Elite Tech Sales

Elite Tech Sales is where the best talent meets the best opportunities in B2B tech sales.

In our “Break In” Program, we help ambitious individuals break into tech sales and land roles at top companies like Google, Oracle, HubSpot, Snowflake, and Deel, while beating their ramp-up quotas. Our data shows that starting your career with an industry leader transforms your career trajectory (hence why we do it).

Our Senior Recruiting Program is tailored for VP of Sales, Enterprise Account Executives, and senior sales leaders with a proven track record, helping them find their next big move with companies that match their expertise.

We have high standards for both the people and companies we work with. If that makes you uncomfortable, or you don’t like being held accountable to the best version of yourself, we might not be the right fit for you.

Our mission is simple: Connect the best people with the best opportunities.

If you’re ready to take your career to the next level or looking for elite talent to build your team, visit www.elitetechsales.com.

Founder

Dell Technologies

Worked with fast-growing startups and established companies to integrate Dell's data center portfolio. Responsible for closing $7M new revenue annually.

Data Center Account Executive, Field Sales

Managed and developed cross-functional teams of account executives, engineers, and product specialists across the Central US, with an emphasis on analytics and operational efficiency throughout a 55+ person ecosystem.

District Manager of Account Executives, Central Region

Spearheaded relationships with C-suites, system integrators, and value-added resellers to grow business into both net-new and install accounts. Top account executive achieving 300% of quota within 6 months of starting.

Account Executive

Recipient of Dell EMC’s two most prestigious sales development awards. Accelerated growth with mid-market, commercial and enterprise account teams. Worked with directors to develop and implement business development campaigns for the North American sales organization. Regularly hit 211% - 235% of quota.

Sales Development Representative

Ex-Dell | Be Better Than 99% of Candidates ⚡️

I connect top sales talent to opportunities in B2B technology sales. 

The best talent is not looking for jobs, and that's why we help. 

I work with VP's of Sales and Enterprise AE's with experience in SaaS, cloud computing, and cybersecurity and match them with companies aligned with their experience.

Our mission to help build high-performing sales teams with the best people, performance, and culture.

Whether you're a company in need of sales talent or an experienced seller looking for a new role, Elite Tech Sales is here to help.

Your sales experience shouldn't suck!

Jay Johnston

I used to think hiring great talent comes from bigger funnels, more job boards, and "casting a wider net."

Turns out I was wrong.

More volume doesn’t work for A-players.

A-players don’t sit on job boards.
They’ll never apply to your postings.
They also won’t answer generic recruiter DMs.

So what do you do?

Well I’m glad you asked… :)

A-players are built, then found.

And luckily for you they are built inside a small number of companies.

Not 1,000 companies.
Not 200.
Not 100.

20.
Twenty of your competitors.
Twenty companies that consistently train, develop, and promote elite sales talent.

Your job is not to hunt the whole market.
Your job is to stay up to date with twenty ecosystems.

Because here’s what makes a passive candidate finally want to talk to you.

“Trigger events”

• New VP of Sales
• Acquisition
• Territory reshuffle
• Comp plan change

When those hit, top performers, the ones who never respond, start becoming open minded.

And this is when your most valuable assets becomes available.

My recommendation, precision.
Stop sourcing the market. Start sourcing with precision.

Your 24/7 hiring funnel should be:

1. Identify 20 companies that consistently develop killers in your space.

These companies already did the filtering.
They train them..
They sharpen them.
You just pick from the top % who are unhappy at a certain point in time (that you pay attention to).

2. Track triggers.

New leadership? Acquisition? Keep a pulse on what’s going on.

3. Go for the sale. Everyone wins.
It’s a win/win. Why? They aren’t happy.

Seasoned sellers have typically have relationships and niche skills that translate well to a competitor or complimentary product vs. jumping into a new space like Payroll AE transitioning to a new space like cloud computing.

