Sales Rep Tips

Top Time Management Tips for Sales Reps

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5 Time Management Tips for Sales Reps

Being in sales is the busiest job in the world – hands down. 

If you’re a leader, you’ve got a ton on your shoulders between leading your team and establishing a strong company culture. Managers – you’re constantly battling fire drills and balancing your own daily tasks, all while coaching your reps. And reps – say no more! You’re on the phone for hours at a time, making hundreds of calls a week in between various other tasks.

Unfortunately, 80% of those ‘other tasks’ are statistically useless. Meaning, that time is devoted to non-revenue generating activities. 

But the good news is: you can gain back hours of your day by following at least one of these time management tips. Lucky for you, I’ve got 5! 

READ: Top 8 Sales Management Productivity Hacks

Protect Your Time

Guess what: YOU own your time. You get to make the choice what to prioritize and how to handle what comes your way. The best thing you can do is PROTECT IT! 

Block your calendar, get comfortable saying ‘no’ to things that interrupt your work flow or cut into call time. Set boundaries and stick to them. Guard your time, communicate expectations, and get to work.

The other day I had a rep reach out for a meeting and she wanted to give up her time block to schedule our meeting. You know what I said? NO! BIG MISTAKE! I made sure she honored her calendar and let her fit me in somewhere else. 

Remember: there are lots of things in the day as a rep that you just can’t control. You can’t force someone to pick up the phone, you can’t make a lengthy conversation go faster to hop onto your next call, you can’t control if you get a call back. 

But what can you do? Stick to your schedule! 

READ: 4 Time-Saving Prospecting Strategies

Create A Master Plan

Sounds simple, but think about the calls you’re making and what your schedule looks like. Does Client A work night shift? Do they work on the east coast and you’re west? Are they in another country altogether? 

Mapping out your day is going to SAVE you time down the line. You’ll want to categorize your to-do list by the following: 

  • Morning Only Tasks
  • Afternoon Only Tasks
  • Both (can be done either morning and afternoon) 
  • Anytime (can be done morning, noon, or late)

(Note: Don’t forget to plan around timezones!) 

DOWNLOAD: Virtual Selling Cheat Sheet

Set 1 Daily Goal

Set it and actually DO it. Make that your main mission, your top priority, the thing you sit down to do first and accomplish. Consistency is key here to make sure it actually sticks! Do this every day and it REALLY helps. 

Don’t go on autopilot and sit down to check your Slacks, emails, or get into your morning routine. And while you’re at it…                                        

Silence Notifications

Remember what I said about 80% of your day being wasted on non-sales items? That’s probably because your phone is blowing up with a phone call from mom, texts from your college buddy, social media notifications, Slack messages, etc. etc. 

Put your phone on silent, turn off notifications, and focus on what’s in front of you. The ONLY thing you should be working off of is your calendar (or task list) – it will dictate who you need to talk to and when. 

This is going to help you make sure you’re getting to all those calls in a day without the distractions. 

Touch It Once

If you’ve been pushing the same email to the bottom of the pile for the last two weeks, chances are it isn’t that much of a priority. When you’ve got a task at hand – DO something with it. Either respond and finish it so you can put it away, schedule it to a time you can actually take care of it, or delete it if it’s unimportant. 

Whatever you do – don’t just leave it and keep pushing it off. You’re wasting time revisiting the same old piece 3x instead of just touching it once.

READ MORE: 10 Tips for Sales Success from A High Performer

Don’t overcomplicate it. You’ve got a busy enough day, but by adding in a little bit of effort and strategy, you can take back that 19% and get to what you do best: selling! 

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Selling to Gen Z and Millennials in 2023

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Selling to Gen Z and Millennials in 2023

Gen Z and Millennials have grown up in an interconnected world with most information available at their fingertips. 

Based on current trends, they value two aspects more than anything when judging a brand – speed and authenticity. 

Both generations are accustomed to instant gratification thanks to the internet and evolved communication tools. They also value brands that take a strong stance against injustice. 

As a more optimistic and ethically minded group, Gen Z and Millennials make calculated decisions when buying something (especially if it’s outside the tech industry!)

For that reason, selling to Gen Z and Millennials requires a certain level of knowledge, understanding, and sales intelligence. 

Here are our top tips on how to tailor your selling approaches to both Gen Z and Millennials. 

