Did you know that you can close a deal before the actual sales process? Say what? That doesn’t make any sense. Actually, it does. But for it to make sense, you must listen to this week’s episode of the TES podcast. In this episode, host Donald welcomes Carlos, a Dynamics and Business Application Specialist at Microsoft, to discuss the importance of internal buy-in for sales reps.  Carlos shares his insights and experiences in navigating large organizations and building strong relationships with internal partners. He highlights the significance of trust and effective communication in securing warm leads and closing deals successfully. Carlos' Role at Microsoft Carlos briefly explains his role as a dynamics and business application specialist at Microsoft, specifically focusing on the banking vertical.  In this position, Carlos collaborates with large banks to help solve operational and sales force issues using Microsoft's CRM tools and local platform.  He expresses his excitement and passion for his work at Microsoft and emphasizes the value he brings to the table through his expertise. Understanding the Power of Internal Buy-In  Carlos emphasizes the significance of internal buy-in for sales reps. He highlights how sales professionals often struggle to realize the power of gaining support within the buyer's organization before closing a deal.  Carlos admits that he faced similar challenges when he started as a young sales rep, and he acknowledges that many others are still trying to figure out this process.  The Significance of Internal Partnerships  Drawing from his 15 years of experience in various sales roles, Carlos emphasizes the importance of building alliances with internal partners.  As a specialist, Carlos is not the primary point of contact with customers. However, he realizes the significant impact of warm leads generated through strong relationships with internal partners in increasing the probability of closing deals successfully.  Carlos shares an example from his early days as a field sales rep at Bank of America, where he developed a fruitful partnership with a financial center manager. This partnership allowed Carlos to enhance his lead generation efforts and create a successful sales pipeline.  Trust, timeliness, and follow-through were key factors in building and sustaining such partnerships. Success through Building Trust  Carlos explains how trust was pivotal in his relationship-building efforts with internal partners. By approaching his partnerships with humility and a genuine willingness to meet expectations, Carlos established a solid foundation for trust.  Through consistent communication, timely responses to leads, and transparent follow-ups, Carlos ensured that the internal partners were informed and involved in the entire sales process.  Carlos demonstrated his commitment to delivering value by prioritizing customer satisfaction, providing efficient service, and demonstrating integrity. His success in nurturing these partnerships led to multiple achievements, such as recognition in the Platinum Clubs at Bank of America. Carlos emphasizes the significance of internal buy-in and the impact it can have on sales success. He encourages sales reps to prioritize building relationships with internal partners, being reliable, and displaying integrity throughout the sales process. Sales professionals can navigate large organizations and increase their chances of success by cultivating trust and delivering value. "I learned quickly in my first sales role that I need to become friends with my customers. I'm sure everybody will agree a warm lead where there's a relationship with the customer is a lot better than a cold lead." - Carlos Oquendo Jr. Resources Carlos Oquendo Jr. on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot. With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines.