Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry
by Marc Benioff
We succeeded because we caught our competitor by complete surprise. (This was another tactic I learned from The Art of War, in which Sun Tzu advises, “appear at places where he must rush to defend, and rush to places where he least expects.”) In order to remain relevant, you must establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Be the canary in the coal mine, warning people of what’s ahead—and demonstrate how your company is shaping the future.
We succeeded because we caught our competitor by complete surprise. (This was another tactic I learned from The Art of War, in which Sun Tzu advises, “appear at places where he must rush to defend, and rush to places where he least expects.”)
In order to remain relevant, you must establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Be the canary in the coal mine, warning people of what’s ahead—and demonstrate how your company is shaping the future.
Focus on “Why Not” Everyone wants to think about why a deal will close, but it’s more prudent to focus on why it might not. Think about the five or six things that could be problematic. Then figure out how to solve those problems in advance.
Whether or not you engage a PR firm, always ask yourself, “What’s my message?” Position yourself either as the leader or against the leader in your industry. Every experience you give a journalist or potential customer must explain why you are different and incorporate a clear call to action. This does not require a large team or a big budget; it just requires your time and focus.
Outline for a Sales Call: The Top Five Points for a Winning Conversation 1. Leverage the experience the prospect has had with other solutions. Introduce the value your product offers. Provide success stories from customers. (Build and maintain a strong referral program.) Verify success stories by offering customer testimony. Provide a customer for the prospect to contact.
"We succeeded because we caught our competitor by complete surprise. (This was another tactic I learned from The Art of War, in which Sun Tzu advises, “appear at places where he must rush to defend, and rush to places where he least expects.”)"
"In order to remain relevant, you must establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Be the canary in the coal mine, warning people of what’s ahead—and demonstrate how your company is shaping the future."
"Focus on “Why Not” Everyone wants to think about why a deal will close, but it’s more prudent to focus on why it might not. Think about the five or six things that could be problematic. Then figure out how to solve those problems in advance."
"• Think of it as you want it, not as it is! • Don’t let others sway you from your point of view. • See things in the present, even if they are in the future. (We joked that Larry got his tenses confused because he would talk about things that hadn’t happened yet as if they had. This taught me that a successful leader is one who is always thinking about the future, not just the present. Wayne Gretzky famously put it another way: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”)"
"People buy because an expert said it was good or because a user told them about it. Think about it. How many times have you gone to a restaurant based on a giant ad? If you’re like me, that has happened very few times. How many times, in contrast, have you followed the recommendation of a friend or a positive review in a magazine or newspaper? Unbiased references by experts carry tremendous power."
"Whether or not you engage a PR firm, always ask yourself, “What’s my message?” Position yourself either as the leader or against the leader in your industry. Every experience you give a journalist or potential customer must explain why you are different and incorporate a clear call to action. This does not require a large team or a big budget; it just requires your time and focus."
"Outline for a Sales Call: The Top Five Points for a Winning Conversation 1. Leverage the experience the prospect has had with other solutions. Introduce the value your product offers. Provide success stories from customers. (Build and maintain a strong referral program.) Verify success stories by offering customer testimony. Provide a customer for the prospect to contact."
- →We succeeded because we caught our competitor by complete surprise. (This was another tactic I learned from The Art of War, in which Sun Tzu advises, “appear at places where he must rush to defend, and rush to places where he least expects.”)
- →Focus on “Why Not” Everyone wants to think about why a deal will close, but it’s more prudent to focus on why it might not. Think about the five or six things that could be problematic. Then figure out how to solve those problems in advance.
- →Nine times out of ten, companies fail because they don’t set up a large enough sales force and thus have no way to collect enough revenue. Don’t skimp on sales reps: 25 to 50 percent of the employee base should be salespeople who report to the head of sales.
- →Realize that you won’t be able to bring the same focus to everything in the beginning. There won’t be enough people or enough hours in the day. So focus on the 20 percent that makes 80 percent of the difference.
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