“The abstract of it’s that we prospected like heck, we did in all probability 50 to 100 demos, we struck out loads, and each time we struck out we simply saved going and going and going. We pulled out each useful resource we presumably may, and we didn’t let ‘no’ defeat us, as a result of we knew it was a great alternative.” — Andy Lyon

When Andy Lyon began at ZoomInfo, individuals referred to as him “Andy Cub.” The nickname was his workforce’s approach of each cheering him on and in addition playfully acknowledging the elephant within the room: He wasn’t closing any offers (or, in different phrases, he — regardless of his final identify — “was not but a lion”). His background in leisure gross sales for inns made for a less-than-smooth transition into knowledge and software program, which is what led our CEO, Henry Schuck, to have fun Lyon’s first closed-won deal by blasting “I Can’t Wait to Be King” from the Lion King — in French — all through the gross sales ground.

Quick ahead seven years later, and Lyon has simply closed the most important deal in ZoomInfo historical past: an eight determine deal. 

Between an 11-month gross sales cycle, a $0 deal, and a request for proposal (RFP) with 67 individuals on one name, Lyon’s biggest problem — regardless of hurdle after hurdle — was protecting the religion. Learn on to learn how he did simply that.

Challenges to Closing Huge Enterprise Offers

Problem #1: Inventive Outreach (March 2020)

When Lyon and his SDRs, Reed Newcomer and Rachel Gilkes, came upon that John, their first prospect, had labored on an apple orchard, they’d the right opening for the preliminary outreach e-mail:

With this intro, Lyon began out robust. There appeared to be about $100,000 in alternative, and the deal was shifting ahead.

Then, the corporate — which was within the strategy of buying one other  — noticed an issue: The 2 corporations have been each prospects of ZoomInfo, they usually have been paying two completely different costs.

Now Lyon was confronted with consolidating the contracts.

Problem #2: The $0 Deal (Might 2020)

The primary firm introduced its acquisition two years previous to when it really came about. Inside this time-frame, each corporations had signed separate contracts with ZoomInfo.

On condition that the contracts had confidentiality clauses — and that the merger had not but been made official — Lyon wasn’t at liberty to reveal the small print to each corporations. When the groups on the two organizations conferred, nevertheless, and introduced this to Lyon’s consideration, he made a daring choice: With the intention to offset the costs, he would give them an enormous variety of licenses. Totally free.

“We have been beneath no obligation to do that, however we needed to do it to indicate them that we have been a great companion,” Lyon mentioned.

“It’s gut-wrenching as an AM since you don’t make something on a $0 transaction, however you must do all of the work for it. You continue to must undergo contracting, you continue to must construct an official quote, you must have all of the conversations, you must inform all of your bosses that depend on upsell income that we’re taking the zero … However the thought was, in the long term, this may repay.”

Problem #3: Overcoming the Naysayer (September 2020

In the identical month that Lyon misplaced the primary deal, he instantly began prospecting for the second. A vital piece of data he had realized was that the 2 corporations have been planning to mix Salesforce cases within the close to future, which may solely imply one factor: 

They wanted clear knowledge.

Lyon continued prospecting and ultimately acquired one of many group’s knowledge hygienists on the telephone, whose job, Lyon realized, was to make sure that the company hierarchy construction knowledge in Salesforce was clear.

Bingo.

Issues have been shifting ahead once more. The entire workforce appeared to be on board — apart from one particular person.

“There was one man who was simply adamant about this notion that he had had from a number of years in the past: That our account knowledge wasn’t robust sufficient,” Lyon mentioned.

Lyon and his workforce did all the things they may do to dispel the parable, however they couldn’t cease it from spreading. They might, nevertheless, make the provide of a lifetime: 30 million credit and limitless licenses.

“It was in all probability one of the best deal we’ve ever supplied. And so they didn’t take it.”

Problem #4: The 67-Individual RFP (October 2020)

Lower than a month later, the corporate had a change of coronary heart and despatched a proper RFP, which included a multi-page questionnaire about each side of ZoomInfo, from income to range and inclusion hiring initiatives. 

“Between knowledge providers, contracts workforce, management workforce, CSMs, SDRs, VPs of merchandise, and resolution gross sales workforce, there have been about 40 people who have been serving to on this deal. We had one name the place the RFP viewers was a complete of 67 individuals.”

From mid-November to late December, Lyon and the workforce have been in full combating mode. Proper on the finish of the 12 months, the corporate gave its reply:

No, but once more — however this time, due to a competitor, they usually wouldn’t inform Lyon who.

“That’s sort of the place you grit your enamel and also you simply battle by means of it. Simply since you misplaced doesn’t imply it’s over. You can lose the Tremendous Bowl one 12 months and win it the subsequent.”

Problem #5: Closing an Eight-Determine Deal (February 2021)

Within the first quarter of the brand new 12 months, Lyon nonetheless saved pushing. Regardless of who the competitor was, he was assured that Zoominfo nonetheless had quite a few use instances that may profit the corporate.

“We walked them by means of each use case you might presumably do with ZoomInfo — automated workflows, knowledge hygiene, prospecting, ReachOut, integrations with third-party programs, and many others. — in a slide deck that’s now being leveraged by our whole strategic workforce.”

From mid-January on, Lyon and the workforce entered a negotiating frenzy, and in February 2021, they acquired a sure. After a five-week procurement course of, Lyon closed the eight determine deal.

How did he do it?

When requested about how he pulled this deal off, Lyon’s speedy response was, “It was a workforce effort.” 

So many individuals, he insisted, from colleagues to managers, deserved credit score for his success. The piece of recommendation he took most to coronary heart through the course of was to show his frustration into ardour.

“Typically, I’d have a dialog with considered one of my bosses or former bosses, and I’d be so offended and simply passionate on the telephone, and the steerage they gave me was, ‘How come you weren’t like this on the decision?’” he mentioned. “When you’re enthusiastic about one thing, and you actually consider that you simply’re going to remodel somebody’s enterprise, allow them to see that you simply care about it simply as a lot as they do.”

When it got here to Lyon’s motivation and his will to maintain the religion, there was one thought he saved returning to: his household.

“I’ve a imaginative and prescient board above my desk of what I needed to purchase with my fee, and I’ve an image of my children and my spouse on my desk, and so each name, I used to be simply doing it for them. The fee is sweet, however what’s the fee going to do for my household? That was my private motivation.”

Though his present work-from-home setup doesn’t permit for “I Can’t Wait to Be King” to sound all through the gross sales ground, at the least Lyon can relaxation assured about one factor: He’s definitely earned his identify.