It’s not sexy but…

Real A-player recruiting is not volume. It’s timing.

It’s not 500 candidates. It’s the right 25 names from the right 20 companies you respect.

This is how you recruit the best human capital to actually scale your company.

Not the C players who check the box but give you a headache each day.

Real World Example:

A 7-figure W2 sellers at a well known company told me their new VP started micromanaging them. After three years of overachievement, they weren’t about to be treated like a Day 1 rep. The VP didn’t recognize he was managing a proven performer, and that rep started job searching in the same vertical the same week. 3 weeks later, offer signed and left.


P.S. If you’re a sales leader and want help building a precision hiring system so you stop gambling on average talent, book a call here: https://lnkd.in/g6TPNSxv

Hire sales talent ⚡️ elitetechsales.com

Building sales teams and delighting customers at early stage hyper growth startups.

Mike Gallardo

My best outbound sequence structure. 
 
Here's the breakdown:
- 4 Emails 
- 6 Cold Calls 
- 3 LinkedIn Messages 
 
All sent over a couple weeks.

Feel free to adjust it so it works for you and your style.
 
♻️ And then try again 30 to 90 days later with new messaging. 

 
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: 
 
This is all you need, I promise.
 
Gone are the days of 20+ touches over 20+ days [including break up emails]. 

Keep it simple.
Keep it valuable.
And try again later if it doesn't work.

Your SQOs and email domain health will thank you.
 
 
What would you change? 
 
- Mike G 
 
 
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I've been in sales for 10+ years.

Here's my biggest piece of advice:


1. Make as much money as you can. Max out your comp plan. Change companies if quota's not reasonable. Etc.

2. Don't buy expensive things; especially big ticket items like cars, houses, vacations etc.

3. Invest as much money as humanly possible. Ideally 20% of what you make before taxes. ie your OTE is 200k then you invest 40k.


Your goal should be to max out your 401(k) and also invest a lot outside of that in a brokerage account. 

Make this your #1 goal and thank me when you're 40.


- Mike G

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She always hits 150% more of quota.

Here's how:

She asks the hard questions:

1. "I know you and I are aligned, but for this to actually get signed, what's the most common reason deals like this usually get paused or killed internally at your company?" Gets your champion to share potential hurdles or internal challenges that you can partner on solving and/or getting ahead of.

1. "Let's say everything goes perfectly on our side. Is there anything on your side that could possibly prevent us from moving forward?" Uncovers internal risk factors and political landmines you can help them navigate.

2. "When was the last time your team successfully implemented a new system or vendor like this? What were the key lessons learned from that process?" Great question to learn their history with change and potential internal inertia or pain points related to adoption that they've experienced before.

3. "Out of all the priorities you're juggling right now, where does solving this particular problem rank? Is it a 'must-solve-now' or a more 'nice to have eventually?" Dives into the genuine urgency and whether the problem is painful enough for immediate action.

4. “You mentioned [X date] as a goal. What’s driving that timeline, and is that date firm?” Verifies whether the timeline is real or aspirational.

5. "Based on what you’ve seen so far, is there anything that’s giving you pause about moving forward with us?” Invites honest feedback to surface objections early.

6. “How does our solution compare to others you’re evaluating?” Tests competitive positioning and whether you're the frontrunner.

7.“Who else on your team needs to feel good about this before a decision is made?” Pushes beyond your main contact to build a map of the buying committee.

8. “If [insert key stakeholder] were here, what concerns would they raise?” Forces your champion to think on behalf of other decision-makers.

9. “Have you ever purchased something like this before? What did that process look like internally?” Surfaces potential red tape or hidden decision criteria.

10. “What needs to happen between now and [target close date] for this to actually happen?” Pushes them to co-create the buying journey and surface risk.


What's your favorite hard question to ask?
- Mike G

👉 Black Friday Special: Get $53 off The Best Sales Course (this week only!) https://lnkd.in/gEkPHuZ7

One of my best AEs crushes quota.

