MDF Coaching and Consulting

Founder

Loffa Interactive Group

Strategic Advisor

Allied Outdoor Solutions

Project Consultant

Startup Grind

Volunteer Staff

Home Care Assistance

Director Of Inside Sales

LighthousePE

Director of Sales

Hivewyre (formerly adhesive.co)

Oversaw hiring, training, and developing sales teams and processes. Teams included a new business unit for scheduling meetings and account executives for closing and retaining business.

	Created detailed training programs for new hires to understand prospecting, sales process, and display advertising.
	Composed ongoing sales training for existing account executives in a group and individual settings based on their strengths and weaknesses.
	Designed sales decks and proposal templates to enable reps to pitch and close business.
	Developed a math formula based on data to help new and existing reps understand who our ideal customer was to maximize revenue for every deal closed. 
	Produced and implemented a data-driven sales tracking solution, improving sales/operations efficiencies and increasing renewal rate from 60 to 75%
	Company revenue increased 150% year over year from 2012 to 2017

Director of Sales and Customer Success

CareerBuilder.com

Account Executive

Mirabel Golf Club, Inc.

Golf Professional

🔢Simplifying the Transition from Great Rep to Great Leader

When I first got into sales, I had a similar path as most. I was trying to figure out how to sell, and once I did that had my eye on being the top performer on my team, so I would be thought of as a leader and have a chance to be promoted into management.

A short year and a half later, I did all of that and was promoted. I was going to change everyone's life and get to teach the low performers how to be successful and sell. About a month and a half later, I was wondering what happened. Nobody seemed to be listening to me or at least improving like I thought they should. I was really good at chasing and closing deals because that is all I knew how to do. My boss kept telling me you are trying to be a hero "You can't save everyone."

My problem was I was subjective and emotional about everything. I had no management process. It wasn't until I figured out that I had to take the emotion out of it and make everything objective that I started to see results. 

Fast Forward 10 years later, with many successes and failures I created a 6 step process that helps takes the complication out of managing salespeople with a heavy focus on your team's Structure vs Pipeline:

1. ATM Approach- Where am I at with my team today
2. Interview Process- How do I hire more awesome Reps
3. Onboarding- How do I get new reps to revenue faster
4. Expectations- Set clear expectations so people know if they are good at their job or not
5. Coaching- How do I develop people using data
6. Ideal Customer Profile- Who are your target accounts

If interested in learning more you can visit my website to book a call or download my e-book on the ATM Approach.

mattdferguson.com

There is a secret when you lose a deal.

If you are following the World Series, you know the Dodgers won Game 3 6-5 in 18 Innings.

Imagine if that had been the last game.
The Bluejays would be down for months.

But it wasn't, it was game 3, and the next game was less than 24 hours away.

They didn't have much time to think about it.
They had to get on to preparing for the next.

What happened? They tied the series at 2.
Game 3 is long gone.

I have seen lost deals paralyze reps.

Last year I even heard a story of a Rookie of the Year for a company losing a deal in Q1 and being fired in Q3 in their 2nd year.

In the exit interview, he mentioned he never recovered from that lost deal.

The secret is simple.
What's next?

If you have more deals in your pipeline, it's no big deal.
Like the Blue Jays, you are onto the next.

If you don't, it's like you just lost game 7 of the World Series.

Losing hurts, but the best way to recover is to have something else to play for.

Pipeline isn’t just sales math, it’s your safety net.

You don’t panic when there’s another game tomorrow.

Matt Ferguson

🔢I Coach Sales Teams to achieve consistent results by prioritizing accountability, strategic coaching, ICP focus and performance metrics | 1 on 1 and Group Coaching | LI Live and Podcast Host

Great Reps can make a bad manager look good
Bad Reps can make a good manager look bad

The same goes for NFL QBs.

Managers and Quarterbacks have this in common.
Nothing is more important than the talent around them..

Joe Flacco had been below average for the Browns
And looked elite last night with the Bengals.

Same Guy
Different guys to throw to.

One of the most important parts of being a sales manager is the people on your team.

Hire the right people, and your life is easy
Hire the wrong and your life is a nightmare

Ex Browns QBs seem to do a lot better when they leave Cleveland.

And I couldn't be happier for them!

Business Owners leading sales and sales managers have this in common.


1. They have a lot going on.
2. They assume their sales team knows what to do.

And then ask themselves why people can't sell like they did.

The truth is, people usually don't know what to do unless there is a process to follow, reps are trained on it, and held accountable to it.

Does it take work? YES
Can it be annoying? YES
Does it work? YES

You just have to do it.

Your people can’t follow what doesn’t exist.
-No process = chaos.
-No coaching = confusion.
-No accountability = excuses.

If you’re tired of saying “they just don’t get it,”
It’s time to look in the mirror.

Or get some help, you can see what a difference it can make.
If this is you, send me a DM and I can see if I can help.

When was the last time you were about to buy something, and then at the last second said, 'Eh, I'm good with what I've got'?

