Gong - The Ultimate Connector of Strategy & Execution
Companies often face a disconnect between their go-to-market strategy and the reality that front-line team members are facing, particularly during major industry changes and economic shifts like the current recession. Fortunately for Gong users they can quickly use data to identify and solve these disconnects.
Through our client work we quickly recognized that Gong is far more than a call recording tool used for ad-hoc coaching. It’s the connective tissue between senior management strategy and front line execution.
Gong helps leaders move beyond a rep’s perspective to the objective reality of what was actually said and what’s transpiring during the buyer and customer journey. It provides the ability to garner an unbiased perspective on whether there is alignment between the strategy and the actual events occurring on the front lines.
For these reasons, it has become our go-to source of truth when working with clients. Gong allows us to get a quick sense of what is actually happening in the field.
Case Study Example
As an example, let’s look at this common scenario we see.
ACME Case Study: ACME leaders were concerned their reps were underperforming as they were struggling to meet their net new business goals. However, surface level data showed strong win-rates compared to others in the industry.
Without Gong: If we only went off that information, we’d go directly into an ICP conversation on how to optimize their targeting approach. Additionally, based on their CRM it was difficult to break down where the team was spending their time and even harder to see what’s a true day-in-the-life for a rep. We couldn’t truly get to the root cause of their issues.
This is where Gong came in.
With Gong we were able to dig deeper to get a pulse check on reality, without having to sift through each activity and email. What we uncovered is that reps were getting ghosted and didn’t have activity on opportunities. Additionally, we looked into the type of opportunities and calls across the team - what we found is the reps were actually spending the majority of their time on non-sales activities + emailing back and forth on support issues. The real problem was capacity issues and role alignment - they weren’t able to spend time on net new deals. With those details, we were able to focus ACME leaders on where the team should spend their time.
After taking the Front Line Manager certification my team and I were well equipped to help our clients make the most out of Gong. Through our learnings, we coach clients on using Gong to identify disconnects and make data-driven decisions to adjust their strategies based on real-life situations.
Utilizing the knowledge gained during the certification, we typically start engagements getting a pulse check on the team’s current state by assessing skills, performance & specific market conditions. This enables us to determine areas that require deeper exploration. Examples of this are conducting win/loss analysis or reviewing performance by different verticals.
A huge benefit of Gong and the FLM course is that this type of analysis used to take weeks but now can be whittled down to days or even hours.
How to Leverage Gong
Here are 3 key ways to leverage Gong to expedite the discovery of truth in any given scenario.
1) Pulsecheck with “Deal Drivers”
Oftentimes the answers to our issues lie in opportunities. To get a sense of reality and where overarching problems might persist, go into “Drivers” under Deals and see what’s really happening. Are we single threaded consistently? Is one rep getting ghosted vs. another? Review across different periods to identify trends.
With that as context, dig further into “warning” signs across late stage pipelines. Sort all your team’s deals by close date & ACV. Dig into what’s taking place - are we getting ghosted? Is this deal actually dead? Click into deals, review the emails, and follow the trend of engagement over time. Repeat the process from commit to best case deals. Oftentimes, the email communications or ending of last call is a big leading indicator of where the issues exist.
2) Leverage Points of Interest to validate Prospect’s desires
Once we get a general baseline for where gaps may be hindering performance, we dig into the insight from the prospect’s voice. Utilizing the “Points of Interest” feature when reviewing calls, we’re able to uncover specific problems at scale. For example, if they are often getting ghosted after the first call, we’ll analyze 1st call discovery calls and look at next steps and objection points across the team to see what’s coming up and how we’re handling it.
Pro tip: Analyze data with consistent denominators and try to review calls with the same components. For example, analyze calls across similar verticals and personas to see what trends lie beneath the surface.
3) Review aggregate trends with Win/Loss Data
With Win/Loss functionality, you can slice the data to find further optimization and coaching points. With the “CRM Filters” you’re able to filter to get the views you need, such as on net new deals or deals by verticals. Oftentimes you’ll start to see some gaps around verticals and ICP that will inform the organization on where skill improvement or changes in targeting is needed. This could mean addressing how reps should engage with specific personas, more education on certain verticals or adjusting how the organization is targeting certain industries.
Pro tip: Leverage deal duration in opportunity coaching to help reps understand that anything taking “longer” than average is at risk of not closing. Identify why the deal is stalled and coach reps on these specific gaps.
What makes this workflow so powerful is that it bridges the communication gap between executives and the field in areas that can ultimately hinder performance. It addresses execution gaps that frequently go unnoticed. By adopting the methodologies taught in the FLM Certification course you can truly understand what is happening and address issues proactively. Not only will Gong and the knowledge gained in their course help you coach your team, improve performance, and improve forecast consistency, but it will also help you impress the senior leaders by uncovering critical insights.
Become a Gong Power User
If you are interested in becoming a Gong power user join our LinkedIn Group where we share useful content for Gong users!
