Chris Cicconi

Chris Cicconi Inc

Fraction sales, leadership and business development.

Helping founders and early stage sales orgs build repeatable and scalable processes.

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Founder & Head of Sales

ARC Roasters

We make speciality coffee fun and accessible.

Co-Founder & Chief Caffeination Officer 

Unicrn

Founding Team Member & Jr Partner
Unicrn is a hand-selected collective of the best freelance sales, marketing, revenue operations, and enablement professionals from the world’s fastest growing companies.

Our mission is to quickly and seamlessly connect growing businesses with the right fractional talent to help everyone get farther, faster. Our GTM Pod system matches business needs with proven industry experts who strategize, document, and execute the GTM motion.

Head of Business Development

983 Media Productions, LLC

Working with 983 Media's founder to build partnerships with both potential clients, as well as other vendors, venues etc in an effort to deliver an exceptional eSports experience to all game developers and players.
Taking a leading role in helping 983 launch it's publishing arm - 983 Interactive. 
On air experience:
Host of "The Frontline" The Official Kards Podcast as well as all Official eSports events (a game by 1939 Games)
Gwent Qualifier Caster and Gwent Partner (a game by CD Projekt RED)
Production assistant for the Parallel World Championships

VP of Partnerships

Replicant

Led a team of 7 business development representatives selling an AI powered contact center automation tool to 5 core industries.
Generated over $48M in pipeline so far this fiscal year.
Promoted 2 BDRs to AE roles

Director of Business Development

Visier Inc.

Implemented a "Pipeline Acceleration Plan" to dig out of a pipeline deficit to meet the $59m OKR for the year, 3 months early.
This included growing the team from 6 to 12 BDRs and 2 BDR leads while implementing improved onboarding & framework to help them see success quickly.
The team set a record for the most pipeline generated in the 10+ year history of the company in July.

Senior Manager, Business Development

HRWize

Within this role, I not only handled the full sales cycle, but also hired, trained, developed and lead the full cycle sales team. HRWize is an HRIS system focus on small and medium size businesses of any industry, mainly within Canada, but with no limit to partner globally.

Sales Manager

Aerotek

While continuing to partner with my clients to deliver the highest quality of talent and service, I also manage our Professional Services division in Montreal. This entails both building out strategy and managing, coaching and developing our team of 10 account managers and recruiters to assure that we provide access to the quality candidates you need to support your business.

Continued to grow the divison to over $13M in revenue

Practice Lead - Professional Services

I became the first Account Executive for Aerotek's Professional Services Division in Canada. 
My role entailed business development and management of the fulfillment team for the Professional Services division. 
Lead a team of up to 6 individuals (recruiters & account managers) and grew the division from scratch to over $8M in revenue.
Archived 5 "President's Clubs" and multiple "Million Dollar Clubs".
Won the Director's Award in 2017

Account Executive - Professional Services

I specialized in technical staffing through Aerotek CE® (contract engineering), a division of Aerotek.

Technical Recruiter

Aerotek® Inc. is a leading provider of technical, professional and industrial recruiting and staffing services. We are part of Allegis Group® Inc., the second largest staffing company in the United States.

Sourcing Specialist

Sports Experts

I was responsible for training employees on the technical aspects of products, supervise them, open and close the store and register.

Keyholder

Paying it Forward 👉 One Day at a Time

Salesperson 💸 --> Coach ✍️ --> Leader 🙋‍♂️
Sometimes a content creator 🎥 - always a goofball 【ツ】

I love building things, but not physical things.

I have a passion for building teams, networks, processes, procedures and revenue but most importantly people. 

This had led me to helping founders pivot from founder led sales to a sustainable and scalable sales engine.

Hit me up if you want to talk sales, fractional leadership, 👟or ☕️.
--------------------
I was once given an opportunity that has allowed me to build my wonderful career.
I want to make sure others have the same chance.
#payitforward

Content Creator

Host of "The War Room: The Kards Pre-Game Show" by 983 Media (a game by 1939 games)
Host for all Kards Official eSports events, including the World Championship Series
Host of "The Frontline" The Official Kards Podcast by 983 Media
Gwent Qualifier Caster and Gwent Partner (a game by CD Projekt RED)

Chris 🦄 Cicconi

I lost 150lbs this year! 

What a ride it has been.

Except I didn't, but AI can make the pounds melt away in 30 seconds or less.

LinkedIn is already filled with enough smoke and mirrors
The "8 figure playbooks" (only $99!)
The made up close rates (seriously, I close at 108%)
The engagement bait "Comment 'clown shoes' to unlock my sales secrets"

Now that we can fake physical reality too....It's getting harder to separate reality from fiction. 

