How I Built A 20+ Sales Team [The Process]

Summary

The speaker introduces the 'Closer Framework' for effective sales management, dividing it into two parts: managing sales conversations and team management. The framework emphasizes asking clarifying questions, identifying problems, addressing past pain, selling solutions with illustrative stories, and overcoming objections. For team management, the speaker suggests recording calls for compliance and accountability, maintaining communication through daily huddles and one-on-ones, cutting the bottom performers to boost productivity, and fostering healthy competition with leaderboards and team-based incentives.

Takeaways

• 📈 The Closer Framework is a method to manage sales conversations and teams for consistent results.
• 🔍 The framework is divided into two parts: managing the sales conversation and managing the sales team.
• 🙌 The first part focuses on a five-step process: Clarify, Label, Overview, Sell, and Explain away concerns.
• 🗣️ Clarify the customer's reason for the interaction and their goals to set the stage for the sales conversation.
• 🔑 Label the customer's problem by summarizing their issues to establish a clear understanding of their needs.
• 🤔 Overview the customer's past attempts to solve their problem to identify why previous solutions failed.
• 🛍️ Sell by using three illustrative stories to connect with the customer's needs and explain the benefits of the product or service.
• 🚫 Explain away concerns by addressing potential objections and providing solutions to overcome them.
• 🏆 The second part of the framework involves managing the sales team with strategies like call recordings, communication, cutting the bottom performers, and fostering competition.
• 🎙️ Call recordings are crucial for compliance, accountability, and as a tool for training and improvement.
• 📆 Establish a communication cadence with daily huddles, weekly one-on-ones, and regular check-ins to keep the team aligned and motivated.
• ✂️ Regularly cut the bottom 10% of underperforming salespeople to boost overall team productivity.
• 🥇 Foster healthy competition among the sales team with leaderboards, notifications, and team-based incentives to drive performance.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the speaker's talk?

The main topic of the speaker's talk is the 'Closer Framework,' which is a method to manage sales conversations and sales teams for consistent monthly sales.

What are the two halves of the 'Closer Framework'?

The two halves of the 'Closer Framework' are managing the sales conversation effectively and managing the sales team to ensure consistent sales.

Why is it important to have questions instead of statements in the sales framework?

Questions are important in the sales framework because they allow the customer to engage in the conversation, pause, think, and ask further questions without needing to read paragraphs of information.

What does the speaker suggest as the first step in the sales conversation?

The first step in the sales conversation, according to the speaker, is to clarify why the person is there and what their goals are.

What is the purpose of labeling the customer with a problem during the sales conversation?

Labeling the customer with a problem helps to identify and acknowledge the specific issue they are facing, which the salesperson can then address with a solution.

What is the 'pain cycle' mentioned in the script?

The 'pain cycle' refers to the process of discussing past attempts and failures to solve a problem, which helps to emphasize the customer's need for a solution.

What are the three stories the salespeople need to know according to the 'Closer Framework'?

The three stories salespeople need to know are illustrative examples that help the customer understand the benefits of the product or service in relation to the problem they are trying to solve.

Why is it crucial to record sales calls?

Recording sales calls is crucial for compliance and to ensure that salespeople are following the script and maintaining accountability in their interactions with customers.

What is the recommended communication cadence for a sales team?

The recommended communication cadence includes daily huddles, weekly one-on-ones, and monthly reviews to keep the team aligned and motivated.

How does the speaker suggest managing the bottom performers on a sales team?

The speaker suggests regularly cutting the bottom 10 percent of the sales team to drive productivity and maintain a high-performing team.

What role does competition play in motivating a sales team?

Competition plays a significant role in motivating a sales team by creating a leaderboard, encouraging a sense of rivalry, and rewarding top performers with incentives.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Closer Framework Introduction

The speaker begins by engaging the audience with a question about their sales team composition and introduces the 'Closer Framework', a two-part strategy for managing sales conversations and teams. The first half focuses on guiding the sales conversation, while the second half addresses maintaining consistent monthly sales. The speaker acknowledges common sales challenges such as inconsistent lead quality and workload imbalances. Drawing from experience in B2B sales, the speaker outlines the '5 Cs' as a foundational framework for sales conversations, emphasizing the importance of questions over statements to facilitate scalable and efficient sales processes.

05:02

📝 Implementing the Closer Framework

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the Closer Framework, detailing the '5 Cs' method for managing sales conversations. The approach starts with clarifying the customer's needs and objectives, followed by identifying and labeling their problems. The framework continues with an overview of past pain points and ineffective solutions, leading to a 'pain cycle'. The salesperson is then tasked with selling the solution through illustrative stories that resonate with the customer's situation. Addressing and overcoming concerns is a critical step, where the salesperson must be well-drilled in handling objections related to price, decision-making, and timing. The framework concludes with reinforcing the customer's decision post-sale to solidify their choice and prevent backsliding.