Understanding Gen Z and Millennials 

Understanding Gen Z and Millennials significantly helps how you approach selling to them. Here’s some key factors highlighting their similarities and differences:

  • Technology Use: While both generations are tech-savvy, Gen Z has grown up with smartphones and social media, making them more comfortable with technology than Millennials. As a result, Gen Z tends to rely more heavily on online reviews and social media when making purchasing decisions.
  • Brand Loyalty: Millennials are often associated with being loyal to specific brands, but Gen Z tends to be more open to trying new products and experimenting with different brands. They prioritize value and authenticity over brand loyalty, and are more likely to switch to a different brand if they feel it better aligns with their values.
  • Social and Environmental Consciousness: Both generations prioritize social and environmental issues, but Gen Z is more likely to take action on these issues. They seek out brands that share their values and are more likely to the ones that positively impact the world.
  • Communication Style: Gen Z tends to prefer shorter, more direct communication through text messages and emojis, while Millennials are more likely to use longer-form communication like email and phone calls. You can even notice the difference in the resume examples of each generation. While Millennials focus on achievements and uniformity, Gen Z is more likely to experiment with custom design resumes and unique one-liners within their content.
  • Social Media Influence: Both generations are heavily influenced by social media, but Gen Z is more likely to engage with influencers and user-generated content. They trust peer reviews and user-generated content more than traditional advertising.
  • Shopping Habits: Millennials are often associated with being bargain shoppers, while Gen Z prioritizes convenience and speed. Gen Z is more likely to make purchases through their mobile devices and value free shipping and easy returns.
  • Financial Outlook: Millennials came of age during the Great Recession, so they are generally more financially cautious. Gen Z is more optimistic about their financial future and tends to be more willing to spend money on experiences and products that align with their values.

READ: Sales Pitch Tips to Engage Prospects

Tips on Selling to Gen Z and Millennials 

First up, let’s reiterate that Millennials and Gen Z prefer authenticity and the ability to be quick and efficient. Keeping that in mind, here are five tips on how to sell to Gen Z and Millennials.

1. Differentiate Between Self-Service and Customer Support

Seems contradictory, right? Both generations actually WANT self-service options while equally expecting excellent customer service. 

Gen Z and Millennials want to become an active part of the buying process because they need as much information as possible. They also want the decisions to be final on their terms. 

They actively gather as much information as possible on their (and try out free trials) before contacting a brand. Both generations would rather learn more about a product themselves or through organic customer reviews than hear about it from the brand or its sales reps, especially when a new product is involved. 

For example, selling a healthcare CRM to a Gen Z or millennial customer should not be done through cold calling or emailing. Instead, adopting a more personal approach is better. Introduce them to the product and allow them to take it for a test run! 

At the same time, both generations also expect complete customer support from brands. This can be done through customer service reps, social media, or other easily accessible ways for them to directly communicate and seek assistance.

2. Adherence to Personalization 

Gen Z and Millennials have been constantly bombarded with information their entire lives. Over time, this leads to information saturation, especially when today there are tons of competitors in every business space. 

So the bottom line is that true differentiation is only noticed by these groups when there’s personalization involved. 

Traditional advertisements involve targeting a massive audience with the same ad and message (like typical TV ads). It worked because people didn’t have enough information available, and they couldn’t use their phones to research a product and check out its reviews quickly. 

But that’s the FIRST thing Gen Zers and Millennials do today! 

Capturing their attention alone requires a little more effort – you want to make them feel like they’ve been specifically targeted. This is also a great way for brands to show that they care about their customers. 

DOWNLOAD: Human-Centered Communication

3. Fast Media Is Key 

It’s no secret that videos have become one of the most consumed forms of media. While it started with Vine’s six-second videos, we now have TikTok, Instagram Reels, and stories on multiple social media platforms. 

This form of fast media is what most Gen Z and Millennials consume on a daily basis. This is where they trust information on current events, find entertainment, and buy products. 

Gen Z typically uses social media like TikTok as a search engine rather than Google. Think about that for a second – that means a huge part of selling to Gen Z and Millennials involves effectively marketing on these social platforms. 

General social media ads do not cut it. You need to provide quick, consumable content that’s engaging and enlightening. What value are you bringing to them? That’s how you build a following and a loyal community today. 

READ: Value-Adding with the SWIIFT℠ Selling Methodology

4. Use Their Language 

In order to communicate with Gen Z and Millennials effectively, you need to speak their language. Don’t toss in phrases or words they use nowadays (especially if you don’t know the meaning or social connotation) while keeping the rest of your business tone professional. 

Authenticity trumps all. One of the easiest ways to do it? Get that form of insight directly from the source by hiring a millennial or Gen Z employee. 

Speaking their language involves using their specific vocabulary, using their jokes and memes, and any relevant acronyms. 

Remember these are often very trendy and constantly evolving. Make sure you’ve got someone with their finger on the pulse to continually update your brand’s language along with what’s being used by your customers. 

