A traveling rep just wants to stay home

Published: Wed, 01/15/25

Updated: Wed, 01/15/25

January 15, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Quota readers, and welcome back to another issue of the sales newsletter written by grizzled, highly-caffeinated humans, not snooty, electricity-powered AI. In this week’s edition, we’ll take a look at how to ask for referrals, share a Sales Fail about a pricing mistake, and give some advice to a rep who's sick of traveling. Let’s get started.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

Referral leads have a 30% higher conversion rate than any other channel.

Source: Invesp

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

Sales-tech giant Salesforce says it won't hire any software engineers in 2025 because of gains from AI. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said, “We’re not adding any more software engineers next year because we have increased the productivity this year with Agentforce and with other AI technology that we’re using for engineering teams by more than 30% – to the point where our engineering velocity is incredible.” You can read more about it here.
A Ravens fan was fired from his Baltimore insurance job after a video of him assaulting a Commanders fan went viral. Jack Callis, an insurance salesman from the Beltway area, was dismissed by the firm of Maury, Donnelly & Parr after footage of the incident went viral last Monday. The video shows Callis pursuing two men in Commanders jerseys after the Ravens' 30-23 win over their Beltway rivals. When he catches up with the pair, Callis knocks one man to the ground with a single punch before throwing the other against a brick wall. You can read more about what happened here.

FEATURE

How to ask for referrals without being pushy

According to (the behavior of) many reps, asking for referrals is one of least comfortable parts of sales. You're asking the customer to help you, and giving them nothing in return (your undying gratitude may not be that important). But here's the thing: referrals are the holy grail of sales. They close faster, spend more, and actually want to talk to you (yes, it’s true).

The problem? Most salespeople either avoid asking altogether or come off like that old friend from high school who's just discovered an MLM scheme and suddenly wants to "grab a coffee to catch up." Today, we'll break down how to ask for referrals without jeopardizing relationships with your happy customers – the golden rule: ask and you (might) receive.

Timing is everything

The perfect time to ask is right after you've delivered value. Just closed a deal that made your client look like a hero to their boss? Helped them crush their Q1 goals? That's your moment.

Don’t hesitate or wait until your pipeline is dry to ask. The exact moment they tell you how happy or grateful they are for how you’ve helped them, that’s your time to strike. They're riding high on their success, and you're the person who made it happen.

Make it about them (because it kind of is)

Don’t make it sound like you’re asking for a favor. Instead, frame your referral request as a way for your client to help their network. Instead of saying, "Know anyone else who needs our software?" try, "I'd love to help other [marketing directors] achieve similar results—do you know anyone who's facing the same challenges you were?"

You're not begging for leads; you're giving your customer an opportunity to make themselves look like an early adopter and smart business person to colleagues in their network—and they can come out looking like a hero.

Plant the seed early

Instead of one big ask, try a systematic approach that weaves referral requests into each step of your sales process.

Lay the groundwork: "As we work together, I'd love to help any colleagues you think might benefit from similar results."

Make it specific: "I notice you're well-connected with other SaaS companies in Boston. Would you be open to introducing me to one or two people who might be interested in our solution?”

Maintain professional courtesy: "No pressure at all, I understand if now isn't the right time—I know everyone's busy.”

Make sure to follow-through

Got a referral? Congratulations! Now don't mess it up. Keep your referral source updated on how things go. Whether you close the deal or not, let them know what happened. It shows respect for their network and makes them more likely to refer you again.

Pro tip: Send a thank-you note or small gift to anyone who refers you. Don’t send company swag. Make it personal—a handwritten note and a gift card to a nice restaurant in their neighborhood will make them feel valued, and increase the chances they keep sending you more referrals (you may not even have to ask next time).