10:03

🏆 Enhancing Sales Team Performance

The final paragraph shifts focus to optimizing sales team performance. It emphasizes the importance of recording calls for compliance and accountability, using tools like Gong for call recording. Regular communication with the team through daily huddles, weekly one-on-ones, and monthly reviews is highlighted as essential. The speaker stresses the need for a communication cadence that includes sharing testimonials to remind salespeople of their purpose. The 'cut' strategy involves regularly trimming the bottom 10 percent of underperforming team members to boost overall productivity. Lastly, fostering a competitive environment through leaderboards and regular competitions is presented as a key driver for sales team motivation and performance.

Keywords

💡Sales Team

A sales team is a group of individuals working together to achieve sales targets for a company. In the video's context, the speaker discusses the importance of having a sales team for consistent sales performance, contrasting it with companies where one person is doing the majority of the selling. The script mentions managing a sales team and the challenges faced when there is only one person responsible for sales.

💡Closer Framework

The Closer Framework is a sales methodology introduced in the video, aimed at managing sales conversations effectively. It is structured around a series of steps, each beginning with the letter 'C', to guide salespeople through the process of understanding customer needs, addressing pain points, and ultimately closing sales. The framework is central to the video's theme of improving sales consistency.

💡Inconsistent Lead Quality

Inconsistent lead quality refers to the variability in the suitability or potential of prospective customers for a product or service. The speaker mentions this issue as a common struggle for sales teams, where leads might be unpredictable in terms of their readiness to convert, affecting the team's efficiency and workload.

💡CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the cost associated with convincing a customer to buy a product/service. The script discusses the fluctuation in CAC as a problem for sales teams, where the cost can unexpectedly spike, causing stress on the sales process and potentially leading to inefficiencies.

💡5 C's

The 5 C's mentioned in the video are a set of principles or steps within the Closer Framework, each starting with the letter 'C'. They include Clarify, Label, Overview, Sell, and Explain, which are used to structure the sales conversation. The 5 C's are integral to the video's message on how to effectively manage sales conversations.

💡Accountability

Accountability in the script refers to the need for someone to ensure that actions are taken and habits are formed. The speaker uses the example of brushing teeth to illustrate how accountability can lead to the formation of beneficial habits. In the context of sales, it might refer to the need for someone to hold the sales team accountable for their performance.

💡Call Recordings

Call recordings are used in the video as a tool for training and compliance within sales teams. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recording every call for accountability and to provide a reference for coaching salespeople on their performance. It is a practical aspect of sales management discussed in the script.

💡Communication Cadence

Communication cadence refers to the frequency and regularity of interactions within a sales team. The video script mentions daily huddles, weekly one-on-ones, and monthly meetings as part of maintaining effective communication. This cadence is crucial for aligning the team's efforts and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

💡Cut the Bottom

Cutting the bottom refers to the practice of removing the lowest-performing members from a sales team to improve overall productivity. The speaker suggests that this should be done regularly and is a key strategy for driving sales team performance, as it can result in a significant increase in productivity.

💡Competition

Competition in the sales context refers to fostering a sense of rivalry among team members to drive performance. The video script discusses the use of leaderboards and team competitions to create a competitive environment that motivates salespeople to excel. It is presented as a strategy to keep the sales team engaged and striving for better results.

💡Decision-Making Process

The decision-making process in the script is part of the Closer Framework, where salespeople are taught to guide potential customers through a series of yes-or-no questions to help them make a purchase decision. It is a method to confront and overcome hesitations, leading to a successful sale.

Highlights

Introduction of the 'Closer Framework' for managing sales conversations and teams.

Differentiation between companies with single salespeople and those with multiple sales team members.

The importance of managing inconsistent lead quality and sales capacity.

The '5 C's' framework for structuring sales conversations.

Clarification questions as the foundation for understanding customer needs.

Labeling customer issues to establish a problem-solving narrative.

Overviewing past pain points to build rapport and identify customer needs.

The use of storytelling in sales to illustrate product benefits.

Addressing and overcoming customer concerns as part of the sales process.

The significance of decision-making in sales and how to guide customers through it.

Reinforcing the sales decision to prevent buyers from backing out.

The necessity of recording sales calls for compliance and training purposes.

Establishing communication cadence with daily huddles and one-on-ones.

Cutting the bottom 10 percent of sales performers to boost team productivity.

