Systematizing Sales for Retention and Referrals with Alice Heiman

Alice Heiman

Alice Heiman, Chief Sales Energizer and host of Sales Talk for CEOs, is an internationally recognized expert in B2B sales strategy. She helps CEOs and sales leaders increase company valuation by systematizing sales processes and energizing their teams. With decades of experience guiding growth-stage companies, Alice transforms sales departments into consistent, scalable systems that drive long-term success and customer loyalty.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[03:12] How Alice transitioned from art and education into a career in sales
[07:08] Why every department—not just sales—plays a critical role in retention
[10:17] The “bow tie” model that redefines post-sale growth and customer success
[13:55] How introducing customer success before closing the deal improves retention
[22:58] Why businesses need a defined process for referrals to grow predictably

In this episode:

In this episode of Systems Simplified, Adi Klevit sits down with Alice Heiman to discuss how structured systems can revolutionize the sales process. Alice shares how her early experiences as a teacher shaped her ability to build processes that help sales teams stay organized, accountable, and focused on results. Adi and Alice connect over their shared belief that structure and consistency lead to scalability—and that even creative, fast-moving teams benefit from strong systems.

Together, they explore why customer retention begins at the close of the deal—or even before. Alice breaks down her “bow tie” model of sales, which links the acquisition process to retention, upselling, and referrals. She explains how involving customer success teams early creates smoother onboarding and greater long-term satisfaction. Adi adds insights from her process consulting work, highlighting how aligned systems across departments reduce friction and improve delivery.

The conversation closes with a deep dive into referrals and sales consistency. Alice shares that most companies miss out on growth because they lack referral systems or fail to incentivize asking. By documenting every step—from onboarding to follow-up—leaders can ensure sales efforts are repeatable, measurable, and scalable.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“Retention starts the day you close the deal—sometimes even before.”
“If there’s no system and no consistency, you can’t expect predictable results.”
“Customer success should be part of the sale before the ink is dry.”
“Everyone in the company impacts sales—it’s never just the sales team’s problem.”
“You can’t get the behavior you want if you never ask for it or reward it.”

Action Steps:

Systematize retention from day one by defining onboarding processes and involving customer success before the deal closes. This ensures a smooth handoff between departments and establishes early trust with new clients.
Involve every department in supporting sales performance. When operations, finance, and support are aligned with the customer’s success, retention and referrals increase naturally.
Create a measurable, repeatable referral system. Set clear goals, train teams on how to ask effectively, and reward those who bring in new opportunities through client introductions.
Ensure smooth transitions between sales, customer success, and account management. A documented handoff process keeps communication clear and prevents clients from feeling dropped after the sale.
Commit to consistency by documenting every stage of the sales cycle. Regularly review and refine these systems to maintain performance, scalability, and predictable growth.

Sponsor for this episode:

This episode is brought to you by Business Success Consulting Group.

At Business Success Consulting Group, we create custom processes and tailor-made management systems so businesses can thrive.

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