Sales Prospecting Perspectives Weekly Recap - Week of July 5, 2023
Happy fourth of July! At AG, the enthusiasm around the office this week was palpable and it translated to our inside sales reps’ calling efforts. While many people discussed their plans for the 4th – a pool party, a trip to Boston – they also hunkered down so they could meet their numbers for the week and be able to leave early or even take an extra day off. We’d like to wish America “Happy Birthday” from all AG employees; we’re thankful for being able to work in this wonderful country.
Today, we'd like to share two articles, one from Sales Engine and one from Fearless Selling. On Fearless Selling, Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, wrote advice for what inside sales reps should stop doing when cold calling: asking the "How are you?" question. Instead, get to the point, increasing your credibility and efficency when you connect with someone for the first time. Once you know them better, you can start building a relationship with them.
Our second article was written by Megan Toohey, the Digital Content Manager at AG Salesworks, for Sales Engine. She offered advice for how to write emails that capture prospects' attention, emails that they will actually open. First, she says, keep it simple and personalized; then, create a stellar subject line. As always, be honest when writing your emails, and stay away from product dumping. Following these guidelines will get you closer to being able to have a quality conversation with a prospect.
Now, on to this week’s recap.
Monday, July 1, 2023
On Monday, Laney wrote about how to create the right call structure for your inside sales team. According to Laney, there is a specific science behind how many touches prospects need to receive before they turn into qualified leads. On average, it takes 10-12 touches, but Laney recommends creating a call plan methodology that’s realistic for your company, and being consistent with it. Only change the plan depending on the campaigns your team follows up on. While there is no end-all be-all when it comes to call structures for inside sales calls, there should be some sort of structure, which Laney advocates for in this article.
Tuesday, July 2, 2023
AG Salesworks released a new guide on Tuesday called “How to Train Your Inside Sales Team to Stay Organized.” In Tuesday’s blog post, we offer a preview of the kinds of tips you’ll be able to read in that guide, which offers advice for managers who want to encourage their inside sales teams to be more organized. It includes a new definition of the verb “organize” for the inside sales environment, advice for how to organize thought processes, 10 benefits of an organized inside sales work life, a list of several digital and non-digital tools for organization as well as specific advice for setting goals and planning out the work day. Download the guide here.
Wednesday, July 3, 2023
James Shanks from Sales for Life wrote a guest blog post on Tuesday urging sales leaders to release their inner cowboy. Make decisions. Ride into that uncharted territory and adapt to the harsh environment. Don’t suffer from paralysis from analysis; instead, ready, fire and aim. Shanks inspires sales leaders to push the boundaries of their business, expanding through social selling and improving by making sure the current team has everything they need to succeed.
Friday, July 5, 2023
Mike Ricciardelli, a Manager of Client Operations for AG Salesworks wrote a blog post this morning discouraging inside sales reps from becoming droids on the phone, masking their personalities or hiding their enthusiasm. Why should prospects show interest if sales reps haven’t done that first themselves? Instead, he wants reps to learn how to talk to prospects in a conversational way that demonstrates reciprocation, learning how to build relationships with the people they’re calling. Make sure the conversation is two-way, instead of one-way, empowering your prospect to voice his or her opinions.
That's all for this week! Thanks for reading, and hope you had a great holiday!
