Manual tasks slow your teams down. Get more done and work smarter with Generative AI in your CRM, also known as Einstein. Create emails, summarize calls, and more. Link in bio to see it in action on Salesforce Explained. #EinsteinAI

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) stock rose 0.3% after the business software maker backed away from its talks to acquire data-management software firm Informatica (INFA), down 9%, after the two companies could not agree on terms.

Midday movers: Tesla, Li Auto and CNH Industrial fall; Salesforce rises By Investing.com

The two companies, reportedly, couldn’t agree on the terms of the deal.

Salesforce-Informatica acquisition talks falls through: Report | CIO

:Business software maker Salesforce has backed away from its talks to acquire data-management software firm Informatica after the two companies could not agree on terms, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.The talks between the two companies were at an advanced stage earlier ...

Salesforce's talks to buy Informatica fizzle, WSJ reports

Amid rumors that Salesforce is interested in buying Informatica, investors aren&#x27;t taking kindly to the potential pairing.

Wall Street doesn't seem too keen on a potential Salesforce-Informatica pairing | TechCrunch

Key Takeaways Slack strengthens its AI-powered platform as it continues rolling out native generative AI capabilities to users, including enhanced search,

Salesforce Brings Slack AI to All Paid Customers, Adds Recap to Deliver Daily Morning Digests - Salesforce

Salesier

salesier

Every industry has seen a tremendous shift during the last two years because of a plethora of reasons including technological advancements, the Covid-19 pandemic, and digitalization. The future of B2B sales is changing in tandem with these developments. Because of the pandemic, businesses have gone digital, and the move to remote and hybrid work settings has caused a paradigm shift in the sales environment. Today, remote and digital selling is becoming the new norm. Despite this, the majority of businesses are still seller-centric, and take months to close a deal. However, the need to change the old and painful process is so pressing that Walnut together with other leading sales platforms have launched a movement called "WeAreProspects" to make B2B buying simple, fast, and customer-centric. I have prepared a list of four trends that currently dominate and will continue to dominate the B2B sales landscape in the foreseeable future. Customer-Driven Sales Model Traditional B2B sales cycles are endless, and buyers want to make a purchase decision quickly without a sales representative’s interference. As a result, focusing on customers’ needs is the most crucial trend to take into account in B2B sales today. Keeping the customer at the center of the process ensures higher chances of success. According to Forrester, 75% of B2B buyers prefer a no-rep buying experience. They believe that sales representatives are more concerned with achieving their sales goals than with meeting customer needs. In addition, the majority of B2B buyers today are millennials, and they have little patience to wait for a demo call to see the product. They want to try things early in the sales cycle so that they don’t get caught up in later stages when everything is about the sales rep’s performance. Sales representatives should act as customer advisors and help them move through the various stages of the purchasing process by facilitating the process and listening to and resolving any issues that arise. We are seeing a rise with leading startups like Substrata and Gong that have built behavioral intelligence platforms that assist dealmakers in making better choices in order to close more deals. As a dealmaker, what you need to keep in mind, is that before approaching a prospective customer to sell products directly, it is important to first determine the prospect's need. Buyers are increasingly seeking greater independence. Before engaging with a vendor, most buyers complete half of the buying process, such as online research and information gathering, and most buyers even prefer a seller-free sales experience. This indicates that businesses should prioritize the customer experience while placing a greater emphasis on product-driven sales. Omnichannel Outreach Buyers now have more opportunities to compare various options. According to a survey conducted by Gartner, buyers spend most of their purchasing time on independent learning both offline and online. As a result, the average customer has become unpredictable, leaving little room for each sales team to influence the buyer's decision as they search for a product or service via multiple channels. Given this, there is a need for better customer service, particularly for information-related resources, so that buyers do not have to visit multiple platforms to compare and learn about the product or service into which they will be investing their money and time. In this case, sales and marketing teams should have firsthand knowledge of what the buyer is looking for, their needs and concerns, and the best way to contact them. The best way for improving customer experience is to reach out to them through multiple channels. Being present at multiple digital touchpoints at the same time will improve customer experience because the sales team will be able to address customers' concerns more quickly. According to many recent studies, approximately 90% of buyers consider immediate responses to their questions to be a deciding factor when making a purchase. This means that omnichannel outreach is a critical component of sales growth. Because buyers have more opportunities to evaluate different options, the next most important trend in the B2B sales process is personalization. AI & Personalization Personalization is one of the most important trends in the entire buying process. Because millennials are actively involved in B2B buying, it is critical for sales reps to personalize the process. By collecting and analyzing large amounts of customer data, AI can assist sales teams in identifying actionable insights to deliver hyper-personalized sales pitches. The sales team can use its algorithms to determine a variety of factors such as customer buying behavior, purchase history, and other specific expressions in order to match their sales to the right people at the right time. Furthermore, the sales team can access information about the problems that their customers are experiencing and can find solutions based on the customer journey and interaction data. Such systems assist sales teams in personalizing their demos for both current and prospective customers. Sales Automation AI adoption in sales will ultimately boost sales productivity and profitability because it can automate and augment much of the sales process. This frees up salespeople's time for higher-value tasks. Automation can help with non-sale activities such as data entries, managing calendars, or scheduling meetings. A sales automation system is a must-have as it makes the process of creating sales demos simple, useful, efficient, personalized, and reliable. Additionally, it ensures that sales representatives focus their time on the more important tasks such as sales engagement, lead generation, and closing deals. Conclusion The B2B sales process is evolving and expanding at a rapid pace, and companies that fail to keep up with these trends could face major hurdles to growing their business in the coming years. Partnering with a software company that offers access to sales automation strategies and other technologically advanced sales solutions could prove to be a game-changing decision for any company in the long run.

