Episode 44: Should you do a design partnership?

Send a textPeter just finished recording his audiobook for Unlocking Authentic Sales! While it won't be out for another few months, he's sharing the Foreword (written by our very own Alex Allain) and Introduction here with you all so that you can get a sneak peek into the book!Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textIn the first couple of weeks of joining TigerBeetle, Peter got together with Alex to discuss TigerBeetle and its positioning. In this dynamic conversation, Alex puts Peter on the spot with the TigerBeetle pitch and provides feedback while also trying his own version! As they build the story arc together you'll notice some key elements that can be useful for any pitch:Encapsulating an undeniable trend happening today Describing the pains companies face while keeping up with that trendProviding a compelling reason why your technology can help with those painsEnding with a strong impact statement around what adopting your tech means for the businessA huge thank you to Joran Greef, Marina Pape, Lewis Daly, and the entire TigerBeetle team for allowing us to use this material and for such a warm welcome to Peter in his first couple of months joining! Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textI sat down with Harry and Uddhav from The Inflection Group - the recruiting firm behind successful hires at Coinbase, Pinterest, Snowflake, and more.We dive deep into the biggest startup hiring questions: When should you actually hire your first salesperson? How do you avoid the "halo company" trap?Why do first sales hires fail so often?They share stories from 300+ executive searches and explain why being brutally honest about your startup's challenges actually attracts better candidates. Plus, they reveal tactical hiring tricks that work - like putting real prospect objections in your job description. This is essential listening for any founder thinking about their first go-to-market hire.Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textMason Fuerst, founder and CEO of Motiv (motivai.us) sits down with Peter to break down how he approaches outbound sales in an authentic way. With all the noise out there today around how to do outbound it's rare to find something that works, but Mason's mentality around creating genuine connections has worked to produce quality pipeline for his AI startup. Peter and Mason cover:What didn't work for MasonThe lightbulb moment that changed Mason's outlook on outbound salesA deeper look into the tactical steps Mason takes to create meaningful connections on LinkedInFor Mason's free PDF guide breaking down his outbound approach, connect with either him or Peter on LinkedIn and they'll DM you a copy! More on Motiv:Motiv is a software company building advanced AI agents for recruiting. Each agent specializes in a specific part of the hiring process, helping teams free up more time for higher output activities. The agents are trained to mimic your decision-making process so that it can think the same way you would. They also continuously learn from your feedback. Becoming faster and more intelligent with time. These agents act as new additions to the team without the added headcount and salary that comes with a new hire. Learn more by visiting motivai.us! Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textIn this episode Alex and Peter ask, "Is it OK to lie to customers? And if so, when?"They dive into: An experience Alex's friend had with a sales lieWhat to do when a salesperson liesHow to spot lying salespeople before and after they join a teamSupport the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textPeter and Alex dive into Peter's thoughts on design partnerships and their impact on startups.They discuss:The pressure from VCs to sign more design partnersWhy not all design partnerships are helpfulWhy you should charge for design partnershipsWhen free design partnerships are acceptableThe value of saying no to certain design partnersSupport the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textIn this repurposed episode from Peter's YouTube channel, he sits down with Hyperbound's cofounders Sriharsha Guduguntla and Atul Raghunathan. They discuss: The evolution of AI in salesHow to actually evaluate AI tools (without getting caught in the hype)The challenges and rewards of navigating founder-led salesThe state of diversity within tech salesOther AI platforms Sriharsha and Atul are keeping an eye onYou can try Hyperbound for free here.Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textAs a solo host, Peter tries his best to fill Alex's shoes :) He sits down with YC W24 founders of Centralize, Rachit Kataria and William Wang, to discuss their founder-led sales journey and approach. They discuss:Their approach to relationship-based sellingThe challenges and opportunities of selling to GTM leadersCreative outbound strategies they've leveragedHow they think about hiring their first sellerVisit Centralize's website to learn more about Rachit and William's vision. They've built an AI-powered deal collaboration platform that focuses on mapping key stakeholders, understanding them, and how to leverage each to get strategic deals done. Special shout out to Will Thoni (Sales at Langchain) for making this connection! Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textWaseem Daher (Ex-Dropbox and Founder of Pilot.com) sits down with Peter Ahn and Alex Allain of Decoding Sales to discuss learnings from his founder-led sales journey. They discuss:• The importance of founders being involved in closing a startup's first customers• How to think through hiring your first salesperson• What the right profile is for sales hire #1• How to know when to fire salespeople who aren't working out• Lead gen tactics for startups and the power of word of mouthSupport the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!

Send a textAt the end of the year, Peter and Alex look back on what Peter's learned coaching startups and three places he's changed his mind.They cover: Peter's new thoughts on BANT and MEDDIC as discovery and sales qualification frameworks. (Originally discussed in the BANT and MEDDIC episode from December of 2022)Why Salesforce may not be the best CRM to start with if you're an early stage founder (originally discussed in in the CRM 101 episode from 2021)The changing archetype of what makes a great first sales hire (from the The First Sales Hire episode, also from 2021!)Support the showTo get more sales advice from Peter, Subscribe to his YouTube Channel, check out Peter Ahn Sales School and purchase Peter's newly published book, Unlocking Authentic Sales!