When the whole industry moves at once
Tariffs, mandates and shortages hit every company in a sector at once. Alone they're weak. Stacked with an account's own signals, they're strong.
4 min read
Blog
The Stage 1 blog Page 10
How services firms find accounts getting ready to buy, get in through people they know, and open conversations worth having. Written by Kevin French.
Board reporting on pipeline
How services firm leaders should report pipeline to a board, with fewer stage totals and more honest evidence about which deals are real.
3 min readTime to first meeting as a metric
Time to first meeting tells you whether your outbound is working better than any reply count. How to measure it and what it reveals.
3 min readWeak ties are where intros come from
Your closest contacts rarely know your next buyer. The intros that open big services deals come from people you know only a little.
3 min readPractice leads as sellers
Practice leads are the most credible sellers in a services firm. How to get them selling without burning out delivery or the people doing it.
3 min readHypotheses for managed services
How to write a misery hypothesis for managed services buyers, who rarely switch providers until the current one becomes hard to defend.
3 min readWhen a buyer posts about a failed project
A leader who writes about a failed project is telling you the problem is still open. How to read that post and what to send, without pouncing.
3 min readMargin pressure is a buying signal
When margins get squeezed, someone inside is told to fix it and buys outside help. Here's how to spot margin pressure in public filings and act on it.
4 min readSelling to procurement
How to sell services when procurement is in the room. What they own, how they're judged, what they ignore and the signals that bring them in early.
3 min readStage definitions for services sales
Services pipeline stages should track what the buyer did, not what the seller did. How to define stages that make your pipeline honest.
3 min readSelling to automotive suppliers
How services firms sell into automotive suppliers. Who buys, the cost and program pressure they face, the signals that matter and an opener.
3 min readWhen they ask what it costs
When a buyer asks what it costs before you've scoped anything, give a real range. What the question means, the reply to send and what to avoid.
3 min readSelling to travel and hospitality companies
How services firms sell into travel and hospitality. Who buys, the pressures on their systems and margins, the signals to watch and an example opener.
3 min readReading what a buyer writes about
A buyer's own posts tell you what they're measured on and what worries them. How to read them for a hypothesis without crossing the line.
3 min readGetting partners to sell
Partners hold the relationships in a services firm, yet they rarely sell. Why they hold back and how to make selling fit their week.
3 min readLinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator for warm paths
Which LinkedIn plan helps you find warm intro paths into target accounts. What Premium does, what Sales Navigator adds and how to pick.
3 min readHypotheses for cybersecurity services
How to write a misery hypothesis when you sell cybersecurity services, without fear tactics. Where to look, what to guess and an example opener.
3 min readSelling to a CHRO
How to sell services to a CHRO. What they own, how they're judged, what they ignore, the signals that matter and an opener that gets a reply.
3 min read