Phish Defense

Focused on GTM strategy & execution, marketing, sales, channel partnerships and customer success.

GTM & Revenue Growth Enabler 

WINsights

1. Drive "data - driven decisions" for GTM, Account based engagement to build high quality sales conversations and opportunities from ideal customers & buyers.

2. "Content-centric" approach to attract attention, gain mind-share and acquire wallet-share

3. "Contact to Contract" responsibility

GTM & Revenue Growth Leader

BigInsights

1. Define New Offerings - capture down-stream opportunities post advisory engagements
2. Customer Engagement – discovery workshops, consultative sales, trusted advisory, c-suite engagement
3. Anchor Pre-Sales – presentations, demonstrations, PoCs & Pilots, Proposals (RFI, RFP, RFx response)

Senior Consultant (Solutions Strategy & Pre-sales)  - Big Data & Analytics

Happiest Minds Technologies

1. Concept to Commercialization - define new offerings, minimum viable product (MVP)
2. GTM Enablement - for proven solutions like; content management & monetization, customer on-boarding
3. Sales Enablement - on-board & on-hold, training, tools evaluation/recommendation, drive adoption
4. Own Deals Desk – sales pipeline & funnel analysis, insights, performance tracking (KPIs/Metrics), learnings and best practices for improvements…

GTM & Presales Leader - Customer Experience (Cx) Solutions

3G Network Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Telecom Consulting Services)

GTM & Business Development 

Collabera India

Presales Consulting, Bid/Pursuits Management

Valtech

Business Development, Presales & Bid Management

📅 Career Summary :-

✔️ Purpose-driven, passionate and techno-commercial professional; elevating sales performance, building c-suite relationships and orchestrating cross-teams collaboration. 

✔️ Global experience - Multi country, culture & stakeholders engagement

✔️ Been part of Tech industry (IT, Software and SaaS) start-ups, scale-ups and mid-market vendors to accelerate learning, fail fast & fail forward and succeed at scale. 

💲 Enabled revenue achievement $2M - $20M. 

🏪 Sample Customers;  Telstra, Verizon, Scotia Bank, ING, TUI, AON, TMF, Metro, Toys R Us, Sears, Landmark Group, Airtel, Vodafone, Etisalat.

Core Capabilities :-

✅ GTM strategy execution
✅ Sales enablement
✅ Presales & Solutions consulting
✅ Pursuits Strategy (RFI/RFP responses/proposals)
✅ C-suite engagement & relationships
✅ Thought leadership (author, speaker)

Technology Solutions Experience :-  

☑️ Customer Experience (Cx)
☑️ Data - analytics
☑️ Marketing & Sales automation (SaaS)
☑️ Content management & monetization
☑️ Robotics Process Automation (RPA) 
☑️ Mobility (enterprise & consumer)
☑️ Telecom 

🏆 Recognized by the industry as “Top 100 Sales Influencers to Follow, Globally” https://tinyurl.com/wpsautpv

🌈 Learner for Life :- I am an advisor, investor, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and a life-long learner.

📜 Author (contribution) :- 

✍️ Idea to IPO, https://tinyurl.com/y34arnu4 – written by Ashok Soota Executive Chairman of Happiest Minds Technologies. This book is reviewed by revered industry leaders like Satya Nadella - CEO Microsoft.

✍️ Published 100s of posts/articles on LinkedIn and beyond with high levels of engagement...

🔎 Speaker (sample events) :-

⭐️ Account Based Engagement (ABE) Summit    https://tinyurl.com/3fwpwep9 

🤝 Memberships :- Modern Sales Pro (MSP). RevGenius - Member. Sales Enablement Society (SES).

Sales Discovery, how to ask smarter questions for better qualification? 
 
Do you know on an average a sales rep asks 10 to 12 questions ?
 
Asking too less a number of questions will not lead to better qualification.
 
Asking too many questions will almost seem like a crime investigation & interrogation.
 
Balancing both is the key, which research suggests would be 10 to 12 questions per call.

Also, learning to ask the right questions per buyer’s journey is critical.
 
