By: Jason Dizon

​Netflix has taken the world by storm, introducing a streaming video service which has seemingly replaced both DVD’s and Cable subscriptions by countless households across the globe. Netflix has even come up with their own original content which has had viewers glued to their seats every time. Personally, I’ve tried Netflix a few times and I am seriously considering subscribing to their services in replacement of cable TV.
 
However, what seems like an ingenious idea didn’t start out that way. Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings started out as a programmer who started a business out of a debugging software called Purify. The company was successful at first until they started acquiring companies left and right. Incorporating teams from companies who had differing work habits led to an erosion of Purify’s company culture. It was after his time with Purify that he was able to build Netflix to what it is today.
 
His transition from Purify to Netflix was not an easy task as he had to find like-minded people who could easily adapt to the changing times. Reed needed to shape Netflix’s company culture with his team so that he would not experience the same catastrophe he had with Purify. Here are the lessons we can learn from Reed’s experience of developing Netflix’s company culture with his employees:
 
1. Companies need to be able to innovate not just on their products/services, but also on their culture and how they do business.       
Given that we are currently living in a world where technological advancements can come rapidly and unexpectedly, typical business models that have worked in the past may not persist as time goes by. As such, companies will need people who can readily adapt to the changes that will happen, and can help improve the organization’s way of doing business. At Netflix, Hastings needed flexible problem solvers who could adapt to the changing times. The evolution of Netflix from a company that sends DVD’s via email for rent to a streaming video service was a major leap since these are two completely different business models that required different sets of expertise. This need of finding people who are ready to adapt to change is crucial for any business. 
 
In fact, here at Leadfunnel, we constantly try to find new ways of enhancing and improving our lead generation for clients since we are aware that newer technologies and methods will change the business landscape.   
 
2. A strong company culture is needed for organizations looking to scale.
As your business is starting to grow, you will need to hire a lot of people to accommodate your customer’s demands. Since there will be a lot of potential recruits, there is a need to be able to find the “right” people who can fit in with your organization. This is where a strong company culture is needed as this represents how your employees work at their best. This culture must be understood by everyone, and built in collaboration with one another. You can know if your organization has a winning company culture if every employee feels that he/she personally owns that culture.
 
Without a strong company culture, organizations will be lost as employees will do work mindlessly, having no direction. This is what happened with Hasting’s first business. He didn’t pay much attention to company culture even as he was already acquiring businesses. The results of which led to a decrease in the overall intellectual level of employees who only knew how to stick to processes they are aware of. Hasting’s experience with his first business led to his realization on the importance of company culture as he builds his business for the future. 
 
At Leadfunnel, we have a company culture wherein we get to teach and help one another improve. We get to talk with each other and exchange ideas on how we can improve ourselves and our organization.
 
3. Company culture cements very quickly. Companies need to be careful when scaling.
Since there is a need for a strong company culture, employees need to work together to shape their culture and identity. Ideally, you should define your company culture before you look to scale and expand the business. You will need to think hard on which cultural attributes in place you will retain and remove as you scale and get more recruits.
 
In Netflix, the company has come up with a “culture deck” which is basically the embodiment of their culture. The culture deck is a compilation of what the Netflix culture stands for, who they are trying to hire, and what they can expect. This deck has been uploaded to Slideshare for people to see. This way, Netflix can find the right people and retain certain aspects of their culture.
 
In the case of Leadfunnel, we get to retain our company culture by explaining it to potential recruits as they are onboarded. We may not have a 100-slide presentation of our culture like Netflix, but we have online documents that explain what Leadfunnel is all about and what we believe in as a company.
 
4. Culture-fit should be valued over skills and experience
There will probably come a time during your company’s hiring process wherein you get to interview a highly sought-after candidate. He/she would have the necessary skills and experience needed for the job. However, that person does not fit in with your company. The question you would be asking yourself is, “Would you still hire the person if he/she does not fit in with your organizational culture?” The answer should be no! A highly skilled candidate, who does not fit in with your company culture, can clash with other employees. Once this happens, your employees will not be able to function as a team, leading to a loss in productivity and performance.
 
For Netflix, this problem is addressed by the existence of their culture deck. All their potential recruits have to read this document. They are able to avoid hiring people who do not fit in because these people are aware of how Netflix does business. In fact, Netflix’s culture deck is meant to repel some candidates who do not want to work under certain conditions stipulated in the deck.
 