5. Values and Activism Matters 

When it comes to Gen Z and Millennials, they have very strong beliefs regarding common societal issues. They also expect their brands to adhere to those beliefs and opinions. 

You can’t expect to seem authentic if you suddenly start performative allyship or activism. Gen Z and Millennials can easily call this out or feel when it isn’t sincere. And once that happens, you’ve lost their trust – and it’s unlikely you’ll win it back anytime soon. 

Start establishing a strong base of values and causes your brand supports. Moreover, be open and transparent about what you’re doing for the causes you support! For example, if your brand believes in sustainability, what is it actively doing to make the business more sustainable? 

You also want to make sure all aspects of the company are on the same page – from revenue, to delivery, and other teams within the organization. 

READ: Improving Sales-Marketing Alignment

Final Thoughts 

Selling to Gen Z and Millennials isn’t challenging if you’re actively adapting to the changing marketing landscape. 

Adopting strong marketing strategies will always help your brand in the long run and allow you to build brand affinity. 

One key takeaway? Have fun with it! Continue experimenting with new ways to connect with the latest generations and remember that authenticity and speed are always your number one priority. 

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Top Sales Prospecting Strategies

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4 Time-Saving Sales Prospecting Strategies

Can you guess what percent of sellers HATE prospecting? 

(Hint: it’s not 100% – that was my first guess) But it is the majority of sellers…

64%! 

Yet 100% of managers DO say that sellers need to prospect more (and be better at it – if you’re one of those managers, contact us. We can help 😉)

So what can you do? 

It all starts with planning. 

In order to get better results without feeling like you’re wasting hours, you’ve got to put some work in ahead of time. But have no fear, there is a way for you to plan for prospecting without being part of that 64% hating it along the way (and if you already are, maybe this article will change your mind!) 

Check out these top 4 sales prospecting strategies to help speed things up. 

WATCH: Sales Shot –  Power Prospecting

Drastically Underprepare 

Yep, read it again. Think about it this way: what’s your main goal when you pick up the phone? The obvious answer is to entice them to set up meeting 1. But that’s probably a pretty unlikely accomplishment with just one phone call. 

What’s the most likely case? You’re going to get their voicemail! 

READ: 4 Quick and Effective Voicemail Scripts

With speed in mind, think about the key elements you need to craft and leave your voicemail during your prospecting. Here’s a list of the usual suspects with a breakdown of why you do or don’t need them. 

  • Name – This one is pretty obvious. Know their name when you call! (But guess what? Sometimes you don’t even need this when they’ll repeat it in their voicemail!)
  • Solution Match – If they aren’t even on the phone, you’ve got nothing to diagnose for them, so you don’t need it yet. 
  • Value Prop – YES! (SWIIFT℠ everyone!) What value are you bringing them? An absolute must. A whopping 74% of buyers will choose to work with sellers who are the FIRST to add value according to Corporate Visions. 
  • Case Study – Sure, a ready case study is helpful, but do you really want to bog down your call OR voicemail by spitting out stats? They don’t care yet! Skip it. 
  • Pricing – Again, hard to know what they need yet, and that doesn’t lend itself well to providing pricing. 
  • Job History -Spoiler: it’s not needed! Focus instead on one quick rapport builder.
  • Call Intro – Make sure you have this down pat. 
  • Voicemail – ALWAYS leave a voicemail! Otherwise the effort you put in making this call goes right down the drain. You’re not buying a billboard to leave it blank are you? (Shameless plug: your voicemail is 3x more likely to get returned when you take our class, Messages That Get Returned, which we offer in our Prospecting Masterclass 😉)

READ: Best Sales Scripts To Get A Buyer’s Attention 

So to summarize – when you pick up that phone, know their name, have your value prop handy, your call intro, and a voicemail if all else fails. Save the image below to help you remember.

Group Your Leads 

Make it easier on yourself by grouping your leads together. Here are some quick categories to organize them by: 

  • CRM History
  • Trigger Event (did they all attend a conference? Fill out an inbound lead form?) 
  • Profile/Demographics 
  • Offer (do you have an incentive to offer when you reach out to them?)
  • Location (do you have a rep going to that location soon? Perfect time to reach out!)
  • Social Connection (mutual friend, past acquaintance, school history, etc.!)

READ: Build A Lead Qualification Strategy

Group Your Research 

When you do your research, first instinct might make you feel like you HAVE to give individual attention to every single person and potential lead. Guess what? You don’t! 

Easily group call goals, qualify & explore questions, voicemail scripts, and your SWIIFT intros. 

What should you individualize? The rapport builder – it’ll be unique for each person. 

Boom, you just saved yourself a whole lot of time! 