B2B Trends Every Salesperson Should Know About

As a Product Manager, you have great ideas! Ideas that could change the way people do things, ideas that could solve the world’s most pressing problems. And all you need to do now, is go ahead and build it! Let’s build an MVP (minimum viable product), sell the hell out of it (because the idea is super-disruptive in your mind) and then iterate. Soon to realize 6–8 months down the line that your product no longer has that level of adoption that you had expected, or that you now have to pivot to cater to the needs of your ‘revised’ audience because the initial market definition was too narrow. Product Managers are nothing but entrepreneurs, trying to launch their startup, pitching a business plan to internal stakeholders (your investors), gathering resources (creating a startup team), launching and selling to customers (marketing and launching your product). Thus, as we all know the fact that more than 80% of startups fail, the path to building a successful product should mimic the approach to launching a successful company. The Lean-product approach The Lean Startup approach discoursed by Eric Ries, has popularized the ‘fail fast, iterate often’ notion. This involves evaluating the problem the customer has with a prototype and then iterating with measured data from the feedback loop, using minimum resources. A core component of lean-startup methodology is the build-measure-learn feedback loop. I take this methodology and apply it to defining, validating and iterating to achieve the right product-market fit and create a rock-solid product strategy. Problem definition Innovative ideas lead to great solutions, however, without a deep understanding of the problem space, you are at a risk of getting ahead of yourself and building capabilities which do not receive customer traction. Defining your problem statement involves understanding of the problem space, the sense of urgency to solve the problem, the existing solutions in the market that have attempted to solve the problem all in the context of your target audience. “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” Albert Einstein said. One example of the many ways of framing a problem statement is by defining: What is the problem?
Who is facing this problem?
How often?
Why do you need to solve it? In your initial level surveys or focus group interviews, these are a few statements that could be derived: “I am a salesperson, constantly on the road and am always struggling with managing and submitting tiny paper receipts for reimbursement as I keep losing them.” Using our above framework we have our problem statement e.g. “Business travelers or salespersons (who) need a way to capture and manage their travel expenses (what) because they are always on the road (how often). We need a solution to make this process less-time consuming and less-cumbersome (why).” This, by the way, is the problem as identified by DePasquale, founder of Outtask that made an online tool, Cliqbook, that allowed workers to book and manage their online travel and which in 2006, was acquired by Concur. Target Audience In the problem definition we have identified who is facing the problem you are trying to solve. This is where you identify the core audience who will be using your product. Your user as well as buyer personas. It is important to be honest about sizing your market here. This is not your $2B TAM pitch to investors. Be realistic and as specific as possible. Core Value Proposition A value-proposition is not simply a list of your benefits. It explains what benefit you provide for who and how you do it uniquely well. It should be a single statement articulating what is the value promised to the customer? There are tons of frameworks to define and state your value prop in a concise way. The simplest, perhaps is the template from Steve Blank, “We help [X] to [Y] by [Z]” Some great examples are: Dollar Shave Club*: “A Great Shave for a Few Bucks a Month”*
Stripe*: “Scale faster by building your business on Stripe’s payment processing platform.”*
Uber*: “Everyone’s private Driver”* Once you have your value prop defined, it is extremely important to continuously evaluate and test it with potential customers, even before you start building your MVP. Why is your product offering unique? This is probably the most important question you need to ask while determining the customer’s ‘willingness to pay’ for your product. Why should the customer go for your product vs the competitors? This becomes even more important when you are trying to displace a largely incumbent or crowded space such as enterprise productivity tools or online food delivery. Also, remember, you do not need to differentiate on a fancy feature or capability. Sometimes the simplest of things such as a clean design and user experience is what customers may need the most. Figuring out what matters to your customers the most and then choosing to differentiate on that aspect should be the approach. There is a reason why Zoom has completely disrupted the video conferencing market with their focus on creating virtual experiences when it comes to digitizing the workspace. The current space consisted of a stack of products, some wider and some narrower and some part of a larger ecosystem (Skype and Cisco Webex). Zoom clearly understood the need to converge video, web and mobile. Zoom’s offering that integrated audio, web conferencing and mobile integration was a simple, straightforward solution to what customers needed. Also, their willingness to work with most platforms and devices coupled with their all-inclusive fremium model was different from how all the other players went to market. Product quality, technology, user experience, price, go-to-market model and customer-service are just a handful of factors that you can think of and choose to base your differentiation upon. Metrics Ries’s lean framework follows a build, measure, learn loop. However, defining what to measure and how to evaluate the success for your product needs to be done as early as possible. You should be able to answer the question “How is the product doing?” at any point in time. And defining the response in clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) helps you evaluate the progress in a very objective way. The AARM method defined by Lewis Lin is a good framework to pick your metrics in each of the areas of acquisition, activation, retention and monetization. However, you need to go beyond