Page 150 - The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million - PDFDrive.com

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Running Successful Sales Experiments

Great teams have a core philosophy of continual improvement. Whether
succeeding or failing, there is always a way to improve existing execution, adapt
to changing market dynamics, or consider expansion into new areas. Maintaining
a culture of experimentation is a great way to foster this philosophy of continual
improvement.

Let's navigate back to year two of HubSpot's journey. We had had a great first
year. We were fortunate to have Gail Goodman, CEO of ConstantContact, on our
board of directors. At the time, she pointed out, “Great year, but you guys are not
experimenting enough. You have a very good model. It is working. But there
must be ways to do it better. You are a young company. Try some things. Don't
be afraid to fail.”

I took those comments to heart, and now I can point to dozens of best practices
within the HubSpot sales organization that originated from Gail's philosophy. A
key ingredient to the sales acceleration formula is fostering a culture of
experimentation. I've included some of my favorite methods for establishing this
environment.

“Great teams have a core philosophy of continual improvement. A key
ingredient to the sales acceleration formula is fostering a culture of
experimentation.”

Generating Ideas for Experiments

At HubSpot, we had what I would call a “bottom-up” innovation funnel. Our
most groundbreaking ideas didn't necessarily come from our executives or
directors, but rather from our front line. They came from the employees who
were talking with prospects, going head-to-head with the competition, and
working with our customers on a daily basis. We hired really smart people.
When smart people spend their days on the front line, they see the patterns, they
innovate, and they come up with the ideas that can change the trajectory of the
business.