Fellow Sales Enthusiasts… Are you ready to declare your freedom from sales tactics and old ways of thinking that no longer serve you in today’s market?
To honor July 4th and America’s Freedom, here are 4 ideas to help you declare YOUR sales independence!
1. You CAN reach senior level decision makers without meeting them at conferences, trade shows, and in person networking events. In fact, many of the highest level decision makers don’t attend these events anyway. Executives can get the information they need to make their decisions by sitting in their offices (no matter where those offices are located). What does that mean for you?
- You know where to find them.
- Say something truly impactful (TO THEM). By doing this you will capture their attention and pique their curiosity so they will want to meet with you. If your sales message does not achieve this, it’s time to revisit the language you use when you reach out to prospects.
- Email alone is not enough. Most Executives receive over 100 emails a day. If you want their attention and you want to initiate a conversation with them, you will need to call them too. Many sellers hide behind email, leaving those who call with a greater “share of voice.” Adding phone also adds the human element. It’s harder for prospects to ignore your messages when they hear your voice and how earnest you are in trying to reach them.
- It always surprises me when sellers leave out the “ask” in their email or phone outreach. If you want a meeting, ask for one.
2. It’s not about who you know, but rather, who needs to know you. Your best clients and referral partners from before may not be your best ones now. Be brave and strategic by pinpointing the exact right individuals who, when they find out that you and your product/service exist, wouldn’t take a step without you by their side. If you look at the prospects with whom you are currently speaking, how many of them fall into this category? What would happen to your sales efficiency if you didn’t spend time with those who were less likely to say “yes.” Be choosey.
3. Not every great sales hunter is a great Door Opener. If you need more executive level meetings to fill the top of the sales funnel so your best closers can close more, outsourcing the Executive Level Appointment Setting is an option to be considered! There are companies (like ours) who specialize in landing the executive level appointments FOR YOU. When choosing a partner, match the tenure of the individuals on your partner’s team who will be representing you to the tenure of the prospects you want to meet. For example, if you want meetings with C-level prospects, an SDR or BDR is less likely to be successful than a senior level business developer who can have conversations on a C-Suite level. Senior level to senior level works. Junior level (sdr/bdr) to senior level decision maker seldom works.
If you are looking to create awareness, email and social can help. If you want to land meetings with those who need to know you yet may not otherwise raise their hands through email and social, you will need a human who enjoys this part of the sales work and who knows what they’re doing to do the outreach.
4. Outsource Appointment Setting while hiring the next seller. If you are on the journey to hire a salesperson, it will likely take you 3-6 months before the person is onboard and contributing. You can hire outside appointment setting help to keep the top of the sales funnel full while you are looking for the right salesperson. If you wait until the new seller is hired to continue filling the funnel, you may find yourself with an empty funnel and difficulty meeting your goals.