Modernizing general trade sales process

It’s humbling: 17 years in sales, $44M+ in B2B deals closed… and I still get ghosted after pouring 40 hours into a pitch. 2 months ago, I sat down with my leadership team and told them: our sales process is broken. Currently: → A “quick chat” turns into 3 Zoom calls. → Weeks of back-and-forth email threads. → Too many proposals that go nowhere. By the time we finally send over pricing, they've either: • Ghosted • Picked someone else • Forgot why they reached out in the first place As much as I hate to admit it, many of our deals at @Incepteo still undergo this process. So, we're making a significant change: Productizing our services. Yes, I know it's a huge buzzword – but here's what we're planning to do: 1) Make it easier for the client to say “yes” People buy when they are excited. People buy when they trust you. They don't buy when they have to wait 2 weeks to understand what they're getting. Imagine if the only way to book a flight was to: → Call the airline → Explain where you're going → Wait 3 days → Then get a quote No one would fly. But, that's exactly what the typical service business' sales process looks like. Proposals (quotes) take hours for us to prepare AND prevent buyers from quickly accessing the information they need. If someone’s interested in working with us, we want to show them exactly what we do and why it works in minutes. To do that, we'll… 2) Build online estimators for our core offers Not every client needs something 'totally unique.' In reality: → 80% of what we do is repeatable → 20% is custom (but can still live inside a well-defined package) So, we're building an online estimator that help prospects get: • A transparent price range • A ballpark timeline • An overview of deliverables This information comes in a few clicks on our website. No calls or weeks of waiting needed. We’ll still add human oversight before onboarding, but this reduces lead time drastically. 3) Communicate the “how” (not just the “what”) Even with clear pricing and timeline, there's still a trust gap. They still need to know: • Why we’re different • What our values are • How we actually deliver the work. Otherwise, we’re just another AI solutions firm with a nice landing page. Clients buy on outcomes AND the process. Now that we've reduced repetitive discovery calls, we can use that time to connect deeply on values and vision. We'll share our 'how' across our website, leadership content, and direct messaging. If prospects can’t tell us apart from 3 other firms charging wildly different rates—that’s on us. It's our job to visualize the invisible. Productizing services makes the buying experience better for you and your customer. • Shorter sales cycles • Less ghosting • Better-fit clients who are aligned with how we work Clarity → confidence → conversions. We're still building our estimation system, but the early signs are promising. Curious to hear your feedback on productizing in the comments. 

I recently spoke with a sales leader about a common challenge: how overly complex internal processes slow down sales reps. “Our reps are spending more time navigating internal workflows than selling,” they mentioned. This is a widespread issue—when every step of a deal requires approvals or confusing steps, it keeps reps from engaging with prospects effectively. To fix this, simplifying the sales process goes beyond just removing steps; it’s about empowering your team and creating clear, action-oriented pathways. Here’s how: 1. Cut Down Approval Layers: Allow senior reps to make decisions within defined limits, reducing reliance on time-consuming approvals. This speeds up deal cycles and encourages ownership. 2. Use Clear Playbooks: Ambiguity breeds inefficiency. Standardized, easy-to-follow sales playbooks eliminate confusion and help reps move deals forward confidently, knowing what to do at each stage. 3. Automate Admin Tasks: Manual data entry and updating deal stages take up valuable time. Automation tools handle these low-value tasks, allowing reps to spend more time selling and less on busywork. 4. Streamline Communication: Simplify who’s responsible for what. Clear communication lines and fewer meetings reduce delays, ensuring that when reps need answers, they get them fast. 5. Empower Your Reps: Equip your team with the authority to make pricing decisions or offer discounts without having to escalate every time. Giving them the ability to act quickly builds trust and boosts productivity. By making these changes, you’re not just reducing steps—you’re unlocking the full potential of your sales force, enabling them to focus on what matters most: closing deals and building relationships. Simplified processes mean faster, smoother sales cycles and ultimately better results for your team. #SalesOptimization #SalesEfficiency #SalesLeadership #SalesProductivity #SalesProcess #AutomationInSales #SalesTeam #LeadConversion #RevenueGrowth #BusinessEfficiency

