Drew Sellers

Most technical deals don't die because the prospect said no. They die because you stopped following up. The data backs this up:  - 80% of sales require 5+ touches to close  - 44% of reps give up after one attempt The average sale needs 8 touchpoints before conversion. But here's what makes technical sales different. Your buyers aren't ignoring you because they're uninterested. They're ignoring you because they're buried in deadlines, firmware bugs, and manufacturing timelines. The follow-up that works isn't "just checking in." It's: → Sharing a technical insight related to their architecture → Referencing a specific constraint they mentioned → Connecting your solution to a problem they're actively solving Every touchpoint should prove you understand their world better than the last rep who gave up. This is how we approach persistence at Bluebird: each follow-up earns attention by adding value, not asking for it. #B2BSales #TechnicalSales #SalesStrategy #OutboundSales #GTMStrategy #SalesLeadership #EmbeddedSystems #IoT #RevenueGrowth

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IRC Sales data: 92% of reps quit after 4 follow-ups, yet 60% of deals close after 5+ touches. This CEO's simple system generates 67% reply rates when most see <10%… 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: You crush the discovery call... Then send the same boring follow-up everyone else does... And watch as your prospect ghosts you. Sound familiar? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Most reps send generic follow-ups that get buried in inboxes. Every "checking in" email costs you thousands in lost revenue. After seeing deals consistently stall post-discovery, Erdem Gelal, built a mini-system that: → Extracts specific value points from call transcripts → Identifies subtle buying signals you missed → Creates personalized follow-ups that demand responses This 5-minute workflow helped him achieve 67% reply rates. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 I'm sharing his VAT (Value Added Touchpoints) system PLUS access to try the actual tool for free. Sign up in the comments

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You can predict 90% of a rep’s future performance from one interview question. Not experience. Not resume polish. One question that exposes how they handle pressure, ownership, and effort. It’s wild how consistent the pattern is across SMB sales teams. Ask a rep, “Are you competitive?” They’ll say yes. Ask, “Do you work hard?” Yes again. These questions measure nothing. Instead, ask: Think of a few times where you had to push harder than anyone around you. What were those situations, and what did you do? You’re looking for: - How fast they retrieve examples - Whether the stakes felt real - Whether they take ownership - Whether they learned anything from it We broke down the exact interview framework for finding the best SMB sellers in the ultimate guide for vertical SaaS sales leaders. Comment “rep” below and I’ll share the full guide 👇 Always satisfying when chaos turns into something predictable.

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Katie Egge, RVP of Major Accounts at Clari + Salesloft, lays out her essential sales advice for leaders in 2026: The best sales coaching works exactly like sports coaching. You don't wait for the championship game to critique the footwork. You drill the fundamentals every single week. Your reps need small, specific, actionable feedback right after the call, not a general performance review once a quarter. ✅ A good coach says, "On the 4:15 mark, try asking an open-ended question here." ❌ A bad manager says, "You need to qualify better." This year, block 30 minutes every week per rep. Not for a pipeline review, but for focused, specific feedback on a recorded call. Consistency over complexity.

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"How can CS be a revenue-driver when I can fire half my team and NRR stays the same?" Until Customer Success can find quantifiable evidence that they have a higher ROI than another AE hire, they'll always be a cost center. That's what happens when you solve for churn. You start playing not to lose. You meet with every account regardless of tier. You fret over each escalation, not by the amount of ARR at stake, but by how angry the account seems. Fear of conflict drives your decision-making. You have every customer insight at your fingertips. You have 360-degree customer intelligence. You reach out proactively at the first sign of trouble. But it doesn't make a difference. And it won't. Because the people who make CS tools are ALSO solving for churn. And CS can't be accretive with tools made for support and risk reduction. Just listen to the man himself: "Customer Success has gotten worse over the years. Much worse…We're seeing a fundamental shift where CSMs are expected to be revenue generators, but they're using systems designed for customer support." - Jason M. Lemkin If I'm honest, I'm kinda over Customer Intelligence. And I'm not even 100% sure what Commercial Intelligence is. We need Expansion Intelligence. #customerexpansion #nrr #customersuccess

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