Technical Skill Development

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. I did this by using an approach I call Yo-yo selling: Its how you win large, complex enterprise deals by building credibility with senior executives at the beginning of a sales cycle. This will save you months of spending time with mid or lower level Directors on a deal cycle, only to have your deal stall because it's not a priority for Executives. Heres the concept: You start at the top, get senior level sponsorship for a deep discovery, drop down into the business, then bounce back up with a report of findings. This is the process I've used for nearly every 7-figure deal I've ever closed. Step 0: Research before outreach Before asking for time, I do deep strategic research. Earnings calls. Investor decks. Press releases. Executive interviews. I also spend time talking to their team to see if the problem that I solve exists in their company. Using that research, I build a Point of View that connects their top business goals to real execution gaps. This earns executive time. Today, AI tools like ChatGPT make this easier than ever. What used to take hours now takes minutes. If you skip this step, you lose your edge. Step 1: Prospect to the top and gain their sponsorship to engage Lead with your POV. The key is to teach them something new about their business which they aren't already aware of, and show them how it's putting their highest level goals at risk. If they lean in, offer up a deep discovery with your team and their team. Lock in a date to come back for a readout. Have them assign a project manager to help you coordinate Step 2: Drop down Once you have executive sponsorship, meet with their team. The key is to have the Exec sponsor send out a note to their team explaining what it's for. This will keep the assessment moving forward. Study workflows. Capture friction. Collect quotes. Do not pitch. Just listen. Step 3: Bounce back up Bring it all together in an executive summary. Show how their vision connects directly to whats broken below. Present a focused business case. Build a custom demo. Create a roadmap and implementation plan. Thats where deals close. Real example from my career At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we were told no on a point solution. Instead of walking away, I stepped back and asked what the company really needed. After deep research, I re-engaged the COO with a transformation POV centered on the experience of 50,000+ agents. The result was one of the largest new logo deals in Salesforce history. But Yo-yo selling alone isnt enough. Because it's hard to execute and takes patience. Top performers also master their mindset, habits, and discipline. Thats why I put together a free masterclass for sellers who want to break into the top 1 percent. Watch the free training here: https://lnkd.in/eWD8mTqH If youre serious about enterprise sales, this will change how you sell.

Why Are Athletes So Good at Sales? A VP of Sales asked me this the other day. He wasnt a sports guy growing up, and he wanted to hear a new perspective rather than the typical competitive nature, eagerness to win, and learned behaviors/mindsets. My answer feedback loops. I told him about pitching in college baseball. When youre on the mound, feedback loops are immediate. 1 Throw a pitch Ball or strike (outcome) 2 Process the outcome Make an adjustment 3 Engage the mound Reset & throw again 4 Repeat, over and over, until you win the at-bat, win the inning, or win the game. Sales works the same way. 1 Make a call Get an objection or interest 2 Process the response Adjust the pitch 3 Engage new prospect Deliver again 4 Repeat, over and over, until you win the day, win the quarter, and win the year. The best salespeople, just like the best athletes, dont dwell on failures or their successes. They learn, adjust, and go again. Fast. Sales is a game of execution, mental toughness, and constant iteration. Maybe thats why so many ex-athletes thrive in it. But also, the former athletes bucket is the EASY button. There are more than just sports that cultivate these skills. #sales #athletes #mentalgame #growth

The State of Tech Sales in 2025 AI and automation are now table stakes. If you are still treating them like a competitive advantage, you are already behind. Everyone has AI cold email tools. Everyone is automating DMs. Everyone is using AI call summaries. Everyone is trying to scale conversations instead of mastering them. That is why most reps are getting worse. They are moving faster while building less trust. They are replacing human connection with efficiency. They are cutting corners on the exact skills that actually close deals. Here is what is working in 2025 1Human connection. Buyers are overwhelmed with automation. They are craving real conversations with people who can understand their challenges and solve real problems. 2Unscalable tactics. Physical mailers. In person meetings. Handwritten notes. Live events. These used to be normal. Now they are rare. That is why they work. 3Critical thinking. AI can give you information. It cannot give you insight. Reps who think deeply and provide new perspectives immediately stand out. 4Creativity. Copying templates and following the crowd used to be safe. Now it gets you ignored. Reps who bring fresh solutions are getting the meetings and closing the contracts. 5Consistency. Most reps quit when it gets hard. The ones who keep showing up and refining their craft are taking market share. The reps who will dominate the next five years are not the ones with the fastest automation. They are the ones doing the unsexy work that cannot be automated. Master the fundamentals. Build real relationships. Keep leveling up your business acumen. That is how you win in 2025. These daily habits helped me create $195m/year in sales (even in ROUGH economies): https://lnkd.in/gbpFye_t