Your smile and your golf swing don’t close deals anymore. If you’re still leaning on steak dinners and charm to win business, you're playing the wrong game. 18 years ago, when I first entered this industry, that worked. Sales reps were rewarded for being likable, entertaining, and persuasive. The pitch was simple: “Give me your business—it’ll be in good hands.” But the game has changed. The reps who stand out today aren’t just likeable—they’re operationally credible. They’ve put in time on the floor. They’ve been in the weeds. They know the freight—and they ask better questions because of it. Here’s what they do differently: ✔️ Research the shipper’s business before the first call ✔️ Identify operational inefficiencies their competitors miss ✔️ Come armed with data-backed solutions ✔️ Price aggressively—but sustainably—because they understand how execution works The modern sales rep is a consultant in disguise. They can build rapport and quote profitably. They’re easy to work with and know how to scale a solution. If you want to win in today’s market, don’t just sell. Solve.

Last week, I heard from a super impressive customer who has cracked the code on how to give salespeople something they’ve always wanted: more selling time. Here’s how he transformed their process. This customer runs the full B2B sales motion at an awesome printing business based in the U.S. For years, his team divided their time across six key areas: 1. Task prioritization 2. Meeting prep 3. Customer responses 4. Prospecting 5. Closing deals 6. Sales strategy Like every sales leader I know, he wants his team to spend most of their time on #5 and #6 — closing deals and sales strategy. But together, those only made up about 30% of their week. (Hearing this gave me flashbacks to my time in sales…and all that admin tasks 😱) Now, his team uses AI across the sales process to compress the amount of time spent on #1-4: 1. Task prioritization → AI scores leads and organizes daily tasks 2. Meeting prep → AI surfaces insights from calls and contact records before meetings 3. Customer responses → Breeze Customer Agent instantly answers customer questions 4. Prospecting → Breeze Prospecting Agent automatically researches accounts and books meetings The result? Higher quantity of AI-powered work: More prospecting. More pipeline.  Higher quality of human-led work: More thoughtful conversations. Sharper strategy. This COO's story made my week. It's a reminder of just how big a shift we're going through – and why it’s such an exciting time to be in go-to-market right now.

💭 Why General Trade (GT) Needs to Evolve — Before It’s Too Late General Trade has been the backbone of India’s FMCG ecosystem for decades. Even today, it contributes nearly 75–80% of total FMCG sales — but the reality on ground is changing fast. The truth is — GT is struggling. And while many may not agree openly, every stakeholder feels the pressure: distributors, retailers, and even company teams. Let’s talk about what’s really happening 👇 ⚠️ Current Challenges 1️⃣ Market outstanding is at an all-time high — retailers are clearing dues in 21–30 days, leaving distributors choked for working capital. 2️⃣ Quick Commerce is booming in metros — platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket are changing consumer buying behavior with instant delivery and discounts. 3️⃣ Distributor profitability is eroding — operational costs are rising, but margins remain the same. 4️⃣ Data visibility is weak — poor adoption of DMS and sales automation leads to delayed insights and decisions. 5️⃣ Trade schemes are outdated — one-size-fits-all offers fail to drive ROI or retailer loyalty. 💡 How GT Can Evolve ✅ Credit discipline through smart incentives — reward faster payment cycles and tie up with NBFCs for distributor financing. ✅ Digitally empower GT — adopt DMS + SFA tools and train teams to track real-time sales, stock, and collections. ✅ Omni-channel integration — make GT part of the e-commerce supply chain by enabling “Digital Kirana” models. ✅ ROI-based trade marketing — design schemes that reward performance, not just volume. ✅ Channel differentiation — maintain pricing parity and introduce GT-exclusive SKUs to protect margins. 🚀 The Future of GT GT is not dying — it’s evolving. To stay relevant, it must become: 👉 Digitally connected 👉 Financially disciplined 👉 ROI-driven 👉 Customer-focused When companies start treating GT as a strategic growth partner, not just a sales channel, both profitability and trust will return to the market.

