It’s not zero-sum. You can make data-driven decisions, and you can also make decisions that are driven by instinct. Your gut instinct.
It’s a major lesson I’ve learned along the entrepreneurship journey.
Too often, because my “gut” doesn’t fit into a spreadsheet, I’m slow to act on instinct. The truth is that instinct comes from lived experiences and is data, even if it doesn’t fit in a spreadsheet. Those experiences should carry weight and be trusted in making decisions.
If you trust your gut and it’s right, you’ll move faster.
If you trust your gut and it’s wrong, you’ll learn faster (and probably gather some quantitative data along the way).
I think the same can be said for marketers. There’s never been more pressure on marketers to measure every move. That doesn’t mean that you should be paralyzed by “data-driven decisions.” If you have the experience and you’ve built the trust with your team, … do your homework and trust your gut.
Speed wins.
You should still use data. Lots of it, when you have it. But don’t discount your experience because it doesn’t fit in an =If,then formula.
A similar theme came up in a conversation with Bill Caskey on a recent episode of The Content Cocktail Hour.
"Salespeople know a lot, and yet that knowledge gets impacted. It just sits dormant inside us. But if you're in sales today, you have stories, you have assets that are underused. Start using your damn assets."
He then used the word “soul.”
Does your sales process have “soul”? Or is it a process-driven checkbox with carefully defined exit criteria and qualification steps? It should have both.
Whether it’s your gut, it’s your story, or it’s your soul, put it to use.
We could all use a little more of it.
Until next week,
Jonathan
Fresh Episode of Content Cocktail Hour
How Mindset, Not Skill, Determines Your Sales Outcomes with Bill Caskey
In this episode, we’re joined by Bill Caskey, President of Caskey Achievement Strategies, to stir the pot by challenging conventional sales tactics and advocating for a more profound, mindset-oriented approach to selling. Bill will help you rethink how sales teams operate, the critical interplay between marketing and sales, and why creating soul in your sales process can lead to more authentic and fruitful customer relationships. This episode is a must-listen for anyone eager to leave the old-school sales playbook behind and engage prospects in a way that’s meaningful and effective.
Best Content of The Week:
🧃The Complete Guide to Social Media Prospecting
From: Salesforce
Social media prospecting is the process of using social media to find and engage with potential new customers. Learn tips and techniques.
From: RevGenius
Meet the future of GTM and join the movement! The Next 50 GTM Startups List features the next generation of companies making waves in B2B. These startups are building the future of tech, let’s shine a spotlight on the NEXT!
🧃Revenue Planning: The How-To Guide
From: MultiplyGTM
An unlocked guide for building a revenue model and how best to report progress using KPIs.