Utilizing competition to motivate sales teams and maintain high performance levels.

Setting up a leaderboard to foster a competitive environment among salespeople.

Organizing sales team competitions to encourage collaboration and best practice sharing.

Allocating a percentage of sales revenue for team incentives and competitions.

The final summary of the 'Closer Framework' emphasizing the importance of questions, call recording, communication, and competition.

Transcripts

who's pumped about sales

sort of pumped about okay so quick

question so i can cater this to you guys

um as i try and tell my team sometimes

i'm gonna talk fast you can just listen

fast so um who here has one person or

less that would mean if you are selling

um doing the majority of the sales in

your company can i get hand raised

okay so like half okay that's perfect

and the other half of you have a sales

team multiple two or more right okay

so

the name of my lovely talk um is going

to be the closer framework all right

and so what i'm going to do

is break this up

into two halves the first half is how

you actually manage the conversation

that should say work

you get the idea

close the framework

and then the second half is how you

manage the sales team so you can get

wicked consistent sales on a monthly

basis um

so

first things first who here has ever

struggled with uh inconsistent lead

quality inconsistent cac right you're

like i thought i was at a thousand and

now i'm at three thousand my leads are

actually my leads are amazing uh my

sales team is under work now they're

overworked they said there's too many

there's too few they're not being

efficient at setters anyone done with

any of that stuff

okay cool so um i've run a lot of sales

teams uh b2b we did outsource sales

company we would fly two gyms actually

sell for them so we'd fill them up in 30

days um with us actually flying people

out and selling so we've done a lot of

sales and this is the simplest framework

that you can use um and so this is the

first of the five c's so i try to use

markets as 5c so when you go home you've

got 10 c's okay so um the first one it

governs the conversation so that's kind

of for everyone who was raised there's

kind of more of you over here we're

raising your hands about i've got one

person or it's me this is the governing

framework for how you make the

conversation

c is you clarify

why the person is there all right now

when you use this framework everything

that's in your framework has to be a

question only do not put paragraphs do

not put statements because they will

start reading them they can't think that

way only put questions because they can

pause they can ask another question they

can pause they can ask another question

and they need no intelligence to do that

which means it's scalable okay so when

you're asking so all of these buckets

are the buckets under which you want to

create the framework that you're making

your sale so it's like what made you get

on the call

what's your goal why is that important

to you what would it look like 12 months

from now if this ideal outcome were to

be achieved right those are the

clarification questions next you label

them with a problem

so what i'm hearing is

you've done x y and z and the missing

link has been

x whatever is that right

yes got it i now have a problem you know

i have cancer i can cure it all right

next is oh we're going to overview the

pain okay so i'm assuming i'm not the

first person you've come to to try and

solve this problem so what have you done

in the past all right i've done x y and

z why did that not work for you

obviously it didn't work because they're

on the phone with you all right so you

always have that advantage because they

are on the phone with you right now so

you're overviewing past pain

we call the pain cycle you do that until

they have nothing left and you're like

awesome and then you recap the pain

then s you sell the vacation

this is the only thing

that your

sales people have to actually know

there's going to be three stories that

you're going to tell them they're going

to be illustrative of the thing that you

were helping them solve so an example

would be fitness nutrition fitness

nutrition and accountability if i was

trying to sell weight loss right you're

usually missing one or two or all three

of these things that's why you weren't

successful right you couldn't

consistently work out you couldn't

consistently eat the right way or no one

was there to hold you accountable does

that make sense

yes if you're selling leads it would be

like you need your leads to be exclusive

you need them to be timely you need them

to be

geographic whatever like you're going to

find three things and you have to give a

short 30 second snippet of why that's

important right if i was trying to

illustrate accountability i'd be like

hey

did your parents ever tell you to brush

your teeth when you grew up you probably

hated it you're like no i don't want to

and they kept doing it over time and

i'll bet you brush your teeth now right

you need someone to hold you accountable

so you can create the habit does it make

sense 30 second story they understand it

that's how you sell a vacation all right

e explain away their concerns

away

concerns blah blah blah you get the

point all right that's where you're

doing all of your optional overcomes all

right crazy people buy without obstacles

normal people have concerns you need to

overcome them these have to be drilled

all right they have to be drilled so

that means that you have flash cards

like i need to think about it i have to

talk to my husband i have to check with

my partner i have to so there's only

three by the way if you don't know what

they are it's price it's stall it's

decision maker all right so all you have

to do is understand what each of those

three are if it's price it's a

description discrepancy in value they

don't understand the value if it's

decision maker what you have to do is

rely on past agreements that are implied

that that person has

already communicated to the partner so

your partner knows that you're

struggling with these things already

