Welcome to the Summa! 

Just a superb holiday period last week, as I took unfair advantage of the fact that I live on the NH beach by lugging my book-filled beach bag out the door every afternoon and laying claim to my time-tested perfect location of sand and surf.  

- Perfect for catching up on my long list of required reading assignments
- Necessary for the final edits to the fall syllabus which went out on the 5th
- Relaxing from being at the tip of the spear for the last quarter.

• Sales plans developed in January have been dialed in during Q1
• Broad based strategies have been detailed into real-life tactical plans
• New hires have been onboarded and working their fingers in the dirt
• Mistakes and weaknesses from Q1 have been crystallized and corrected

There's simply nothing better, more exciting, more defining...and more humbling, but also more rewarding than the profession of Sales! 

Just like any professional athlete on any sports team at any level, in the world of professional sales each of us-either as frontline salespeople or as managers know exactly where we at any time with no excuses.  Facts, data and very short periods of days define our world where success comes down to being better prepared, more highly skilled and having immediate access to the best data.

"Points-on-the-Board", "Quota", "Scorecards", "Battle Plans" and "Playbooks" are frequently used terms and tools we use daily as we battle the inevitable counting of the clock against deals won. 

In today's ever-changing world of sales, the excitement is even more so, since I can instantly dial into exactly where I am in my customized Hubspot scorecard reviewing a list of my own personal KPIs.   Want to learn more about Hubspot?  Just connect with me for a quick intro and deep dive into analytics. 

• No sugar coating. 
• No soft "I think" or "I'm hoping"; Nothing but the facts
• But also, instant comparisons to my team where I can go for advice and use of heir tools

The reality of Fundraising in Q2

I now take all those comments about Q2 sales, where every day, I work, I consult, and I teach, and I now bring all that to the world of early-stage venture fundraising as I have found myself at the point of the spear as co-founder of yet another exciting startup.  Every day, just as I'm gearing up for another series of fundraising calls, the media warns me about the still-looming fear of a recession, high interest rates, the cost of oil, the impact of the weather, and whatever else is headline-worthy.  None of which has anything to do with the reality of the fact that someone at the point of the spear needs to make calls, follow up with not one or two outreaches, but six to ten calls, provide a variety of emails, POVs and more and more data...and, the bottom line of which just get the deal done.   

Pitchbook, my daily read and the industry bible, told me last week that the outlook for early-stage funding is both more and less difficult in varying metrics and comments???  Good news and difficult news!.  Nothing my team and I don't know already from living at the tip of the spear every day just like other founders doing the same thing and every salesperson is going to do today!   

HAVE A GREAT DAY SELLING TODAY AS WE KICK OFF the 2nd half of the year!

Just a quick note on the best of best in selling today!  All it takes is discipline, the right tools, a powerful team behind you...and a personal love of being at the point of the spear!

2023 SALES PLANNING 

Check out our updated sales productivity site page.  Just page down to get our new edition of Writing the Winning Sales Plan for 2023.  Or you can just email me, and I will send you a free copy.  Connect with me at any time for some quick ideas and feedback. There's never a cost for a call or two, plus I love listening and talking about Sales & Marketing.   

www.derbymanagement.com  
Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts.