{"id":481,"date":"2021-12-13T23:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T23:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/321-growth-academy-2023.local\/5-tips-for-getting-started-with-sales\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T21:12:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T21:12:04","slug":"5-tips-for-getting-started-with-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/321growthacademy.com\/5-tips-for-getting-started-with-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips for getting started with sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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So \u2013 you\u2019ve got some work to do on building your sales engine.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you already knew that. Or maybe you\u2019re not sure. No matter which scenario you\u2019re in, let\u2019s get you UN-stuck. Here\u2019s where to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #1: Nail down the fundamentals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure your sales\u202fengine is dialed in, you need to first nail down your fundamentals. (I know, you\u2019ve heard this before \u2013 but it\u2019s critical.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), you\u2019ll have to get very granular \u2013 identifying the attributes that help you identify and prioritize the best prospects for you. (Tip: You know your ICP is sufficiently well-defined when you could hire\u202fsomeone on Upwork<\/a> to do the research and build a detailed prospect list in a Google sheet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And your ICP is not the same thing as a \u201cpersona.\u201d A persona is all about your buyers\u2019 attitudes and behaviours. An ICP is a checklist of attributes. Check out this blog<\/a> to understand the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, ensure you can clearly articulate the burning problem your customer wants solved. (Because without that, they aren\u2019t motivated to get off the couch and buy). Then, get good at explaining your value. Not just how you\u2019re better than other solutions (although that\u2019s also important) but with why they need to solve the problem at all, and why they should solve it NOW to create some urgency. Here\u2019s a great <\/a>blog<\/a> on articulating your value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step #2: Validate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we don\u2019t do sufficient validation because we think the 9 people that said \u201cI like it!\u201d is enough. Or because we\u2019re avoiding hearing negative feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great validation de-risks not just your biz model, but also your approach to growth. And if you don\u2019t do enough, or do it well, it can cost you months (even years) and many thousands of dollars.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how to validate? Nothing beats 1:1 interviews, especially in the early days. We get it \u2013 they are hard and take a lot of time. But it can be tough to get deep insights from looking only at forms data and assessing clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are lots of ways to test your ideas. Here\u2019s a<\/a> book<\/a> that we love that helps you construct different kinds experiments to help you validate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #3: Messaging & problem agitation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riff on the work you\u2019ve done above to develop your key messages \u2013 it\u2019s key that they resonate with your ICP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the main thing to focus on with messaging? Problem agitation. We all have a negativity bias, so don\u2019t be afraid to twist the knife a bit and help your prospect really feel the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are big fans of Jo at Copyhackers<\/a> \u2013 she has some great content on writing great messaging<\/a> and agitating on customer problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #4: Build your v1 prospect list<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing campaigns to drive inbound are awesome \u2013 but sometimes we lack a \u201chouse list\u201d of prospects to campaign to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are just a few ways you can get started on building your house list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n