 💡 Buyers Journey; problem identification, research to find suitable solution, solution development, vendor evaluation, vendor selection
 
Let’s look at a sample of what good questions look like.

Remember the type of question/s must vary depending on where your buyer is in the journey. The best thing is to ask than to assume.
 
1. What are your strategic priorities for next 3 to 5 years ?

2. Which of these priorities is given great focus for this year ?

3. What initiatives, investments are you making to realize your strategic priority for this year ?

4. Have you already identified the problem, gap or the pain point to solve ?

5. How’s this problem affecting your business and how are you managing it currently ?

6. How do you envision a solution to solve this problem ?

7. What’s the cost of not solving it now ?

8. What’s the outcome or results you are expecting by solving this problem / implementing a solution ?

9. What’s your standard buying process ?

10. What are the key capabilities you are looking for in a solution ?

11. Who are the key stakeholders for making a purchase decision ?

12. How soon can we have stakeholders attend the demo session ?
Remember, barrage of questions not eliciting response from buyers does not do any good. 

Also, buyer responding to your questions in one word or a short statement is no good either.

Your aim must be to make this discovery session engaging and involving buyer to share as much detail as possible.

After answers to these 12 questions give you clarity on whether the sales discovery session resulted into qualified opportunity or not.

Gopalakrishna  (Krish)

4 Sales Models to consider for your business!

As you know, a "sales model" refers to your approach to selling. 

This approach is determined by your product, customers, industries, and pricing model.

Why a sales model is important?

Helps sales leaders channel resources in a given direction.

For example; Account Based Marketing or Strategy (ABM/S) will channel resources for out-bound sales efforts for a set of identified accounts.

While an in-bound sales model will invest heavily on marketing efforts through SEO, SEM, Content marketing.

Types of Sales Models :-

1) Account-based marketing or sales (ABM or ABS) :-

Tiered approach to identified accounts with a highly personalized, templatized and generalized sales approach to generate demand from such accounts.

1 : One - personalized sales efforts
1 : Few - templatized sales efforts e.g. similar type of accounts
1 : Many - generalized sales efforts accounts in a given industry, geo 

2) In-bound Sales :-

This approach channels resources to attracting attention and inspiring action from target customers through SEO/SEM, programmatic ads, content marketing, webinars, events, etc.

3) Out-bound Sales :-

This approach invests in prospecting, qualifying, demand generation from target accounts through email marketing, social selling and cold calling at scale

4) Self-service Sales :-

Suitable for "dot it yourself" tools where you download software or subscribe to tool to gain access to the capabilities. It can be both in-bound and out-bound sales.

To conclude, it does NOT have to be one model against the other. Usually, a combination of the above works best.

A few b2b sales books recommendations...


"Fanatical Prospecting" by Jeb Blount: This classic text emphasizes the importance of consistent prospecting for long-term sales success. 

It provides practical strategies for identifying and qualifying leads, building relationships, and overcoming objections.

"Challenger Sale" by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson: This book challenges the traditional "relationship-based" sales approach. 

It argues that successful B2B sellers need to act as "challengers" who push back on prospects' assumptions and offer new insights.

"The B2B Sales Mindset" by Matthew Pollard: This book focuses on developing the right mindset for success in B2B sales. 

It covers topics like self-discipline, resilience, and emotional intelligence, all crucial for thriving in a competitive environment.

"The Digital Sales Transformation Playbook" by Mike Gospe and Jill Rowley: This book dives into the latest digital tools and techniques transforming B2B sales. 

It explores leveraging social selling, video prospecting, and data-driven insights for success.

"Remote Selling Inc." by Jeb Blount and Shawn Waymeyer: Recognizing the growing importance of remote selling, this book offers specific strategies for mastering virtual communication, building trust online, and closing deals remotely.

"The Sales Management. Simplified" by Mike Bosworth: This book provides practical guidance for sales managers on building high-performing teams, coaching effectively, and driving sales growth.

Have you tried these tactics to elevate Email Campaigns performance ?

I am sharing 10 strategies that have proven to work repeatedly...

