Building Better B2B Sales Strategies: Lessons from a Sales Pro

Quiet Impact

In this episode, Nathan chats with Mike Boogaard, a seasoned Chief Revenue Officer and sales expert with over 20 years of experience in agency growth and SaaS business scaling.

Mike has successfully founded and sold agencies, transitioned into SaaS sales, and now helps organisations understand how to win new business. His unique perspective bridges the worlds of agencies and technology businesses, shedding light on what these industries can learn from each other.

Key insights include:

• The Difference in Sales Strategies: Why SaaS businesses thrive with intentional, systematic processes, and how agencies can adopt these strategies without sacrificing creativity.
• The Importance of Discovery: How to use the "Three Whys" (Why Anything, Why Now, Why Us) to identify and solve client pain points effectively.
• Tailored Sales Processes: The nuances between shorter agency sales cycles and longer, more complex SaaS sales cycles.
• Scoping and Proposals: Co-creating solutions with clients and the critical role of quantifying value during the proposal stage.
• Closing Deals with Confidence: Why effective discovery and consistent processes throughout the sales cycle ensure natural deal closure.

Mike and Nathan also dive into the strengths of introverted salespeople, emphasizing listening, curiosity, and empathy as essential traits for sales success.

Whether you're a founder, sales professional, or marketer, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to elevate your B2B sales game.

Key Moments:

• [00:00] Introduction and Mike's journey from agencies to SaaS.
• [02:21] How agencies and SaaS businesses approach sales differently.
• [07:06] The anatomy of an effective B2B sales process.
• [11:43] Mastering discovery with the "Three Whys."
• [28:10] Scoping and co-creating solutions with clients.
• [30:30] The importance of discussing budget early.
• [35:21] Why the close is a natural outcome of earlier stages.
• [39:59] The hidden strengths of introverted salespeople.
• [49:34] Mike's favorite books and advice for aspiring sales professionals.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Mike Boogaard on LinkedIn
• Recommended Reading:
• Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek
• From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks
• Learn more about Nathan and his work here.