PhD

PartnerHacker Daily #108: Is Sales A Part of the Future?

Jobs to be done don't change

I was having a conversation about the Industrial era that reminded me of Jared and Tiffani Bova's Ecosystem Week chat.

In the Industrial era, people thought machines would take their jobs, so they erupted out of fear. Years have passed, and the people who once fought against machines are now reaping the benefits that machines provide.

There's a similar conversation people are having about sales and marketing functions – will there ever be a world where those functions are gone?

Yes. Functions change.

Jobs-to-be-done don't change.

That means that the functions, or solutions, we employ to accomplish the job-to-be-done will evolve.

Get the Ecosystem Week sessions on demand!

Cialdini for partnerships part 2

Cialdini changed the game when he published Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Yesterday we outlined some ways partner pros could leverage the first three principles of persuasion in partnerships.

Today we dive into the second three principles:

  • Authority

The principle of authority states that people tend to obey authority (or seeming authority) figures because they imagine that the authority knows something they do not.

In partnerships, this means two things: leveraging company authority figures (like your execs), and recognizing who someone else deems an authority.

Leveraging company authority could look like you reminding a partner of their exec's desires, maybe you're recalling a past conversation, or maybe you're employing the presence of an exec into the conversation. To retain the power behind these, leverage company authority only when necessary.

Another type of authority-bias is recognizing who someone else sees as an authority. It could be a big partner of yours, a co-worker, or a legend in the space. When you know that, you can strategically name-drop and draw attention to favorable examples.

Knowing who your partner admires and sees as an authority creates leverage.

  • Liking

The principle of liking states that if you're more easily convinced by someone you like.

How do you get a friend to like you? The same applies for partnerships. Begin by establishing common ground, build the rapport, and then show them you care.

  • Scarcity

The principle of scarcity states that when you believe something is in short supply, you want it more.

You can't do everything all-at-once. Co-selling opportunities, co-marketing opportunities, even partnership opportunities are limited. Be aware of those limitations and openly communicate them with your partners.


Video of the Day

This PartnerUp with the author of The Challenger Sale was amazing!

Perhaps one of the most influential voices in all of sales has been #partnerpilled.


The best thing to be is a learner

Learners don't care that things change. They see change as challenge. Send the PhD to someone who loves to be on their partnerships A-game.

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