Doing sales the right way: our Sales Code

Sometimes, in our endless hustle and our striving to succeed, we get lost. We focus on the things we think matter for our short-term results, and make compromises on the things that really do matter in the long run.

At Vainu, we spend our time spreading the word on real-time sales—using data in every step of the sales process to be truly relevant for our prospects, to listen, and to provide value.

And yet, we noticed we could be doing a better job ourselves, at practicing what we preach daily.

So we came up with our own Sales Code: a list of sales life lessons we live by and adhere to in every situation, regardless of circumstance.

Here’s that list in full:

Vainu's Sales Code

1. We believe there’s a right way of doing sales, and we’re confident we’re the right people to change how people sell around the world.
2. We use our own product as much as possible. It’s the only way to know how we can help.
3. We’re an active B2B sales organization, and we’re proud of it. We understand there are many salespeople out there who aren’t looking for our solution, but still need one.
4. We aim to impress. We’re deliberate in planning how we book a meeting, run a demo, send a proposal and interact with a customer, and it shows in our delivery.
5. We only reach out to prospects when there’s a data-driven reason to be in touch. We genuinely care about being relevant in sales.
6. We only sell to customers that truly benefit from us. When it’s not a fit, there’s no point forcing it.
7. We celebrate our customers’ successes over our own. We understand that helping them succeed is the best way for us to succeed.
8. We won’t compromise who we are to achieve business goals. We’re fine saying no to a customer, a prospect, or anyone else, if conceding puts our core values at risk.
9. We’re passionate about seeing salespeople become better. When presented the opportunity, we’ll always help a fellow salesperson out. It’s fine if people use a competitor or have a different solution, as long as they’re doing sales as it should be done.
10. We’re excited about sales. We understand that it’s challenging, we understand that it’s frustrating at times, but we still love doing it. The ups and downs are a huge part of what makes sales special.

Always a work in progress

We've made our fair share of transgressions against this code over the years. And we most likely will in the future.

But just having your own code of ethics in sales gives you something to strive towards, and something to look back on when contemplating future decisions.

Ultimately, what will work for your company will be different from ours—but I encourage you to at least stop to think about your own code with the team.