Steal her demo questions.

 
 
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸: 
 
1. Does that make sense? 
2. Any questions? 
 
 
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀: 

1. "Last time we spoke you mentioned [context]... Has anything changed since we last spoke?" Great way to confirm priorities, challenges and see if anything's changed.

2. I listened back to our last conversation and noticed [context]... one thing I forgot to ask about was [question]?" Great way to dig into priorities, challenges or key areas you want to learn more about.
 
3. "What was running through your mind as I was sharing that?" Great question to ask after showing an important feature. 
 
4. "Before I show you how to X can you walk me through your process step-by-step?" Great question to ask before showing a key feature so you can really compare and contrast. 
 
5. "When you need to X what happens?" Great process question for learning their step-by-step process for key workflows. 
 
6. "Who else on your team would benefit from being able to X?" Ask this to multithread. Ideally, you do some research ahead of time and can drop some names in there. 

7. "I noticed we have about 8 minutes left in our call today. If it's alright with you I'd like to chat through pricing and next steps. Does that work?" Always watch the clock and save enough time to discuss/recommend what happens next.
 
 
Bonus tip: Stop your screen share when asking these questions and have a face to face conversation. 
 
- Mike G 
 
 
👉 Black Friday Special: Get $53 off The Best Sales Course (this week only!) https://lnkd.in/gEkPHuZ7

Sales Director at Deel

My best AEs run killer demos. 

Steal all their best moves:


𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲. 
Start the call with one clean slide showing what you learned from your discovery call. Focus the content on priorities and challenges. Ask them to confirm everything is accurate.

𝟮. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 
Discovery doesn't stop after the first call. If anything, discovery is more important on the demo. My best AEs prepare the questions they want to ask ahead of time.

𝟯. 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀. 
Everything they show is focused on how they will help with the priorities and challenges that they learned about on the first call. They don't just show something to show something.

𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀. 
After the second call you should know if this is a good fit or not. Assuming it is means you should feel confident talking about what the process from here will look like. Take the time to map it out.

𝟱. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 
No matter what you show there should be talk tracks around why it's better, more effective, more valuable compared to other products in the market. 

𝟲. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 
For larger deals including your manager on the call is a secret weapon. Most sales team wait until negotiation to bring in higher level folks. 

𝟳. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 "𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲?" 𝗼𝗿 "𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?". 
Ok to ask these every now and then but generally speaking you should have some questions you ask instead of these to make the most out of the conversation.


What did I miss?

- Mike G

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3 hot takes that I believe in:

1. All remote > than in office and hybrid
2. Almond milk > oat milk
3. Demo on the first call


𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝟭.
Nobody can afford to live in big cities anymore. A lot of great talent is in the middle of the country. Commuting is the worst.

𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝟮.
Health reasons only. Oat milk is loaded w/ sugar. I'm sorry to break the news to you. Please forgive me.

𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝟯.
Learn their priorities and challenges. Demo one thing that can help with that. Build interest for scheduling a longer more in depth demo.


What's your hottest take?

- Mike G

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We're hiring A LOT of remote SDRs! 🥳 

Need to backfill all the ones I'm promoting to AEs :)

Here's the scoop:

If you're looking to join an amazing company, with an awesome product and a ridiculous amount of opportunities for AE promotions... Then you should join Deel ASAP!

Here's why:

1. Explosive growth 

Deel's one of the fastest growing startups of all time; and we're firing on all cylinders! It's still very early in our story too. So I legit can't think of a better time to join than now.

2. We're winning BIG 

We're the clear market leader in an explosive category that's not slowing down. We have a huge product and customer experience edge. High performance high success culture.

3. TONS of career opportunities

We do promotions every 3 MONTHS at Deel. I've promoted 18 SDRs in 2025. And this train isn't slowing down, if anything it's speeding up! 


Sound like what you're looking for?

👉 Then apply here: https://lnkd.in/gRfb6gR4

Wishing you the best of luck!
- Mike G

Me: Update salesforce please.
AE: Sorry Mike, too busy closing deals.
Me: Roger that.

Let's be real.

Spending time with customers and driving revenue should always be the #1 priority as a seller.

10x better to be crushing deals and not have salesforce up to date than the other way around. 

And if you do both? Well then, you've just won my heart forever and always.

- Mike G

PS. I know people will say that AEs should do both. That AEs should be perfect. And that they should have no problem keeping salesforce immaculate, crush all the deals, and be the #1 AE always. But that's just not my experience. My experience is that we are all human beings. And sometimes we get busy. Or sometimes life hits us with a curveball. And it's way more reasonable to say it's OK to not be perfect all the time. And give AEs the permission to make decisions for themselves vs expecting perfection 24/7.

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I'm hiring AEs! 🥳

Here's why you should apply today:

𝟭.𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Our North Star is over half the team hitting quota every month. Most months we outperform that. Last month over 70% of the team exceeded quota and our top performers consistently run at 200% or more. Huge earning potential here.

𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵
You will work closely with high performing AEs who truly want each other to win. The bar is high at Deel and the team is open, collaborative, and supportive when it comes to sales strategy, deal execution, and leveling up fast.

𝟯. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁
Deel is the clear product leader in this space. It is not close. You get to sell a full suite of solutions and you'll definitely get deals that feel more like mid market than SMB because of the complexity and size.

𝟰. 𝗟𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀
Inbound makes up the majority of your pipeline. You will still outbound your own opportunities, but you will have a strong flow of warm leads to build and scale pipeline quickly.

𝟱. 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
We run promotions every 3 months. I'm approaching 100 promotions at Deel in under 5 years. We have seen AEs move into mid market, enterprise, SDR leadership, and sales leadership. Real career acceleration exists here.

𝟲. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲
Deel is remote forever and always. For this role you must be based in the United States or Canada. Work from anywhere while selling globally.

𝟳. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀
Our managers go above and beyond to support their AEs. They are deeply invested in your growth, your performance, and your long term career. You will not find better sales leaders to learn from.

Interested?
Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gB2xPVNy

Questions? 
Let me know in the comments!

- Mike G

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He closed a $1,000,000 deal at Deel 🥳

I listened to every single call.

Here's how he did it:

1. He built the plan with the buyer.

He created a clear roadmap. It detailed every milestone and required action for both sides. “I’ve put together a proposed mutual commitment plan for us. I'd love for us to spend the first 15 minutes aligning on this together...”

2. He obsessed over decision criteria. 

He knew precisely what mattered to the buying committee. Every feature discussion was framed as a path to a key business result. “Let’s talk about the final evaluation. What criteria will be most important to your team? What does a 'win' look like for the internal stakeholders?”

3. Each call had a clear objective

Instead of assuming, he checked in to ensure the meeting's purpose was aligned with the buyer’s current needs. This built trust and made sure he was focused on the right things. “Here's my objective for this call... [objective]. Is there anything you'd like to add?”

4. He preemptively addressed roadblocks

He brought up common implementation or organizational hurdles before the client could. He then shared proof of how they were successfully mitigated by others. “In other global expansion deals, we often see [mention common hurdle]. Is that a potential wrinkle you’re anticipating here, or is there anything else we should make sure to think through?”

5. He leveraged Internal expertise. 

He knew when to step back and let a specialist take the lead. Key stakeholders were introduced based on their specialized knowledge. “Knowing this is a complex integration, I've asked [name], our [role], to join. They’ll walk you through X, and will be a great internal resource you can leverage at Deel moving forward.”

6. He maintained a disciplined structure

Every meeting was tightly managed and executed with professional precision. He never let the time or agenda run away. He always began with: “For our time today, I propose a quick 5-minute review of last steps, a deeper dive on the integration process, and then we'll save the last 10 minutes to schedule our next official check in. Does that sound good?”