frameworks, pick the appropriate metrics and customize them for your product and growth stage. Metrics creation and measurement is a highly iterative process and hence you constantly need to set KPI goals, evaluate and track these goals, and create new ones as your product grows. Apart from coming up with metrics for areas of acquisition, engagement and monetization, what needs to be agreed upon from an early stage is the ‘North-Star Metric’ that is going to drive most product decisions. This topic needs a separate article so watch out for another blog from me, deep diving into defining and evaluating metrics. Example Uber is a classic example where there was instant product market fit. Uber quickly realized their problem statement was “Limited, inconvenient access to taxis and transportation options in urban areas”. To solve this problem, Uber used GPS-enabled mobile apps to match drivers with riders, providing a reliable, real-time way to find and book a ride. Uber built their technical architecture  focused on real-time data processing and location-based services, which supported their rapid request-response model. Geolocation Services: Built using Google Maps API and Mapbox for precise location tracking and route optimization.
Dispatch System: Microservices handling real-time dispatching of drivers based on location and demand, with APIs for matching, pricing, and tracking.
Data Layer: Uses Cassandra for high-availability, fault-tolerant storage and MySQL for relational data.
Queueing: RabbitMQ or Kafka for asynchronous communication between services, handling surge pricing, availability, and ride requests. Uber’s use of microservices and a modular data architecture helps ensure that their systems remain responsive and scalable in real-time. Conclusion In conclusion, a successful product identifies and tests the product-market fit hypothesis from the get go and throughout the process of building the MVP. The Lean Startup message sums it up well. “What differentiates the success stories from the failures is that the successful entrepreneurs had the foresight, the ability, and the tools to discover which parts of their plans were working brilliantly and which were misguided, and adapt their strategies accordingly”. As a Product Manager, you have great ideas! Ideas that could change the way people do things, ideas that could solve the world’s most pressing problems. And all you need to do now, is go ahead and build it! Let’s build an MVP (minimum viable product), sell the hell out of it (because the idea is super-disruptive in your mind) and then iterate. Soon to realize 6–8 months down the line that your product no longer has that level of adoption that you had expected, or that you now have to pivot to cater to the needs of your ‘revised’ audience because the initial market definition was too narrow. Product Managers are nothing but entrepreneurs, trying to launch their startup, pitching a business plan to internal stakeholders (your investors), gathering resources (creating a startup team), launching and selling to customers (marketing and launching your product). Thus, as we all know the fact that more than 80% of startups fail, the path to building a successful product should mimic the approach to launching a successful company. The Lean-product approach The Lean Startup approach discoursed by Eric Ries, has popularized the ‘fail fast, iterate often’ notion. This involves evaluating the problem the customer has with a prototype and then iterating with measured data from the feedback loop, using minimum resources. A core component of lean-startup methodology is the build-measure-learn feedback loop. Lean Startup I take this methodology and apply it to defining, validating and iterating to achieve the right product-market fit and create a rock-solid product strategy. Problem definition Innovative ideas lead to great solutions, however, without a deep understanding of the problem space, you are at a risk of getting ahead of yourself and building capabilities which do not receive customer traction. Defining your problem statement involves understanding of the problem space, the sense of urgency to solve the problem, the existing solutions in the market that have attempted to solve the problem all in the context of your target audience. “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” Albert Einstein said. “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” Albert Einstein said. “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” Albert Einstein said. One example of the many ways of framing a problem statement is by defining: What is the problem? Who is facing this problem? How often? Why do you need to solve it? What is the problem? Who is facing this problem? How often? Why do you need to solve it? In your initial level surveys or focus group interviews, these are a few statements that could be derived: “I am a salesperson, constantly on the road and am always struggling with managing and submitting tiny paper receipts for reimbursement as I keep losing them.” “I am a salesperson, constantly on the road and am always struggling with managing and submitting tiny paper receipts for reimbursement as I keep losing them.” Using our above framework we have our problem statement e.g. “Business travelers or salespersons (who) need a way to capture and manage their travel expenses (what) because they are always on the road (how often). We need a solution to make this process less-time consuming and less-cumbersome (why).” “Business travelers or salespersons (who) need a way to capture and manage their travel expenses (what) because they are always on the road (how often). We need a solution to make this process less-time consuming and less-cumbersome (why).” This, by the way, is the problem as identified by DePasquale, founder of Outtask that made an online tool, Cliqbook, that allowed workers to book and manage their online travel and which in 2006, was acquired by Concur. Target Audience In the problem definition we have identified who is facing the problem you are trying to solve. This is where you identify the core audience who will be using your product. Your user as well as buyer personas. It is important to be honest about sizing your market here. This is not your $2B TAM pitch to investors. Be realistic and as specific as possible. Core Value Proposition A value-proposition is not simply a list of your benefits. It explains what benefit you provide for who and how you do it uniquely well. It should be a single statement articulating what is the value promised to the customer? There are tons of frameworks to define and state your value prop in a concise way. The simplest, perhaps is the template from Steve Blank , “ We help [X] to [Y] by [Z]” Steve Blank We help [X] to [Y] by [Z]” Some great examples are: Dollar Shave Club*: “A Great Shave for a Few Bucks a Month”* Stripe*: “Scale faster by building your business on Stripe’s payment processing platform.”