A common complaint of customers today is that many people on the other side of the business lack empathy and are more focused on simply closing the sale. JP Malherbe is seeking to change this by proving you can engage in empathy in the practice of commerce.
In this aspect, JP Malherbe is a rare individual who has mastered the delicate art of human connection in the cold world of sales. The South African native turned American success story in the competitive SaaS industry generated $1 million in new business for BizDev Labs in the span of only 6 months.
The Journey Worth Taking
JP Malherbe's journey began in 2018, when he first stepped into sales. Since then, he always felt like sales had its pants on backwards. Pushing things on people they don't want, rather than finding out what they want and giving that to them.
Today, as co-owner and head of revenue at BizDev Labs, he spearheads strategies that have helped the agency double its revenue in six months, with projections showing the company will be reaching upwards of $2 million in profit this year.
What sets Malherbe apart is a philosophy that is not expected from anyone in sales. He created the "Empathy Beats Selling" method, which flips traditional sales tactics. Rather than pushing products aggressively, his framework helps sales professionals understand their prospects' true fears and motivations.
The Advantage That Empathy Gives
JP Malherbe's sales philosophy emerged from a simple observation: Everyone is trying the latest sales techniques taught by the sales gurus from around the world. It seems manipulative, like you have to talk someone off a cliff.
Selling was never created for that purpose. It was created as a means of understanding what is most important to a buyer when they have to make a decision, and the only way to do that is by approaching it with empathy.
Empathy gives you a frame of reference to understand, instead of manipulate—this propelled BizDev Labs forward to reach new heights. Closing enterprise-level clients and hitting revenue numbers like never before.
"At least 50%–60% of your career in sales is making sure you get yourself into markets that are burning to have what you are absolutely obsessed with selling," Malherbe notes. This insight reveals his dual focus on both technical excellence and strategic positioning, which is a combination that has reportedly made him one of the highest-earning sales leaders in South Africa.
More About BizDev Labs
BizDev Labs has one single mission—to build the most high-performing outbound SDR team in the world to accelerate startup growth. The company has now worked with over 100 software startups, with some clients reaching over 1 billion in valuation.
BizDev Labs has tried and tested over 50 campaigns that create meetings for start-up Founders and go-to-market leaders with their dream clients.
Encouragement to Go Global
JP Malherbe's transition from South African sales professional to international business leader did not happen by accident. Malherbe has spent thousands of dollars to learn from the best, proving you can compete anywhere in the world if you have the right skills, which can be bought. Malherbe says that South Africa has incredibly talented individuals and encourages them to look abroad to expand their careers in the face of the challenging economic conditions that the country faces.
Finding Success Through Human Understanding
The sales industry puts a premium on sales aggression and persistence above all else. For his part, JP Malherbe challenged this notion, suggesting that true sales mastery comes from understanding human psychology and responding with genuine solutions.
JP Malherbe has a two-part formula for a balanced sales approach. First, he advocates investing in skill development to reach the top 1 percent of performers. Second, he emphasizes the importance of marketing those skills to enter booming markets where the demand already exists. This pragmatic yet insightful perspective has allowed him to break into the competitive US market with his consulting company and build successful outbound programs for dozens of tech startups.
Malherbe's influence is felt outside his client work, as he had addressed the sales team at Easy Life Kitchen, the largest installer of kitchen designs in Africa, speaking on purpose-driven sales. His message acknowledges a fundamental truth: behind every business transaction are human beings with hopes, fears, and needs.
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