Sales Prospecting Perspectives

Sales Context is an important part of any conversation, as it directly correlates to the potential of a sale. With 54% of sales reps not making quota this year according to SiriusDecisions, it’s imperative that you teach your team to make the most of Sales Context, the information that can influence a sale. My job as an SDR is to extract these essential pieces of Sales Context for my clients while also nurturing a relationship with my prospects so they feel comfortable discussing their current environment and any pains they may be experiencing.

Here are 5 prospecting strategies that I employ to obtain Sales Context during every conversation I have.

It’s that time of year again, and the “new year, new me” attitude will be in full effect for at least another few weeks or so. It doesn’t hurt to also start developing steps to improve and enhance your performance at work to make this year even better than the last. One way to improve in the New Year is to start at the foundation, and for many of us B2B sales development reps, that means cleaning up the database. After all, quality data is the key to success in inside sales. Here are 3 steps to B2B data management:

1. Become familiar with your database system and its capabilities.

A huge overhaul of your entire database is both unnecessary and unrealistic as you start off the New Year. Just because you have a new goal to improve your organization and clean up your data does not mean you suddenly have all the extra time to do so. In order to effectively clean up your data, you have to start small and ensure that the process does not become overwhelming. No matter what system you use to organize your data, it is imperative that you become familiar with just what your system is capable of and develop a consistent method to use these features.

December is not only the “happiest time of the year;” it also be the most hectic, stressful time of the year for those at work. It is not uncommon to hear salespeople complain about the month of December. Common gripes are that everyone is too busy to add anything new to their plate, or all decision-makers are away for the holidays. With this kind of attitude, they may as well not even try, right?! What if you were armed with some strategies for connecting with your prospects and opening up new relationships and opportunities for the New Year? We already have the statistics from Craig in his blog post, Why is December a Great Month for Sales Prospecting? Here are my five tactics to leverage holiday cheer in the month of December and have better quality conversations when B2B teleprospecting or cold calling.

1. Ask the question, “How are you positioned to improve in the New Year?”

A great way to start a teleprospecting conversation at the end of the year is to encourage your prospect to start thinking about how they can improve their operations in the New Year. As the year winds down, most likely your prospect will begin to think about how they can improve their processes and perform their job responsibilities more efficiently and effectively. The end of the year can also include many process improvement board meetings. Start filling your prospect’s mind with great ideas to start the New Year off strong and help them look like a genius in their meetings!

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a post from Michaela Cheevers, Business Development Representative at AG Salesworks.

Let’s be honest, the hypnotic pull of the television can be hard to resist after a long day of work. I know I’ve been a victim to it more times than I’m willing to admit! With the influx of new fall television shows, I’ve drawn strength from one of my favorite TV personalities, Olivia Pope – the leading lady of Scandal. As a strong female character known for being a "fixer" for high-profile celebrity scandals, she is passionate, non-judgmental, and determined. Here are some sales prospecting methods I've learned from Olivia Pope that have helped me when B2B prospecting.