9/20/21 Sunsetting Sales Huddle: The backstory and future
As of 9/20/21, I’ve decided to stop working on Sales Huddle. This post will explain the backstory, the why, and how I'm moving forward....
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Sales Huddle
Our vision is to elevate sales into an honorable craft.
Sales Huddle is a place where we gather to improve our Sales Craft, clarifying our character, and take off our Sales Mask so that we can sell with honor.
The best way to learn about Sales Huddle is to experience one. We run an Open Sales Huddle every week that are open to any experienced salesperson to join that resonates with our mission.
what is a call review
Sales Huddle Love
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Here's what some of our members say
Sales Huddle has helped me work on business and sales challenges with peers in similar industries that gather in an environment based on trust.
I enjoy the community of Sales Huddle while we troubleshoot and solve problems in real-time.
Sales Huddle fosters camaraderie, a team-based approach, and a third party perspective in the highly individual profession of sales.
Barrett Miles
VP of Strategic Alliances
Omnidian
Sales Huddle is a good way to hone in on solving complex problems without having to worry what your manager might say. Sometimes you just need another perspective to reframe persistent problems inside complex deals. Sales Huddle is a great way to do that!
Chris Ortolano
Community - Sales Stack
#shifthappens - Roundtables
Agile Playbooks - Outbound Edge
I have been a part of various professional development communities for salespeople, and I like Sales Huddle the most. That is because the session are hyper-focused and create a no-judgment zone for unfiltered feedback. This plays well in stark contrast to the abundance of stimulus and noise you get everywhere else. If you are serious about your sales career, I would highly recommend Sales Huddle.
Jeff Kirchick
Sales
Cresta
Sales huddle is a great place where sales reps can come together to share ideas and seek help from peers. What makes it different than other avenues for 'sales coaching' (i.e. 1:1's with your manager, inter-company sales groups and sales networking events) is that I can learn and be vulnerable here without the baggage that comes from those environments. I've already taken advice from the Sales Huddles I've joined to improve upon my time management and competitive selling.
Doc Dougherty
Account Executive
Alyce
I get a lot of value from Sales Huddle. I got a lot of value from seeing other people's work statements, and also simply in saying something out loud and getting a perspective. Having the structure and other members, Sales Huddle makes my weekly sales problems simpler and easy to solve.
Tom Belhumeur
Sales Manager
Acoustic
Sales Huddle was an instant value to me because the vetting and care that goes into member selection has ensured that each meeting is filled with sales people who are genuine and willing to learn from each other, and are happy to provide valuable insight which has helped spark innovative introspection into my own process. If, like myself, you have a role that is directly responsible for new company revenue, the insight and feedback you will gain from your fellow Sales Huddle members, who walk all spans of life in the sales world, is invaluable.
Gino Casanova
VP of Business Development
Copypress
Being a member of Sales Huddle gives me access to other high performing and ambitious sales reps and leaders that really want to be the best they can be. As a remote manager, it's incredibly inspiring and helpful to talk to and work through new and unique challenges with other like minded people that bring their unique experiences and perspectives.
Dusty Collins
Account Executive Manager
Dispatch
I liken the Sales Huddle experience to finding dry ground while lost in an often turbulent sea of expectations, ambitions, and commissions.
Everybody’s unique perspective on these huddles is incredibly helpful, action oriented, nourishing, and thought provoking. I’m usually left with a clear understanding of what my next move should be towards hitting my goals. It’s been great for me!
Alex Mintz
Outside Sales
CED Greentech
Like iron sharpens iron, Sales Huddle has been the peer to peer iron I needed to gain outside perspective to discuss strategies with actionable items from sales professionals from all industries. I have already implemented some advice relating to gaining engagement from top target accounts.
If you want prospective from a sales peer outside of your organization that is actionable - I would highly recommend Sales Huddle.
Jared Allmond
Account Executive
Skillsoft
Sales huddle has helped me learn ways of communicating more clearly and effectively with my coworkers, peers, and customers. Any salesperson who is feeling isolated at work, will benefit from the supportive environment of Sales Huddle. I think Sales Huddle is unique because I'm getting genuine opinions from “Neutral Sales Experts” that are only looking to help me.
Courtney Pappalardo
Business Development Manager
Bellwyck
Personally, I've always been a fan of local sales meet-ups but the panel topics were predetermined and at times, did not resonate with me. Sales Huddles are a unique blend of networking + peer-to-peer sales coaching all centered around the specific challenges I am facing in my day-to-day role. During the Sales Huddle, I've been able to raise some of my challenges to industry peers who quickly and effectively help me identify a myriad of solutions.