The "Don't Be a Dummy" rules

Never ambush clients with referral requests during other meetings
Don't offer commission/kickbacks unless it's explicitly part of your program
Never pressure or guilt-trip
Don't name-drop without permission
Don't send LinkedIn requests to people you found by stalking your client's connections

The bottom line

Asking for referrals is like dating—confidence is attractive, desperation is not. Focus on delivering exceptional value first, and the referral conversations will flow naturally. And remember, the worst they can say is no. Keep it casual, keep it professional, and most importantly, keep it focused on how you can help more people solve real problems.

IT’S 2025 — AND YOU'RE STILL DIALING MANUALLY?

Every morning, sellers lose time to manual dialing. They dial one at a time, wait, get the answering machine, leave a message, curse their luck, contemplate their life’s choices. And repeat.

But hello, it’s 2025. Stop cursing yourself and get a sales dialer already.
We’re going to toot our horn just a little bit and say that with JustCall, you can get more dials per hour, better connect rates, and more meetings.

Start your free trial

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which company recently announced it was hiring 1,000 salespeople to sell its new AI product?

A. Microsoft
B. HubSpot
C. Salesforce
D. Toyota

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

This is a "good" Sales Fail I wanted to share to show that people generally want to do the right thing. I run my own small business that sells tea wholesale to coffee shops and specialty grocery stores in the U.S. I work with a few different suppliers in China to source tea in bulk.

I signed a deal with a new supplier—a small, family-owned Chinese company. I talked to the owner who was the grandson of the guy who started the company. He was very nice and eager to work with me. They sent over the invoice for the first shipment and it was for 2,550 Yuan, which comes out to around 350 USD. I was surprised because my order was for much more. I looked back at our contract for the order and someone on their end had messed up on the pricing and somehow no one noticed and we had both signed the contract at 2,550 Yuan, when the order was supposed to be for 25,500 Yuan.

I didn't want to completely screw these guys because of a typo, so I sent them an email letting them know and told them I wanted to pay the actual full amount. The owner of the company emailed me back and apologized for the error on his end and said they would honor the 2,550 number on the contract anyway because it was their mistake and they valued the relationship. I emailed him back letting him know it wouldn't be necessary and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take such a big loss for a simple mistake and insisted again that I pay the right amount. He emailed me back, thanking me and told me he would let me pay the correct amount but with a 10% discount. I accepted this and paid the invoice.

The whole scenario felt like a very weird reverse-negotiation, but it reassured me that there are still honest people out there. We've been working together for 2 years now.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- January 2025

WORTH A PEEK

Is it possible to go into sales in your mid-thirties and still succeed? This was the topic of discussion in a recent Reddit thread, with over 300 responses. You can read the entire conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team

I got a sales job right out of college that requires a lot of travel. Before college, I hadn't ever really left my hometown. I'm in year 4 at this same job now, but I feel like I'm starting to get burned out. I spent over 150 days on the road last year sleeping in hotel rooms by myself. I used to be really motivated: I'd wake up early and get a workout in at the hotel gym and after work, I'd explore some bars and restaurants in whatever town I was in and meet some locals.

But recently, I've just felt no interest in doing any of this. I sleep in until the last minute, do my job, and go back to my hotel room and just watch movies. I feel like I'm missing a big part of my 20s by not having a "normal" life where I can plant roots and build friendships and relationships at home. But I really do enjoy my job, aside from the travel, and I REALLY like the money—I don't think I can give it up. What should I do?

Tired in All Over the Place

Dear Tired,

It sounds like you're experiencing burnout and might also be depressed. You need a paradigm shift and might also want to consider starting therapy.

Some ideas: instead of going to the gym by yourself, maybe pick up a new sport/hobby like pickleball or find a local run club in the places you travel. The newness of the activity paired with meeting new people might help you feel more engaged again.

That being said, there are very few people who are built for long-term travel. If you're truly craving a sense of normalcy, then it might be time to find another job that requires less travel, even if that means taking a pay cut. Good luck!

Quiz Answer: C. Salesforce recently announced it was hiring 1,000 salespeople to sell its new AI product (you can read the source article here)

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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