Do you know ?

Personalized subject lines can increase open rates by upto 50% while personalized email content can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.

𝟭) 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

Test different subject lines to see which ones generate higher open rates. Experiment with personalized subject lines, using emojis, asking questions, or creating a sense of urgency. 

For example, you can test Subject Line A: "Your Exclusive Discount Inside 🎁" against 

Subject Line B: "Last Chance! Limited-Time Offer ⏳".

𝟮) 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

Experiment with different email content styles, lengths, and formats. 

For instance, you can compare a concise text-based email with a visually rich HTML email or test variations with varying levels of personalization.

𝟯) 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗧𝗔)

Test different CTAs to see which ones lead to more clicks. Vary the wording, placement, and design of the CTA buttons. 

For example, you can test CTA A: "Shop Now" against CTA B: "Get Your Discount Today!"

𝟰) 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀

Explore the best time and day to send your emails. Test different send times to identify when your audience is most responsive. 

For instance, you can test sending emails in the morning versus the evening or on weekdays versus weekends.

𝟱) 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Conduct A/B tests on segmented email lists. 

Tailor the content and offers based on the subscriber's preferences, past behavior, or demographics. Test how different segments respond to specific content variations.

𝟲) 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵

Test the impact of email length on engagement. 

Try sending shorter emails with a clear and concise message versus longer emails that provide more in-depth information.

𝟳) 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Evaluate the effectiveness of personalization in your emails. 

Test personalized greetings, product recommendations, or dynamically generated content based on user data.

𝟴) 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻

Assess the impact of different email designs and layouts. 

Test variations with different colors, images, and formatting to find the design that resonates best with your audience.

𝟵) 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗨𝗽 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀

Test the effectiveness of follow-up emails for specific actions, such as abandoned cart reminders or re-engagement emails for inactive subscribers. 

Experiment with the timing and content of follow-up emails.

𝟭𝟬) 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴

Optimize your unsubscribe process by testing different unsubscribe messaging. 

See if offering options like email frequency preferences or a change of preferences lead to fewer unsubscribes.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗠 

What are the key Sales Reps traits for success?

I am sharing 5 such traits to build trust, credibility and relationship with buyers!

Whether you are interacting with buyers virtually or in-person, these traits are a must to win customers & buyers…

✅ 1. Body Language

It’s a common practice to focus on your computer screen whether you are in virtual or in-person meeting.

Making an eye-contact as much as possible will help you better engage and draw attention of your buyers.

Ask buyers politely to switch on the video in virtual meetings. After all, we are having a video meeting!

✅ 2. Buyer-centric Approach

Ask your buyer to state the problem in his/her own words.

Take the key points of their problem and rephrase it better than they do.

It indicates two things – clear understanding of buyers problem and better contextualization of your solution!

✅ 3. Get Personal to be Real.

Yes, addressing each buyer with their name humanizes the conversation.

Same goes with Email communication as well, send personalized emails as much as possible.

For example, send individual emails with summary and key points related to each buyer, this will drive better engagement and response!

✅ 4. Handle with Care (Objections).

This can get tricky as you may have heard the common objections multiple times and eager to jump right in.

Acknowledging the objection and seeking permission to offer an alternate way of thinking prompts your buyer to have an open mind.

The statements like below will help;

Can I make a suggestion?

This is what we have learnt working with many customers...

✅ 5. Power of Language (Words)

Use social proof in your verbal and written communication.

Always, use buyer name/s to tell a story that’s relevant to their role or business environment – a problem they could relate to and your solution improves the situation.

Quantify as much as possible in absolute numbers or percentages…

3 use cases for leveraging GenAI for Marketing



1) Content Creation:

GPT-3 Text Generation: This refers to the ability to automatically generate human-quality text content using large language models like GPT-3. 

This can be used for creating blog posts, social media captions, website copy, and even marketing emails.

AI-Powered Video Editing: Tools are emerging that can automatically edit video footage, add captions, and generate voiceovers based on scripts. 

This can significantly streamline video content creation for marketing campaigns.

