Julian Franky
Co-Founder and CEO at Lineup
Julian is a designer from the University of Los Andes. From an early stage in his professional life, he felt a passion for entrepreneurship and founded his first company, Damappa, of which he was CEO for 9 years. At Damappa, he had his first encounter with the world of digital marketing where, along with his team, he identified the main pains of sales teams. From this discovery, the idea of creating Lineup was born, an intelligent prospecting platform to help sales teams sell better by connecting with the right people. For Julián, adaptation is the key to being a successful salesperson.
What did Julián Share?
This is an intriguing interview where Julian and María Andrea share how Lineup currently aids sales teams and how they plan to revolutionize the sales process. The first point they emphasize is the importance of time: “time kills all businesses” in terms of dealing with unqualified prospects filling calendars, an incorrect prioritization of prospects, and manual prospect deliveries that create friction and delay deal closures. One of Lineup’s obsessions is precisely this: optimizing time.
On another note, Julian presents a sales perspective in a different context: the role of co-founders. This role is always tied to sales in various ways: with investors, with company employees, and with clients. They involve sales, and what changes is the message depending on the person they’re interacting with. According to Julian, what differentiates a good salesperson from a less proficient one is the ability to adapt the sales message to resonate with the individual and their needs.
The Key to be a Successful Salesperson
To be a successful salesperson, the key is to establish a connection. How? By bridging the gap between the seller and the buyer. And how do you bridge that gap? By RESEARCHING the person you’re going to speak with. Know everything about them and the company they work for. However, in this research, it’s crucial to identify if the person fits the profile of the right prospect or not. For Julian, defining “who they are” and “what they need” is fundamental. At Lineup, they analyze the authority and behavior of buyers to identify this.
“I believe a salesperson can be made, but they must be open to changing strategies rapidly. Someone who only wants to read from a script won’t make a good salesperson. The story you tell in a sales pitch is roughly the same, but the exact words are never the same. This adaptability can be trained.”
Julián Franky
Julian’s Top Tips for our Community
- Understand the role of each person in every sale.
- Have resilience: sales involve knocking on many doors, receiving many NOs, and a few YESes.
- Learn from other salespeople’s strategies to improve every day.
