069 Troy Barter - Winning the Sales Game

Apr 25 2023 • 52 mins

In our SaaS Fuel™ Founder Episode this week, Jeff Mains is joined by Troy Barter, the founder of SalesOrg.io. Troy shares his journey into sales and how his company trains people to break into tech sales. His approach to hiring salespeople and structuring compensation plans is nothing short of genius. He emphasizes the importance of performance-based evaluation and training, which is music to any sales manager's ears. If you're looking to up your sales game or just want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to AI and its impact on the business world, this podcast episode is a must-listen. Don't miss this compelling episode, tune in to SaaS Fuel!

Key Takeaways

[00:01:16] - AI and its impact on various industries

[00:05:57] - Background and passion for sales

[00:08:22] - From Car Sales to Tech Sales

[00:12:40] - Learning the Building Blocks of Sales

[00:14:13] - Fast Promotion Track in Fleetmatics

[00:15:52]- Sales Org.io training course

[00:20:42] - Lack of sales experience in tech sales

[00:22:50] - Identifying the Best Salespeople

[00:24:37] - Challenges in Hiring Salespeople

[00:28:52] - Mistakes in Hiring Sales for SaaS Founders

[00:30:19] - Hiring Based on Sales Process

[00:35:04] - Decelerator for Going Over Goal

[00:38:06] - Retaining A-Players

[00:40:54] - Investing in Sales Team

[00:44:21] - Changing Reps' Performance

[00:47:20] - Attracting A-Players

[00:48:05] - Coaching and Mentoring

Tweetable Quotes

"The more complex your pay plan is, the less excited your salespeople are gonna be about it." - 00:33:35 Troy Barter

"There's always another level so they're never fat and happy sitting where they are. A-players are wired to create that environment because what's that going to do? It's gonna hold under A- players but also the next thing that we're gonna talk about is attracting other A-players." - 00:47:20 Troy Barter

"A-players don't get lazy by making too much money. A-players find expensive habits or buy a stupid Rolex or whatever, and continue to be motivated to spend more and to make more." - 00:39:02 Troy Barter

"And you may even have more success because everyone thinks that being an SDR is the hardest job in the world. It's the hardest job in tech sales. Going door to door is a thousand times harder than picking up the phone and dialing." - 00:18:19 Troy Barter

“It's all in your tone. You just are supposed to sound like you belong on the phone.” – 00:17:12 Troy Barter

SaaS Leadership Lessons

It is not enough to have a fantastic product or service. It is also important to have a high-performing sales team, commonly known as A-players.
Create an environment that encourages salespeople of all levels to grow and develop. Having experienced sales executives who can train and coach new salespeople is essential.
Companies may boost sales success and beat their rivals by investing in and keeping A-players, examining the sales process, and encouraging growth and development.
Determine which area in the sales process requires development the most by looking at the conversion rates and goals of each step in order to draw A-players.