calls selling a team sport where reps lead engineers, marketers and executives who do not report to them.
- Nagel expects product-led growth to rebound, but says enterprise deals still require direct sellers.
A CEO's Guide to Selling as a Team Sport
Kris Nagel argues that selling is a learnable process and a team sport, not an art. The job is to help customers solve problems and reach business outcomes, which means understanding their buying process and listening more than talking. The same discipline explains why product-led growth and enterprise sales are points on a continuum.
Takeaways
- Selling is a process, not an art. Nagel's core belief is that the job is to help a customer solve a problem and reach the business outcome they are after, not to sell them something. Sellers must understand the customer's buying process and take people through a structured journey.
- Talk less than 30% of the time. The best advice of Nagel's career came from his first sales manager, who told him to talk less than 30% of the time. When customers said no, he asked them to explain why before ending the call, and they gave reasons like budget or fit.
- Product-led growth still requires selling. Nagel is a big believer in product-led growth, but the best technology does not always win. Selling still happens through the product and the website, and companies must work out how to expose the technology and the business problem it solves.
- Enterprise selling needs sellers and partners. Financial analysts and procurement people face many approval layers, making it very hard to get through without a seller. The sales team extends to channel partners and large systems integrators, and sometimes it takes an executive committing personally to the customer's success.
- Use your twenties to explore. Nagel says your 20s and 30s, especially your 20s, are for finding who you are and how you want to contribute. Compensation will come with time, so people should not put too much pressure on themselves to know what they want to do professionally.
Nagel's career path
- Started at Apple Computer when Steve Jobs had just left and John Sculley was CEO, working in manufacturing, new products, engineering and product marketing.
- Moved from product management into his first sales role, drawn to the field because that was where the real activity and lucrative careers were.
- Spent about 30 years in the workforce, including venture-backed companies and pre-revenue startups, and went through a couple of early IPOs.
- Nearly 20 years in the field with customers, with a career spanning hardware, software, enterprise software, appliances and cloud.
Running a team sale
- The salesperson acts as de facto leader of people who do not report to them, orchestrating the process and relationship.