Imagine; shirtsleeves rolled up, eyebrows knit together in concentration, we see our colleague making calls, tapping their keyboard with hectic movements, and their eyes gleaming with determination – we know that they will not leave their desk till they achieve their goals.

Take the example of an Account-Based Sales Developer, or ABSD, in such a state – reaching out to people, qualifying, and converting the right contacts. The result is highly qualified leads for our clients of which at least two SQLs will go on to generate millions of dollars per year in revenue for the target account.

Millions of dollars in pipeline converted in an afternoon by just one sales developer (ABSD) happens only when the sales organization is doing many things right. There is a system with several components that ensures consistent results, but the foundation of high-performance ABSD work is the right mental state: beast mode.

WHAT IS FLOW - AND BEAST MODE?

Beast mode is a matter of mindset and mental state but to define it more precisely, we need to establish what the notion of ‘flow’ means. To understand more, we need to turn to its origins and look at the psychological aspect of flow. As Dr Helen Barker suggests,

‘In positive psychology, flow is also known as being in “the zone”. It means that attention is fully immersed in the present moment and is accompanied by feelings of well-being.’

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi was the first to identify flow and he described it as a state in which time goes by easily, thoughts and ideas come effortlessly after one another, while the whole being is involved and using their abilities to their best advantage. As verywellmind.com adds,

‘Flow experiences can occur in different ways for different people. It often happens when you are doing something that you enjoy and in which you are quite skilled.’

Overall, the flow state is when the highest quality, most thorough work gets done and most importantly – with great enjoyment. Reaching the peak state of flow is the means to an end in any profession from the arts to sports, science, and business.

Therefore, we can say that beast mode is a particular type of flow specific to Sales Developers and sales professionals when they are in a state of peak performance.

As sales professionals get in flow, the outcome is usually devouring targets with a feeling of being unstoppable while experiencing a huge sense of accomplishment. The sales developer, often quite literally, rolls up their sleeves, and gets intense and focused - feeling like a victorious gladiator once the task is completed.

This is how we came to coin this state beast mode.

When the pressure of deadlines is constantly building up and targets appear to be unreachable, sales developers and sales professionals may feel overwhelmed and demotivated, feeling that hitting their goals is an impossible task.

This is exactly when beast mode could become extremely helpful. Those who have already experienced this state know that it is completely feasible to hit goals that seem ‘logically impossible’.

An Account-Based Sales Developer (ABSD) in beast mode is also of value to the prospects they reach out to. There is a growing demand from the side of the prospects, wanting and needing to be challenged during an outreach. In its article on the challenger sales model, Gartner discusses that challenger representative behaviors build constructive tension. 

Challengers teach, offering a unique perspective and maintaining two-way communication. They tailor their approach according to customer value drivers and economic drivers.

It is rather obvious that an agent in beast mode is very much in state to do this. The latter part of tailoring the approach doesn't seem to be related to our topic of flow, but the flexibility implied here is a key component to it, as we will shortly see.

HOW TO GET AN ABSD TO STEP INTO BEAST MODE

Infinityn’s principle is that this flow – in our case, beast mode – should not occur only spontaneously, but happen at will. Thus, we have invested a lot of time and effort in learning more about the science behind flow to help our colleagues conjure up this state as regularly as they need it.

Supporting our ABSDs to achieve the state of peak performance is one of the most important regarding our clients’ success, therefore it is one of Infinityn’s most urgent priorities. Fortunately, the flow and beast modes are attainable, what is more, this theory of high-performing state rests solid scientific background, being studied and verified.

Consequently, it is possible to consciously ‘step into it’, however, there are certain conditions that need to be provided to create, or ‘manufacture’ a flow.

To provide an atmosphere for our colleagues to achieve beast mode, we took deliberate steps to incorporate and alter influencing factors such as creating a collaborative and relaxing work environment and enhancing our corporate culture. Let’s look at some measurements taken for the sake of beast mode below.

• Hiring Practices 
  • The first step is having the right people on the team. For flow to occur, people need to be genuinely interested in their work and have to be deeply devoted to it.
  • While hiring, we make sure to consider culture and personality to find the perfect match and provide a place to grow and have fun for our future employees.

• Supportive environment, creative freedom.
  • An ABSD’s work is often considered to be less creative since they usually have to follow strict protocols, having a standardized playbook with scripts to stick to during outreach. All these prevent their personalities shine through, moreover, it does not allow for authentic conversations.
  • Instead, we aim to give our ABSDs a sense of liberty in expressing themselves through interactions, resulting in a better experience for both ABSD and prospect - and ultimately promoting an easier entry into beast mode.

• Culture
  • Businesspeople in general tend to be in their element when they are in a competitive environment taking on challenging tasks. However, there must be a balance maintained – colleagues work hard since they know that they are in an environment where they can feel safe and where it is okay to make mistakes. Where it is encouraged to experiment, to share knowledge, and to cooperate.
  • For flow to occur consistently in a business environment, people need to feel that they are supported, belonging to a team that shares one great and so they become more motivated to perform. Although Infinityn has a strict guideline regarding quality and performance, we encourage our colleagues to incorporate their spirit into their projects.

Encouraging beast mode is a crucial component for long-term success for not only sales but other different organizational functions as well. Creating an environment that fosters peak performance has a handful of benefits both in terms of employee satisfaction and client experience.

In case you are interested in learning more about our topic, we recommend you check out these sources:

• The original book on Flow by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
• An HBR article by Steven Kotler about creating a work environment that fosters flow
• There is no business like FLOW business - Fast Company’s take on why flow is a key differentiator for businesses

If you would like to hear more about how our ABSDs in beast mode help our client’s growth, book a discovery session with one of Infinityn’s experts who will guide you through our story.