Ok. I want to hit the point immediately. What a startup really needs to focus on is sales.

I have recently watched a video by Steli Efti, Close.io CEO, during a great pitch at Pioneers Festival. The video is very interesting and in addition to Steli’s funny stories, there is a lot of juicy stuff to learn. (the video is below)

Most of startups think that a great design, product and marketing is enough to get big revenues. But they forget a fundamental part. Sales is crucial for a startup. You need to find the first clients and you have to be able to show them how your product can help their life or business.

People in general hate sales. That’s because they see it in the old way. When they think about a sales guy they imagine that bully and greasy car sellers ready to sell his mother to close a deal.

Yes it’s true. That’s a type of sales guy 🙂 But today we are in the era of the consultative sales. This mean that the consultant (Sales guy) is the person helping you figuring out a solution to your problems. Not a person that just want to steal your money!

The old sales guy followed the ABC (Always Be Closing) method. But what method should you follow for your startup?

For a startup it is important to commit in sales asap not just for a company survival matter but also to get valuable feedbacks. You must know if the pricing you have set up is good and if your clients would be ready to pay that amount.

Just hustle

As Steli repeated in his video you need to hustle, hustle and hustle! Don’t be afraid to reach out that prospect, don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to teach your future client what he really needs. Most of the time he doesn’t know the solution to his problems, that’s why you are here! Don’t miss any opportunities and be opened to meet people, attend that event or make that call. You never know where an opportunity can be hidden. Your startup offers something innovative and new, and only you (CEO or Sales/Marketing) know why it can make the difference. So push yourself, talk with people and ask questions.

Well, I wanted to go further and directly ask Steli some questions in person. That’s why I decided to host him here 🙂

Enjoy the video!