Building a Winning Sales Process from Scratch in IT Managed Services (From a Real Coaching Session).
Struggling to land deals as the only salesperson with no marketing support? You’re Not Alone.
For Michael, a IT managed services sales rep, this was the reality. He came to Samme with a critical question: How do you bring in sales when you’re the only salesperson, and the company has no marketing support?
In our coaching calls, we dove into the challenges he was facing, from managing a scattered prospect list to tackling objections like, “We’ve got someone for that” or “We’re locked in a contract.” Here’s some of the real, actionable advice we gave him that you might find helpful too:
Focus on One Market Segment (Yes, Just One)
Michael’s team does it all—IT support, custom software, managed services—and that meant he was trying to sell to everyone from healthcare clinics to community banks. The problem? His messaging was too broad to make an impact. So we drilled down to just one segment: healthcare. Why? It’s a huge industry that needs IT, some urgency around laws/regulations, and he’s already had some wins there. Narrowing his focus helped him create messaging that was concise and specific.
Takeaway: If you’re juggling too many buyer personas, cut down to one segment and stick with it. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to develop pitches that hit the mark.
Let Technology Do the Heavy Lifting
I asked Michael about his lead sources. He had spreadsheets from trade shows, referrals from his boss, and scattered contacts from past events—all over the place. No wonder he was overwhelmed! To simplify things, I suggested setting him up with Apollo, a lead generation and email sequencing tool, to automate outreach, track opens, and see who’s actually checking out his website.
What’s in it for you: Use tech like Apollo to find the hidden warm leads in your audience. People who open your email three times or visit your website are low-hanging fruit—much easier than dialing through a cold list.
You can sign up for Apollo here (we earn a commission if you upgrade from their “forever free” plan): https://apollo.grsm.io/samme
Turn Objections into Stories (It’s More Fun and It Works)
One of Michael’s biggest hurdles was handling objections. He was getting hit with responses like, “We’ve got someone in-house” or “Our IT contract’s still active.” Instead of pushing back, I encouraged him to turn these objections into client stories. We crafted a few narratives based on actual clients, like the story of a company that relied on an internal IT guy until a security breach changed their minds.
Try This: Next time, don’t just answer objections—preempt them with a relatable story. “Actually, we helped a healthcare client nearby with the exact same setup. They thought they were all set until…” Paint a picture that shows you’ve solved this problem before. Want help crafting a few killer stories? Book a session, and I’ll show you how to build stories around common objections.
Keep Your Process Simple, Repeatable, and Fun (So You Actually Want to Do It)
Michael needed a daily game plan. We broke it down into three things: check his email replies, engage the people who’ve been on his site, and do some direct outreach to healthcare offices nearby. Nothing complicated, just a rhythm he could actually stick to.
Your Action Step: Set up a checklist for your day. It could be as simple as sending out 20 emails, following up with people who’ve engaged, and making one or two calls to warm leads. It’s all about keeping that pipeline moving without overloading yourself.