In my case, I was interviewed by the different employees of Leadfunnel through a call. They asked me certain questions regarding experience, attitudes, behaviors, and even hobbies. This way, Leadfunnel gets to hire people who fit in with our company’s culture.
 
5. A strong company culture is always under construction 
The last, and probably most important thing we can learn from Netflix is that a strong culture is that which is always under construction. Hastings even stated that they constantly update their culture deck to accommodate improvements suggested by their employees. As Hastings puts it, “Culture is a living document.” Company culture is dynamic and can change along with the times. Although there is change, certain aspects of their culture stay the same.
 
In Leadfunnel, though there have been countless changes in how we do things, our culture of teaching and helping one another improve will always be there.
 
 
If I can leave with a parting message, it’s this: “Continually strive for a culture that you and your employees can feel proud of!” 

By: Abby Garcia

Reaching customers by phone or online seems very convenient for some sales people. But what they do not realize are the disadvantages which go along with it. If you want to improve in sales, keep in mind that customers are also human beings – they have emotions. To keep them, you must connect with them personally. But how will you do it if you’re in inside sales?

In Leadfunnel.ph, our operations are mostly online. We usually talk to the clients through e-mails and phone calls. We rarely do face-to-face meetings. The problem here lies on the fact that relationships matter in sales, especially when the deals are bigger. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that inside sales is ineffective. It’s just that the loss of human-to-human interaction makes it difficult to build connections with the customers on a personal level, which is important in selling. Now, how do we solve this dilemma?

Steli Efti from The Startup Chat mentioned that one way of adding a personal touch in your e-mail is to include your e-mail signature with something personal or unique about you. My boss actually does it by ending his e-mail with “Cheers” then his first name. It may seem simple, but it definitely changes the tone of the message. It’s like he’s writing to a friend – a good way to connect with a client personally.

When talking to customers online, you must also remember that they do other stuff aside from talking to you. They multitask. A tip on how to get their full attention when you’re sales pitching online is to say, “And this is the most important thing I can show you today,” then wait for a good 15-20 seconds to tell them your main selling point. This will make them stop what they’re doing and anticipate what you’re going to say.

Infusing human touch to inside sales shouldn’t be too hard. After all, we should be capable to begin with as human beings.

By: Jason Dizon

​Have you ever been so mesmerized by a person’s words even if you haven’t met this person in your entire life? Well, chances are you might have met a really good magician, or an incredible sales person.
 
I remember this one guy who tried selling me a cellphone. Since I was in the process of canvassing my options, this sales guy tried personally selling to me. What made him different from your typical sales person was that he first tried to find out my needs, and what he could do to help fulfill those needs, instead of jumping right in and showcasing what their phone had to offer.
 
Some of the really good sales people seem to be magicians since they are able to sell the same product or service to different types of customers who have different buying behavior and tendencies. Like that guy who sold me the cellphone, sales seems to be like magic for salespeople who can seemingly convince anyone to buy into their offer. Luckily for us, like with all magic tricks, there is a secret to sales.
 
Secret #1: Believe it or not, most sales people follow a script
Finding out that sales is kind of scripted may appear as a shock especially for people who are new to sales. In fact, when I was just starting learning about sales, I found myself asking, “How can there be a script if sales people are able to sell without necessarily using the same spiel over and over again?” One time, I asked my father, “How come salesmen from banks are able to convince people to open an account, when there are other banks out there?” There didn’t seem that much difference to me since banks more or less offered the same set of services. Through time, I discovered that the answer to that question was a matter of experience.
 
As I was starting out in Leadfunnel, we had to deal with multiple clients of varying backgrounds and industries. As such, we had certain scripts as a guide, especially for conversations that we knew were going to happen on a frequent basis. For instance, we had a script for client calling, and a different guide for closing deals. This really helped me out a lot since I was still fairly new to sales at the time. I didn’t know in the beginning how to go about, talking with our clients. Having a sales script helped guide me on what to say.
 
Since people have different ways of thinking and doing things, not everyone will have the same aptitude for selling. As such, there arises a need for a benchmark, a sort of guideline for sales people to follow so that everyone is on the same page. This reason is why a sales script is needed so that sales people in organizations can produce desirable results.
 