right they know that you're looking for

a solution right so why do you think

they'd be opposed with you solving the

problem that you already know you have

that they don't agree with

right

overcoming okay those have to be drilled

next one um is uh so we decision maker

we did price and stall right

all you're doing is teaching someone to

make a decision because people don't

like making them because they fear

making mistake right perfect halfway

through

okay

so what you're gonna do is walk them

through the decision-making process so

how do we make decisions

either do you do you like me yes or no

do you like the product yes or no do you

think that will be able to help you

achieve this outcome yes or no do you

have access to this amount of money in

your bank account or know someone who

does yes or no yes

what card you want to use right

overcome you make them confront the

decision all right what's your main

concern

then they tell you main concern you

overcome it close all right last one is

reinforce the decision

and i like doing this and we included it

after time is that people back out right

so how can we slam slam it on them how

can we get them super pumped so

immediately afterwards that's the 30

second video from the founder be like

hey just saw you sign up for our

software super excited to have you by

name personalized head written card

t-shirt any of those things reinforce

the decision make their feet nice and

hot make sense that's the closer

framework every single one of these

buckets has to be questions that are

simple for them to ask

all right so when you're organizing your

script this is the conversation we're

going through that makes sense to

everybody okay that is the first of the

five c's don't worry the other ones are

are fast and about how you manage your

sales team okay

don't worry i'll be fast so that's

closer

the next one is

don't worry i'm rocking we're good

okay

the next one

i should know these

that's okay

okay call recordings

and then i'm just going to write these

down real quick for you so you can write

them down

comms

cut

competition

okay

so marcos is much smarter than me i

think he's like the really classy classy

person um this is like from the streets

closing four thousand people one-on-one

sales like weight loss susie's riding

with you know her kids trying to write

permanent marker on the wall and i'm

trying to close your credit card all

right so close your sequence is how you

manage the framework

call recordings if you're not recording

every single call that your your

people are on one you're not compliant

two you should do it because then they

become more accountable to following the

script all right you also overview those

the tool that you need to use is gong if

you if you guys sell it via zoom it's

the best it's all i can say use

gong it's amazing all right comms

you need to talk to your team on a

regular basis all right the cadence

there is daily huddles

weekly one-on-ones

and when you do the and then obviously

monthly but the um the daily huddles are

quick all you do is you share

testimonials so they remember why

they're selling so they get beat up

every single day with no's they need to

remember why they're still doing it all

right from the one-on-ones that you're

doing when you're meeting with them

you're gonna record you're gonna have

them tag you in three calls their best

call their worst call on their average

call when you go over in the 101s you're

going to ask them to show you where they

clarified the problem

where they outlined the paint

and then where they asked for the sale

and where they overcame objections

if they never clarify the pain and

they've asked for the sale you don't

make money so that way they always know

that on every call you always

ask for the sale you can never make a

sale if you never ask for it all right

that's what you from the communication

cadence cut you got to cut the bottom

all right it's the number one thing that

will drive sales teams is by cutting the

bottom 10 percent you do it on a regular

basis it has to be on a regular basis

all right even if the team is going okay

when you cut the bottom you'll see a 30

jump in productivity

every time so if you can have a

persistent 30 jump why would you not do

that

that make sense

okay

competition last point

i'm good i got a minute 20.

okay

so competition

sales people are competitive you have to

have a leaderboard that is published

that they can see every single day that

they get notified when every other guy

is making a sale if it's super high

volume it could be end of day but when

they you've got a bell if you're in

person if you're not in person you have

a thread that should be all the sales

guys digging they can literally send an

image or a gif of a bell so it's like

ring the bell right so that they know

and it says volume they can see it

there's activity there's action right

it's all of momentum

so leaderboard that has to be checked

every day has to be updated regularly

like that has to be on point

and then competitions we found that six

weeks works best

um in terms of

sending them on like closers go to vegas

or go to the bahamas or whatever it is

and so we put them in three men teams

and that tends to work really well

because they they share best practices

they continue to work with each other

they root for each other so it's not as

cutthroat it's just always having top

dog

and in terms of how much to spend on

that uh 25 percent of one month check

um is usually the amount per person that

a prize like that would be right so if

you guys make 70 you might spend 1500

bucks to send per guy for like a three

day or like a two day weekend it's not

expensive five grand but it is worth

every dollar so to recap if you want

really really consistent sales

use the closer framework everything has

to be questions do not have statements

have 30-second stories record your calls

make sure you're sticking to the comp

cadence cut the bottom percentage and

keep it competitive so they stay in it

thank you

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[Applause]

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