Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

So the afternoon I like to prep for my next day so usually everyday around 2:00 o’clock I think about OK what did I have on the books today or what do I still have you know later on today. And what do I have on the calendar tomorrow. Let’s start thinking about. All right let’s look up some of these accounts. How am I connected to some of these accounts. Do I need to be reaching out to people in my network to get some of those referrals in to help supercharges those conversations I’m going to have tomorrow. There’s a lot of prep a day early for what I’ve got going on. And how can I help myself. And how can I have my network help me to make sure that I’m going to be successful tomorrow.

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Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

Perfect example from when I was saying, an SDR had set up a demo for us and I had a great conversation with the guy. He was you know a director of worldwide sales for an organization that had 5000 people. So this guy had very limited time. He gave us 30 minutes. We had a great conversation. He said you know what I want you to connect with you know this other guy that would help run this project. And I want to put you in touch with him, a name I had never heard before so I go naturally look him up on LinkedIn and he’s connected to my old boss over at Randstad where I was before SalesLoft. And luckily I’d like to treat everybody and put a 10 on their head. I have a great relationship with my old boss even though that I know I left that organization for a new opportunity. So I reached out to him and said hey how do you know this guy? And he was like he called me immediately. How in the world did you just make the… That’s my best friend from college. Let me reach out to him right now and put you in touch. While that was happening the other guy put me in touch with this gentleman and he replied back. he said I’ll give you 15 minutes. That’s kind of a push off answer right 15 minutes. It’s really hard to even do a little bit of discovery in 15 minutes and especially even create rapport. And while that was happening my old boss had reached out to him. He replied to that email before I could even reply. Fifteen minutes and said Kevin you just turned yourself an hour. That changes the game a little bit. Yeah because of my network and because of the way that I’ve created these relationships and have created positive experiences for people I’ve worked with and worked for I was able to move from 15 minutes to an hour to get this guy’s attention. And he looped in 15 other people along the way on his end that he probably never would have given me the time of day for.

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Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

What does it mean to have been the account executive of the year for the last two years? Well it means a lot. I’m very passionate about what I do and I think that when I’m on the phone with customers and prospects the passion oozes out of me. You can hear it across the phone because I mean I absolutely love sales and I want to be the most effective seller. And so at the end of the day it’s being more consultative and I feel like an educator at the end of the day sharing you know stories of what I’ve heard other modern sales organizations do to be successful and reciprocating those back in and helping others learn. And I think that’s kind of helped play a big part in being successful in my role as just being being a person that wants to help rather than as the sneaky sales guy. But just to know sales versus a consultant.

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Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

Making sure you’re creating a win win experience with the people that you’re doing business with. You don’t want to come off as the person that is feeling salesy at the end. What you’re doing is providing a solution to a challenge that they have. So when it comes to time where they’re ready to sign. They are getting value out of what it is that you’re selling. And of course you’re getting value back by earning a new customer having that experience where everybody wins at the end. And that way you’re not just screwed over somebody that could potentially be giving you referrals down the road somebody that might buy from you again if they ever get another job. Creating that win win experience for everybody making sure that you know that everybody leaves and walks away with a smile on their face.

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Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

Make sure you’re always leveraging your network. Always asking for referrals. Referrals are going to be the heart of your business. It’s not a cold lead It’s a warm introduction to somebody that could potentially leverage whatever it is that you’re selling. Network and referrals are a huge huge number two for me. So Kevin along those lines I mean is is that a part of your process like is there a specific point that you’re trying to ask for those referrals like where where does that fit into just the way that you operate? The simple answer to that is all the time. Everybody should always be asking for referrals. I’ve talked to hundreds of sales people and a lot of people don’t even ask for them. I a stat the other day it’s like 11 percent of people ask for referrals. Seventy one percent of people are actually willing to give a referral. I ask on just about every single call I have is who else in your network work might be able to leverage a solution like this. And would you mind putting me in touch with that person.

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Clip from Episode 31: SalesLoft’s Top AE – Kevin Walkup – Leverage Your Network:

The number one thing that I like to focus on and this is something that I learned from Ralph Barsi years ago is treat everybody that you’re doing business with like they have a 10 on their head. You never know how that relationship is going to unfold whether it’s unfolding in that deal cycle or down the road. Those referrals are going to come back to you, those people people are gonna remember you. Make sure you’re treating everybody like they have a 10 on their head.

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