Never Prepare Twice 

Be nice to future you! By taking better notes and including specific details about the voicemail you’ve previously left, you’ll never be left scratching your head wondering what you’ve already done and having to double back. 

Here’s what to include: 

  • What group is your lead in
  • What value prop did you use 
  • What was your rapport builder
  • What was your call goal 
  • What type of voicemail did you leave

BONUS: Always Add Value 

Seems like a no brainer right? You always want to be calling to add value to your prospects. Try the following: 

  • Interact with them on social media – comment and share their posts
  • Recognize something – give a compliment! 
  • Customize your request
  • Be brief
  • Always GIVE something first
  • Ask short and closed questions to get them talking 

Bottom Line 

Prospecting is always going to be a numbers game. Remember: it takes 6-9 times to get to 90% of the people on your list! Put in the work – but don’t worry about putting in extra. 

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How To Get Responses To Sales Emails

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Improve Sales Email Response Rate

You wanna know why you aren’t getting responses to your emails? More likely than not, your email is full of buzzwords, it contains every detail you think they need to know, and it gives them the option of getting back to you when they have time.

The long and short of it is that your email is too long and it’s boring because you littered it with your own industry language. Put yourself in their shoes by asking yourself these 3 questions:

  • If I got this email and I didn’t work here, would I understand the acronyms, buzzwords, and the lingo in the email?
  • Does your email include a call to action? You should be telling them what they’re supposed to do and when to do it. Giving them an option to respond when convenient is the same as telling them that you don’t expect a response.
  • Does your email give them any value in responding? What’s in it for them?

Remember, you only have 2 goals when writing an email:

  1. Your email gets read
  2. You get a reply to your email

To accomplish that, you need to make your email easy to understand, it must be brief, there must be a call to action. You also want to apply some best practices so your email doesn’t land in spam folders.

We’ve gathered our own Factor 8 data plus data from MailChimp, Hubspot, Adestra, and Sales Hacker to help. Here are our top tips to improve sales email response rate :

Compel the reader to open the email

How are you going to get a response if they don’t even open your email?

  • Try words like “urgent”, “announcement” and “freebie” (“freebie” had a better test response than “free” almost tenfold more opens – MailChimp)
  • Use a story – “How Jo Blau became an email Goddess” (DigitalMarketer)
  • Mention a specific benefit or value the customer will find in the email such as “Streamline your communication platform now” (Factor 8)
  • Capitalize the first letter of each word and limit punctuation. (Factor 8 customer)
  • Avoid these words: cash, quote, save. According to Adestra, these words are spam offenders.
  • Avoid “newsletter” in the subject line – Adestra found an 18.7% fall off in opens when “newsletter” is in the subject line
  • Optimize your email’s preview text. Your preview text should be similar to your subject line but include additional info to capture the recipient’s attention. (Hubspot)
  • Be HUMAN! Speak as if you’re talking to your BFF (except in maybe a more professional tone 😉). You want to build rapport in every outreach you do by being clear, concise, and conversational. (Sales Hacker)

Don’t Send Attachments

Spam filters love attachments! If they ask for it, send it. Otherwise, how about a link to it? The same rule applies to videos. Besides avoiding spam filters, there are other reasons to refrain from adding attachments:

  • Attachments consume bandwidth and most companies limit the allowable file size of attachments that come in or out of their email server
  • Attachments can carry viruses. What a way to wow your prospect!
  • Attachments are not always mobile-friendly (or they’re hard to read on mobile).

READ: Sales Outreach: How to Incorporate Emails and Phone Calls Into Your Sequences

The Structure Of Your Email Matters

If your email is easy on the eyes and quickly scannable, you’ll increase the odds of your email getting read. Some of the structural elements to keep in mind are:

  • Make the purpose of your email immediately clear. Be direct! Really, they’re not interested in your chit-chat.
  • Avoid addressing your email with strict formalities like “Dear Mrs. Jones,” or closing with “Yours Truly.” That’s not how we really talk and it disengages your reader.
  • Provide clear direction on what you want them to do. Readers will often get partway through a complex message and hit “reply” as soon as they have something to contribute. The rest never gets read. Organize your email so that they can quickly scan and understand what you want from them.
  • Include a call to action preferably in the 1st paragraph. What do you want them to do? Click on a link, go to your website, or respond to the email?
  • Give them a deadline: “Please respond to me by close of business Friday, the 18th”
  • Number your points in your message. Use numbers instead of bullets. Bullets get jacked up, especially when opened on a mobile device.
  • Split unrelated points into separate, purposeful emails. No one reads past the 2nd paragraph in an unsolicited email.