* Uber*: “Everyone’s private Driver”* Dollar Shave Club *: “A Great Shave for a Few Bucks a Month”* Dollar Shave Club Dollar Shave Club Stripe *: “Scale faster by building your business on Stripe’s payment processing platform.”* Stripe Stripe Uber *: “Everyone’s private Driver”* Uber Uber Once you have your value prop defined, it is extremely important to continuously evaluate and test it with potential customers, even before you start building your MVP. Why is your product offering unique? This is probably the most important question you need to ask while determining the customer’s ‘willingness to pay’ for your product. Why should the customer go for your product vs the competitors? This becomes even more important when you are trying to displace a largely incumbent or crowded space such as enterprise productivity tools or online food delivery. Also, remember, you do not need to differentiate on a fancy feature or capability. Sometimes the simplest of things such as a clean design and user experience is what customers may need the most. Figuring out what matters to your customers the most and then choosing to differentiate on that aspect should be the approach. There is a reason why Zoom has completely disrupted the video conferencing market with their focus on creating virtual experiences when it comes to digitizing the workspace. The current space consisted of a stack of products, some wider and some narrower and some part of a larger ecosystem (Skype and Cisco Webex). Zoom clearly understood the need to converge video, web and mobile. Zoom’s offering that integrated audio, web conferencing and mobile integration was a simple, straightforward solution to what customers needed. Also, their willingness to work with most platforms and devices coupled with their all-inclusive fremium model was different from how all the other players went to market. Product quality, technology, user experience, price, go-to-market model and customer-service are just a handful of factors that you can think of and choose to base your differentiation upon. Metrics Ries’s lean framework follows a build, measure, learn loop. However, defining what to measure and how to evaluate the success for your product needs to be done as early as possible. You should be able to answer the question “How is the product doing?” at any point in time. And defining the response in clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) helps you evaluate the progress in a very objective way. The AARM method defined by Lewis Lin is a good framework to pick your metrics in each of the areas of acquisition, activation, retention and monetization. However, you need to go beyond frameworks, pick the appropriate metrics and customize them for your product and growth stage. Metrics creation and measurement is a highly iterative process and hence you constantly need to set KPI goals, evaluate and track these goals, and create new ones as your product grows. Apart from coming up with metrics for areas of acquisition, engagement and monetization, what needs to be agreed upon from an early stage is the ‘North-Star Metric’ that is going to drive most product decisions. This topic needs a separate article so watch out for another blog from me, deep diving into defining and evaluating metrics. AARM method Example Uber is a classic example where there was instant product market fit. Uber quickly realized their problem statement was “Limited, inconvenient access to taxis and transportation options in urban areas”. To solve this problem, Uber used GPS-enabled mobile apps to match drivers with riders, providing a reliable, real-time way to find and book a ride. Uber built their technical architecture  focused on real-time data processing and location-based services, which supported their rapid request-response model. Geolocation Services: Built using Google Maps API and Mapbox for precise location tracking and route optimization. Dispatch System: Microservices handling real-time dispatching of drivers based on location and demand, with APIs for matching, pricing, and tracking. Data Layer: Uses Cassandra for high-availability, fault-tolerant storage and MySQL for relational data. Queueing: RabbitMQ or Kafka for asynchronous communication between services, handling surge pricing, availability, and ride requests. Geolocation Services : Built using Google Maps API and Mapbox for precise location tracking and route optimization. Geolocation Services Dispatch System : Microservices handling real-time dispatching of drivers based on location and demand, with APIs for matching, pricing, and tracking. Dispatch System Data Layer : Uses Cassandra for high-availability, fault-tolerant storage and MySQL for relational data. Data Layer Queueing : RabbitMQ or Kafka for asynchronous communication between services, handling surge pricing, availability, and ride requests. Queueing Uber’s use of microservices and a modular data architecture helps ensure that their systems remain responsive and scalable in real-time. Conclusion In conclusion, a successful product identifies and tests the product-market fit hypothesis from the get go and throughout the process of building the MVP. The Lean Startup message sums it up well. “What differentiates the success stories from the failures is that the successful entrepreneurs had the foresight, the ability, and the tools to discover which parts of their plans were working brilliantly and which were misguided, and adapt their strategies accordingly”. “What differentiates the success stories from the failures is that the successful entrepreneurs had the foresight, the ability, and the tools to discover which parts of their plans were working brilliantly and which were misguided, and adapt their strategies accordingly”. “What differentiates the success stories from the failures is that the successful entrepreneurs had the foresight, the ability, and the tools to discover which parts of their plans were working brilliantly and which were misguided, and adapt their strategies accordingly”.