Personalized Content Generation: GenAI can personalize marketing content based on individual user data and preferences. 

This can lead to more engaging and effective marketing experiences.

2) Marketing Automation:

AI-Driven Lead Scoring: Lead scoring assigns a value to each lead based on their behavior and demographics. 

GenAI can be used to automate and refine lead scoring models, making them more accurate and predictive.

Chatbots for Customer Service: Chatbots powered by GenAI can provide 24/7 customer service and answer basic inquiries. 

This frees up human customer service representatives to handle more complex issues.

Dynamic Ad Personalization: GenAI can be used to create and personalize marketing ads in real-time based on user data and browsing behavior. 

This can significantly improve ad click-through rates and conversion rates.

3) Data Analysis and Insights:

AI-Powered Market Research: GenAI can be used to analyze vast amounts of customer data and market trends, providing valuable insights for developing marketing strategies.

Predictive Analytics for Marketing: By analyzing historical data and customer behavior patterns, GenAI can predict future trends and customer actions. 

This allows marketers to anticipate customer needs and tailor their campaigns accordingly.

Sentiment Analysis: GenAI tools can analyze social media posts and online reviews to gauge customer sentiment towards a brand or product. 

This helps marketers understand customer perception and identify areas for improvement.


How Sales Intelligence can benefit your business ?

5 benefits of using sales intelligence

✅ 1. Data quality & accuracy matters most

When you use the right tool, it provides you fresh, updated and accurate data so your team can make informed decisions for your outreach. 

✅ 2. Prioritize ICP Outreach. 

Sales Intelligence helps your business to identify ICPs/Buyers who are more likely to buy from you than others.

It will help you in “lead scoring” and prioritizing your outreach.
For example; you can identify 1K ICPs out of 10K based on the Sales Intelligence.

✅ 3. Better Prospecting

When you do 1, 2 right, it will help in higher and better quality of prospects.

This is due to your personalized and timely outreach to Buyers who are more interested in engaging/buying from you than others

✅ 4. Beyond Intent Data.

Some of us limit Sales Intelligence to Intent Data.

While Intent Data is a key topic, Sales Intelligence goes beyond.

For example; target buyers tenure in a role, tech spread & spend, web tech adoption, department size (including sub-function) IP/Patents, online/social media presence, website ranking, employee size, revenue, funding. and more…

✅ 5. Impact on Metrics that matter most

Sales Intelligence when used effectively, could positively impact the Metrics like;

A.    Better Win Ratio

B.    Faster Deals / Lower Sales Cycle

C.     Improve average Annual Contract Value (ACV)

There’s a popular perception in the market that ALL Sales Intelligence vendors provide expensive subscription based tool.

Harvard Business Review , The Future of Marketing Is Intergenerational

Policymakers, employers, and marketers traditionally have concentrated their attention on people in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s. 

After all, these have been the largest age groups, the biggest spenders, the trend-setters, and — so we thought — the embodiment of the future of consumption.

Nowadays, older Americans are playing an increasingly important role in consumer markets. 

In 2021, there were slightly more Americans above the age of 60 than between ages 20 and 34, and the after-tax income of Americans above the age of 60 was only about 20% lower than the income of Americans below that age. 

A linear projection of these trends indicates that in no more than five or six years Americans above the age of 60 will become a larger consumer group in terms of income than the 20-to-34-year-olds.

Go to Harvard Business Review for full article.

hbr.org • 1 min read

The Future of Marketing Is Intergenerational

Taylor Swift As Entrepreneur: 9 Lessons Business Owners Can Learn From The Pop Icon

Do you have a role model? Many business owners can point to someone they view as a role model, someone with attributes they admire, or who just inspires them.

As expected, many small business owners claim legendary entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Sara Blakely as role models. 

No surprises there. But entrepreneurs often prefer the road less traveled, so if you’re looking for a new or additional role model—let me suggest—Taylor Swift.

Yes, you read that right. Allow me to make the case that singer/songwriter Taylor Swift is not only an excellent entrepreneurial role model but also an accomplished entrepreneur.

Access full Forbes article here;

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