READ: How To Use ChatGPT To Write Sales Emails

Write Your Email With The Receiver In Mind

As the sender, we tend to spend a long time crafting long and detailed emails while believing that our request is original, unique, and special. We also probably think that it’s unimaginable that anyone would turn us away. Our desire is to tell the whole story (explained from every angle) so that the listener can understand and grab something of interest.

The receiver on the other hand:

  1. Gets a lot of email (What? I’m not the only one?)
  2. Does not have a lot of free time
  3. Does not mind answering you if it is fast and relevant (even if the answer is NO…at least you’re not spending time chasing someone that doesn’t want your stuff)

Try this:

  • Make the email about them or people like them. For example, when writing to CIO’s, say, “Other CIO’s are finding that….”. It’s immediately relate-able to them.
  • Include appropriate links to info or actions
  • Include a call to action with a deadline (I know, I already said that. It’s that important.)
  • Tell them what you want them to know in bite sized chunks and do it early

READ: How To Write Better Sales Emails

Write Better Emails

So, are you ready to revamp those emails? Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to implement every point outlined here. Pick two or three and see what kind of positive improvements you get in your response rates.

Over time, you’ll perfect those emails and you’ll learn subtle nuances in your email construction that will work specifically for your prospects. And once you do, you’ll see BIG changes and improve sales email response rate!

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Leading Sales Teams Through A Recessions

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Leading Sales Teams Through a Recession

Nobody wants to use the “R” word, but whatever you call it, selling is tough right now. I’ve had the good fortune of speaking with dozens of leaders and managers about what they’re doing right now with their teams to protect their bases and keep building pipeline in case a recession does officially happen.

READ: Top Pipeline-Building and Recession Selling Tips

Here’s an idea I love that I hope you will steal when leading sales teams through a recession: 

Turn down lead qualification criteria immediately. 

As deals slow down, you’ll need more in the funnel to close the gap. If you’re using a standard BANT or MEDICC qualification criteria, work with the team to decide what is worth taking anyway. If your sales team isn’t busy creating proposals and demonstrating your solution, the simple answer is to get more leads. They could literally be sitting in the “reject” pile of your BDR/SDR or marketing team right now!

What should you accept? I’d start with budget. 

Many buyers aren’t spending as freely right now, so if your lead qualification criteria require a ready budget, you’re rejecting most buyers. 

I get it, you need leads ready and able to buy to close more deals, but if they’re not as available right now, are you willing to build future pipeline for when times change? 

Can you and your team work harder to convince buyers you’re worth assigning a budget? 

READ: Changing Sales Incentives During A Recession

Along these same lines, are you willing to build future pipeline for opportunities with longer timelines? 

If we’ve moved on the B (budget) and T (timeline), what about Authority and Need? Truth is, now more than ever you need to show this is something prospects need over want. So check the value props being touted by your lead generation team. Can you switch something that feels like a “nice to have” to something that seems more like a “Can’t live without it especially in today’s economy?”

For example, I sell training. Many times people come to us because they’re growing (nope, many in RIF mode now). Others find us because they know they need better onboarding and upskilling to attract and retain talent (nice to have, less important if not hiring). 

READ: Why You Need Special Recession Payment Terms

How about this one?

During today’s economic times, the sellers are separated from the order takers. You can’t afford NOT to make sure your team have the very sharpest skills to close more deals. Protect your revenue by teaching your team how to push deals through when there’s economic uncertainty. (BTW, click here to go directly to my head of Client Success and learn more about our training! 😉)

Finally, let’s talk about Authority or Champion. I think you’ve got to have it. Every deal in tough economies will be approved by your economic decision maker (e.g. CFO), and nothing is getting there without a champion explaining the urgent need for it right now.

Boom! BANT just became NC (Need and Champion).

Next step: go sit with the teams to help draft the right questions and gates for this. Just because you know what a good “need” looks like, doesn’t mean the person training your BDR team or writing the marketing copy can translate what you’re looking for into criteria and sales questions/marketing form fills.

Good luck out there!

READ: 5 Tips for Reps to Keep Selling During a Recession

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Chat GPT Sales Emails

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How to Use ChatGPT to Write Sales Emails

In the digital age, email remains a highly effective way to reach potential customers. However, crafting a compelling sales email can be challenging. That’s where ChatGPT comes in. As an OpenAI language model, ChatGPT can help you write effective sales emails that grab your audience’s attention and convert them into customers. In this blog, we’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to write sales emails that get results.

***

I’m gonna be honest with you: I didn’t write that blog intro. Instead, I asked ChatGPT—a language model trained by OpenAI—to write it. (It’s a little formal, but not bad, eh?)

It’s hard to have a sales or marketing conversation without hearing about ChatGPT. It’s either the best thing since sliced bread, or an evil supercomputer that’ll bring about the end of the world. Most people, I think, fall somewhere in the middle. 