Achieving Product-Market Fit: How the Startups Did It

As the founder of a digital commerce tool, I get a lot of questions like, “I set up my store, uploaded my products - now how do I get customers?” Some people jump right into social media with posts like, “Hey everyone, I’ve just created a great eBook about applying for an O-1 American visa. Come check it out!” But let’s be honest, that kind of message barely grabs attention—most people just tune out that type of pitch. So, I’ve pulled together a few tips for freshly minted online entrepreneurs to help you get started. Identify Your Audience You might think that your products are interesting to anyone. Hmmmm, maybe, but it can also show that you just don’t really know your audience. What do they like, what do they watch, what do they do in their free time, and where do they hang out? There are hundreds of other questions that could be asked, but let’s not overcomplicate things and start small. The main goal here is to narrow down your focus to find an audience more likely to buy your product. Here’s what that looks like: let’s say you’ve just launched a Turkish pastry cookbook. If you promote it randomly on any channel with a big but completely random audience, the process starts to feel like gambling. Sure, you might attract a few people and even make some sales, but trying to turn that approach into a stable sales channel won’t work—it’s random, and you can’t build a reliable system on random. On the other hand, you can make an educated guess about the kinds of people who’d be interested in baking Turkish pastries. Think home bakers, foodies, or people who love international cuisine. Look for people hanging out on cooking forums, following cooking content on social media, or reading food blogs. Reaching out to these people multiplies your chances of being recognized, and, even better, appreciated. ✅ So identifying your audience? Definitely a DO Send a Standard Message to All Now, you compile the best message about your book, explain why it’s great, highlight all the benefits for customers, and… send it to every single person you can reach. You might think, “Hey, more eyes on my book, right?” But here’s the catch: when you blast the same message to everyone, it comes off as, well… cookie-cutter. People can sense when something’s mass-sent, and it feels like spam. Imagine a Turkish pastry cookbook landing in the inbox of someone who’s never baked a day in their life. Or someone who’s just there for the quick dinner recipes and isn’t interested in mastering baklava. They’re probably not going to care. Worse, they’ll just ignore it altogether. Instead, imagine taking a few extra seconds to make it feel a bit more personal. Spot someone who’s posted about their latest baking success? Drop in a line about how your cookbook might be the next thing they’d love to try. Or if someone’s always sharing recipes from different cultures, point out how your book dives into authentic Turkish flavors. That little extra effort? It’s what turns a message from “meh” to memorable. 🙅‍♀️ So sending a standard, impersonalised message is a DON’T Keep It Short and Simple The attention span of a person today is about 8 seconds. That means you have only 8 seconds to grab their attention. Now imagine your long, detailed message, lovingly written to highlight every aspect of your cookbook, being shown to someone who quickly scans the text without really reading it. It just gets ignored. They skim over it, maybe catch a word here or there, but that message you put so much thought into? It just blends into the noise. People today are bombarded with messages left and right—long-winded ones just don’t stand a chance. If your pitch takes too long to get to the point, they’ll move on before they even know why your cookbook’s worth their time. All that heart and detail you poured in? It’s lost in a quick scroll. Instead, think bite-sized. Lead with a line that grabs them: “Master the secrets of Turkish pastries in your own kitchen.” Boom. In one line, they know what’s in it for them. After that, just a little teaser about what makes your cookbook special—maybe it’s a recipe for authentic baklava or a dive into regional favorites that are hard to find outside Turkey. Short, sharp, and inviting. Just enough for them to say, “Wait, tell me more.” That’s when you know you’ve hooked them. ✅ Please, DO keep it simple Focus on Making the Sale You started all this to make sales—lots of them—and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve put in the work, gained experience, spent your time, and made a real effort to create something valuable. Naturally, you want to sell it as a polished product. After all, we live in a world of capitalism; selling is part of the game. But here’s the big BUT: nobody likes feeling like they’re just a walking wallet. When people sense they’re being treated as nothing more than a sale, it’s a quick turn-off. Instead, start by sharing a little value upfront—something that shows them the benefit of what you offer without pushing for the sale. For our Turkish pastry cookbook, maybe it’s a quick tip on mastering flaky dough or a recipe for a popular pastry. Give them a taste of what they’d be getting, and let them see the value themselves. This way, you’re building trust first, proving you’re here to offer something genuinely useful, not just to make a quick buck. People are far more likely to buy from someone who respects them enough to share value first. It’s a simple way to make them curious instead of feeling pressured. 🙅‍♀️ Nobody likes to be a victim of unexpected aggressive sales. So DON’T Share What Others Think Would you buy a book because a salesperson persuaded you, or because ten other people said it’s great? Well, both methods can work, but let’s be real: we’re social animals, and we rely on the opinions of others. If at least a handful of people can share a few words about your product—how it helped them, how cool it is—that can make a huge difference in building credibility. You might be struggling to get your first feedback, but don’t overlook your closer circle. Your family, friends, and their friends can be fantastic first reviewers. Reach out to them and ask for honest opinions. Encourage them to share their thoughts publicly, whether it’s a quick post on social media or a review on a platform where potential buyers might see it. Their endorsements can provide that social proof that makes others feel confident about giving your product a shot. After all, people trust recommendations from real users way more than a slick sales pitch. It’s all about showing that others have found value in what you offer. ✅ So go ahead and share what others think—because it’s a solid DO! Neglect Follow-Ups Do you reply to all the emails and messages you receive? I used to do so, and I was actually surprised when I found out that not everyone does. Actually, I started to ignore them recently when I started to receive more of them, and a lot of them are far from relevant for me. People ignore messages not because they are rude. It’s just their right what to do with the received message. And pretty often they just miss some of them or decide to reply later and forget. Life happens, and this is a usual situation. So don’t hesitate to send a kind reminder after some time. A gentle nudge can be the perfect way to reignite interest without being pushy. 