Who’s writing this ReveNews?
We are so glad you’re here! Our names are Lauren Marturano (left) and Flora Muglia (right). We are the co-founders of Zinnia.
👯♀️ Our story 👯♀️
We met at Microsoft 9 years ago in sales and were both awarded multiple sales clubs. We quickly learned that people buy from people they like and leaned in!
Lauren left to join Salesforce where she made seven figure commissions before the age of 30, while Flora stayed at Microsoft and ran GTM strategy for a $130M business and ran a 200 person sales team. Through all the success, we just knew we needed to start a business together.
Lauren was offered the opportunity to partner with Atlanta Ventures studio as entrepreneur in residence. Lauren started Zinnia with the vision of streamlining team offsites and events through technology and convinced Flora to leave Microsoft to join.
Fast forward a year - we’ve had a lot of learnings and evolved from just events to AI powered meeting prep (pssst: check out Zinnia AI).
🤝 This is a sales community 🤝
Community has been at the foundation of everything we’ve built - we fundamentally believe in the power of human connection and want to help others crush their quotas through great customer relationships.
This community is here to:
- Feature kick ass sales leaders and their stories
- Build a community of like-minded sales rockstars
- Share the best AI tools to help you work smarter not harder
- Provide tangible tips to help better connect with customers
✨AI Magic✨
Ok, so I know what AI is, but how in the heck do I use it?
If your prospect is a public company, try uploading their earning’s call into Assembly AI. Select Transcript and Summarize options, and you’ll be able to get the best talking points in <5 minutes. How’s that for a time saver?
💫 People buy from people they like… but how do you build likability in sales? 💫
I’m already likable, duh. But we could all use a good refresh, right?
Do your research: Look up their LinkedIn, skim their company’s website, check out their social presence, see if they were on any recent podcasts, scan for any major news updates. You want a baseline on them, what their priorities are, and what their challenges may be.
- Pssst: Zinnia AI does all of this for you! Check it out!
Ask lots of questions: Even if you think you know the answer after your research, don’t be afraid to validate what you’ve learned!
Example questions:
- “I saw your CEO mention X in the news, how is that decision impacting your focus?”
- “What are your primary challenges with Y? How do those challenges impact you and your team on a day to day basis?”
- “What budget has been allocated to Z priority?”
- “I heard [name] left the company, is there a plan to backfill them? How is the change in leadership impacting your focus?”
Connect on a personal level: Ask when their kids go back to school, if they did anything fun this summer, or how their cat is doing. Jot down your notes in CRM so you remember to ask next time you catch up.
Meet face to face: We love a Zoom call as much as the next one, but there is something about meeting IRL that just can’t be replaced. Grab a coffee and watch the sale roll-in a few months later.
Focus on adding value: Share blogs, resources, or make introductions. Ask how you can support them personally or professionally. Always send a follow-up note after meetings. It’s karma, baby!
✉ Share, share, share! ✉
A sales community is nothing without… community! Share this blog with your SDR, BDR, AE, ATS, SE, SSP, TSP, CSM, CSA, (phew sales has A LOT of acronyms), boss, bestie, or anyone else who might enjoy a few tips, a lot of fun, and a great community!
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Originally posted on ReveNews Sales blog. You can subscribe here!
