🎪 How to (not) prospect into enterprise accounts | #59 Jiri Siklar - Senior Enterprise AE @ MongoDB

Summary

In this episode of the Revenue Circus Podcast, hosts Cisar Lambert and Jiri Siklar discussed the intricacies of prospecting into enterprise accounts. They explore the differences between small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise accounts, emphasizing the need for a tailored approach due to the complexity of enterprise sales. The conversation covers defining enterprise accounts, understanding stakeholders, the importance of preparation, and the necessity of industry knowledge. They also delve into identifying business problems, becoming a trusted advisor, researching company goals, and building a value pyramid to enhance sales strategies. The use of AI tools for research and the final steps in prospecting are also highlighted, providing listeners with actionable insights to improve their sales techniques.

Takeaways

• Prospecting into enterprise accounts requires a different approach than SMBs.
• Understanding the complexity of stakeholders is crucial in enterprise sales.
• Preparation is key to effective outreach in enterprise accounts.
• Industry knowledge helps in identifying potential business problems.
• Sales professionals should focus on becoming trusted advisors to their clients.
• Researching company goals and strategies is essential for successful prospecting.
• Building a value pyramid can guide the sales conversation effectively.
• Crafting a problem hypothesis enhances the relevance of outreach efforts.
• AI tools can significantly streamline the research process for sales professionals.
• Confidence in sales increases when sellers understand their clients' needs and language.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Enterprise Prospecting

02:26 Defining Enterprise Accounts

04:14 Differences in Prospecting: Enterprise vs SMB

06:35 Understanding Stakeholders in Enterprise Sales

09:00 Preparation for Cold Outreach

10:56 Industry Knowledge: The Key to Success

14:43 Quantifying Business Problems

17:05 Becoming a Trusted Advisor

18:31 Researching Company Goals and Strategies

22:05 Building a Value Pyramid

24:49 Crafting Problem Hypotheses

29:57 Leveraging AI for Research

33:45 Final Thoughts and Next Steps