🙅‍♀️ So don’t just sit back and hope for the best—neglecting follow-ups is a definite DON’T if you want to keep the conversation going! The Final Even great products need to be marketed properly. Success isn’t about throwing everything out there and hoping it sticks - it’s about building relationships, being genuine, and giving people a reason to care about what you’re offering. Follow my digital product commerce saga on 𝕏 👉 https://x.com/alexhustles As the founder of a digital commerce tool, I get a lot of questions like, “I set up my store, uploaded my products - now how do I get customers?” Some people jump right into social media with posts like, “Hey everyone, I’ve just created a great eBook about applying for an O-1 American visa. Come check it out!” But let’s be honest, that kind of message barely grabs attention—most people just tune out that type of pitch. So, I’ve pulled together a few tips for freshly minted online entrepreneurs to help you get started. Identify Your Audience You might think that your products are interesting to anyone. Hmmmm, maybe, but it can also show that you just don’t really know your audience. What do they like, what do they watch, what do they do in their free time, and where do they hang out? There are hundreds of other questions that could be asked, but let’s not overcomplicate things and start small. The main goal here is to narrow down your focus to find an audience more likely to buy your product. Here’s what that looks like: let’s say you’ve just launched a Turkish pastry cookbook. If you promote it randomly on any channel with a big but completely random audience, the process starts to feel like gambling. Sure, you might attract a few people and even make some sales, but trying to turn that approach into a stable sales channel won’t work—it’s random, and you can’t build a reliable system on random. On the other hand, you can make an educated guess about the kinds of people who’d be interested in baking Turkish pastries. Think home bakers, foodies, or people who love international cuisine. Look for people hanging out on cooking forums, following cooking content on social media, or reading food blogs. Reaching out to these people multiplies your chances of being recognized, and, even better, appreciated. ✅ So identifying your audience? Definitely a DO ✅ So identifying your audience? Definitely a DO Send a Standard Message to All Now, you compile the best message about your book, explain why it’s great, highlight all the benefits for customers, and… send it to every single person you can reach. You might think, “Hey, more eyes on my book, right?” But here’s the catch: when you blast the same message to everyone, it comes off as, well… cookie-cutter. People can sense when something’s mass-sent, and it feels like spam. Imagine a Turkish pastry cookbook landing in the inbox of someone who’s never baked a day in their life. Or someone who’s just there for the quick dinner recipes and isn’t interested in mastering baklava. They’re probably not going to care. Worse, they’ll just ignore it altogether. Instead, imagine taking a few extra seconds to make it feel a bit more personal. Spot someone who’s posted about their latest baking success? Drop in a line about how your cookbook might be the next thing they’d love to try. Or if someone’s always sharing recipes from different cultures, point out how your book dives into authentic Turkish flavors. That little extra effort? It’s what turns a message from “meh” to memorable. 🙅‍♀️ So sending a standard, impersonalised message is a DON’T 🙅‍♀️ So sending a standard, impersonalised message is a DON’T Keep It Short and Simple The attention span of a person today is about 8 seconds. That means you have only 8 seconds to grab their attention. Now imagine your long, detailed message, lovingly written to highlight every aspect of your cookbook, being shown to someone who quickly scans the text without really reading it. It just gets ignored. They skim over it, maybe catch a word here or there, but that message you put so much thought into? It just blends into the noise. People today are bombarded with messages left and right—long-winded ones just don’t stand a chance. If your pitch takes too long to get to the point, they’ll move on before they even know why your cookbook’s worth their time. All that heart and detail you poured in? It’s lost in a quick scroll. Instead, think bite-sized. Lead with a line that grabs them: “Master the secrets of Turkish pastries in your own kitchen.” Boom. In one line, they know what’s in it for them. After that, just a little teaser about what makes your cookbook special—maybe it’s a recipe for authentic baklava or a dive into regional favorites that are hard to find outside Turkey. Short, sharp, and inviting. Just enough for them to say, “Wait, tell me more.” That’s when you know you’ve hooked them. ✅ Please, DO keep it simple ✅ Please, DO keep it simple Focus on Making the Sale You started all this to make sales—lots of them—and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve put in the work, gained experience, spent your time, and made a real effort to create something valuable. Naturally, you want to sell it as a polished product. After all, we live in a world of capitalism; selling is part of the game. But here’s the big BUT: nobody likes feeling like they’re just a walking wallet. When people sense they’re being treated as nothing more than a sale, it’s a quick turn-off. Instead, start by sharing a little value upfront—something that shows them the benefit of what you offer without pushing for the sale. For our Turkish pastry cookbook, maybe it’s a quick tip on mastering flaky dough or a recipe for a popular pastry. Give them a taste of what they’d be getting, and let them see the value themselves. This way, you’re building trust first, proving you’re here to offer something genuinely useful, not just to make a quick buck. People are far more likely to buy from someone who respects them enough to share value first. It’s a simple way to make them curious instead of feeling pressured. 🙅‍♀️ Nobody likes to be a victim of unexpected aggressive sales. So DON’T 🙅‍♀️ Nobody likes to be a victim of unexpected aggressive sales. So DON’T Share What Others Think Would you buy a book because a salesperson persuaded you, or because ten other people said it’s great? Well, both methods can work, but let’s be real: we’re social animals, and we rely on the opinions of others. If at least a handful of people can share a few words about your product—how it helped them, how cool it is—that can make a huge difference in building credibility. You might be struggling to get your first feedback, but don’t overlook your closer circle. Your family, friends, and their friends can be fantastic first reviewers. Reach out to them and ask for honest opinions. Encourage them to share their thoughts publicly, whether it’s a quick post on social media or a review on a platform where potential buyers might see it. Their endorsements can provide that social proof that makes others feel confident about giving your product a shot. After all, people trust recommendations from real users way more than a slick sales pitch. It’s all about showing that others have found value in what you offer. ✅ So go ahead and share what others think—because it’s a solid DO! ✅ So go ahead and share what others think—because it’s a solid DO! Neglect Follow-Ups Do you reply to all the emails and messages you receive? I used to do so, and I was actually surprised when I found out that not everyone does. Actually, I started to ignore them recently when I started to receive more of them, and a lot of them are far from relevant for me. People ignore messages not because they are rude. It’s just their right what to do with the received message. And pretty often they just miss some of them or decide to reply later and forget. Life happens, and this is a usual situation. So don’t hesitate to send a kind reminder after some time. A gentle nudge can be the perfect way to reignite interest without being pushy. 🙅‍♀️ So don’t just sit back and hope for the best—neglecting follow-ups is a definite DON’T if you want to keep the conversation going! 🙅‍♀️ So don’t just sit back and hope for the best—neglecting follow-ups is a definite DON’T if you want to keep the conversation going! The Final Even great products need to be marketed properly. Success isn’t about throwing everything out there and hoping it sticks - it’s about building relationships, being genuine, and giving people a reason to care about what you’re offering. Follow my digital product commerce saga on 𝕏 👉 https://x.com/alexhustles https://x.com/alexhustles

