On July 13th thinkspace co-hosted an event with speaker Jack Daly, a leading sales speaker and trainer with over 30 years of sales and executive experience. Quickly, everyone in the room recognized Jack for his enthusiasm, ambition and learned that he always has his playbook (both personal and professional) at hand to conquer whatever is next. The event, Secrets to Hyper Sales Growth, was an eye-opening presentation to how companies fail in their sales strategies and how to redirect onto the correct course.

My two biggest takeaways from the event were about systems and processes and selling smarter by knowing your customer. Most interesting to me about systems and processes was that simply having a playbook sets your company up better for success. Creating a repeatable, actionable playbook allows the entire sales team to be well-trained and in-turn, coached effectively. Learning that there are countless companies and sales people who “just do what works for them” isn’t how any sports team would conduct practices or play big games; this metaphor was a strong visual for me and something I knew I wanted to learn more about.

My second takeaway had to do with knowing your customer. When cold-calling or even speaking with a warm lead, you only have a few moments to learn about who you’re speaking with. Jack drew a picture of a quadrant model depicting the different types of people and what makes them difficult to sell. Upon discovering your customer’s “type” you have the advantage to get straight to the point, share descriptive elements, or practice the approach best suited to them. Using the quadrant model, it’s quite likely you’d quickly be able to place yourself or your most recent potential customer to determine what your approach should be.

In addition to his sales and training expertise, Jack is a 95+ marathon finisher, has completed multiple IRONMAN triathlon events, and posts his yearly goals and accomplishments on his website to hold himself accountable. I highly recommend checking out Jack’s website to learn more about him as a speaker and coach and have been recommended by others to pick up one of his books. If you’re ready to change how you do sales, this is the winner’s approach.