Max Tipton
VP of Sales
Paperless Parts
Peer to peer groups have been a lifesaver over the past few months. Sales Huddle has become an outlet for me to discuss challenges, identify new strategies, and celebrate wins with other sales and marketing professionals.
I just wrapped up week 3 with Sales Huddle. Here are a few of my wins from the group in just a few weeks: 1)Identified 3 groups to target with an outbound prospecting, 2)Testing my product positioning and pitch, 3) Added to my network of sales professionals.
If you aren't joining some peer to peer group, you're doing yourself a disservice.
Zach Rego
VP of Sales and Marketing
Unstack
The Sales Huddle community has helped my career by providing direct help with the urgent and important sales challenges I face in my day-to-day. By having a trusted group of colleagues that can speak my language, I get the support I need to improve my sales skills and solve sales challenges.
The peer to peer relationships are amazing. I learned sales in the field, so hearing and seeing how other sales professionals build approach challenges is invaluable and makes me a better salesperson.
Adam Gent
Director, Residential Services
Commercial Solar Guy
I have found Sales Huddle extremely helpful in getting outside perspective on hard issues I encounter in SaaS sales. A recent example was tweaking my discovery calls to provide more value to clients, I've been having more success with them since! The huddles are super transparent, welcoming, everyone is willing to be authentic & vulnerable and that's unique in sales which is traditionally very egocentric. I've been able to bring new ideas to the table at my company based on advice others have given during huddles. All this while meeting other professionals like myself. I'd recommend it to anyone in B2B sales who wants to improve their craft, expand their network, or get a fresh perspective outside of their own org.
Will Aitken
Account Executive
Proposify
Sales Huddle is an awesome organization unlike any other I've come across. With a heavy focus on problem-solving, community, and authenticity, Sales Huddle allows for members to actually be heard and walk away with strong action items. Other list-serve or mass email type organizations become an information overload, whereas Sales Huddle allows members to zero-in on specific issues and topics they'd like to discuss, actively talk through them face-to-face with other members in a small group setting, and find solutions. Being able to discuss face-to-face (without having to wait for a response) has allowed me to really understand where others are coming from, the experiences they've had, and helps me to feel confident in the decisions I make as a sales leader."
Brendan McGrail
Account Executive
Next Caller
Vision, Mission, Story
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Vision
To elevate sales into an honorable craft.
Mission
We do this through through regular, peer to peer Sales Huddles where we have open, honest, candid, and deep conversation about what's really happening with our sales and within ourselves, with a focus on 3 areas.
1. Improving our sales craft by sharing best practices with each other.
2. Clarifying our character. We think the best salespeople are ones with the highest character. We focus on honesty, clarity, forthrightness, integrity, service, and responsibility.
3. Taking off our Sales Mask.
Story
The first Sales Huddle was on Wednesday, February 5th, 2020 from 9am to 10am EST with three members. The initial idea was a “Sales Office Hours' and it was an offshoot of 1on1 sales coaching I was doing. After the first Sales Huddle, I realized that what sales people actually needed was not 1on1 coaching, it’s a trusted sounding board, something that Sales Huddle did far better than I did because there were more perspectives. We've been adding members every week since. We are building a special place for salespeople and it's a special group. Each Sales Huddle has some magic, some small and significant insight, and I can never predict what it is.
Vision, Mission, Story
5 Values
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What we believe and how we make decisions
1.
COMMUNITY: We see the desire salespeople have to connect with, build relationships with, and directly support one other.
2.
TRUST: While it's free to join, we are a vetted network. This helps to ensure that all members share a vision, mindset, and skillset that will to benefit and contribute to a peer-to-peer network. We look for sales experience, growth mindset, and a desire to support others, and an excitement about the vision.
3.
INTIMATE: We build real relationships, clear presence, and real time feedback are valuable to solving complex problems. For this reason, we cap the huddles at 5 members max per meeting. This allows for relationship building and attention to each members’s work.
4.
DISCIPLINE EQUALS FREEDOM: From Jocko Willink himself. The structure of the meetings along with group agreements are enforced to provide a space for members to get into real work. We start and end meetings on time.
5.
PEER-TO-PEER: We believe that teaching is the best way to learn and we need to ask for what we need help with. What we all share in common is what binds us and develops trust. It’s' our differences that create value. This allows Sales Huddles to provide value to all members in both giving and receiving feedback and makes it a true peer-to-peer network.
5 Valus
Testimonials
FAQs
How does a Sales Huddle work?
Sales Huddles are 1-hour long. They start on time and end on time. They are limited to 5 people in order to create an intimate and trusted space. They have 3 sections to each meeting structure.
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10 minute - Introduction round. Where we get to know each other.
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40 minute - Work round. Where each person asks for support.
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10 minute - Closing. Where we close out the meeting.