Chat GPT:
In business or sales, the Status Quo often refers to the current way a company operates, even if it's inefficient or outdated.

Where salespeople often miss the mark is that they fail to consider the buyer's perspective.

Why, because most salespeople haven't bought things for a company before.

Which is why I ask the question above.

Here is a great example I heard this weekend of something that recently changed, which they didn't know they had an issue with.

One of my good friends:
"I have heard way too much about your wife lately."

My wife is a hair stylist, and his gf recently switched to her after her stylist had a baby.

She keeps saying, "I just can't believe how much better Jenny is, I had no idea what I was missing."

She only changed because she had to.
And now can't stop talking about it.

Most salespeople think their product can do what my wife can do with hair, they just struggle getting past staus quo.

Who better to talk to this week than Jen Allen-Knuth, who talks about defeating the Status Quo for a living?

Join us as we discuss this along with:
-The Real Reason Your Team's Pipeline Isn't Moving
-Why Your Reps All Sound the Same and How to Change It
-Is AI Helping or Hurting Reps' Ability to Connect with Buyers

We will go Live Thursday at 11:00PT/2:00ET
Click attend below and we will see you there!

Haley Hayes, Stephen Clifton and 104 other attendees

How to Beat Your Biggest Competitor: Status Quo

Where Small wins = Big wins gets hard.
Everyone loves the phrase.
Until it feels like it’s not working.

I know clients get annoyed with me.
Because I always focus on the little things.

-The Right Accounts
-The Right Messaging
-Consistent Outreach
-Finding Pain That Matters

And sometimes it seems like it's not going to work.

They say most people quit just before they are about to do something great.

I witnessed this last week.

Back in September, during a call, my client wanted to quit.

A couple of deals fell through.
They were exhausted.
"What's even the point.

I have been there:
-As a Seller
-As a Leader
-As a Business Owner

One of the hard parts is knowing when to keep going.
Or when to pivot.

Luckily, I have been working with this person for a while and was familiar with their patterns.

Just hang in there, you said the end of the year was the deadline.
Stick to your plan and see what happens.

We agreed, attitude changed, and back to it.

A couple of weeks later, they earned a huge account back that they had lost.
And then last week, the deal below.

They did the little things every day when it felt like nothing was working.
That’s where most people quit.

And that’s why most people don’t win.

Small wins compound.
Big wins are just the result.

Stay patient.
Stay consistent.
Keep stacking.

My favorite Halloween costume could have never happened.

I can remember the day Justin walked into the office.
Dressed in all black with an interesting haircut.

We alternated interviews at the time, and I said to the person doing the interview:

“Have fun with that guy.”

Judging the outfit and hair because he didn't dress like me.

The interview ended, and the person who did the interview said:

“We're gonna hire that guy!”

 I laughed and said,

“I might quit, I guess we will hire anybody.”

It turned out to be one of the stupidest things I had ever said.

He was our first rep to hit a million in Revenue and our top performer for 3 years.

It was a great lesson on never judging a first appearance.

Over 10 Years later:
-He's still one of my best friends
-We live 5 minutes from each other
-My kids call him Uncle Justin
-He's the first person my parents ask about when they visit

I believe this was Halloween 2014.
I will never forget trading clothes.

I brought him jeans and a golf shirt:

"I don't wear jeans."

"Well, I don't wear black and a wig, that's why it's a costume."

To this day, he hasn't worn jeans again.

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday, Justin.

As a sales leader, if your people aren't asking for help, it's usually not a good thing.

About 47 times a day, my son looks at me and says, "Help".

Why, he trusts me, isn't afraid to ask, and knows I will help him.

If your people aren't asking for help, it's for one of these reasons.

They don't need it
They think you're too busy
They are afraid to ask

If it's the first one, congrats, you are the best leader, teacher, and coach in the world- mission accomplished.

If it's the other 2, that's on you.

Because when your team doesn't feel comfortable asking for help, it's not a sign of strength; it's a sign of silence.

And silence kills performance.

Create an environment where questions are encouraged, curiosity is rewarded, and mistakes are used as coaching moments.

That's when trust builds.
That's when people grow.
That's when sales teams win.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads what I write.

Then, I get a text on a Saturday morning like the one below.

It’s the last line that got me.

“Your brother lives on…”

I have been posting content and recording videos for over 3.5 years.

It's the one small win that has never changed in my business.
Post content at least once a week.

Not sure I would have started if not for the post-it note found in my brother's car after he passed.

4 words and an equals sign.
Small wins = Big wins

It's something anyone or any team can do.

It's a simple concept you can control.
Often in life, the big stuff is out of our control.

Focus on the small things you do every day.
They will add up to bigger things.

Do enough of the small stuff.
And some will come your way.

Give it a try this week- focus on one thing.
Do it and then keep doing it.

And don't forget to text or DM me when it turns into something big.

I had nothing to post today, and then my dad texted me the message below from Jocko and I thought every leader should read it.

