Becc Holland

Head of Sales Development

Flip the Script

CEO & Founder

Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas

Founding Academic Fellow

Sendoso

Advisory Board Member

Groundswell

UserGems 💎

REGIE.io

Vendition

Sales Hacker, Inc.

Director of Sales Leadership & Sales Prospecting Channels

Revenue Collective

Member

AA-ISP

Chapter Officer - Silicon Valley

A homegrown Texan who innately believes that hiring the right people, is just as important as developing them.

Advisor

lempire.com

Well…. Look who just dropped into town, & paid me a visit today. 🙂


The one & only, Carole Mahoney.

CEO @ Flip the Script

Gartner reports that CRM data “decays” 30% per year: & Harvard Business Review cited that bad data, costs orgs ~15-25% of overall revenue.

15 to 25%, on average.
And that’s conservative.


Entrepreneur estimated inaccurate data, has a price tag of 30% or more....
Of TOTAL revenue annually, for orgs.

Which according to Gartner, costs orgs across the board—
A whopping $9.7 million annually… JUST spent on poor data quality.


& B2B data?
The picture isn’t prettier, it gets worse.




B2B contact data, in specific….

Decays at a rate of 70% per year, causing 70% of prospecting efforts to be wasted on interacting with decayed lists.

▪️. 37.3% of contacts will have an email address change.
▪️. 42.9% acquire new phone numbers.
▪️  29.6% will change companies entirely. (Industry Select)


….. every single year.



And the impact on the team?

▪️  27.3% of AEs’ overall time, is wasted on bad lists.
▪️  In November 2024, data decay overall reached it’s highest rate statistically to date of 3.6% PER MONTH, across the globe.

▪️  And $3.1 TRILLION is lost each year, to poor data quality. (IBM)



BUT, there is good news.
The good news is…..


Clean data improves cold email response rates by 20%.
AND it improves CLOSED-WON rates alone, by 15%.



That’s it.
…..no plug.

That’s really the post.



I was just talking to a buddy last night, & he spent 4 hours yesterday a list of “800 new leads in his territory” ——>

Which was brought down to 173, after IT WAS clean.
& got curious to look up the stats.




If you’re a Sales/SDR leader who (understandably) hasn’t heard about this…..

I would DEFINITELY recommend looking into 2 things, as a part of your 2026 strategy—

Data decay.
& email deliverability.


Those are both the 2 most insidious & pervasive cases of “termites” to the “sales house”, if you will. 





so, there’s a LOT of problems teams could be thinking about, rolling into 2026….

& my question is:
are teams out there thinking about data-decay, as one of them?

Bill James (the founder of the Society of American Baseball Research…. Later known as SABR metrics) AKA. the guy behind Moneyball— said in an interview once, that: “A problem is only a problem, in the presence of a metric.”


That a “win”, is a win, according to a metric.

A gain is a gain, against a metric.
A loss is lost ground, of a metric.

& that a goal, is always based on a metric.



And that essentially the only different between any 1 job—
And the next job….

Are the KPIs & metrics, that the person is responsible for.




And their ENTIRE job, & the entire difference between jobs—->
Is out of all the KPIs, at an org…..

Which KPIs, is that person, accountable to maintain?




So for example…..
A seller, is held responsible for the metric of “sales”.

But, an:
▪️ IT Director, is responsible for Server Uptime.
▪️ CFO, is responsible for Gross Profit Margin.

▪️ HR Director = Employee Churn. (++open jobs filled)
▪️ CX Leader = Client Renewal. (++ upsell/cross-sell)

▪️ Marketer = MQL.
▪️ CISO= Number & severity of security breaches.
▪️ UX Designer= Feature adoption rate.



But every buyer, has a metric, they’re measured on…..
That is the metric, that defines their universe.


They think about that metric.
Sweat about that metric.
Spend their career learning, how to affect that metric.


And most importantly……
Their PAIN, is in relationship to that metric.




& the PROBLEMS….
That they will deem “worth solving”….

That they’ll prioritize solving—
That they’ll advocate for solving— (& rightfully so)

& are responsible, for solving….

Are ALSO, anchored to, defined by, & based on….
that metric.




