Close Call: Real-world sales strategies for startups and SMBs

By Steli Efti from Close

What's Close Call: Real-world sales strategies for startups and SMBs about?

Sales hacks for startup hustlers by Steli Efti. Tactics, strategies and sales stories straight from Silicon Valley's most prominent sales hustler. Head over to https://blog.close.com for sales videos and blog posts plus extra materials related to each episode.

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Close Call: Real-world sales strategies for startups and SMBs episodes:

01.10.2022
Why Harris Kenny pivoted from SaaS to startup sales consulting
Harris Kenny was working as a head of sales when he decided to quit and become a consultant. Three years later, he runs an international sales consulting firm that specializes in helping startups grow by supporting their early-stage sales process....
12.09.2021
How a top revops consultant helps startups grow revenue in 4 steps
Marc Belgrave is a growth advisor who equips hungry, data-driven entrepreneurs to scale to add 20k/month in new revenue. In 90 days or less. How? Sales process and automation. Check out his article: How a top revops consultant helps startups grow...
11.23.2021
CRM for trucking & logistics: Lessons learned from 20 years in the industry
Millisa Nwokolo spent 20 years in logistics & trucking sales, and shares some of her best tips on building a successful business in this industry, as well as real-talk on what to expect when you're starting out completely from scratch. Check...
10.06.2021
CRM implementation: How to simplify and accelerate the process with Nick Persico
In today's episode of Close Call, Nick Persico, our Director of Sales at Close talks all about: ⭐️ How to choose a CRM ⭐️ How to get buy-in across different departments ⭐️ How to increase adoption Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEpoLHQdoE
05.19.2020
Get our latest book for free today: Leading Sales Teams Through Crisis
We've just released our latest book. Get your free copy today: https://close.com/resources/sales-teams-crisis/?utm_campaign=202005191513 The book is titled "Leading Sales Teams Through Crisis", and you'll find 500+ pages of actionable tactics & advice with contributions from over 30 sales and SaaS leaders. wwfYWPPCF7vZvtTr1kwi
05.15.2020
Sales Lead Generation When COVID - 19 Killed Tradeshows By Steli Efti
Right now, and for the foreseeable future, tradeshows are dead. If you relied on them in the past for lead generation, now is the time to adapt. Here are 5 ways to adjust to this new reality. Read more: https://blog.close.com/sales-lead-gen-without-tradeshows/ Want...
01.21.2020
How To Successfully Offboard A Sales Rep
Getting ready to offboard a sales rep? If it's am amiable split, there's a straightforward 3-step process to wrap things up smoothly. And if it's on bad terms? We've got you covered as well. Check out our accompanying blog post:...
07.29.2019
Sales Obection - Your Product Is Too Complicated
Steli Efti shares 5 ways to overcome the "Your product is too complicated" sales objection. Check out the corresponding blog post over at https://blog.close.com/sales-objection-too-complicated "It sounds good, but it's too complicated" is a common objection in SaaS sales, but it shows...
06.17.2019
How To Make Outbound Sales Work In 2019
Lots of people will tell you that outbound sales is a lost cause—that inbound is the only way. They're wrong. Here's how to win with outbound: https://blog.close.com/outbound-sales
06.11.2019
Sales Objection: "I Heard Bad Things About Your Company"
How do you sell your solution when your prospect saw bad reviews or heard negative things about your company? How many times have you heard this objection? Many salespeople, even those with years of experience, have trouble with this one....
06.06.2019
Why Sales Metrics Are Meaningless—When Numbers Mislead Sales People
When it comes to sales funnels and sales reporting, people like to share big numbers. But, don’t buy it until you’ve gotten the full context for the claim. Check out the related post and video here: https://blog.close.com/sales-pipeline-metrics
09.06.2018
Catherine Stewart, Automattic (WordPress.com): Negotiation & How 800+ Distributed Employees Thrive
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Catherine Stewart (https://catherinetaylorstewart.com/) is the Chief Business Officer at Automattic (https://automattic.com/), the company behind WordPress.com
