2024 H2 pipeline is alarmingly thin for many sales orgs right now.
I had two calls in the past few weeks with entire orgs well below 3x pipeline coverage.
And they're getting a lot of resistance from AEs:
"This is marketing's job."
"This is our BDR's job."
"I don't have time for PG, I'm working deals."
This won't cut it in 2024 and beyond.
SDRs and marketing can't be expected to provide 80%+ of an AE's pipeline.
Self-sourcing is a mindset. It either exists in your sales culture or it doesn't.
Here's how to build a stronger pipegen culture with your AEs:
✅ 1) Rub shoulders.
Front-line managers get in the pit with their AEs every week. Make calls together into tier-1 accounts and their toughest-to-reach prospects.
✅ 2) Weekly get sh*t done sessions (GSDs).
My best clients do 1-2 60-minute GSD sessions with their reps. They get on a call for an hour, pick a PG play, then execute together. Bonus: use Orum to run phone sessions together every week as a team.
✅ 3) Arm AEs with the right tools
Too often I see a sales org with BDRs using a sales engagement platform, but the AEs have to outbound manual from their inbox. Give AEs the same access to sales engagement tools as you do for your SDRs & BDRs. You have ZERO accountability if you can’t measure outbound activity.
✅ 4) Top-down involvement
CRO and VP of Sales should participate in outbound efforts by giving public shout-outs in Slack for reps landing meetings through outbound. They should celebrate effort, share stories, and get the team pumped up.
✅ 5) Data
Get best-in-class email and phone data from ZoomInfo. You can’t expect AEs to make dials without access to solid email addresses & mobile numbers.
✅ 6) Enable front-line leaders
Too often I see groups of front-line managers who don't know how to outbound. How could you possibly expect an AE to prioritize PG when you don't know how to teach it? Enable front-line leaders on how incorporate PG into 1on1s, how to develop/coach reps, and how to outbound themselves.
✅ 7) Prioritize low-hanging fruit
Teach AEs how to use LinkedIn Sales Nav to stay on top of newly hired execs, job changes, previous clients moving to new accounts, etc. Make it easy to PG.
✅ 8) Manage up or manage out
Lastly, if you have reps who don't want to outbound—and they're not hitting target—you have to be willing to part ways. The team that got your org from point A to point B may not be the team that gets you to point C.
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Creating a PG culture with AEs doesn't happen overnight. But hitting your number in 2024 won't be possible without it. Start now.