Secret #2: Even with a script, sales needs a bit of improv
After knowing that a lot of those sales pitches by sales people are scripted, you might be wondering, “How are these sales people able to engage customers with a seemingly overused pitch?” I encountered a real estate agent in a mall, who was selling using the same opening statement, “Ma’am, sir, property for investment.” I noticed how people just walked by him as he uttered those words. However, when he saw a potential customer, he tweaked his statement a bit, and asked for the situation of that customer. He was able to engage the person in a lengthy conversation.
 
The reason for this is that while there are scripts that these sales people use, they tend to improvise and tweak the script a bit so that it doesn’t sound too mechanical like a robot. After all, scripts aren’t the be-all and end-all of sales. These merely serve as a guide so that sales people have a direction in all their conversations with customers.
 
In fact, I had to tweak some of the scripts that we used in the company. I had to make conversations a bit more personal while still aligning myself with how our company operates.  
 
Therefore, an organization must be able to design their sales scripts in such a way that their sales people get guided and at the same time, allow for a certain bit of flexibility and creativity, similar to that real estate agent I observed in the mall.
 
Secret #3: The main purpose of a script is for repeatability
In order for an organization to continually grow, the sales processes need be emulated and practiced by all employees. However, with varying experiences and knowledge of an organization’s sales processes, not everyone is on the same wavelength. Some sales people are better in selling as compared to their colleagues.
 
In our company, given that I am relatively new compared to my colleagues, I am still in the process of fully grasping how we do business with our customers. There are good days and bad days for me when it came to closing deals. 
 
The answer therefore to the problem of differing expertise lies in a way in which balance can be achieved even with different aptitudes and experiences with selling. This is where the organization’s sales scripts come in. These scripts help make the various sales processes of the organization repeatable. That way, regardless of experience and knowledge, everyone has a fighting chance to sell. In my experience, I was able to close deals using the sales scripts Leadfunnel had, which I simply tweaked a bit.  
 
With these, you have learned some of Sales’ biggest secrets! Hopefully, your organization can find value in creating and improving your sales scripts.

By: Abby Garcia

Have you ever felt that sales is like a battle? At first, you’re pitching your product or service to a customer. You’re confident that everything’s going well so far. Suddenly, he’ll ask a question or make a comment that will catch you off-guard, objecting to all the things you’ve said. Some examples are, “Isn’t this too expensive?” or “I don’t have time for this right now.” Don’t you hate it when this happens? Well, here are 4 tips on how to “counter-attack” when you receive these big blows:

1) Don’t react emotionally.
Remember, your next courses of action will depend on how you react to the opposition. If you get irritated, you might not be able to make further persuasive responses. Talking from experience, I had a client who thought our product was just a waste of money. It went along the lines of, “I don’t think your service will help us right now. Sadly, we have to decline.” Ouch, right? But remember, your reaction is the key. Don’t take the objection to heart, as it will mess up your head.

2) Understand the root cause of the objection.
Going with my story earlier, I was flat out rejected. Crushed. Although this seemed like a devastating defeat, I still had the crazy idea I could turn this into a sale. I felt that if I stopped, I would lose the battle. So, I had the guts to ask what specifically went wrong. After hearing his side, our team was able to find a solution, which made him continue the service. The point is, try to know and understand the customer’s cause of objection, work your way out, and then see the results.

3) Consider objections as “learning points”, professionally and personally.
If you want to be great in sales, you may want to change your view of objections. If you think of them negatively, then forget about counter-attacking. Good sales people, in fact, tend to see objections as a way of improving their products and services, and even themselves in the process. In my experience, if I had given up on the first sign of rejection, I might not have changed the customer’s decision. I know it takes a great deal of courage to accept these negative criticisms. But once you face them, you’ll obtain a great deal of confidence in return.

4) Think long-term when solving the problem.
Some sales people tend to make the mistake of countering an objection with a short-term solution. One client of mine complained about a particular feature of our service, saying that its quality was not enough. So, the immediate solution we gave was particular to that feature only, ignoring the other aspects. A few months later, another client criticized this feature as well. If you think about it, would another objection have happened at all if a long-term general solution was applied at the first sign of the problem? In short, long-term solutions could avoid possible future objections.