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The Irreplaceable Human Element in Sales In an era dominated by digital marketing and automated sales, the very idea of cold calling is facing skepticism. Some even go as far as declaring it 'dead,' believing that data algorithms and analytics can replace the human touch (or voice).  This is absolutely false. Cold calling adds a personal element that emails and social media messages just can’t. The ability to hear a human voice, and respond in accordance to a prospect's tone, questions and their objections creates a rapport that automated systems cannot replace. Unlike marketing campaigns that need time and data to get results, cold calling offers immediate feedback for the salesperson. Breaking Through and Building Trust We all encounter thousands of advertisements throughout the day, whether in our email inbox, social media feed, on a billboard, or on the side of a bus.  We are so used to ignoring the marketing we see through the day, because there is so much of it, it’d require a full-time job just to keep track of it all. So, how does one differentiate their message in a time where everything has been heard? Break Through and Build Trust. A well-timed phone call, can cut through the noise. It grabs the prospect's full attention in a way that a text/email cannot. Trust is also a crucial factor, and hearing a genuine, confident, human voice on the other side can build credibility much more effectively than words on a screen. Skilled salespeople can adapt their pitch and style based on the prospect, making each interaction tailored to the prospect, and providing value no matter the outcome. Skilled salespeople do not get swayed easily by their emotions. They challenge the prospect’s beliefs in a respectful way, and know when to back off and when to apply pressure for a decision. Even after a full day’s worth of no’s, they remain respectful towards any prospects they talk to or receptionists telling them they 'can’t forward your call.' or "‘send an email’”. Connection and Perception of Cold Outreach Long-term business relationships are often built on personal interactions, and cold calling or personal cold outreach can lay the foundation for these connections. Dismissing cold calling due to one bad experience with a salesperson just trying to sell something unwanted or being rude is understandable but could limit your own opportunities. Not everyone thinks the same, and a surprising amount of people are actually quite open when realizing they are talking to a salesperson who is honest, genuine and transparent. Most people wouldn’t believe the nature of conversations I’ve experienced with a prospect on the first call, some including personal experiences most people wouldn’t 'just' share, all because the prospect felt an honest and listening salesperson on the other end of the line. Most people have had a bad experience with a cold caller or at least know somebody who have, that will always be in the back of their head every time they don’t know who is calling, and especially within the first bit of an unsolicited call. Try to leave a positive and respectful impression on the person you are calling, no matter the outcome. Be better than the last person that called them. Their day has gotten better after speaking to you.
Keep your enthusiasm, no matter the outcome.
Their impression of your company is better after the call. Resilience on the Phone and Personal Benefit Most people get discouraged when they get rejected, and start procrastinating in all sorts of different ways. Most will experience a lesser fear of rejection after the first few hundreds call (not dials), but the procrastination will still prevail. Just because someone tells you no now, doesn’t mean they won’t say yes another time. Leave a good impression for your company and yourself on the prospect, and don’t be discouraged. You’ll get them on the next call. Outside of business and on a personal level, this can be applied to many other aspects of life. The resilience you get from calling 100+ people during a working day is transferable to many other aspects of life. I myself have used this to land way more interviews and jobs then a CV ever would. Even having applications rejected to ending up getting the job, sorely based on my willingness to approach them with a personal “angle”. Success is not the result of a single approach, but the cumulative effect of many conversations. Embrace every 'no' as a step closer to the next 'yes,' and let resilience be your guide in every aspect of life. Use the relevant While all the digital strategies have definitely changed the sales landscape, they have not made cold calling obsolete. On the contrary, combining cold calling with digital marketing can create a outreach strategy that increases engagement and conversion. The declaration that “cold calling is dead” is not only untrue but fundamentally misguided. In this digital and ever-evolving world, the human touch is more important than ever. It enables businesses to break through digital noise, establish trust, and engage prospects in deep and meaningful conversations that lead to valuable and long-term relationships. The art of cold calling is not a relic of the past; it continues and will continue to drive success in modern business. I believe that embracing this approach can open doors to new opportunities both at a personal level and business-wise. In what ways does cold calling force us to confront our fears of rejection and failure? The Irreplaceable Human Element in Sales The Irreplaceable Human Element in Sales In an era dominated by digital marketing and automated sales, the very idea of cold calling is facing skepticism. Some even go as far as declaring it 'dead,' believing that data algorithms and analytics can replace the human touch (or voice). This is absolutely false . This is absolutely false Cold calling adds a personal element that emails and social media messages just can’t. The ability to hear a human voice, and respond in accordance to a prospect's tone, questions and their objections creates a rapport that automated systems cannot replace. Unlike marketing campaigns that need time and data to get results, cold calling offers immediate feedback for the salesperson. Breaking Through and Building Trust Breaking Through and Building Trust We all encounter thousands of advertisements throughout the day, whether in our email inbox, social media feed, on a billboard, or on the side of a bus.  