Social media is already a mental health minefield, and it will only get worse when AI can fake fitness, success, and bank accounts. 

Critical thinking isn't just a soft skill anymore, it's a survival skill. 

So don't believe everything you read (or see) on here 🙃

Building Sales @ KnowledgeNow | Still Fixing GTM. Still Roasting Bad Takes.

Imagine getting outed for liking your own post...

By a cold email where they mention you liked "Chris Cicconi's post"

Folks, the bar is so low you can walk over it without even noticing....

I should respond that "Chris Cicconi is an absolute 🤡 " and you probably shouldn't quote him in your cold email.

Cold calling is just as much what you say as how you say it.

You can have the perfect script, but if you don’t believe you’re talking to the right person, your tone gives you away.

You hesitate.
You sound uncertain.
You accidentally ask the CEO “uh….is Bob there?” 

Giulio nails it in this video.
Don’t waste time confirming, just dive into the message.

The problem? 
Most reps don’t trust their data enough to do that.

We’ve been conditioned to double-check because we’ve spent YEARS calling the wrong people.

Back when everything went through a receptionist (yes, I’m old), you always knew who you were getting.

Now? It’s all mobile dialing and half the numbers are wrong.

That’s why I use FullEnrich
Their coverage and accuracy gives me the confidence that I’m actually speaking to the right person. So when I dial, I’m not guessing. 

For a proper cold call, what you say has to match how you say it.
Having the right data is what makes it possible. 

Anybody had success with confirming who you're speaking to?
Or do you traditionally jump right into the message and assume you have the right person on the horn?

Brand partnership • Building Sales @ KnowledgeNow | Still Fixing GTM. Still Roasting Bad Takes.

Thanks for proving my point LinkedIn.

I posted on Friday about how I lost 150lbs this year complete with a before and after selfie.

Except that I didn't, the selfie was AI and all I wanted to highlight was how good AI has become.

And my comments were filled with wonderful people supporting this massive life changing event. 

Not sure if it speaks more to AI being credible or people only reading the hook of LinkedIn posts, but my point was still proven.

Don't believe everything you see, read or hear.

Thanks for proving my point

Warning: Boomer take incoming 

I'm happy I started my sales career with minimal technology.

I had Salesforce and old school LinkedIn and that was about it...

Why? 
I had to enter my own notes into Salesforce (and Siebel before that 🤮 )
I had to dial by hand - punching all 10 numbers in with my fat fingers
I had to learn how to write a proper email
I had to learn how to ask prospects and clients for their cell phone numbers

And I could go on and on, but I truly believe that it has allowed me to learn the fundamentals and appreciate all the new tech.

I can power dial, find mobile numbers with the click of a button and have something automate my CRM notes 🤣 

...I still write my emails by hand because AI ain't it. 

What process or technology dates you as a professional?

In honour of US Thanksgiving, I have a hot take.

Stuffing is the superior side.

It doesn't need to be cooked in the turkey.
It can even be with a base of boxed Stove Top.
Spruce it up and it can't be beat.

Gravy makes it better.
Putting olives in it ruins it.

And you will not be able to convince me otherwise.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends.
We need more excuses to eat stuffing.

You're allowed your opinion.
That doesn't mean I have to share that opinion.
And I'm not wrong for disagreeing.

Vicki here doesn't like being on the receiving end of permission based openers.
That's cool, not everybody does.
But it works for some people.

Should those people stop because one person cried about it on the internet? Absolutely not. 

I do agree with her last point though, be natural, be kind, be yourself and if you deliver a PBO really well, do that too.

My pet peeve?

Meeting somebody for a virtual coffee chat.

A couple days go by and all of a sudden my inbox welcomes their newsletter to it.

Just because you have my email from a calendar invite doesn't mean I want to read your newsletter.

In fact, after spending 30 minutes with you, it's probably the opposite.





...I know I saw my pet peeve as me opening line, maybe I should have written "one of my pet peeves" 🤷

I don't believe in gatekeeping coffee.

...or sales for that matter.

What do I mean?

Sure, I roast my own coffee.
Yes, I prefer a single origin Ethiopian prepared with a V60

But when somebody orders a "Double, double" (look it up, it's a 🇨🇦 thing) from Tim Hortons and looks at me expecting a disapproving look, they won't get it.

It's your coffee, you do what you want with it, you're the one drinking it.

