Interestingly, the highest paid, best selling salespeople in the IT Industry aren't Hunters, or Farmers, or Beaters. They don't make the most calls and they don't have the most accounts.

Economic Alchemy

The IT Industry is filled with professionals who earn huge amounts of money, in some cases $1 Million or

Earning some serious Tubmans

more in income a year. What do they do that the typical salespeople don't? Yes, they have large accounts that buy a lot, but what is the real differentiator? 

 
These salespeople are assertive, compelling, and knowledgeable, and are able to leverage these attributes to motivate customers to make game-changing technology decisions. It's economic alchemy, the equivalent of turning lead into gold.

Land & Expand

In nearly every case I've seen, the Million-Dollar-Income salesperson has started with a modest sized sale ( Land the Account), and over time, developed a strong consultative relationship. When they recognize a market inflection, a new technology, or a game-changing opportunity, they bring the idea to a strategic-thinking person who can make something happen (Expand the Account).

For an example of how this can work, look at the Trans4mers Webinar later this month, featuring Special Guest Jeff Neil. Jeff has worked with a large, multi-national account for many years, starting small and growing his sales and influence over time. This year, this account made a strategic pivot and will be completely replacing over 10,000 endpoints all over the world.

Jeff is a great example of an "Expander", a consultative salesperson who can start with a modest sized account and expand it into something completely different, and do so in a strategic way.  Being successful in this space requires a strong customer relationship, an understanding of desired business outcomes, and connections with the senior levels of an organization.   Sorry, Sparky, Expanders need to deal with strategic thinkers.