Year: 2022
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Keep Your Customers Close and Your Competitors Closer
The phrase “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer” highlights the importance of understanding competitors in outbound prospecting. Battlecards are essential tools for comparing products and services, allowing companies to strategically position themselves against competitors. They should be regularly updated using competitor information and third-party assessments. Informed sellers can better engage knowledgeable buyers, ensuring…
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Prospecting
Effective prospecting requires targeted, quality outreach rather than a “spray and pray” approach. Schedule dedicated prospecting time, maintain enthusiasm without being overly dramatic, and prepare for calls to ensure success. Understand the prospect’s needs, keep conversations brief, and always ask for the next step. Continuous learning and resilience are key, as sales can lead to…
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Add Value by Solving a Problem that Your Prospect Does Not Know They Have
Sales teams add value by solving prospects’ problems, not just selling products. Successful sales involve understanding prospects’ pain points and future challenges, requiring strong problem-finding skills. Engaging prospects through open-ended questions helps uncover needs and fosters collaboration. Effective problem-solving is crucial for closing sales, as it focuses on addressing the prospect’s unique challenges rather than…
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Anti-ghosting Tactics that Turn Leads into Calls that Turn into Appointments
Prospects often “ghost” sales outreach, avoiding communication through calls, emails, and social media, which can be disheartening for sales representatives. Ghosting can occur before any connection is made, often due to poorly defined Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) or ineffective value propositions. To minimize ghosting, sales teams should personalize outreach, target appropriate contacts, and utilize a…
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Sales Bots are Disrupting the Way Live Salespeople Sell
The term “disruptive” has evolved from guerrilla marketing tactics to modern AI-driven sales approaches. While initially focused on innovation and market changes, today’s disruptive selling involves unconventional strategies, AI chatbots, and conversational commerce that challenge traditional sales methods and customer interactions.
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Sales Activities Lead to No Response
Sales teams face low response rates due to ineffective outreach methods and overwhelming competition. Prospects are increasingly selective, often engaging only when ready to buy, making it crucial for sales teams to deliver relevant, timely messages. Root causes for poor engagement include targeting the wrong individuals, inadequate processes, and insufficient outreach efforts. To improve response…
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Your Sales Team’s Follow-up Is Non-existent and Ineffective
Sales teams often neglect follow-up on older leads due to overwhelming new leads, leading to ineffective outreach and prospect fatigue. Common reasons for poor follow-up include fear of rejection, lack of training, and insufficient processes or systems. To address these issues, analyze the sales team’s performance using a framework of People, Process, Systems, and Data…
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Which Do You Choose: Leading KPIs, Lagging KPIs or Both?
Leading KPIs predict future sales performance (e.g., calls made), while lagging KPIs reflect past performance (e.g., closed deals). Both types are essential for assessing and improving sales outcomes. Leading indicators help forecast and adjust strategies, while lagging indicators confirm achievements. Effective measurement and analysis of these indicators enable data-driven decision-making and identify areas for improvement…
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Sales Key Performance Indicators That Matter
Selecting the right Sales Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is crucial for measuring business success and adjusting strategies. KPIs vary by department (Sales, Marketing, Finance) but often overlap. Upper funnel KPIs focus on lead generation, while down funnel KPIs track sales outcomes. Effective use of KPIs provides insights into performance, identifies improvement areas, and aids in…
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The Theory of the Random Distribution of Leads
Lead distribution in sales teams is often perceived as unfair, with representatives believing some leads are better than others. While common methods like round robin aim for equal distribution, lead quality and representative skill significantly impact outcomes. Advances in lead distribution strategies now allow for more sophisticated algorithms that consider factors like geography and engagement…