Last week, we closed a deal with a $10 billion (revenue) company. No click bait. Just a story that marks a new era. Here's what their SVP told me: “A few years ago, our sellers didn’t need real skills. Tailwinds and great product-market fit carried us. We had nothing more than order-taking skills.” He went on: “But today? Sales cycles are complex. Buying committees are more educated & skeptical. The ZIRP era won’t come back for another generation. We need to maximize revenue per rep. That starts with skill capacity.” We’re no longer in the ZIRP era. We’re in the Skill Capacity Era. I asked him what skills matter most now. Here’s what he said: 1. Disruptive Insight Selling. Great sellers don’t pitch. They reframe the problem. They introduce a unique insight that shifts the buyer’s thinking. In a way that favors a purchase. Most AEs can’t do this. They offer thinly veiled product pitches. No insight. No acumen. Top sellers reframe the buyer’s mind. They communicate, without saying it: “I know your business — and I understand this problem better than anyone else.” 2. Developing and Quantifying Value. Open your CRM. Look at the notes in the ‘pain’ field.' Now ask yourself: Are these the problems C-level execs care about? Or mid-level frustrations? Most AEs stop at surface pain. The best go deeper — and quantify what they find. They uncover the need behind the need. That’s where the deal lives. 3. Frictionless Multi-Threading. Buying committees are larger. Buying committees are more risk averse. Buying committees are prone to “do nothing.” Yet sellers have the same multi-threading habits they did two years ago: Work with one, MAYBE two people. Stick with the most comfortable contact. Avoid the skeptics. The best salespeople don't just multi-thread. They drive consensus. 4. CFO-Level Business Cases You don’t need to be a spreadsheet wizard. But you do need to speak CFO. If your ROI pitch sounds like a sales deck? At best, they’ll roll their eyes. If it sounds like a financial case with scenarios? You’ll get to “yes” faster. 5. Taking Control. The Challenger Sale gave sellers a game-changing framework: Teach. Tailor. Take Control. Most AEs don’t know how to do that without sounding tone-deaf to buying dynamics. They defer. They wait. They follow the buyer’s process and hope for the best. But in this market? Hope is not a strategy. AI can’t lead a room. It can’t challenge a buyer’s process. It can’t manage power dynamics. That’s your job. The best AEs define the pace and tone of every deal they touch. ZIRP is gone. The order-taker economy is dead. Welcome to the Skill Capacity Era. The CRO flex isn’t bloated headcount anymore. It’s skill density × revenue per rep. P.S. Start transforming your revenue team with these 24 skill transformation tips: https://lnkd.in/g_JF-ytC

Do you swear by the sales methodology you use? It's just a guideline to supplement your approach with prospects. 🔸Challenger 🔸SPIN 🔸MEDDICC 🔸Sandler 🔸Winning by Design They are all great frameworks. But on their own, they’re not enough to meet today’s buyer expectations. Because the modern buyer has changed. — Modern buyers: 🔹would have already done their research before they talk to you. 🔹expect speed, transparency, and personalization. 🔹use various channels to make decisions. The way decisions are made post-Covid has shifted. And the landscape is still shifting as we speak. — Here’s how these methodologies fall short in today’s landscape: 📌 Challenger Selling: Great for reframing problems, but modern buyers need insights they can’t Google. 📌 SPIN: Effective at uncovering needs, but most buyers already know their pain points. 📌 MEDDIC: Brilliant for qualification but doesn’t account for the demand for speed and transparency. 📌 Sandler: Great for trust building for long sales cycles but lacks the speed and adaptability needed for digital-first buyers. 📌 Winning by Design: Great with data-driven, repeatable processes that focus on customers, but lacks flexibility for diverse buyer personas or complex cultural nuances in global markets. — Here's the solution: You don’t need to throw out frameworks. You don't need to start from scratch. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to enhance and supplement them with “The Trifecta of the Modern Seller”. --- The Trifecta isn’t a replacement - it’s a simple upgrade. It gives you the tools and the mindset shift you need to adapt your favorite methodologies to today’s buyer landscape. Three pillars set the foundation of the Trifecta: 1️⃣ Personal Branding Build trust before the first conversation. Share insights that make you the go-to expert in your industry. 2️⃣ Sales Strategy Apply the best parts of your methodology - like SPIN or Challenger - but adjust them for speed, personalization, and cultural intelligence. 3️⃣ Prospect Experience (PX) Make every touchpoint seamless and valuable, showing your buyer you’re invested in their success. The Trifecta makes you flexible, adaptable, and future-proof. --- What sales methodology are you using right now? And how are you enhancing it to meet today’s buyer demands? I’d love to hear your approach in the comments below 👇🏻 ==================== ♻️ Repost to inform your network 📬 DM me if you are stuck in B2B sales 🧠 Follow Sufi Rafa'ee for mindset shifts