What's the cost?
Open Sales Huddle is free to try. We run Open Sales Huddles every Thursday from 1pm to 2pm EST that any salesperson can attend that resonates with the vision.
After joining an Open Sales Huddle, you can apply to join, or will be invited. Membership costs $1,000/year or $100/month. Members can come to an unlimited number Sales Huddle and can join specific cohorts based on their role, industry, deal size, sales motion, target customer, sales process.
I'm new to sales, may I join?
Sales Huddle is for experienced and proven salespeople. If you're new to sales, Sales Huddle is not for you.
In the future, we plan on having support for new salespeople too, This is currently not available.
How does vetting work?
We are a vetted network, not invite-only. This means we are not about exclusivity, but rather serving our members and finding sales professionals that match.
All interested members must first come an Open Sales Huddles, from this, you can apply to join or will be invited.
What's a work statement?
A work statement is what you'd like help with from the members in the Huddle.
In Sales Huddle, everything is self-directed, no one is teaching you or telling you what to do. You ask for help.
I'm interested, but no one invited me.
You do not need to be invited, you do need to love our Vision, Mission, and Values.
The best way to learn about Sales Huddle is to come to one. We run open Sales Huddle regularly.
Join
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The best way to learn about Sales Huddle is to come to one.
We host an Open Sales Huddles every Thursday from 1pm EST to 2pm that are open to anyone salesperson that resonates with the vision and mission of Sales Huddle.
Here are the profiles of who tend to make a great fit, ones that do not and the 8 group agreements that run each Sales Huddle.
Sales Huddle members have the following characteristics:
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You identify as a salesperson, it is your profession, it's your craft. It's how you make a living.
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Your #1 focus is sales. Sales is your job, it is not part of your job. We've noticed the best members are ones exclusively focused on sales.
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You have a proven track record and are experienced.
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You have a growth mindset, you're always looking to improve your skills and get better and actively ask for advice and feedback.
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You like to share and teach what you've learned, what's worked for you, and what has not with others.
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You'd like to find a group of peers outside of your organization.
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You strongly resonate with the phrase "I don't know what I don't know."
Here's who is NOT the best fit:
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You're new to sales.
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You think you're the best at sales and do not to work to improve with anything.
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Sales is one of your jobs, but not your entire job.
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You're looking for 1-on-1 help. This is best for a coach or consultant.
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You're looking to learn how to sell. Taking a sales training is best for this.
8 Group Agreements for Each Sales Huddles
These ensure each run smoothly with honesty and clarity.
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Show up on time. A few minutes early is best, late joiners won't be allowed. I commit that meetings will start on time and end on time. I ask you to commit to the same.
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Honesty. Ask for what you want, focus on a specific challenge you are facing. Everything in Sales Huddle is self-directed, this is your work, you need to help us, help you.
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We do not give unsolicited advice, coaching, or training. Provide your perspective, when asked. We provide help and support for folks that ask for it based on our direct experience,
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Discourse and disagreement without judgement. We encourage a diverse set of opinions and disagreements. We share our thoughts without judgement towards the statements, actions, or perspectives of other members' statements.
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Respect the moderator. If you're asked to cut your conversation short to keep on schedule, please do so. It's not personal.
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100% presence, video on, no background noise. Presence is an element that makes Sales Huddles special and brings value to all. We show up with video on and background noise to a minimum and be 100% present in the meeting. If you have something better to do, do that!
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Confidentiality. What we share here stays here.
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Ghosting will not be tolerated, if you cannot make it, cancel. If you RSVP for a Sales Huddle and cannot make it, that's okay, please cancel beforehand. Each Huddle is limited in seats, so you may be taking a seat from someone else. Ghosting will be warned at first and if it continues you'll not be allowed to join in the future.
RSVP for an Open Sales Huddle
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Join + Onboarding
Contact
About + Contact
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Hey, my name is Chris Williams. Sales wasn’t always an innate skill for me, and it wasn’t my focus in business school. But when I started my first company, it quickly became clear that I would need to master the art of sales if I wanted to succeed. I became obsessed with sales. Developing a deep understanding of how sales really works, and honing the best practices for nailing the sales process, is what kept me up at night and popped me out of bed in the morning.
Before long, my colleagues, business friends, and inner circle started coming to me for advice. My reputation as the ‘sales guy,’ spread organically out from my close network. This is how my sales coaching career began. After working with a number of clients, I quickly found that almost all sales people need community and I cannot provide community doing 1on1 coaching. Sales Huddle was born.
Phone: 845 202 9322
Email: chris@joinsaleshuddle.com
Linkedin: Chris Williams & Sales Huddle
Address: 8 N Front Street, Kingston NY 12401
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