As a sales leader, should you be scared of ChatGPT? Or should you embrace this new technology and use it to make your sales teams better? 

Although there are lots of potential use cases, in this blog I’ll focus on one: using ChatGPT to write sales emails. 

READ: How To Incorporate Sales Emails Into Your Sequences

A tale of two prompts: why you need to be specific when using ChatGPT to write sales emails

ChatGPT can churn out sales scripts and email templates faster than a human writer can. The question is: is it any good? And for sales reps specifically: will it get you more meetings and help you close more deals? 

The answer: it totally depends! 

In order for ChatGPT to work well, it all comes down to the quality of the prompt. If you have a detailed prompt that provides the AI with the right information, you’re good to go.

Compare the following examples:

***

Prompt: Write a sales email template for Factor 8.

Result: 

Subject: [First Name], Boost Your Sales with Factor 8’s Sales Training Programs

Dear [First Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to introduce you to Factor 8, a leading sales training company that can help you increase your sales revenue and enhance your team’s performance.

At Factor 8, we understand that sales is a competitive and constantly evolving industry, and we’ve designed our programs to help your team stay ahead of the curve. Our training courses are tailored to meet your unique business needs and goals, and our experienced instructors will work with your team to develop the skills and techniques necessary to close more deals and exceed quotas.

Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect from our sales training programs:

Increased sales revenue: Our training programs are designed to help your team close more deals and exceed quotas, leading to higher sales revenue and improved profitability.

Improved team performance: By providing your team with the skills and techniques necessary to succeed in the competitive sales industry, our programs will help your team perform at their best.

Customized training solutions: We understand that each business has unique needs and goals, which is why we offer customized training solutions tailored to your specific needs.

Experienced instructors: Our instructors have years of experience in the sales industry, and they are committed to helping your team succeed.

To learn more about how Factor 8 can help you improve your sales performance, please visit our website or reply to this email to schedule a call with one of our sales representatives.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

***

Okay, so it’s not terrible, but let’s be honest – there are a ton of problems with that email:

  • It’s wayyyyyy too long (yawn) 
  • A lot of the copy seems canned
  • There’s no personalization within the email 

Now, let’s see what happens when we’re more detailed in the prompt. 

***

Prompt: Write a first-touch sales email template initiating contact between a Business Development Rep at Factor 8 and a mid-level Sales Manager at Meta. Structure according to the AIDA framework: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Make sure there’s at least one question in the body of the email. Be sure to reference our key value proposition: Factor 8 rep & manager training drives topline growth. The call-to-action for the email is to set up a 15-minute introductory call. Limit output to 125 words or less. 

Result: 

Subject: Increase Your Sales Revenue with Factor 8’s Manager Training

Hi [First Name],

As a Sales Manager at Meta, you know how important it is to have a well-trained team. That’s why I wanted to introduce you to Factor 8’s training programs. Our training is tailored to meet your unique business needs and goals. Our experienced advisors will equip you with the skills necessary to improve your team’s performance and drive topline growth.

Are you available for a quick 15-minute call this week? Let’s discuss how we can help you achieve your sales targets.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Business Development Rep, Factor 8

P.S. You can learn more about our training program on our website.

***

I wouldn’t call that a perfect sales email – but it’s definitely headed in the right direction. Most sales reps could probably use that copy as a starting point, then edit and personalize to be more engaging for their target prospect. 

Tip: Want to sound less formal? Just add that you want a more casual tone into the prompt.

READ: How to Write Better Sales Emails: 12 Actionable Tips

What We Can Learn from ChatGPT

Here are my takeaways: 

  • Understand the intent behind your copy. ChatGPT isn’t a mind reader. It doesn’t know why you want to generate copy or your intended result. So just like in the example above, you need to be specific. (Which means you need to have it figured out before you sit down with the AI. It’s a robot, but don’t waste both of your time!) 
  • Gather necessary information in advance. Before you begin the AI writing process, gather all the information you need to create your copy. ChatGPT can pull in some information, but others you’re going to need to specify or add in later. 
  • Be as detailed as possible in the prompt. The more information you provide ChatGPT, the better and more relevant it will be. Always add the tone of your messaging into the prompt.
  • Fine-tune your copy. You’ll probably noticed that even with a detailed prompt, ChatGPT wasn’t able to create an engaging sales email. There’s still a gap between AI capabilities and copy that’s engaging to a human reader. Your reps (and maybe even internal your copywriters) will need to bridge that gap. Use ChatGPT as a starting point, and then refine!
  • Test and optimize. Like any good sales asset, once your copy is finalized, it’s important to test it to see how it performs. Create different versions and take them for a spin! You only know if you try.

