Predictable Revenue. Panacea or Bunk
Many systems work, that is until they don’t. This is to say that there is a class of systems, let’s call them Differentiating Systems that work because they stand apart from “normal” practice. But once a Differentiated System becomes the norm it fails to be Differentiated and therefore loses its effectiveness. This is the case with Predictable Revenue.
Aron Ross’s so-called Predictable Revenue is a system of lead development that claims to triple sales revenue. The theory is to divide a salesforce into 3 types of reps:
- Sales Developers – Using a combination of non-spammy-looking spam emails and cold phone calls to develop qualified leads.
- Account Executives – Reps responsible for turning qualified leads into customers.
- Customer Success Reps – Account managers responsible for retaining and growing customer revenue.
But the secret weapon of Predictable Revenue was the style, frequency, & cadence of a combination of numerous emails and phone calls. The 3 main factors responsible for the supposed success of Predictable Revenue:
- Specialization – Every type of sale, and each phase of a sales cycle require a unique combination of skills and talent. Few individuals possess all of the talents required for all phases of a sale. By separating salespeople into separate phases, organizations are better able to match required skills with available talent.
- Proactive Outbound Lead Development – A reliance on holding Sales Developers accountable for finding and producing qualified leads instead of an over-reliance on unpredictable inbound advertising and marketing programs.
- Number Numbers Numbers – Each sales developer is responsible for reaching out to hundreds of prospects per week, sending 5 – 8 emails, and making 3 – 5 phone calls to each prospect over a 30 day period of time. If they’re not producing leads, they’re not eating.
Every one of us receives multiple non-spam-looking, quasi-personalized, spam emails and phone calls from Predictable Revenue disciples every day. How many have you answered in the last 5 months? How many times more than zero have you picked up the phone when you didn’t recognize the number?
That’s because Aaron Ross, via his Predictable Revenue book and consulting practice has been training thousands of sales forces to practice this system. This means that as Aaron rakes in more cash teaching people how to practice a Differentiated System of sales the system becomes less and less differentiated. The system becomes less effective. It just stops working
Here’s the thing folks, there is no magic bullet to sales. You can’t just follow a paint by numbers process and create a work of art like the Mona Lisa. Eventually, all those paint by number Mona Lisas will not be worth the canvas on which they were painted.
So it’s back to the drawing board. Yet while there may be no magic-bullet sale processes that produce a sustainable advantage, there are several principles that assure the highest probability of success.
- Activity – Nothing beats making the calls, sending the emails, doing the work.
- Research – There are multiple valuable sources to gain insights into a prospect, Web sites, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Figure out how to create a message that will resonate with your prospect.
- Network – Who do you know who can make a warm introduction?
- Be Creative – I’d tell you what I do to be creative but then my Differentiated System won’t work for me to figure this one out on your own!
Happy Selling, Predictable Selling or Not….go out there and do some stuff! Get business.
Want to talk about sales, sales management, or leadership in general? Press that little red button below and schedule a complimentary, non-salesy, online 1-on-1 coaching session. If you don’t get any value from it… I’ll refund all the money you didn’t spend.
