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If a startup has an ACV >$20,000 and the CEO and VP of Sales aren’t traveling four days a week, it’s very unlikely that you’ll build a successful B2B business. Your best salespeople/execs are probably going to be home less than 50 days/year.
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On the margin, look for people who are willing to pick up the phone and call key accounts. Ask potential sales execs what level of airline status they achieved the prior year - and be wary if the answer is less than Diamond Medallion or Premier 1K.
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Your first dozen customers should feel as if they’ve received the very best of “white glove” treatment. Spare no expense to turn these customers into enthusiastic references.
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It’s an imperfect heuristic, but assume you’ll need one blue-chip trustmark for every time zone that separates your HQ and your target market. Focus as much on the referral value of the brand as revenue for your first 20 or so customers.
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As soon as you have one customer in a major city, someone should be responsible for expanding upon it. You may need to cycle through a few people to find the right fit, but there’s no substitute for showing up.
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It’s a small point, but make yourself feel local in every geography you operate in. Have some customer service on staff during any business hours your product serves. Being local matters - in all things.
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Proper placement on the Gartner Magic Quadrant pays dividends. Many in the technorati make jokes at its expense, but do so at your own peril. hackernoon.com/mock-the-magic…
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businessofsoftware.org/2011/09/from-0…
However, their first hire was an experienced commercial leader based in SF:
businessinsider.com.au/atlassian-the-…
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Just Showing up is a Superpower (So please do it!)
Do you have any favorite international sales tactics that I’ve overlooked?
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