SalesTechStar Interview with Astrid Boer Masle, Vice President of Sales at RFPIO

Astrid Boer Masle, Vice President of Sales at RFPIO shares a few thoughts surrounding the complexities of today’s digital buying-selling environment in this short chat:

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Welcome to this SalesTechStar chat Astrid, tell us about your journey in the tech market through the years and more about your new role as VP Sales at RFPIO?

I was fortunate to have the start of my tech career at Forrester Research which taught me that technology is all about enablement. It’s not about how many people having access to the latest and greatest technologies, it’s about how you utilize them to meet your goals.  Data and technology are the enablers for process (re)design, improved user experience and efficiency.  My first scale-up experience was with WebEx at a time when video conferencing was new and scary. Back then, the early majority were afraid digital meetings could mean they’d never travel for business again. Those of us that spent the years since living on airplanes and in hotel rooms to close the next big deal know that fear was unsubstantiated. Even now as Zoom is a household name, we are seeing a resurgence of business travel because there’s something incredibly important and valuable in face-to-face meetings.

Leading global sales teams has taught me that intrinsic values (e.g. I want to be recognized for my work) are often similar across cultures, but buying decisions and technology adoption varies. The key is to recognize the differences and adapt accordingly. At RFPIO, I’ll be leading the effort to expand our presence internationally — an opportunity to enable proposal managers in new markets to embrace the digital changes in our industry and be recognized for the value they bring to their companies.

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As a new executive sales hire at the company and for other sales leaders with new positions, what are some of the first few areas of focus that you feel should be a priority?

My first area of focus is people. In order to be successful it’s important to build trust and connections within the organization. Take the time to get to know individuals and let them get to know you. Listen and ask questions. Then, work to align teams using OKRs (objectives and key results).

What are some of the key B2B sales strategies that you feel are set to redefine the rest of 2022?

Buying decisions have become more complex, involve more stakeholders and can often extend the sales cycle. One thing I love about RFPIO is our focus on the customer experience.

In today’s sales world, B2B companies must focus on the prospects buying their solution, not their product. Value-based selling has always been there, but it has become expected by buyers. Today’s buyers do their homework before speaking to a sales representative and continue to fact check throughout the purchase making peer validation like case studies and customer reviews critical for growth. And, fortunately, RFPIO has a lot of both.

Can you take us through some of your most common sales processes that you’ve pursued over the years and the salestech that has enabled them?

Investing in sales enablement is a key success factor. I’m an advocate of quality over quantity, and maintaining focus on leading indicators. There are multiple sales methodologies such as Miller Heiman and Challenger Sale and the common denominator is planning and execution, which focus on the quality of the sales engagement. Keep track of why you are winning and losing deals,  learn about technology developments and align with internal teams to ensure that you can deliver on your promise.

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What are some of the near future thoughts / predictions you have in mind for the future of B2B sales and salestech?

As social channels like LinkedIn and Slack become increasingly important in B2B sales, and buyers get even more digitally savvy, integrations are going to be vitally important for SaaS providers like RFPIO. At the same time, while the value of technology grows, security and compliance requirements will extend sales cycles. This is where we believe response management can play a vital role in helping companies keep up with the double-digit growth that is becoming the norm in tech

As businesses start adopting in-person meetings and events through the year, how do you feel sales people will have to adjust and how to new sales and business trends?

Sales people tend to be flexible by nature and many were used to working remotely or in a hybrid model well before the global pandemic accelerated the trend. As things open up and travel normalizes, the best sales people will  evaluate the agenda and ROI of travel before making a trip — I think a 15-hour day trip for a single, one-hour meeting is a thing of the past.

Some last thoughts, takeaways, digital sales/customer communication tips and best practices before we wrap up!

B2B buying and selling can be complex. Focus on adding value and making things simpler for your buyer and you’ll will be on your way to becoming a trusted advisor.

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