"In the 10 years since Extreme Ownership was published, we've reconfirmed that the best teams don't rely on secret formulas or hidden tactics. What sets them apart isn't complexity but mastery of the basics. Last week, I wrote that advanced tactics are about doing the basics well. Here's why this is critically important.

It's tempting to chase the silver bullet solutions when problems arise. We want to believe there is a shortcut or hack; that success lies in some new strategy, tool, or process we haven't yet discovered. 

But the truth is, when things break down —whether on the battlefield, in business, or at home —it's because the fundamentals aren't being executed well.

If your team isn't aligned or if performance slips, fall back to the basics:

The Laws of Combat:
How strong are the relationships across the team? 
Are you keeping plans simple and focusing on the highest priorities? 
Are you clearly communicating the mission and intent? 
Does everyone understand what success looks like and why it matters?

Mastering the fundamentals takes effort and humility to recognize where you need to improve. It's easy to think you've outgrown the basics. But that mindset is driven by ego, not effectiveness. 

The best leaders constantly practice and refine their ability to apply the fundamentals effectively. They train, assess, debrief, and improve upon them daily. Advanced performance doesn't come from skipping steps. It comes from the disciplined execution of the basics.

When you do the basics right, consistently, and while under pressure, your team's performance speaks for itself. The fundamentals aren't boring. They're what enable you to win."

Well said, Jocko, to break down basics I believe in for sales:
-Does your team know what to do and how to do it?
-How good is your target list?
-How are you messaging it?
-What problems do you solve?
-How easy is it to understand how?

If you can answer those questions and your team will sell a lot more.
Keep it simple.
Makes it easier for everyone.

Last week, I heard a Millennial complain about Gen Z.

"They are lazy and don't pick up the phone."

It put me in a time machine.

10 years ago, I said the same thing about Millennials.

Yes, I am old- I am GenX.

10 years from now Gen Z will say the same about Gen Alpha.

Leadership comes down to understanding people.
The more you understand, the better you lead.

As we get older, technology makes things easier.
When things get easier, people get lazier.

We all come from different:
-Generations
-Backgrounds
-Beliefs
-Ways of doing things

The best leaders don't ask why people aren't more like me.
They identify the best traits in people and bring out the best in them.

Every generation thinks they worked harder than the next.
Leadership isn’t about proving who’s right.

It’s about meeting people where they are and helping them get better.

"What if you can't find a problem?" Someone on Friday asked me this.

My thought was to move on to the next.
But I know this situation well.

I know this client thinks they are significantly better than their competitor, who is the market leader.

And I asked, "Do you really believe every hospital you call should use your product?"

A long pause- "I DO."

This is where companies often get in trouble.
They really think their product is the best.

And from a great selling point, we should all be selling something we believe in.

However, if internally all we do is badmouth our competition and how much better we are.

Reps aren't prepared to get the "We use xyz and couldn't be happier."

My point to them was that they are the market leader for a reason.

How do you think they stay on top?
A lightbulb went off.

"You know that is something we never talk about."

If you don't understand why they win and keep winning.
You'll never know how to consistently beat them.

Think about it from the other side.
It is usually where we are the most blind.

Sometimes it ends badly.

Earlier this week, I compared the Sales and the World Series after the Blue Jays lost game 3 and won game 4.

What if they hadn't had another game?
Now they don't.

I was rooting for the Blue Jays,
The ending reminded me so much of rooting for a Cleveland team.

We Cleveland fans get used to losing and saying, maybe next year.

It’s November.
And there are reps who have no chance to hit their number this year.

You have 2 options:
 1️⃣ Pack it in and say “next year will be better.”
 2️⃣ Start building today and carry momentum into next year.

One of my favorite stories comes from a situation like this.
A solid rep had a terrible year.

I remember them saying in November:
"This years done, I am taking the next two months to build for next year."

They did, and by the end of January, they were back near the top.

They didn’t wait for the calendar to change.
They started early.

Sometimes things don't go your way.
Learn from it and use it to come back stronger.

My bet is that is what the Bluejays will do.
Maybe next year for all my Canadian and Cleveland friends.

I hate inbound Leads.


Now, don't get me wrong.
I like them if they fit the ICP.

But most of the time they don't.
And it's a timesuck.

Maybe I am just bitter.

Do you know how many good inbound leads I got in B2B sales, being on and leading teams?

1

And they didn't show up for the meeting.

I am a hunter at heart.
And why I love working with hunters.

We control what we go after.

The text below made me smile.

A rep with a team I work with was giving himself no credit for closing an inbound lead.

I texted him saying to do so, and that was his response.

I love how he views it.
A Lay up.

And if you think about it in Basketball terms, it's a 2 vs a 3.

Nowadays, basketball is all about how many 3's you can make because they are worth more.

Give me the 3-Point shooter all day.

Numbers below for this 3-point Shooter this month:
12 Booked Meetings
8 By the Phone
10 Perfect ICP

I will take that all day!

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