08.09.2018
Danielle Diamond, Rebel Motion & User Interviews: A Filmmaker's Advice for Storytelling in Sales
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Danielle Diamond (@dhopediamond) is a Content Creator at User Interviews (https://www.userinterviews.com), the Director of Marketing at Rebel Motion (https://www.rebel-motion.com/),...
07.26.2018
Nicole Wolosoff, Boston National Title Agency: Starting Conversations & Attracting Opportunities
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Nicole Wolosoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolewolosoff/) is the President of the New York Operation of Boston National Title Agency (https://www.bostonnationaltitle.com/en/). Prior to...
07.19.2018
Rebecca Kacaba, Dealmaker CEO & Co-Founder: Corporate M&A Lawyer to Software Founder
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Rebecca Kacaba ([email protected]) is the CEO and Co-Founder of DealMaker (https://dealmaker.tech/). She was previously a Partner at Dentons LLP...
07.11.2018
Zainab Allawala, Help Scout: Resources and FAQs on Diversity & Inclusion
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Zainab Allawala (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainaballawala/) is a Customer Success Account Executive at Help Scout (https://www.helpscout.net/). Zainab worked as a Strategic Account...
07.05.2018
Megan Muldary, Sales Operations at TUNE: Heart Forward Communication & Empathy
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Megan Muldary (https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-muldary-2843b625/) is the Director of Sales Operations at TUNE (https://www.tune.com/). Prior to TUNE, Megan was a Sales...
06.28.2018
Community Leader Shikha Bindra, Vidyard: Purpose to Serve
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Shikha Bindra (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shikhabindra/, @BindraShikha ) is the Manager of Business Development at Vidyard (https://www.vidyard.com/. She’s been an avid community volunteer...
06.21.2018
Heidi Grey, Skilljar & TheRougeEssentials.com: Balancing Your Career With a Side Hustle & Passion
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, Close.io Account Executive [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Heidi Grey is a Strategic Account Manager at Skilljar (https://www.skilljar.com/) and the founder/blogger of The Rogue Essentials (www.therogueessentials.com), a...
06.14.2018
Sales Award Winner Jen Wolosoff, Buzzfeed Employee #20: Manifesting Your Career Vision
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Listen: iTunes, Soundcloud, & your favorite podcast app Watch: YouTube Jen Wolosoff(https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenwolo/)is the Director of Brand Strategy at Buzzfeed(https://www.buzzfeed.com/). Jen joined Buzzfed as employee #20 in 2010, where...
06.07.2018
Digital Nomad Emily Breuninger, Zapier: Creating Your Dream Life & Career
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Emily Breuninger (https://digitallynomadicemily.com/) is the Partnerships Manager at Zapier (https://zapier.com/). Episode highlights: > Zapier's fully-remote company structure and the serendipity that brought her career there > The moment she...
05.31.2018
Melissa Rosenthal, Cheddar EVP & Former Buzzfeed VP Creative: Bold Reinvention
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Melissa Rosenthal (https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/) is the Executive Vice President at Cheddar Inc. (https://cheddar.com/). Melissa was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative People...
05.24.2018
Julianne Gsell: First SDR at Box to Director of Sales at Databricks
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Julianne Gsell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannegsell/) is the Director of MidMarket Sales at Databricks (https://databricks.com/). Julianne was previously a Director of Enterprise Sales at Box, where she started her career...
05.22.2018
How To Use UX To Design High - Converting Cold Emails, Calls, And Product Demos
Check out the full blog post here: http://blog.close.io/user-experience-in-sales Too many sales reps focus shortsightedly on the close. Because that's the moment they earn a commission. But there's a lot that happens leading up to that moment. Today, I want to share how...