7. He used "before & after" narratives. 

He didn't just rattle off case studies. He told compelling stories focused on transformation, framing the client's past pain against their future success. "Take the example of a [client name]. Before working with us, they were struggling with [pain point] every quarter. Now, after implementing our solution, they've been able to [action] leading to an overall improvement in [details]."


What tip would add for your biggest deals?

- Mike G

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Every cold call opener you could ever need.

All in one place for you.

1. "Hey [name], This is [name] with [company], I know you didn’t expect me to call you this afternoon, do you mind if I take one minute to tell you why I called you specifically, and then you can tell me whether or not it makes sense to speak?"

2.“Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I know you’re not expecting this call, so I’ll keep it very brief.”

3. "Hey [name] - I noticed [context]. This is a cold call but it's a well researched one. Have a moment? I promise to be brief."

4. "Hey [name] - You might hate me because this is a cold call. But it's a well researched one about [context]. Have a quick moment to hear why I called you specifically?"

5. "Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I know you weren't expecting my call. Do you have a moment? I promise to be brief."
 
6. "Hey [name] - This is a cold call but it's a well researched cold call. Can I have 30 seconds to tell you why I specifically called you?"
 
7. "Hey [name], this is [name] with [company]. Good morning. I’m reaching out about X. Do you have a quick moment?" 
 
8. "Hey [name] - This is [name] with [company]. I know I probably caught you in the middle of something. Do you have minute for me to tell you why I’m calling and you can let me know if you’d like to keep chatting?" 
 
9. "Hey [name] - This is [name] with [company], I know you didn’t expect me to call you this afternoon. Do you mind if I take one minute to tell you why I called you specifically, and then you can tell me whether or not it makes sense to speak?" 
 
10. "Hey [name], this is [name] with [company]. I know you weren’t expecting my call. Do you have a minute for me to explain why I’m reaching out, and you can decide if it’s worth continuing the conversation?” 
 
11. "Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I’m calling to see if you’re open to discussing how we can help you X. Do you have a quick moment?" 
 
12. "Hey [name], [name] here from [company]. I’m reaching out about X. Is now a good time to have a brief chat?"
 
13. "Hey [name], [name] with [company] here. I noticed you’re [insight] and might be interested in X. Do you have a moment to discuss?" 
 
14. "Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I’m calling because we’ve helped companies like yours [value prop]. Can we chat for a couple of minutes?" 
 
15. "Hey [name], [name] here with [company]. I understand your time is valuable, but do you have a minute to hear how we’ve [value prop]?" 

16. "Hey Jill - It's Mike at Acme. Was hoping to make your day with a cold call this Friday. Have a moment to hear why I specifically called you?" 

17. "Hey Jill - You're gonna hate me but this is a cold call. Do you have a sec so I can tell you why I called?" 
 

Which one's your favorite?

- Mike G

👉 Black Friday Special: Get $53 off The Best Sales Course (this week only!) https://lnkd.in/gEkPHuZ7

How to go from SDR to AE.

In 4 simple steps:


𝟭. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆
If you're not working somewhere that does a lot of SDR to AE promotions it's going to be hard to make the jump. I've been at places where 15 SDRs are applying for 1 AE role once a year. At Deel I will promote 20+ SDRs to AEs this year. Big difference.


𝟮. 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲
Hustle and tenacity is the 80/20 of succeeding in sales. This applies to SDRs, AEs and Managers alike. Everyone is different obviously but hard to be a top performer if your schedule is not on point and you're consistently operating at a high level. 


𝟯. 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿
If I had to pick one habit that drives top performance it's getting and applying feedback. Seek out how you can be better proactively with your manager. Be self aware. Study top performers.


𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗘 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀
Don't wait for the interview process to learn what it takes to be a successful AE. Take the time to study the fundamentals and use every resource (like your AE buddy) at your disposal.


𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱
Once you're a top performer share your knowledge with the greater team. Shoot no ask messages that are valuable to Sales Managers and Sales Leaders. Don't assume people know who you are. Go out there and build the narrative yourself. Take full responsibility of this.


What would you add?

- Mike G

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I'm doing so many internal interviews right now.

SDRs to AEs
SMB AEs to MM AEs
AEs to Manager

Nothing gets me more fired up!

- Mike G

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Last July I promoted 4 SDRs to AEs.

And now they're all the top AEs on the team.

Literally no better feeling than that :)

- Mike G

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Step 1: Get into sales.
Step 2: Work super hard.
Step 3: Make a bunch of money.
Step 4: Invest as much as you can.

- Mike G

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I took a 60% pay cut joining Zenefits.
I took a 10% pay cut joining Flexport.
I took a 6% pay cut joining Deel.

I know this seems crazy.

But it's not really

1. Making 10 Year Moves. 

I was focused on the long game. Every decision was measured against the next decade, making me comfortable with smaller, short term setbacks if they pointed toward massive future growth.

2. The New Financial Reality. 

Inflation and the cost of living are insane and it's dramatically harder for our generation than it was for earlier ones. You need to target a much higher income (and invest wisely) just to get ahead.

3. Joining a Rocket Ship. 

Joining a company during its rapid growth phase provides a ton of opportunity. If the business is scaling fast and you perform well, the promotions, raises, and opportunities practically create themselves.

4. Optimizing for Skill Acquisition. 

My priority wasn't just the paycheck; it was about becoming the strongest sales leader I could. I value maximizing learning about new business industries, business models, and new challenges.

5. Genuine Product & Market Fit. 

I genuinely believed in the mission. Being passionate about the problem the product solved, the company's competitive edge, and the customers we served.

6. Building an Equity Portfolio. 

Having options across multiple companies hedges risk. Joining early means you receive significantly more generous grants, and you only need one successful IPO to dramatically change your financial trajectory.

7. All Remote = Freedom. 

For me, being fully remote was non negotiable. That flexibility was key to getting a house and avoiding the crippling expense of living in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York.

8. Choosing Your Leadership.

I paid close attention to who I'd be reporting to and who was leading the company. You rise faster when your managers are genuinely invested in your career progression and success.


𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Don't be afraid to bet big on yourself, take risk and make moves. Turned 40 recently and have really learned that life's too short to play small. 

- Mike G


👉 Black Friday Special: Get $53 off The Best Sales Course (this week only!) https://lnkd.in/gEkPHuZ7

The best time to work on yourself, your game, and everything you're doing in sales is when you're winning.

That's when it becomes easy to:

1. Let good habits slip
2. Fall back into bad habits
3. Not work or try as hard as you were
4. Get complacent and stop improving yourself 
5. Hit a serious plateau and not realize it until too late


When you're failing or not doing well.
It's obvious that you need to change things.

But the biggest mistakes and step backs (that I see) often happen when people are too comfortable or on a winning streak.

Getting to the top of the leaderboard is one thing, but staying there consistently over time is a completely different beast.


- Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

I'm working on my next course:

How to get promoted.

I'm going to share everything I know about how to go from:

1. SDR to AE
2. SMB AE to MM AE
3. AE to Manager
4. Manager to Director

Also, how to get Senior promotions in all those roles.


I want to make sure this course is a banger.

So please leave a comment with any question you have on getting promoted. Not only will I answer it now I will do a super deep dive in the course!

- Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7

6 signals my top AE tracks + the plays he runs on each to hit 222% of quota.

Steal them:

1. Signal: Someone views content for the first time.

The first time someone enters his deal room and views a specific piece of content for the first time, he reaches out with a short note tied to what they looked at. Meeting buyers where they are, when their attention is already captured increases response rates. This is also a great way to multithread early in the sales process.