It's the same in sales. 
I like leaving voicemails when I cold call.
I might even use a PBO every now and again.

So when somebody posts that they don't believe in leaving voicemails? 
That's cool, I believe you're leaving money on the table, but it's not my money. 

Where I draw the line? 
When you tell people how they should act.

You might not leave voicemails but don't go running around saying other people shouldn't either.

Just like I won't tell you that Starbucks coffee is basically roasted beyond death and tastes like cigarette butts to me. 

Because they still serve 10 million customers a day and I'm one person with my own preferences.

So Qwilr messaged me the other day and said...
"Hey Chris, we have this Super Mario inspired - "

And that's where I stopped them. 
Because anybody who has seen the giant Lego Bowser and Lego NES in the background of my Zoom calls knows that jumping on this was a no brainer.

I got to relive the highlights (...and lowlights) of my career in all the glory of 8 bit, music included. 

While I'm not entirely sure if Bowser roasts on BBQ night - I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

This was a blast and I love the creativity they put into everything they do.

Check out the link in the comments to play through your own career! 
For better or worse 🤣

Sh!t's simple.

Human's just like to overcomplicate things.

Yes, this is both about sales and not about sales.

I've lost a good amount of weight this year and people have asked
"How did you do it"
Simple --> Calories Out>Calories In.
Hard Part --> Cookies are delicious

The same applies to money, want more savings?
Simple --> Money In > Money Out 
Hard Part --> Getting more money and life being expensive AF

Want to do well at sales?
Simple --> Don't be a 🤡 
Hard part --> The primal desire to say things like "I hope this email finds you well" and "Just following up on this" 

In all seriousness, we want to complicate things with crazy supplements, something called the Smith Manuever (it's a 🇨🇦 money thing and I don't even know that I understand it)  or creating a 47 step automated outbound sequence. 

And we don't even have the basics down yet.

We all want to feel special, or that we're further ahead than we are.
Take a step back, check your ego and focus on the fundamentals.

The bar has become so low sales folks.

And this isn't a knock against this dude giving his talk.

The crazy part about it is that he had to say:
"Prep 1-2 questions for your meetings" 

I can't understand what that isn't just understood. 
To be honest 1-2 questions is still underprepared in my books.

Your prospects have limited time and you have even less time with them, if you can't be bothered to prepare for your meeting, maybe it's best to cancel and save everybody some time...

Can we stop "vibing" with AI please?

Why can't we just, do the thing? 

Actually, Vibe Coding is pretty cool, because I am zero technical.

But Vibe Selling? 
Can't we just sell?

Nothing AI has spit out, thus far, has been worthy of being put in front of another human being in a sales environment. 

Vibe Selling. Vibe Marketing. Vibe Investing. Vibe Product Management (yes I've actually seen this). Vibe Snacking (to be fair, THIS is my forte). 

It's become a buzzword worse than companies slapping "AI" on their product just for stock price bump. 

Yes, AI has plenty of uses in the sales world and in the world in general, but can we stop labeling it "just because"?

I usually hate the whole discounting process in sales. 

Ironically, the end of year discount is something I can support.

Why?

Because you're actually getting something out of it. 

The biggest problem with discounts is reps are handing them out like candy in an effort to close the deal, without rhyme or reason. 

But sales is a negotiation and pricing should be too. I'll happily give a client a discount if that means they can:
-Start earlier
-Start later
-Skip some steps in the approval process
-Pay sooner 
etc.

I give you a discount and I get something in return.

At the end of the year, getting revenue in to hit your number/company number is totally fine in my books (especially in my world of working with small companies)

Because you are trading off a discount with a contract being signed and/or payment being made before the end of the year.

The only caveat? Stick to your guns. If it doesn't happen and it gets pushed into the new year, the discount has to come off.

Reps who ask the tough questions close more deals, faster. 

The sad part? The questions aren't even that tough.

I was on a call this week with a client we were presenting a proposal to for an additional project.

Everything seemed to line up budget, scope etc

They're good clients, we've worked with them for years, so the presenter leaves it off with:
🗣️ "So let us know once you talk to your boss to get approval and we'll be ready to go"

Me, having PTSD from being ghosted forever and always jumps in
🔊  "Could we set up a time to follow up next week once you talk to your boss?"

The response? 
🤑 "Why don't we just go ahead and schedule the kick off call and if something goes sideways, we'll regroup"

We wait from waiting to hear back to scheduling the kickoff call. 

No, not every deal will close that easily, but you better believe next time I'm just going to ask to schedule the kick off call proactively 🤣

taplio