Tom Searcy & Barbara Weaver Smith 
Whale Hunting 
How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company

Using the ancient Inuit whale hunt as a metaphor for big sales, Whale Hunting gives you a clear nine-phase model for successfully finding, landing, and harvesting whale-sized sales accounts–the kind of sales that transform your business. Here, you’ll learn how to turn the dangerous endeavor of selling to large companies and big contracts into a strategy for continued success and growth. Stop wasting time with little accounts and start landing monster accounts.

Table of Content

Foreword xiii

Preface xvii

Acknowledgments xxi

Author Biographies xxiii

CHAPTER 1 The Whale Hunters’ Story 1

Inspiration from the Inuit whale hunters–how we got here.

CHAPTER 2 Signs of the Times 7

Brief history of why the sales process is more difficult and complex today than it used to be; overview of the Whale Hunters’ Process.

CHAPTER 3 Know the Whale 33

Define your ocean, chart your waters, and create a target filter.

CHAPTER 4 Send Out the Scouts 65

Populate your whale chart, complete dossiers, define whale signs, create a tracking system, and establish performance metrics.

CHAPTER 5 Set the Harpoon 87

Plan your initial contacts, control ‘the aperture of perception, ‘ go in the right door, and ask great questions.

CHAPTER 6 Ride the Whale 109

Launch a boat, analyze the buyers’ table, power your boat, and define metrics for the boat’s performance.

CHAPTER 7 Capture the Whale 131

Define the steps of progressive discovery, progressive disclosure; map your process, and refine your proposals.

CHAPTER 8 Sew the Mouth Shut 159

Stage the ‘big show, ‘ anticipate spoilers, use your chief, and get on the whale’s calendar.

CHAPTER 9 Beach the Whale 183

Prepare your village, accelerate capacity and velocity, align reward systems, and communicate with the whale.

CHAPTER 10 Honor the Whale 205

Build a fast-growth culture, make and keep promises, improve handoffs, and control barnacles.

CHAPTER 11 Celebrate the Whale 227

Conduct ‘lessons learned, ‘ communicate your gratitude, feed the ravens, and search for ambergris.

Epilogue: Let the Hunt Begin 245

Our challenge to you!

Glossary 247

Index 251

About the author

Tom Searcy and Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith are founders of The Whale Hunters, a sales and business process development company dedicated to strategies for rapid business growth. Building on Searcy’s experience in leading four companies through accelerated growth in sales and revenue and Smith’s background in managing the culture of growth, they help their clients grow quickly by engaging their entire company in selling and delivering big deals with large companies.