2 Years and 11 lessons

Read time: 5 minutes

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Two years ago, we officially launched Succession with a simple mission: help build high-performing life science sales teams.

Since then, we've worked with 70 different life science companies across sales training and lead generation. We've seen what works, what doesn't. We have a unique POV where we have insights into how so many different companies are run.

I posted about this the other day on LinkedIn, but I wanted to expand a bit more on the post itself.

Here are the 11 biggest insights from our first two years:

1. You All Sound Exactly the Same

Most companies are obsessed with talking about their product features and capabilities. But here's the brutal truth: your prospects don't care about what your product does, they care about what problem it solves for them and what they will achieve by using it that they couldn’t get done before.

Every company is high quality, will accelerate your research, and has data to prove it.

So saying those same things as everyone else, makes it incredibly hard to stand out.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Stop leading with features. Stop sounding the same. Instead, ask yourself: "What painful process does my prospect currently use to get the result my product delivers?" Then figure out how you can uniquely solve it better than anyone else. you have to be specific here or you’ll end up as white noise.

2. Data Doesn't Sell Itself

This might shock you, but scientists aren't purely rational decision-makers. They have egos, politics, budgets, and timelines just like everyone else.

Showing data slides and publications, and expecting them to close deals, is like having perfect reagents but no protocol to implement them. It’s essential, but you still need to know how to use them.

🛠 Actionable Task:

People make decisions emotionally and back them up with logic. So you need to find out the emotional drivers behind their decision making process and focus your efforts there.

3. AI Messaging Crushes Templates (But You're Too Scared to Use It)

In 90% of our tests, AI-powered hyper-personalized messaging outperformed generic templates by 3-8x. Yet most companies still cling to templates because they're worried AI messages "won't sound like me."

Here's the reality: your generic template already doesn't sound like you. It sounds like every other rep hitting the same inbox. And do you really want to “sound like you” if it doesn’t work?

Doubling down on the point above, these are emotional decisions not backed by data.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Test AI personalization for just 10% of your outreach. Compare response rates. Let the data decide, not your fear. But if you’re going to test it, don’t just fire up ChatGPT and tell it to write a message. That will definitely give you horrible results. The secret here is context. We provide over 10,000 words of context to Claude to write a simple 100 word email. Thats how you actually get good results with AI messaging.

4. Nobody Remembers Your Cold Email (So Stop Overthinking It)

You're not "burning" your Total Addressable Market with cold emails. Nobody sits around thinking about that awkward email you sent three months ago.

Unless you do something truly offensive, they'll forget within a week. You're simply not that important in their daily mental real estate.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Send the email. Follow up. Try a different approach. Repeat. You can’t burn something that doesn’t exist.

5. One-and-Done Training Is Worthless

Sending your team to a one day sales workshop and expecting lasting change is like going to the gym once and expecting abs. You should still do it, but if you really want change, it has to be consistent and part of your culture.

Real performance improvement requires systematic training, coaching, and development over months.

🛠 Actionable Task:

If you're investing in sales training, commit to at least 3-6 months of ongoing coaching and practice. Otherwise, save your money.

6. A New Rep in a New Territory ≠ New Revenue

Hiring a rep and dropping them into a new territory doesn't automatically create revenue. Reps are great at converting existing demand, they're not great at creating it from scratch.

Without a top-of-funnel demand engine generating leads, you’re setting that new rep up for failure. Before hiring that rep and putting them in that terrirory, actually figure out if you can generate enough opportunities for them in that territory. Will they actually have enough opportunities to hit the quota you’re giving them?

🛠 Actionable Task:

Before expanding territories, invest in lead generation systems to prove out the region first. Build up the demand in the territory to where it’s too much to handle, then put a rep in. Give your reps an actual chance of success.

7. One Person Can Replace 10 SDRs (With the Right Systems)

Doubling down on the point above. What used to require a team of 10 SDRs can now be handled by one person orchestrating AI agents, automation tools, and data sources.

The companies figuring this out first are building massive competitive advantages while their competitors are still hiring armies of junior reps.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Audit your current lead generation process. What manual tasks could be automated? What research could be AI-powered? Start with one process and optimize from there.

8. Your Top Reps Generate 80% of Revenue (Treat Them Like Gold)

The best reps on your team probably generate 80% of your company's revenue. Yet most companies nickel-and-dime these performers or mess with their compensation. The one place you don’t hit your best reps is their wallets. Make sure your top performers are well paid and keep them happy.

When you’re best reps leave you don’t just lose out on their revenue, you’re also left with the underperformers.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Take a hard look at your comp plan. Does it pay the best performers well? Do you make it complicated to understand what they can earn? Do you cap earnings and commission? Fix your comp plan and take care of your top reps and you can thank me later.

9. Account Strategy Shouldn't Be a Rep's Side Hustle

Too many sales leaders put account prioritization and strategy entirely on their reps' shoulders. That's like asking the players to also be the coaches.

Your job as a leader is to help the team focus on where the most revenue will come from, not just hope they figure it out.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Do a full account prioritization and strategy exercise as a leadership team. Figure out which accounts have the biggest growth potential. Align your territories to support that plan (don’t just go off geography…). Then give your reps the tools, training, and resources to execute the plan.

10. Most Life Science Reps Never Got Sales Training

Scientist gets tired of the lab → moves to sales → gets thrown into the field with zero formal training. This is the unfortunate path so many reps have taken.

We're taking brilliant people and handicapping them by never teaching them how to actually sell.

🛠 Actionable Task:

If you have reps on your team who haven’t had formal sales training or you're hiring scientists into sales roles for the first time, invest in proper sales fundamentals training. They already understand the science. Teach them how to sell.

11. Elite Reps Practice More Than They Perform

Professional athletes spend 90% of their time practicing and 10% competing. Sales reps spend 30% of their time on calls, 70% doing admin tasks, and 0% practicing.

Then we wonder why most reps miss quota.

🛠 Actionable Task:

Implement weekly role-playing sessions. Practice objection handling, demo delivery, and discovery questions. Make practice part of your culture, not something you do when deals go wrong.

TL;DR

Companies that focus on clear positioning, systematic training, and smart use of technology consistently outperform those that are “doing it the way we’ve always done it”.

The industry (and world) is changing fast but there are still fundamentals that are constant.

• Have a product or service people actually need.

• Hire great people.

• Pay them well.

• Train them well.

• Give them the tools and resources to succeed.

If you do all that, you’ll be just fine!

🍻 Here's to the next two years!

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Episode 66: [Sales] Misconceptions and learnings about outbound and AI with Jess Evans

1. Lead Generation: We’ll build target lists, write scientifically relevant messaging, and send messages on your behalf to book qualified sales meetings with biotech and pharma companies.

2. Training for Reps: A skill development platform for life science sales reps who want to improve their sales skills, exceed their quota, and take the next step in their career.

3. Training for Teams: If you want to upskill your team around prospecting, driving to close, key account management, AI, or any other topic, we can put together a training plan specific to your organization’s needs.

4. Strategy Call: Need more than training? Want help implementing and executing your sales strategy? In a 30-minute call, we will assess your company’s current situation and identify growth opportunities.