So I ask/say this nicely….
And out of deep respect……

When different buyers, are in a deal—>

why, oh why,
do we think, (when & if we do), that OUR job….


is to get everyone to “agree on the problem to solve”?





They didn’t ask for us, to do that.
Or need us, to do that.
Or need ANYONE really, to do that.

They won’t in their core, fundamentally agree. 
And WE shouldn’t want them to—


Because they’re going to solve & spend their time solving, COMPLETELY different problèms…

And that’s OK! 🙂





It doesn’t help them, to verbally agree on the problem—
It doesn’t help them, to all solve the same problem—



And it’s not required: For them to agree, on the same problem…
in order to agree, on the same product.

(which is often our goal, anyways. 😬)




The product they want to buy, can & might be the same, for 6 buyers.


But….

▪️  How, they’re going to use it.
▪️  What part of it, they’ll use.

▪️  When, they’re going to use it. 
▪️  Why, they’re going to use it.

▪️  What they’re going use it, to do.
▪️  The outcome they’re after, by using it…

& the problem they’re going to (hopefully), solve by using it:


is going to be different— For each & every buyer persona.




Beauty’s in the eye, of the beholder.
& problems are in the eye, of the buyer.



Happy Monday y’all— (speaking of pain)
This week feels like it’s gonna be a good one. 🙂

….The Office came on last night: & 3 min. into Ep.1, Jim Halpert talks about “what his job is, as a seller”——😐
For shame Jim, for shame.

y’all— when we ask buyers questions like…
what’s the impact to you of ____? OR what are the ripple effects of ___?….

They KNOW what we’re doing. 

It’s 2025. 

They’re not dumb.

They’re completely aware that we’re just trying to get them to admit some BIG impact…..

So we can justify why they should buy. 




If we ask a question like that—
And they already KNOW the impact…
And they’re correct….


Respectfully, they don’t need us.





There’s no point in a buyer, telling us that information. 

It’s not only pointless, to tell us that….
It’s to their DISADVANTAGE to tell us that.


Because if they have a BIG problem—> 
And we know it…..

We won’t discount.




They become completely aware at that point…..
That our goal is to sell. 

Not to help them. 

Sure we don’t mind if they were helped as well along the way….




But our MAIN goal,
in asking a question like that….

Is to sell them. 

And they know that.
Heck, we know that. 





Doctors & lawyers, both ask questions. 


But a doctor: is asking questions to diagnose, to help the person….

& correct anything that they believe that’s not true, or find anything they’ve missed.


A lawyer is asking questions, to make someone say something……

To make someone else believe something.





Our agenda MATTERS.
In everything— But especially in sales.




So my question is;


Are we asking questions, to get them to admit pain….. So we can use it to close.

Or to admit an impact…. 
So we can use it to close.

Or to “realize something”….
So they are more likely to close.


Or to “feel the pain”….
So they’ll close.

Or to “be more human”….
So they lower their barriers….
So we can close.

Or to “make them feel heard”….
So they’ll like you….
So they’ll close. 


Or worst of them all—>

To have them “calculate the COI”……
To manipulate them…..
And make them more afraid….

So they’ll close.



ORRRRR





Are we asking them questions, to diagnose the things that they DON’T know……..

To help them.


Whether they work with us or not.






When you’re taking a picture….
Only 1 thing can be in focus. 
We have to pick. 


So which one of those, is in focus, for us?

… short quip on the difference between pain v. problem: & how to find the “problem you solve” for your buyers, in <30 seconds. 🙂

…had the most 100% Texan + 100% French day… Riding horses, on Thanksgiving— at Palace de Versailles. 🙂🇫🇷


Happy Thanksgiving y’all.

Thankful for y’all.
Thankful for Black Friday electronics. 
Thankful for Carole Mahoney… 

For listening to HOURS of my Strangers Things theories.




But most of all….
This was my first time ever— doing a “standing/2 pt. post” on a horse.



So I’m incredibly, sincerely, 14 billion/10, from the bottom of my heart thankful…..
That this horse didn’t buck me off into oblivion. 🫥

(As a seller) If we BEG for a discovery call with a buyer……. But don’t find anything they don’t already know— Why SHOULD they take that call, with us?


why would they want to? 



if we don’t even know: 

▪️ their metrics.
▪️ their problems.
▪️ the point at which those metrics, suggest they have a problem.