We are so used to ignoring the marketing we see through the day, because there is so much of it, it’d require a full-time job just to keep track of it all. So, how does one differentiate their message in a time where everything has been heard? Break Through and Build Trust. Break Through and Build Trust. A well-timed phone call, can cut through the noise. It grabs the prospect's full attention in a way that a text/email cannot. Trust is also a crucial factor, and hearing a genuine, confident, human voice on the other side can build credibility much more effectively than words on a screen. Skilled salespeople can adapt their pitch and style based on the prospect, making each interaction tailored to the prospect, and providing value no matter the outcome. Skilled salespeople do not get swayed easily by their emotions. They challenge the prospect’s beliefs in a respectful way, and know when to back off and when to apply pressure for a decision. Even after a full day’s worth of no’s, they remain respectful towards any prospects they talk to or receptionists telling them they 'can’t forward your call.' or "‘send an email’”. Connection and Perception of Cold Outreach Connection and Perception of Cold Outreach Long-term business relationships are often built on personal interactions, and cold calling or personal cold outreach can lay the foundation for these connections. Dismissing cold calling due to one bad experience with a salesperson just trying to sell something unwanted or being rude is understandable but could limit your own opportunities. Not everyone thinks the same, and a surprising amount of people are actually quite open when realizing they are talking to a salesperson who is honest, genuine and transparent. Most people wouldn’t believe the nature of conversations I’ve experienced with a prospect on the first call, some including personal experiences most people wouldn’t 'just' share, all because the prospect felt an honest and listening salesperson on the other end of the line. Most people have had a bad experience with a cold caller or at least know somebody who have, that will always be in the back of their head every time they don’t know who is calling, and especially within the first bit of an unsolicited call. Try to leave a positive and respectful impression on the person you are calling, no matter the outcome. Be better than the last person that called them. Their day has gotten better after speaking to you. Keep your enthusiasm, no matter the outcome. Their impression of your company is better after the call. Their day has gotten better after speaking to you. Keep your enthusiasm, no matter the outcome. Their impression of your company is better after the call. Resilience on the Phone and Personal Benefit Resilience on the Phone and Personal Benefit Most people get discouraged when they get rejected, and start procrastinating in all sorts of different ways. Most will experience a lesser fear of rejection after the first few hundreds call (not dials), but the procrastination will still prevail. Just because someone tells you no now, doesn’t mean they won’t say yes another time. Leave a good impression for your company and yourself on the prospect, and don’t be discouraged. You’ll get them on the next call. Outside of business and on a personal level, this can be applied to many other aspects of life. The resilience you get from calling 100+ people during a working day is transferable to many other aspects of life. I myself have used this to land way more interviews and jobs then a CV ever would. Even having applications rejected to ending up getting the job, sorely based on my willingness to approach them with a personal “angle”. Success is not the result of a single approach, but the cumulative effect of many conversations. Embrace every 'no' as a step closer to the next 'yes,' and let resilience be your guide in every aspect of life. Use the relevant Use the relevant While all the digital strategies have definitely changed the sales landscape, they have not made cold calling obsolete. On the contrary, combining cold calling with digital marketing can create a outreach strategy that increases engagement and conversion. The declaration that “cold calling is dead” is not only untrue but fundamentally misguided. In this digital and ever-evolving world, the human touch is more important than ever. It enables businesses to break through digital noise, establish trust, and engage prospects in deep and meaningful conversations that lead to valuable and long-term relationships. The art of cold calling is not a relic of the past; it continues and will continue to drive success in modern business. I believe that embracing this approach can open doors to new opportunities both at a personal level and business-wise. In what ways does cold calling force us to confront our fears of rejection and failure?

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