In this exclusive interview with Nate Nasralla, Founder of Fluint, he shares tips on how to develop a sales champion, how to improve sales team management, how to stay current with (and leverage) industry trends, and essential skills and qualities for a modern seller.
Nate also discusses the use of artificial intelligence in sales, mistakes he's made in his career (which contribute to his career growth in sales), and what he's learned from them.
Interview highlights & key takeaways
Developing a sales champion
Turning someone into a sales champion, according to Nate, begins with spotting their potential and their power to influence. This is where effective sales communication comes into play.
He's on the hunt for someone who can really shake things up when it comes to how a product is talked about internally.
This sales champion in the making? They need to know their problem inside out, better than anyone else they're chatting with. This shows they're all set to flip the script and change the conversation around that problem.
And here's the kicker: they need to be totally on board with selling the product to their own team. For Nate, it's all about seeing those signs that they're moving things forward with the deal, even when he's not in the room.
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Staying current with industry trends
When it comes to staying current with industry trends, Nate relies on newsletters from his favorite authors and follows voices specific to his customers' industry. He regularly attends industry-specific events not for networking, but to learn and understand what matters most to his customers, which is crucial for improving sales techniques.
Nate also uses LinkedIn to follow experts who provide actionable insights in their field. He sticks to 2-3 solid sources usually, because let's be honest, there can be a heap of nonsense out there that's more fluff than fact.
Leveraging industry trends
Nate dished on a sales trend he believes we can't afford to ignore – generative AI in sales. He paints a picture of AI and sellers working together, kind of like co-pilots in a cockpit.
Especially for the big guns in enterprise and mid-market sales, he sees AI smoothing the transition from a blank slate to a fully-fledged proposal.
But that's not all. Nate also spots a shift in the wind where Account Executives (AEs) morph into a role that feels a bit more like Account Managers (AMs). Instead of constantly scouting for fresh faces, they're putting their energy into growing the value of their existing accounts.
Essential skills and qualities for a seller
Nate broke down the essential skills for sellers into several categories:
- Account research: forming a unique point of view to help each account.
- Conversations: having engaging discussions that are not only informative but also get prospects excited for future conversations.
- Writing: creating compelling content from conversations that your champion can share and that will move the deal forward, even when you're not in the room.
- Project management: keeping track of larger deals with multiple stakeholders.
- Learning: adapting and learning quickly in a new role.
Learning from past mistakes
Nate opened up about some bumps in his career journey. He admitted that he often got so caught up in his own thoughts that he overlooked what was happening in others' minds. Like this one time when he, just to impress a newbie on the call, overdid the sales pitch to an SVP who was already on board with the product.
He also talked about a time when he thought keeping his team in the loop about the company's inner workings might be a distraction. Turns out, this lack of transparency was a downer for the team.
Through these "mistakes," Nate had a bit of a lightbulb moment. He realized the value of transparency and the importance of understanding others' points of view. It was a lesson in always keeping those lines of communication wide open, a key factor in effective sales communication.
A song that's motivational throughout the workday
During our chat, Nate shared a fun fact - he's among the top 1% of Spotify listeners! Nate has this knack for keeping music on all day while he's grinding at work.
When it's time for creative work, artists like Andy Mineo and Connor Price are his jam. Their clever rap lyrics, full of flow and smart wordplay, keep his creative juices flowing as he whips up content for his company. They offer more than just a catchy rhythm - their lyrical prowess sparks Nate's own creativity.
But when it's down to more routine tasks, like updating records in the CRM, he switches gears to upbeat pop-electronic tunes. It's all about keeping the energy high and the momentum going.