▪️ terms they use.
▪️ or we don’t know MORE, than they already know themselves….




I (ethically) have to ask,
in that case scenario;


which isn’t ALWAYS the case— But statistically speaking, is the overwhelming majority of the time…..



in that case scenario

why WOULD taking a call with us be a good (productive & helpful) idea for a buyer?

Fun French Fact (or Facet) Friday… Partie 1 :)
This one —-> Is for all of the “Inception” lovers out there. 


For whatever reason,
I thought doing one of these every Friday…Was a GREAT idea. 


Where I take a break from sales content, 
& do a fact about France…

Or a “facet” of France, that made me fall in love with it here. :)



And then I thought, for week 1 of it…
Instead of doing a French fact, OR a facet…

Por que no los dos? 🤷‍♀️🫥




So, the French facet, is in the video— & it’s about the movie Inception if you’ve seen it. 




And the fact…
Well, being the HUGE fan of learning a buyer’s metrics in sales, of course the fact is on that. 



So the French…
Get this….

Were the FIRST to develop the metric system back in 1790. 




The National Assembly asked French Scientists (at the French Academy of Science)—

To develop a system, to replace the measurement & weight system, they were using at the time.  

They thought the system they were using, was too impractical, inconsistent, & “chaotic”.



And they also wanted to create a universal measuring system— That was based on reason v. local tradition. 





So since the goal was being relevant/applicable to ALL, it was developed based on the entire earth— 

And the units of it, based on the proportion to the earth’s circumference.


So a meter— Is exactly 1/10 millionth of the distance from the North Pole —> To the equator. 

With the line of thinking being…  That then it’s the same measurement, irrespective of country. 






So they invented the “metric system” in 1790.

The French Government adopted it officially in 1795. 

& it was established as the international standard– At the Mètre Convention of 1865 in Sèvres. 




And is still to this, the standard measurement system used in EVERY country in the world…. Except for 3:

▪️ Liberia
▪️ Myanmar (Burma)
▪️ And of course…. The US. 🙄:)




So there ya’ have it folks—
Metrics, even the term “metrics”… Was all created by the French. 



And if that’s not reason enough to love them….
I really, don’t know what is. 🙂





OK that’s enough from me! 
Bon-weekend à tous. 
And see y’all next week.

....Once upon a time, my Mom wanted to teach her horse, to "play ball"— But they told her, that it simply couldn't be done.

& not without good reason.


Kenzi's head strong—
& got a bit of a temper. 

But most importantly, she’s a cutting horse.


So she does, what cutting horses do—
She cuts.

Cuts through cattle.
Cuts through sheep.


and mirrors the actions—
& role of a sheep dog.


Horses aren't NORMALLY the 1st choice to herd..
A dog is.
5 words—

The goal dictates what's best.


If the goal is quick transpo– You need fast, strong, & able to carry weight.

So a horse will work.
But a dog won't—
They’re quick, BUT can’t support much weight.



If the goal is to herd– You need fast, agile, able to pivot, & low to the ground.

So a dog works.
But a horse won’t—

They're fast.
But they’re high off the ground.
W/ long legs, that are close together—

& if they pivot too quickly, they’d fall over.



So the goal of using the animal → 
Dictates which animal is best to use.



But a “cutting horse”—
Is trained to do the unthinkable.

(at 1.2k lbs) Do the job, of a 70lb dog.

& since the goal isn't “normal”...
Their training isn't either.



The goal of a “trail horse”=  carry riders smoothly on a trail.

It’s about DE-sensitizing them, to what’s around them–
So they don't scare easily.

So even if there’s a kid, who pops their gum…
Or rides near a dog.

Screams.
Yells to a buddy.
Or cries–

They stay put, underneath the rider.


Quick pivots &  decisions– 
Are all foes.




But a “cutting horse” the goal is to herd.

So it’s about SENSITIZING them, to what’s around them—
To notice everything, & make decisions on it.

So quick pivots, & decisions–
Are friends.



So what makes Kenzi good at cutting..
Makes her pretty awful, at just about everything else.