Is Your Go-to-Market Strategy Stuck in the Past? Most companies force their sales reps to operate like a call center from 2010: dialing from a static list and hoping for a miracle. This isn't just inefficient, it's a massive waste of talent and budget. The Flawed Approach (Hope-Based Selling): → Purchase generic lists, leading to a race to the bottom. → "Spray and pray" outreach that damages your brand reputation. → Reps spend 80% of their time prospecting and only 20% selling. The Modern GTM Engine (Signal-Based Selling): → Define: Pinpoint your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and the trigger events that signal urgent need. → Capture: Automatically gather leads exhibiting these high-intent signals. → Enrich: Use a best-in-class tech stack (like Clay & BetterContact) to build a complete profile. → Engage: Your sales team receives a constant flow of pipeline-ready leads, allowing them to focus exclusively on closing. Software we use Enrichment: Clay [go.alphaops.de/clay], BetterContact [https://lnkd.in/eMgc_A9T] High-Intent: Trigify.io, RB2B, handelsregister.ai, Apify Get in touch today to get warm leads right into your inbox.

The modern sales team setup for 2026. Most B2B teams still try to scale by hiring more SDRs. The winning GTM teams are adding more RevOps infrastructure + GTM engineering instead. The job of BDRs & AEs never changed. Their objective is still the same. But tech changed one thing: → Volume An old school BDR could do: • 50 dials/day manually researched • 10 personalized emails/day • 2-3 demos booked/week A new school BDR in 2026: • 200 calls/day • 50 hyper-personalized emails • 7-8 demos booked/week Here's the best sales team structure I'm seeing: GTM Engineer: - ICP modeling - TAM mapping - Signal tracking - Data orchestration - AI account research - Automated outreach Tools: Claude Code, n8n, Clay, Snowflake, Freckle.io, Ocean.io, Apollo.io, Instantly.ai, HeyReach RevOps: - Tech Stack Evaluations - Inbound Orchestration - Revenue Forecasting - Data Pipelines - CRM Admin - Attribution    Tools: Ergo, HubSpot, Freckle.io, Chili Piper, Intercom, Snowflake, Amplitude SDRs: - Discovery - Cold Calling - Qualification - Social Selling - Multi-threading - Appointment Setting Tools: Nooks, Findymail, Apollo.io, BetterContact, Loom Account Executives: - Business Case Building - Multi-threading - Product Demo - Negotiation - Discovery - Closing Tools: Claude, Superhuman, Ergo, Qwilr, Nooks Build the GTM + RevOps layer for your reps. Watch the whole team level up.

There's no alpha in running your GTM like everyone else. Finding alpha requires constant experimentation. But, that's not all that's changing in GTM today. We were asked to present our observations to GTM leadership at a $40B tech company last week. Their VP of Business Development was seeking to answer the question "What does the future of PG (pipe generation) look like and how can we prepare?" And, a follow up question to that was "what will be the canary in the coal mine?" To summarize what we're seeing: 1. GTM Experimentation is key for finding alpha. 2. GTM Engineering is a practice that that's here to stay. 3. The GTM Engineer is a new role that supports 1 & 2. 4. CEOs aim to empower their sales reps to become "modern sellers" 5. Data & account intelligence is shifting from an AE/SDR responsibility (think about all of the manual research) to central operations. 6. Just-in-Time enablement for sellers. Think research docs that are provided to reps just before their calls so they are fully prepped. 7. Signal driven outreach is beginning to power more effective outreach (I will show you how a recent campaign got a 40% reply rate in the next The Augmented Seller post) 8. AI is getting integrated into every step of the sales funnel 9. New skillsets are required for GTM teams to build GTM systems. Think prompt engineering, no code automations, and adoption of new tooling like Clay. 10. Smaller teams capable of doing much more via automations, workflows, and using AI in practical ways to drive efficiencies. What other trends are you seeing that I should add to the list? I'll add your commentary to the upcoming post and link back to you.