Sales Prospecting Perspectives

The other day, I encountered one of the rudest and pushiest sales people I’ve ever come across. No, it wasn’t a used car salesman, and no, it wasn’t one of those ladies at the perfume counter who sprays before asking.

Surprisingly, it was someone from a very reputable technology company looking to sell us additional services.

Here’s how the conversation went:

What if I told you the secret to getting cold prospects to always open and even act on your sales emails? 

Here it is: There is no secret. 

The truth is, every prospect is different, so there's no guaranteeing that one best practice will work above all others. What you can do to build trust with cold prospects is be honest and provide real value in every email interaction you have with them. 

That's why this cold sales email template works so well: 

I think it’s safe to say that nearly everyone in the sales game had humble beginnings. Some of you may have had the fake bravado on the outside when you started, but on the inside, like me, you were probably scared out of your mind. 

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

As a business development representative, it is important to make every contact attempt count in order to provide your client with the best information possible. Inside sales reps have the same imperative: maximize time by qualifying prospects creatively. That being said, it’s crucial to be prepared when communicating with anyone in your quest for information. No matter who you get live on the phone, chances are they can provide you with some information; you just need to be equipped with the right questions to ask. Here are some ideas for inside sales and business development reps to find opportunities for quality conversations, no matter where you find yourself in the prospecting trenches.

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from Max Altschuler, Founder and CEO of Sales Hacker Media. 

If you are a company just starting out with your teleprospecting strategy or you are looking to revamp your methods when it comes to questions to ask during the lead qualification process, you've come to the right place. One of my favorite aspects of my role as Director of Customer Success is working with organizations just like yours. You have a blank canvas to work with, and you might not be exactly sure where or even how to start.

The first step in your lead qualification procses is to think about your script document, and more specifically, the qualification questions you want to ask. When it comes to your sales scripts, you may be scratching your head, wondering what questions you should be asking potential customers on the first call. You may be thinking, Is it too soon to be asking BANT questions? Will I scare prospects away asking too much too fast? The answer to these questions is No. If your prospects are truly that interested in the area you are looking to help them improve upon, they are going to be willing to share this information with you, at least at a high level. If they aren’t, odds are they weren’t the best prospect for you to begin with.

I believe one of the most challenging aspects of sales teleprospecting is the first conversation.

You have less than a minute to prove yourself as a trustworthy sales rep. You only have your phone, your research, and your CRM to back you up. You can get bogged down by administrators or frustrated by curt replies. I’ve seen firsthand how extremely difficult it can be to build trust with a prospect on a first meeting.

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing.

It starts with a hesitation.

It becomes an objection.

It festers into a doubt.

And it costs your company leads.

What I’m talking about is sales call reluctance. It doesn’t come from the prospects; it comes from the sales reps themselves. Whether you’re a new teleprospector or a seasoned inside sales rep, everyone experiences varying levels of call reluctance when B2B prospecting.