Keril’s Cliff Notes: The Ultimate Sales Machine
Three Bite-Sized Takeaways for IT Sales Success
If, like me, you’ve got a towering stack of sales books in the corner of your office…or on your bedside table…or both. I’m a nerd y’all. You know me. I just LOVE reading about tech sales. Don’t at me bro.
Listen, I know not everyone loves to read. Or, let’s be honest, who has the time these days? But I KNOW y’all love to level up and improve your IT sales success rates. That’s why you’re here, after all.
So for you, my sales nerdz, it’s time for a new review. This month on This Sales Life, we’re continuing our IT Sales Book Club wrap-up posts with a quick read to summarize, break down, and deliver 3-5 bite-sized action items from one of the experts. I can’t be the only one advising on this blog – I’m learning new things on the daily!
This month, we’re unpacking The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.
The Ultimate Sales Machine Summary
The Ultimate Sales Machine is a stable of sales literature. It’s a collection of 12 proven strategies that help you generate more sales while running a profitable and efficient business with excellent employees. You know, the dream. It’s another one of those “you can have it all” books that us high-achieving folks love to read.
Except for this time, it’s Chet Holmes’ version of the success gospel. And he’s got the numbers to prove it, having doubled the sales at 9 divisions of a Charlie Munger company before tragically passing from leukemia in 2012. But before he went, he became known as the super strategist of the Fortune 500, having advised so many big-name brands in the 12 competencies found in this book. And it should be no surprise that it enjoyed some time on the New York Times Bestseller List.
What is The Ultimate Sales Machine?
The Ultimate Sales Machine is a business that runs smoothly, scales automatically, and attracts the best talent just through it’s very existence.
It’s employees performing at the top of their skill set. It’s working less and enjoying life more. Nothing short of a business utopia. I love this quote to sum it up:
“Mastery doesn’t mean doing 4,000 things. It means doing 12 things 4,000 times.”
With the background in mind, let’s see how Chet Holmes’ work can immediately apply to our day-to-day tech sales.
Three Key Takeaways
I promised you three bite-sized applicable IT sales techniques to use TODAY, with no delay.
So here are my three takeaways from The Ultimate Sales Machine:
Pitch the Right People. We know that you’re never selling to just one person these days. More often than not, it’s a panel of folks all with their agendas and priorities. But first, you need to know who these people are before drafting cold emails and reaching out on LinkedIn.
Work Smarter, Not Harder. Holmes uses the example of a lumberjack. If a logger wants to cut more wood, they have two options: chop a few hours more each day or sharpen the axe a few hours each week.
Triple the Pipeline. This is one of my favorite things to say. Usually, I’m talking about how many deals I’m working on at once to meet or exceed my sales goals, but when I apply it to Holmes’ work, I think of his insistence on a 3-pronged approach: management, marketing, and sales.
Remember, it’s better to spend more time each week sharpening your skills—and the people who work for you—than to work longer hours.
Duh Keril. So how do we do that?
How do we sharpen our skills?
Congratulations, you’re doing it right now! You’re nerding out about sales techniques here on This Sales Life. So congrats, and pat yourself on the back.
Then maybe later this week…you might block off a few hours to do some advanced account analysis. Something you know will definitely save you time in meetings and cut a few corners in building meaningful partnerships with new clients. It’s just an idea. *shrug emoji*
Of course, I always recommend you read the full book if you’ve got the time. Chet Holmes has more than a few memorable illustrations–he’s a phenomenal communicator. But life’s short, and I know you’re busy ;)
What’s Next?
While anxiously awaiting next month’s edition of Keril’s Cliff Notes, a perfect next step is to join a community of tech sales professionals building a better world through empathetic selling and problem-solving.
Lissen, I know that everyone doesn’t have the budget for another monthly membership—although this Patreon is pure gold, so you may wanna give it some thought—so y’all know I’ve always got a freebie or two ready for instant download, and implementation.
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