05.17.2018
Joanna Moshman, Figure 1: Structured Habits of a Partially Remote Company
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Joanna Moshman is the Senior Manager of Business Development at Figure 1(https://www.instagram.com/jomosh/). Her career today comes from two paths that converged: startups and healthcare. She previously...
05.10.2018
Alicia Cornell, Shopify Plus: "Breaking Up" and Falling Back In Love with Sales
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io [email protected], @rebeccatluo Alicia Cornell is a Sales Manager at Shopify Plus ([email protected]). Alicia graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa, and shortly after joined McGraw-Hill Ryerson, the Canadian...
05.10.2018
Kelly Aizicowitz, Figure 1: How Politics Shaped Her for Sales
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Kelly Aizicowitz is the Senior Director of Business Development at Figure 1 (https://twitter.com/KellyAizicowitz), (https://www.instagram.com/kelly_aizicowitz/). Special thanks to Ilya Motamedi, undergraduate student in computer sciences at the...
05.10.2018
Jolijt Tamanaha, Fresh Prints: Selling her First Company & Managing a Sales Team of 40
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Jolijt Tamanaha is the CMO & CFO of Freshprints ([email protected]). Jolijt founded Farmplicity at 18 years of age while enrolled as a full-time student at Washington University...
05.10.2018
Megan Orth, Freightview: How Raising a Family Shaped Her For Sales & Startups
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Megan Orth is the Director at Freightview. In 2014, Megan co-led the development of Freightview as a part of a startup project within a company called...
05.10.2018
Liz Stephany, Close.io: Law School, Disappointment, and Becoming a Startup Team Leader
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Liz Stephany is our very own Senior Customer Success Manager at Close.io. ([email protected]). She has worked in sales at Oracle and as a sales and account...
05.10.2018
Sales Coach Lauren LaForge: Consistency, Building a Business, and Remote Life
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Lauren LaForge is a professional sales trainer and business coach at Southwestern Consulting ([email protected]). As a college student, Lauren sold books and software door-to-door for Southwestern...
05.10.2018
Sarah Haselkorn, MakeSpace: Emotional Resilience as a Triathlete, Entrepreneur, & Systems Engineer
CLOSE.IO WOMEN IN SALES INTERVIEW SERIES http://blog.close.io/topic/women-in-sales Host: Rebecca Luo, account executive at Close.io @rebeccatluo Sarah Haselkorn is the Head of Sales Operations at Makespace and co-founder at Unfettered Socks (https://www.instagram.com/sarahstartups/). She’s a triathlete, an investor, and an advisor, with a...
04.17.2018
SaaS Sales: Selling To SMBs? Use This Enterprise Sales Tactic To Succeed
Selling software solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses? Understand who your stakeholders are. We learned this the hard way—and almost did some serious damage to our startup because we weren't differentiating enough among the stakeholders we're serving. Related blog post:...
04.10.2018
How to know when exactly you should contact your prospects
Imagine there's a way to close a lot more deals, without really having to change anything you do. You wouldn't have to work more or harder. All you have to do is contact the prospect at the right time. Here's...
04.02.2018
When (and How) To Scale Your Business With Resellers And Channel Sales Partners
Channel sales partners can be a great way to accelerate your sales growth. Getting the right resellers to sell your product for you can be a real game changer for your business. But if you do it wrong, or at...
03.26.2018
How To Sell To Early Customers Who Have Risks Buying From You?
You’ve got a new product you’re ready to start selling. And by some miracle, there’s already a major client ready to pull the trigger. There’s only one problem: You don’t know 100% if you can deliver for them. A lot...
12.19.2017
How To Build Relationships With Influential People
Here's how ANYONE can build relationships with influential people and grow a high-value network. (While keeping it real, without fluff and BS "networking tactics".)
11.17.2017
How to create a killer startup pitch
