Welcome to this edition of The Transaction Newsletter!
Here’s what’s on deck this week:
What Craig’s (re-) reading
Craig’s annual community collection of new GTM tech
Latest Episode: Applying Design-Thinking to Sales with Ashley Welch
Did someone forward you this newsletter? I’m sorry about that, but since you’re here you might as well subscribe…
What Craig’s (re-) reading: Play Bigger by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney
We have an upcoming episode with author Kevin Maney and I was inspired to pick the book back up. The framework for creating categories is really a framework for defining your company and it’s GTM. Even on re-read, I am enthralled.
Craig’s annual community collection of new GTM tech
Every year, i ask LinkedIn to provide me with new GTM tech to watch. Last year had 100 comments, this year over 270. 70% of the tech mentioned I had no idea existed. This is more proof that we are on the cusp of a new GTM tech onslaught. The other interesting thing was to see tech that I have watched for a couple years get mentioned with successful use cases. That’s great to see startups getting traction -
The semis layer makes 90% of GenAI profits today
This X thread from Apoorv Agrawal is about as insightful as you can get. There is a lot but I’ll just give you a quick highlight of his analysis: “The semis layer has captured ~83% ($75B of $90B revenues) of the Gen AI stack today. This is much higher than the ~10% that semis capture in the cloud stack today!” Your Nvidia stock already reflects this…(:
Latest Episode: Applying Design-Thinking to Sales with Ashley Welch
Please welcome a phenomenal sales thought leader that is bringing some much-needed fresh ideas to the world of B2B sales. Ashley Welch is the Co-Founder of Somersault Innovation and the author of Naked Sales. Ashley joins hosts Craig Rosenberg and Matt Amundson to discuss the core idea of “Selling by Design”, how to craft a collaborative co-creating process with your buyers, and why you need to know how to navigate your customer’s customer map.
Also, Craig gives an update on his son’s Instagram followers and Matt takes a sip of something scrumptious.
Takeaways:
Prioritize curiosity in customer interactions. Understanding the customer's needs, fears, and motivations through genuine inquiry can build stronger, trust-based relationships and uncover deeper insights into how to meet their needs effectively.
Shift from presenting solutions to co-creating them with customers. This approach not only makes the solution more tailored and relevant but also builds a sense of ownership and partnership with the customer, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
Push for a deeper understanding of the customer's broader ecosystem, including their end-users and other stakeholders. This comprehensive perspective can inform a more strategic and impactful solution that addresses wider organizational goals and challenges.
Foster a mindset of innovation and creative problem-solving within the team by adopting principles of design-thinking. Encourage them to always start with the customer perspective and iterate solutions based on feedback and changing requirements.
Chapters:
00:00 - BRIEF Final Four Recap from Junior Sports Correspondent, Craig Rosenberg
02:53 - Introducing Ashley Welch!
05:17 - Drink Break
05:29 - Does Expertise Trump Curiosity in Sales?
15:29 - Putting Yourself In The Customers' Shoes
22:12 - Deep-dive into Design Thinking in Sales
40:38 - Get More Creative With Your Discovery Process
43:53 - Creating Your Customer’s Customer Map
53:11 - 4 Doorways to Deeper Discussions with Prospects
Quote of the Show:
“At the end of the day, I think everybody just wants to feel loved and listened to. That is your job as a seller. Love them, listen to them.” - Ashley Welch
Support Our Sponsors
Ringmaster Conversational Marketing - The Transaction is sponsored and produced by Ringmaster, the go-to branded podcast team for scaling B2B companies. Podcasts are hard to produce, and even harder to do consistently. The Ringmaster team works with you to develop the strategy, book the perfect guests, and produce weekly episodes and content from start to finish. To discover how your company can leverage B2B podcasts to deliver outsized ROI, visit ringmaster.com
Interested in becoming a sponsor of The Transaction? Please contact grow@ringmaster.com
Connect with Ashley Welch
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awelch1/
Guest Website: https://www.somersaultinnovation.com/
Naked Sales: https://a.co/d/bZtDydk
Shoutouts:
John Barrows: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/
Chris Orlob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisorlob/
Doug Landis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglandis/
Becc Holland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccholland-flipthescript/
Follow the Hosts
Craig’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/
Matt’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-amundson-91657236/
Until next time… So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight!
Follow The Transaction on your favorite platforms!