In the end, is ChatGPT worth it for your sales team? The answer is: it still depends. If it helps jumpstart your creative process to help you generate email templates faster, then it could be great! 

But if your reps want to use it as a shortcut instead of doing the hard work to understand the client, gather information, and compile the best ways to engage them – then keeping it all human might be the better way to go.

WANT MORE EMAIL INSPIRATION AND OUTREACH TIPS?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer 4 different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

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6 Logistics Sales Tips to Master Phone Selling

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6 Logistics Sales Tips to Master Phone Selling

Freight and logistics sales has undergone a massive change in the past few years. As companies embrace digital transformation, in-person sales meetings are falling in frequency. So you’re probably spending a lot more time on the phone than before. 

This can be…how should I put it…intimidating? 😱 Or at the very least, uncomfortable?

So here are six logistics sales tips to help you crush cold calls and reach those tough-to-crack prospects. 

1. Don’t stop calling

For sales calls, third time isn’t the charm. You have to call someone at least six times before you get a response. Not just for cold leads, but warm leads too. 

People are shocked when I say this. But think about it: when was the last time you called someone once and immediately got a response? (I’m gonna guess it doesn’t happen that often.) 

Over 36% of purchased leads receive no sales contact. And it’s not because reps are lazy. It’s because we’d rather go after the low-hanging fruit for immediate results. But there just isn’t enough low-hanging fruit to go around. If you want consistent results, you’ve got to climb a little higher. That’s why I recommend 10 touches for A leads, 8 for B leads, and 6 for C leads…as a bare minimum. 

READ: How to Build an Account and Lead Qualification Strategy

2. Leave a voicemail and send an email—every time

Yes, you read that right. Every time. It’s easy to ignore a missed call. It’s harder to ignore several missed calls, multiple voicemails, emails—you get the picture. If you’re going to invest the time in making several hundred calls a week, make it hard for them to forget it. 

Think of the voicemail as a resume. It’s there to show who you are, what differentiates you, and what value you offer. If you put it in front of them enough times, the prospect is more likely to pick up. Once that happens, then you can start selling. 

WATCH: How to Leave Voicemails that Get Returned 

3. Be patient. 

In a virtual environment, sales cycles can be longer than traditional, F2F approaches. So when you make 100 calls in a day and don’t hear anything, don’t worry! Eventually, you’ll call someone enough times and they’ll pick up (even if it’s because they feel guilty 😉). At that point, you can make them feel like they’re the one doing you a favor by taking the call. 

READ: Quick and Effective Voicemail Scripts

4. Keep your intro and pitch SWIIFT℠

Salespeople often talk about “engaging prospects.” But what does “engage” actually mean? It’s simple: An engaged prospect is a talking prospect. And what’s the best way to get someone talking? Ask them a question. 

So instead of going through your usual dog-and-pony show, use the SWIIFT℠ methodology (So, What’s in it for Them?) to flip the conversation around. SWIIFT℠ gets the prospect to answer 2-5 short, closed questions to get the conversation going. This helps you build the necessary rapport and understand the prospect enough to demonstrate your value. 

READ: The SWIIFT℠ Selling Methodology

5. Don’t “check in” with prospects. 

Be real: how many times have you jumped at the chance to “check in” with a sales rep? Yeah, me neither.

If you’re going to ask for your prospect’s time, you better give them a good reason to get on the line with you. So start brainstorming how you can add value to them:

  • Address a specific issue they raised last time you talked
  • Update them on new and improved features
  • Talk about something in the news and how you can respond to that
  • Share something you learned from another client—a kind of cross-pollination

Don’t just call to sell something. Call to add value…real value.

DOWNLOAD: 20 Value-Add Reasons to Call Your Customers

6. Make the most of short calls

In virtual sales, the average first call is three-and-a-half minutes. If you last that long, you’re doing great. 

You may wonder: what could I possibly get done in such a short amount of time? In reality, you only have to do three things:

  • Differentiate yourself
  • Get a commitment for the next step
  • Book the next call

Commitments change depending on where the buyer is in the journey: set up a demo, loop in other stakeholders and decision makers, read over a contract, or even sign and onboard. But every call you make needs to involve getting some kind of commitment. Then, you use that commitment to bridge to the next call. 

READ: Call Bridging 101

So there you go. Follow these six tips, and I promise you’ll be crushing those sales calls. Happy selling!

Watch The Video Below For More Logistics Sales Tips.

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5 Tips to Transition from Field to Inside Sales

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5 Tips to Transition from Field to Inside Sales

There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it – virtual selling is here to stay, folks. That’s why the transition from field to inside sales is becoming more prevalent. 