2. Signal: Executive enters the room for the first time.

When an executive views content in the deal room, he brings in his equivalent executive. He has them send a short value based note to their peer. This creates instant credibility and increases the chances of securing an executive conversation.

3. Signal: A success plan step isn’t completed.

If a success plan step stalls, he reaches out right away. He checks in to see if they need help or clarification and offers to keep things on track. This prevents delays and shows you’re actively owning the process.

4. Signal: Team members viewing specific content.

When he knows what his champion’s team is viewing, he builds content that speaks to those interests. He helps his champion craft the internal story around what stakeholders care about most. This makes internal selling easier and more effective.

5. Signal: Key stakeholder stops viewing content.

If content views drop, re engage quickly. Send a short message tied to what they cared about most. A timely nudge often restarts momentum before the deal slips.

Bonus: A closed/lost opp starts viewing content again.

When a closed lost buyer starts viewing content again, he reaches out immediately. He acknowledges their renewed interest and offers a quick sync. These opportunities convert at high rates because value was already established.


And here’s his secret: 

He uses Aligned to surface and action all of these signals he couldn't see anywhere else in real time, making these plays super easy to run across all his opps.

Use his playbook in a free deal room here: https://lnkd.in/gqNS6GRW


How do you track mid-deal signals?

-Mike

Brand partnership • Sales Director at Deel

How to go from SMB AE to MM AE

(In 6 simple steps)

1. Pick a company that actually promotes.

If you’re at a place that doesn’t grow fast and doesn’t promote internally, the odds are already stacked against you. You can be a top performer and still wait forever because the culture just doesn’t value internal mobility. You want to be somewhere that expects and plans to promote from within.

2. Get to the top of the leaderboard.

Every interview process I’ve ever seen starts the same way. The leaderboard. That’s the eligibility filter. So that’s where 100 percent of your focus should go. Until you're at the top consistently that should be your #1 focus.

3. Be a MM AE before you’re a MM AE

Find out what actually matters in MM. What’s different. What’s expected. Bigger, more complex deals. More outbound. More strategy. More multi-threading. Then go get results in those areas while you’re still in SMB. That way in the interview you can say. “Here’s how I’m already doing the mid-market job.” Nothing builds confidence like results.

4. Build real relationships with the MM team.

Get close to the MM AEs. Learn what they’re working on. What their priorities are. What tools they’re using. What’s working. What isn’t. So when your interview comes around, it’s clear you already understand the role. You’re not walking into a whole new world. You’ve already been around the team and the expectations.

5. Build your internal brand with the hiring team.

This is one of the most underrated moves. Find out the #1 priority for MM. Let’s say it’s outbound. Go get results. And then send a no ask message to the hiring manager:

“Hey, I heard outbound was the focus this quarter. Booked 7 meetings this month using my cold call flow. Documented it in a playbook. Thought I’d share in case it’s useful.”

That's one of the most gangster things you can do.

6. Prep early. Prep often.

Don’t wait for the interview process to start preparing. Start building now. A highlight deck. A deal room. Case studies. References. Anything that strengthens your narrative. So when the interview actually opens up. You already have everything done. You just tweak it. Meanwhile everyone else is scrambling.

7. Have a competitive mindset.

This is the part most people avoid saying out loud. But it’s the truth. You’re competing. You need to ask yourself constantly. “If someone else has similar numbers, how do I make the case that I’m better?”

- That could be your prep.
- Your brand.
- Your relationships.
- Your execution.

What you don’t want to do is assume that great work alone gets you promoted. It can. But it’s not the optimal strategy. The optimal strategy is to think competitively. Strategically. And position yourself to win.


What did I miss?

- Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

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The Battle

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Mike Gallardo

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taplio

The Battle

Jay Johnston

Mike Gallardo

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jay Johnston's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreJay Johnston's LinkedIn Performance