Episode 177: Luigi Prestinenzi
Meet
Luigi Prestinenzi
Luigi Prestinenzi is a Next Generational Sales Enablement professional, who helps sales professionals create new opportunities, win more deals and grow existing accounts through tailored coaching and training and development solutions. Luigi is also the co-founder of Sales IQ Global, who help companies increase win rate and grow revenue through a unique Sales Enablement platform.
Our Mission Is To Change The Negative Perception Of Sales People
Our Vision Is A World Where Selling Is A Profession To Be Proud Of
Productivity measurement begins with a plan. Productivity is what you achieve from what you’ve planned. You need to be able to get done what you set out to do. So how do you begin to plan? What steps should a sales professional take? Luigi Prestinenzi joins Paul to share how he continues to increase his productivity.
Luigi is the Co-Founder & Head of Growth at Sales IQ Group and hosts the SalesIQ Podcast, based in Melbourne, Australia. He is a coach and consultant who aims to help businesses unlock the full potential of their sales team. To hear his take on productivity and what you can do to improve your sales, listen to the whole episode!
Outline of This Episode
- [0:20] Paul introduces Luigi Prestinenzi.
- [1:15] What is productivity?
- [1:50] Why is productivity important in sales?
- [3:30] Why aren’t salespeople productive?
- [5:15] Steps to take to improve productivity
- [8:00] Attributes a salesperson should have
- [10:40] Productivity tools and tactics
- [12:15] Top 3 do’s and top 3 don’ts
- [13:50] Luigi’s favorite productivity story
Salespeople are paid to deliver an outcome
It’s simple. If a sales professional isn’t doing their job and closing sales, the business suffers. A salesperson is only as good as the last month of the billing period. There is a lot of turnover in sales because they hold the most visible position that is held accountable when they’re not productive.
If they aren’t reaching goals or making quotas, then what are they doing?
There are only so many hours in the day and Luigi points out that you must protect the limited time you have. A salesperson must learn how to focus on the tasks that reach the desired outcome. What are the metrics you need to achieve? What do you need to start tracking? You can’t achieve what you don’t measure.
What can productivity measurement teach you?
The world lives in an age of distraction. Every smart-phone notification distracts you from the tasks you need to be focusing on. Social media can be a great asset or your greatest hindrance. Don’t get lost in a sea of communication that won’t deliver the outcome you’re looking for.
Luigi states that 50-60% of sales teams are unable to reach sales targets.
So how do you change that? Start tracking your performance. What are you doing when you’re being productive and actively closing sales? What were you doing then that you aren’t doing now? Know the tasks you need to do, schedule them in your calendar, and complete them. It requires discipline.
To be a high-performing salesperson you must be proactive
A successful salesperson holds themselves accountable to the goals they’ve set. Many people don’t hold themselves accountable, and instead, they try and justify their actions with excuses. Luigi points out that finding success is hard, and if you don’t protect your time as your greatest asset, you won’t be productive.
Working harder, longer is not the answer. So what is?
Luigi states you need to get some productivity tools in place. Start using Calendly to schedule meetings and eliminate the back-and-forth of calendar volley-ball. You get to choose where people can schedule meetings. Use Seamless.ai to build lists for prospecting.
Do you want to hear the rest of Luigi’s productivity hacks? Listen to the whole episode!
Prospecting is a key component in achieving success in sales
Luigi is a strong advocate for prospecting and believes it’s fundamental to a sales professionals’ success. If prospecting is your weakness, you must spend time improving your abilities. Luigi points out a few key things that can help:
- Know your persona
- Know how many touch points you need over a period of time
- Develop communication templates
- Create a process that you can automate as much as possible
To be productive you must stop starting over and doing everything from scratch, every time. Templates allow you to be more efficient!
Luigi shares some powerful strategies in this episode. Don’t miss it!
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More About Luigi Prestinenzi
What was the last book you read?
GAP Selling
Who / What inspires you?
My family is a key driver for what I do. I am inspired by my ability to help people be the best they can be.
Are there any aspects of your own productivity skills that you are working on improving at the moment?
100%. I am working on being more present in the moment. Also trying to switch off after work.
Hobbies, Interests?
Love Football (soccer). Running and keeping fit.
How can our listeners contact with you?
LinkedIn is the best place and the Sales IQ Podcast
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