38 principles of enterprise sales and marketing from a grizzled vet who launched his first ABM campaign with a fax machine

I started my sales journey back in 2005. Every September, I update the list of empirics I live by (spoiler alert: none of them includes the word AI).

Here’s the updated list for 2024-2025.

Account research

Almost any sales challenge can be unstuck with more research
Always start enterprise account research with the latest earnings call transcribe.
Always move top-down in your account research – start with the big picture and then focus on particular departments and stakeholders.
Data easily obtained = data used by almost every seller. Dig deeper. Combine several data points to craft thought-provoking POVs
Section 1A of the 10-K report (aka Risk Factors) is usually the most insightful
Don’t use personal intel (hobbies etc.) in the cold outreach until it’s a slam dunk
Study the career trajectory of the target exec before reaching out. This info can lead to some interesting assumptions.
Nothing grabs attention better than a relevant research-based opener.
Consider hiring a full-time junior analyst for relentless research on tier-1 accounts.
Have the intel on every buying group member readily available for the selling team.

Master the Lingchi — death by 1000 cuts — lots of solid hypotheses delivered to different stakeholders
"Creative" outreach with snail mail, video, etc. is just a force multiplier. So if the offer is of 0 value — there’s nothing to multiply.
Execs are reading emails (yours included) during other convos
Boring unemotional research-based subject line (i.e. project x launch) beats the clickbaitish one any day of the week.
Recapping is one of the most important skills for the enterprise seller.
Saw a piece of copy you liked? Rewrite it by hand.
Write drunk, edit sober (don’t be hard on the first draft, but be ruthless polishing it)
Stop “clearing the throat” in your copy (no wordy intro paragraphs).
More verbs, fewer adjectives.
Always rewrite passive voice.
BLUF (bottom-line up-front) — start with the main idea and then build the case
Study the great copywriters of the past — Halbert, Carlton, Schwartz, etc.
Every client story should include a pinch of imperfection (otherwise it’s unbelievable).

Red flag. Champion badmouths your competition on the disco call
Red flag. Champion doesn’t deliver on small commitments.
Red flag. Champion is super excited about your offer with zero skepticism.
In a buying group of 7 people or more, at least 2 people hate each other’s guts.
The more the buying group, the more it leans towards risk reversal.
Red flag. Smooth sales process with zero hard questions along the way. There probably is a crisis you are fully ignorant of.

Deal with a big account under the sign-off level of C-1 exec is not enterprise selling.
If you want 6-figure deals — work with existing demand. If you want 7-figures and above – create demand, and engage the C-Level up and early.
Make your selling experience valuable for customers. Learn from McKinsey and other top consultants.
There’s time for ego, and there’s time to be the dumbest person in the room.

Invest in therapy as early as you can.
Concentrate on 2-3 things you are great at. Relentlessly delegate the rest.
The first hour of every day belongs to your well-being.
Learn how your body cycles work and build a workflow around them.
Don't beat yourself up over the imperfections of your character - most probably your biggest breakthroughs in life were made possible thanks to them.