Too many startup pitches follow a flawed formula. They start with a grand vision rather than simple explanation. Learn how to make your pitches more effective. Learn more at http://blog.close.io/killer-startup-pitch
05.26.2017
Why creativity kills sales scalability (and how to fix it)
I’m not gonna lie: I’m a great salesperson. Humbleness aside, I've pretty much always been. But as long as we’re being honest, I’ve got a confession, too: I was a terrible sales manager. Seriously, I almost ran my first sales team...
05.22.2017
Cold calling: How to respond to "I don't have time"?
http://blog.close.io/cold-calling-how-to-respond-to-i-dont-have-time Cold calling: How to respond to "I don't have time"? by Steli Efti When Donald Trump says he has “no time” for political correctness, what he really means is that he’s chosen not to make it a priority. It’s the same way with...
05.10.2017
C-level sales for startups: Ask for advice and you’ll get money
http://blog.close.io/c-level-sales-for-startups In the early days of your startup, the ultimate validation is money. I’ve talked about this before, but it’s worth repeating: people need to vote with their time and money. That’s how you know there’s a real market for your...
04.25.2017
Sales leaders, here’s how to deliver bad news to your team by @Steli (Close.io)
http://blog.close.io/sales-leaders-deliver-bad-news another Monday morning: The sun’s shining, the investors are happy, and the entire office seems to be in an exceptionally good mood. You can just tell it’s gonna be a great week. Or so you thought, until you got that...
04.19.2017
Price negotiations: How to respond when a competing vendor lowballs you
Want more advice + templates that help you negotiate with prospects → http://blog.close.io/price-negotiations-underbidding-competitor He likes you and he likes what you’re selling. You estimate that there’s a 90% chance you’ll close the sale during your next conversation. But then, the (not...
04.08.2017
3 simple steps to sell high-tech products to low-tech buyers
Related blog post here: http://blog.close.io/sell-high-tech-products-to-low-tech-buyers?utm_campaign=yt_description&utm_medium=video&utm_source=youtube You did it. You developed the next great tech product. The features are endless, the benefits innumerable. It’s a game-changer. So you meet with prospect— traditional buyers— and recite all the ways your solution changes...
03.24.2017
No-shows killing your quota? Here are 9 steps to make prospects show up
Level up: https://close.io/free-sales-course/ You've worked hard to set up that sales meeting or demo—but your prospect never shows up. No-shows suck but there are 9 things you can do to reduce them. | Related blog post here: http://blog.close.io/sales-no-shows Monday morning, 10:00 a.m....
03.14.2017
Numbers down? Missing your quota? 3 steps to deal with stress in sales
In this episode Steli talks about how to deal with not meeting your sales quota and how to manage the stress that it causes. We all have stress in life, and that’s not a negative thing as it shows that...
03.06.2017
Y Combinator is a waste of time (unless you do this)
The Startup Sales -Podcast Show Notes- Episode 002 Summary: Accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, can help start-ups reach their goals—but it all depends on the start-up. In this episode, Steli shares specific examples of how they were able...
02.28.2017
Startup recruiting: How to hire A Players with the power of the follow up
In this episode of The Startup Sales Podcast, Steli discusses his journey hiring Phil Freo and Nick Persicoby following up and following through. He was rejected over and over again, but very determined to pursue these two candidates. They eventually...
02.14.2017
Sales alchemy: How to turn a dry pipeline into a well of golden opportunities
"Your sales pipeline is bone dry. The flood of leads and opportunities has turned into a trickle, leaving you scrambling to find new opportunities. The dream of having the best quarter ever has turned into a nightmare of missing your...
02.09.2017
Pick your poison: Why winning entrepreneurs make hard choices
Level up: https://close.io/free-sales-course/ As a founder, you often have to make a difficult decision between two equally bad options. This is how you make the best choice under the worst circumstances. | Related blog post here: http://blog.close.io/making-difficult-decisions