ESPECIALLY stuff that looks abnormal.


So a plastic bag?
It’s a problem.

A rando dog ½ a mile away?
She’s aware.

That pink-jacket around my waist?
She’s not a fan.

But I’m wearing it, to de-sensitive her..
That even though "scary pink thing" is loud, it's OK.


But, a giant ass soccer ball?
That's a hard pass.

What on earth.



So why everyone said she can't "play ball", isn't because she's dumb.
Or has 0 skills. 

It’s she’s a cutting horse—
& been trained, to cut.

A trail horse?
Soccer would take time, but it’s doable.

A cutting horse?
It’s like trying to train a 4 yr. old, to be able to dunk on Shaq.




So…….
What's this got to do with sales?

The goal of using a tool…
Dictates what’s best.



So when we pitch f/b...
(It’s the best __, quickest __, most granular ___)

Without knowing the goal–
We don't know, if that's what they need.


Maybe granular isn’t good.
Maybe the more granular, the worse.


Or a buyer asks “how do you & __ differ?”
& we answer.

Or demo, sans questions.
Or share our screen, 1st call.
Or BANT..
Or like “demscovery”.


Remember– 
Saying we've got the “tallest horse in town"..


Might be the final nail in the coffin–
Of why they SHOULDN’T buy, NOT why they should.

Newtons 1st law & 3rd law…. Are both at play, in sales. & work together— BUT they can work together to KILL your deals, not close them.


Newtons 1st (sales) law— A buyer in motion, stays in motion……..
Unless enacted upon by an outside force.

An outside force like… Procurement.

Legal. ++ buyers.
leadership swaps. Or Layoffs. 

& enough of those forces come into play?
They don’t just slow down—
They stop it entirely. 




& that's where most deals are lost.
NOT because their problem isn’t big enough—
They’re not stuck in “status-quo”.

The problem IS big enough—
That’s why they initially started moving.


& at this point, in walks the seller…
to “remind them of what happens if they don’t buy.”



And run the trusty ol’ COI Selling playbook:

To (sadly) leverage & double down on their fear of doing nothing....
have them spell out the “Cost Of Inaction”—
& try to scare them, back into motion.




....But fear just doesn’t work like that.



& in this EXACT moment: Newton’s 3rd law activates. 

just in time, to paralyze the buyer still—
And cripple the odds of close because of it.



They started to buy.
& took a call.

Told us their pain.
and we forecasted it.

But then procurement entered...
2 new DMs. & their CFO.
So they slowed down.


We got antsy, since they missed their “mutual actual plan” steps.

So we ping them.
Nothing.

And we ping them again….
Rien. 


& then start to pressure.
or COI sell. 

make them calculate it all out….
so they’ll really feel it.

talk about all of the scary goblins——>
waiting, if they don’t put one foot in front of the other. 


& we even used THEIR words.... 

Because it’s THEIR words after all,
Surely that'll work, right? 



But in comes Newton’s 3rd law—
For every (sales) action, there's an equal & opposite reaction.


They WERE moving..
But they dug their heels in a bit, to slow down.

Because of fear—
NOT of what happens if they DON'T solve it.

but if they try to.. & fail.
what’s the cost of that?

Now fear of ACTION is king.
NOT (in)action. 



They’ve got fear of NOT doing something—
Sure.
That’s why they started to solve it.



But NOW.. They're more afraid of the "cost" of getting it wrong.

What if they pick the wrong tool?
or there's too much info, to absorb?

Or they do pick the right tool...
But STILL don’t achieve the outcome?


And when that FOA started rising—
they dug their heels in.

& at that exact point..
we pressured.

Instead of counteracting their fear, by finding unknowns…
We applied force, to keep the buyer moving.


& the action we took—
& force we applied—

Had a reaction.


But the reaction to pressure, is to be static.

Push a little? Dig their heels in, a little more. 
Push a lot? 

Their heels dig FAR into the ground..
Or flip them over entirely. 


But either way, they stopped.
& WE (the seller), is what stopped them. 


CFO, legal, & their new boss—> All slowed them down.

But the seller (with our COI selling & 999 other techniques)...
Is what ultimately, scared them still.

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