CISA Releases Guidance on Modern Approaches to Network Security The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), America's Cyber Defense Agency, and several partners have just released a comprehensive guide on modern approaches to network access security. This report emphasizes the limitations and vulnerabilities of traditional VPN solutions and advocates for adopting more robust and fine-grained security models like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Secure Service Edge (SSE). Key Takeaways: VPN Challenges:VPNs are prone to limitations while providing encrypted tunnels for remote access. These issues can expose organizations to significant risks and breaches. Value of SASE & SSE:SASE and SSE focus on secure access to web services and applications, combining capabilities like Zero Trust Network Access, secure web gateways, and cloud access security brokers, ensuring all access is continuously verified. Together, they streamline security policies and offer seamless, secure access to data across hybrid environments. Implement Network Segmentation:Network segmentation is crucial for limiting the spread of attacks within an organization. Organizations can contain potential breaches and minimize the impact on critical systems by dividing the network into smaller, isolated segments. Validate Vulnerability Scans on All Public-Facing Enterprise Assets:Regular vulnerability scans on public-facing assets are essential to identify and remediate potential security gaps. Ensuring that these scans are thorough and validated helps maintain a robust security posture and protects against external threats. Organizations transitioning from traditional VPNs to modern network access solutions can significantly benefit from the strategies and best practices outlined in this guide. Implementing these modern approaches strengthens security and aligns with Zero Trust principles, ensuring a more secure and resilient infrastructure. (Full disclosure: I participated in initial discussions about this guidance before leaving CISA earlier this year. Having been in the networking space for almost 30 years, this type of guidance is critical to help shape discussions on how network security is evolving and supports a Zero Trust mindset in new ways). #ZeroTrust #Technology #CloudComputing #SoftwareEngineering

We care a lot about user experience at Duolingo and monitor it via a number of app performance metrics. App performance is especially a challenge on Android because of the breadth of the ecosystem of devices. In 2021, we ran a cross-company Android reboot effort to improve the code architecture and improve latency. We then set latency and performance guardrails to prevent new changes from slowing down the app. Despite our best efforts, though, latency crept up. Early in 2024, one of our data scientists, Daniel Distler, was able to demonstrate that improving latency in some key parts of the user journey would drive solid increases in DAUs (daily active users), one of our main company metrics. This was the nudge we needed to re-invest in the effort. We created a cross-company tiger team to work on improving Android performance. Throughout the year, 20 software engineers participated. In 2024, the team ran 200+ A/B tests on Android performance and delivered remarkable results: - Entry-level device app open conversion jumped from 91% to 94.7% - Entry-level device users experiencing 5+ second app open latency dropped from 39% to just 8% - Hundreds of thousands of DAU gains were directly attributable to these performance enhancements and we expect the actual long-term impact was even larger What work proved most impactful? - Almost half of our DAU impact came from improving code efficiency - Another 20% of impact came from optimizing network requests - Another chunk came from deferring non-critical work to happen later in key flows - Baseline profiles took a lot of time to get right, but sped up application start-up by 30% Want to learn more? Check out Chenglai Huang and Michael Huangs blog post: https://lnkd.in/dni58Hez #engineering

To become a top data analyst you need to be a strong problem solver! Follow this structure to find the real reasons behind business problems: 1. : Start by clearly stating the issue. For example, Weve observed a significant decrease in sales in the UK over the last few days. 2. : Collect relevant information such as order processing times, customer service interactions, inventory levels, and active marketing campaigns. 3. : Use tools like SQL, Python, or Excel to analyze the data. Look for patterns, trends, and anomalies that could point to the root cause. 4. : Brainstorm all possible reasons for the issue. Use methods like the 5 Whys technique to investigate each potential cause more deeply. 5. : Test your hypotheses against the data to see if they are supported. If not, refine your hypotheses and test again. 6. : Once youve identified the root cause, support the business by showing possible solutions to address it. Monitor the results to ensure the issue is resolved. - : We notice an increase in customer lead time and heres how we tackle it. 1. : Customer lead time has increased by 20% in the last three months. 2. : We collected data on order processing, sales forecast deviation, and shipping times. 3. : We found that the actual sales were in line with the forecast, and shipping times had remained constant. However, order processing times had increased significantly. 4. : We checked factors such as outages in warehouses, staffing issues due to high sickness rates, and process inefficiencies resulting from operating close to maximum capacity. 5. : Data revealed that a spike in the sickness rate had reduced the available workforce. 6. : We proposed to increase capacity buffers by 5% to 10% during the winter and hiring additional temporary workers to address the situation in the short term. Following this approach for your root-cause analysis, you will become a valued problem-solving partner for your stakeholders. How do you ensure youre addressing the root cause of an issue and not just the symptoms? ---------------- if you find this post useful. for more daily insights on how to grow your career in the data field. #dataanalytics #datascience #rootcauseanalysis #problemsolving #careergrowth