What's Close Call: Real-world sales strategies for startups and SMBs about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Close Call: Real-world sales strategies for startups and SMBs episodes:

Why Harris Kenny pivoted from SaaS to startup sales consulting

How a top revops consultant helps startups grow revenue in 4 steps

CRM for trucking & logistics: Lessons learned from 20 years in the industry

CRM implementation: How to simplify and accelerate the process with Nick Persico

Get our latest book for free today: Leading Sales Teams Through Crisis

Sales Lead Generation When COVID - 19 Killed Tradeshows By Steli Efti

How To Successfully Offboard A Sales Rep

Sales Obection - Your Product Is Too Complicated

How To Make Outbound Sales Work In 2019

Sales Objection: "I Heard Bad Things About Your Company"

Why Sales Metrics Are Meaningless—When Numbers Mislead Sales People

Catherine Stewart, Automattic (WordPress.com): Negotiation & How 800+ Distributed Employees Thrive

Danielle Diamond, Rebel Motion & User Interviews: A Filmmaker's Advice for Storytelling in Sales

Nicole Wolosoff, Boston National Title Agency: Starting Conversations & Attracting Opportunities

Rebecca Kacaba, Dealmaker CEO & Co-Founder: Corporate M&A Lawyer to Software Founder

Zainab Allawala, Help Scout: Resources and FAQs on Diversity & Inclusion

Megan Muldary, Sales Operations at TUNE: Heart Forward Communication & Empathy

Community Leader Shikha Bindra, Vidyard: Purpose to Serve

Heidi Grey, Skilljar & TheRougeEssentials.com: Balancing Your Career With a Side Hustle & Passion

Sales Award Winner Jen Wolosoff, Buzzfeed Employee #20: Manifesting Your Career Vision

Digital Nomad Emily Breuninger, Zapier: Creating Your Dream Life & Career

Melissa Rosenthal, Cheddar EVP & Former Buzzfeed VP Creative: Bold Reinvention

Julianne Gsell: First SDR at Box to Director of Sales at Databricks

How To Use UX To Design High - Converting Cold Emails, Calls, And Product Demos

Joanna Moshman, Figure 1: Structured Habits of a Partially Remote Company

Alicia Cornell, Shopify Plus: "Breaking Up" and Falling Back In Love with Sales

Kelly Aizicowitz, Figure 1: How Politics Shaped Her for Sales

Jolijt Tamanaha, Fresh Prints: Selling her First Company & Managing a Sales Team of 40

Megan Orth, Freightview: How Raising a Family Shaped Her For Sales & Startups

Liz Stephany, Close.io: Law School, Disappointment, and Becoming a Startup Team Leader

Sales Coach Lauren LaForge: Consistency, Building a Business, and Remote Life

Sarah Haselkorn, MakeSpace: Emotional Resilience as a Triathlete, Entrepreneur, & Systems Engineer

SaaS Sales: Selling To SMBs? Use This Enterprise Sales Tactic To Succeed

How to know when exactly you should contact your prospects

When (and How) To Scale Your Business With Resellers And Channel Sales Partners

How To Sell To Early Customers Who Have Risks Buying From You?

How To Build Relationships With Influential People

How to create a killer startup pitch

Why creativity kills sales scalability (and how to fix it)

Cold calling: How to respond to "I don't have time"?

C-level sales for startups: Ask for advice and you’ll get money

Sales leaders, here’s how to deliver bad news to your team by @Steli (Close.io)

Price negotiations: How to respond when a competing vendor lowballs you

3 simple steps to sell high-tech products to low-tech buyers

No-shows killing your quota? Here are 9 steps to make prospects show up

Numbers down? Missing your quota? 3 steps to deal with stress in sales

Y Combinator is a waste of time (unless you do this)

Startup recruiting: How to hire A Players with the power of the follow up

Sales alchemy: How to turn a dry pipeline into a well of golden opportunities

Pick your poison: Why winning entrepreneurs make hard choices