Silence is golden: This sales team measures success by how much they *don’t* talk

by | Feb 28, 2018 | Portfolio News

SHYFT Analytics is a software-as-a-service company dedicated to helping salespeople thrive in bio and life science industries. It provides ongoing training and education for clients and blends industry and company-specific data with demographics to deliver market insights to inform client decisions around drug launches, healthcare services, and more.

Part of its secret to success, and its charm, is that the sales team refuses to talk their clients’ ears off! Unlike many in the pharma sales industry, members of the SHYFT team take a listen-first approach. In the words of Senior Vice President Matt McGinty, “We focus on listening to the customer and understanding the struggles before we ‘prescribe the pill.’”

Headquartered in Waltham, MA, the company has offices in New York and San Francisco. The analytic software they build helps translate commercial and clinical data into insights and intelligence, ultimately leading to the development of treatments, medications and programs for patients.

SHYFT’s sales group includes a solution architecture team that offers technical details and manages demos. According to McGinty, their ideal sales team candidate is “devoted to listening 70 to 80 percent of the time, versus “pitching.” They aren’t in a hurry to sell, but they are in a hurry to explore customer needs.”

The approach is a breath of fresh air for companies seeking high-level analytics without the extra hassle commonly associated with sales teams. Built in Boston recently interviewed the team in its “Insider Spotlight” segment. You can read the full article here.