Keeping Up with the Evolution of B2B Sales In todays sales world, buyers are more informed, technology evolves at lightning speed, and competition is tougher than ever. Relying on outdated tactics wont cut it anymore. To help you stay ahead, here are5 proven strategiesto accelerate your sales results in 2024 and 2025: 1. Adopt AI: AI isnt just a buzzword; its your secret weapon. Use tools like HubSpot, Salesforce Einstein, or Gong to: Save time on repetitive tasks. Personalize outreach with precision. Forecast opportunities with unparalleled accuracy. 2. Master Buyer Enablement Simplify decision-making for your clients by educating them. Provide insights, ROI calculators, case studies, or step-by-step guides to: De-risk the change. Build confidence in their decision to work with you. 3. Go Multi-Channel in Outreach Your dream clients are everywheremeet them where they are. Combine: Phone calls. Emails. LinkedIn messages and videos. Coordinate your touchpoints for maximum impact. 4. Focus on Consultative Selling Be the trusted advisor buyers need. Go beyond pitching to: Understand their challenges deeply. Offer actionable recommendations that ensure success. 5. Leverage Data-Driven Insights Turn your CRM into your best ally. Use platforms like ZoomInfo to: Target ideal prospects. Make smarter decisions with performance analytics. Forecast with clarity. The sales game has changedyour strategies need to evolve too. Which of these are you already doing, and what will you implement next? Lets talk about it in the comments! Found this useful Repost it to your network and follow Anthony Iannarino for more sales strategies.

The biggest businesses can get major programmes horribly wrong. Here are 4 famous examples, the fundamental reasons for failure and how that might have been avoided. Hershey: Sought to replace its legacy IT systems with a more powerful ERP system. However, due to a rushed timeline and inadequate testing, the implementation encountered severe issues. Orders worth over $100 million were not fulfilled. Quarterly revenues fell by 19% and the share price by 8% Key Failures: Rushed implementation without sufficient testing Lack of clear goals for the transition Inadequate attention and resource allocation Hewlett Packard: Wanted to consolidate its IT systems into one ERP. They planned to migrate to SAP, expecting any issues to be resolved within 3 weeks. However, due to the lack of configuration between the new ERP and the old systems, 20% of customer orders were not fulfilled. Insufficient investment in change management and the absence of manual workarounds added to the problems. This entire project cost HP an estimated $160 million in lost revenue and delayed orders. Key Failures: Failure to address potential migration complications. Lack of interim solutions and supply chain management strategies. Inadequate change management planning. Miller Coors: Spent almost $100 million on an ERP implementation to streamline procurement, accounting, and supply chain operations. There were significant delays, leading to the termination of the implementation partner and subsequent legal action. Mistakes included insufficient research on ERP options, choosing an inexperienced implementation partner, and the absence of capable in-house advisers overseeing the project. Key Failures: Inadequate research and evaluation of ERP options. Selection of an inexperienced implementation partner. Lack of in-house expertise and oversight. Revlon: Another ERP implementation disaster. Inadequate planning and testing disrupted production and caused delays in fulfilling customer orders across 22 countries. The consequences included a loss of over $64 million in unshipped orders, a 6.9% drop in share price, and investor lawsuits for financial damages. Key Failures: Insufficient planning and testing of the ERP system. Lack of robust backup solutions. Absence of a comprehensive change management strategy. Lessons to be learned: Thoroughly test and evaluate new software before deployment. Establish robust backup solutions to address unforeseen challenges. Design and implement a comprehensive change management strategy during the transition to new tools and solutions. Ensure sufficient in-house expertise is available; consider capacity of those people as well as their expertise Plan as much as is practical and sensible Dont try to do too much too quickly with too few people Dont expect ERP implementation to be straightforward; it rarely is

- . Hello, #SAPSD warriors! Weve all studied Enterprise Structure like a Checklist Client, Company Code, Sales Org the usual suspects. But let me ask you this: Have you ever seen it as a "business command center, not just a config setup?" Because thats what it really is. Lets zoom out. ? . Its how the enterprise is structured to scale decisions, data, and delivery across thousands of moving parts. Imagine Desi Mart, a regional supermarket chain, rapidly expanding across states. At first? Spreadsheets. WhatsApp orders. Manual follow-ups. But as growth kicks in, things break: No regional control Price mismatches Delayed deliveries Confused responsibilities Enter SAP SD but not just to configure. To architect growth. To mirror business ambition inside system design. Heres what most miss Enterprise Structure isn't built around SAP. Its built around the business SAP is just the mirror. Client The ecosystem Company Code Legal identity Sales Org Strategy zone Dist. Channel Go-to-market paths Division Business lines Sales Area Profit-driving combo Plant / Storage / Shipping Fulfillment architecture AS-IS Reality (Before SAP): Region-wise sales? No visibility Pricing? Manual and messy Delivery? Delayed, unclear accountability TO-BE Blueprint (With SAP): Clear ownership Intelligent automation Business-level transparency As an architect, heres the truth: If your Enterprise Structure doesnt align with your business growth model, your SAP implementation is just expensive wallpaper. So next time you're mapping Sales Org and Distribution Channels Dont ask, "Which config goes where?" Ask, "How will this decision empower business leaders to scale tomorrow?" Want a downloadable blueprint cheat sheet from real-world transformation stories? Comment SAPSD below and Ill send it your way. This is what we do weekly decode SAP from a real-world business lens, not a textbook. Because we dont just implement SAP we engineer scale. Are you ready to think like an architect? Join me every week for more power-packed insights from real SAP projects. We dont just study SAP here we live it. #SAPSD #EnterpriseStructure #SAPMentor #SAPSimplified #AmanSAPAcademy #CareerInSAP #SAPTraining #SAPS4HANA #Amansharief