If you’ve spent years perfecting the art of in-person selling and are struggling (or resisting) the shift to virtual, it’s time to get on track and embrace it. 

I get it – virtual selling is a whole different ball game where reaching contacts is harder, your sales cycle is longer, talk tracks are shorter, and a whole slew of other things you’re not used to. 

That’s why I took 30 minutes on our recent Sales Shot to break down key virtual and hybrid work practices that will help you feel like a superstar again. 

Whether you’ve been at it for awhile or recently transitioned, these are tips you can start implementing RIGHT NOW to help you fill those holes in your pipeline. 

DOWNLOAD: How to Sell to the CFO to Keep Deals Moving

Pick Up The Phone

Do you like baseball? (Even if you don’t, stick with me for a minute.)

Home base is closing the deal and having a happy client – but you can’t get to home base if you aren’t even on first! First base is getting someone on the phone. 

Chances are, they’re not going to pick up on the first try. In fact, less than 20% will connect on that initial call. Even if it takes 12 attempts to connect – you keep calling! 

Research shows that 30% of leads are never even contacted at all. That’s a ton of missed opportunity. Especially when you consider that 82% of buyers admit they bought something after a series of cold calls. 

So, moral of the story: Pick. Up. The. Phone.

Always Leave a Voicemail

If you’re making all these calls, you’d absolutely better be leaving a voicemail – a GREAT voicemail. In fact, make voicemails your new BFF! 

Voicemails have a few different goals. The most obvious one is getting a callback. Realistically, most of them are probably never going to get returned. But here’s what you CAN do: create a positive impression of yourself and your company, and guilt them into either picking up the phone or eventually calling back. So, get creative and make it fun!

The 4 most effective types of voicemails are: 

  • Lever – Drop their first name, reference one of their coworkers, mention a previous rep they worked with – something that’s going to get their attention! Whatever you do, make it about them!
  • Mystery – Keeping the message short and vague can pique their interest.
  • Urgency – Are you running a limited promo on a product or service? Are they losing money by the minute if they aren’t using your product? Give them a reason to JUMP! 
  • Value – There are 6 of them we teach (remember SWIIFT℠, everyone?), but remember that during economic challenges people tend to care most about saving money and mitigating risk. 

Whatever you do, ALWAYS leave a voicemail. No voicemail = no touch. It’s like buying a billboard and leaving it blank. Yikes! 

Quick Tip: Send an email right after you leave a voicemail. Your likelihood of getting a response is MUCH higher when you mix voicemail + email. 

Embrace Smaller Goals

A year ago, your quota probably looked a whole lot different than today. So, take your goals and break them up into smaller, more achievable pieces! 

The average successful call is now just 3.5 minutes! 

Structure your calls around these 3 key questions: 

  • What do I need to learn? 
  • What do I want them to know? 
  • What commitment do I want to close? 

Qualify Your Leads

Do NOT go through an alphabetical list of prospects and pick away at it until you get to Z. 

Take the time to actually qualify your leads and call based on that score! You’ll have A,B, C, and D leads (and you can probably skip the D leads). Start with your A leads and work your way down the list until you finish the C leads. 

As a general rule, here’s how often to call each lead:

  • A leads = 10-12 dials 
  • B leads = 8 dials 
  • C leads = 6 dials

Build A Bridge to Call #2

If you got someone talking on the phone after a cold call, the hardest part is over. So make sure you’re taking advantage of it by ALWAYS scheduling the next step WHILE you’re on the call.

Can you schedule the follow-up call now? How about sending a calendar invite with next meeting’s info? Have you given your cell number to get theirs? 

Give yourself permission to call back by urging them to look at their calendar and confirming when you’ll be connecting again. 

WATCH: Transitioning from Field to Virtual Selling

Keep in mind, the more you try out these tips, the easier it gets and the more success you’ll see. So get on the virtual train with the rest of us and start building that pipeline. You got this!

NEED MORE TIPS TO MASTER INSIDE SALES?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer 4 different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

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sales lay off

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5 Things to Do Immediately After Being Laid off in Sales

Layoffs, Recessions, and RIFs (Ooooooh, my)

It’s a crap situation folks, no way around that. But if you’re in a revenue role and you smell it coming, or just got your notice, here are our top 5 tips to help you recover from a sales layoff:

  1. Attitude is everything. I don’t mean to not FEEL angry, sad, betrayed, and revenge-fueled! I just mean don’t show it. You’re in a fishbowl right now and everyone you rant to may actually be a prospective employer or referrer. And let’s face it, they’re all wondering if it was the company or it was you. We’ve heard that companies use uncertain economies to trim the fat, and telling the story of your betrayal may tip things in the direction of you being the problem. 

  2. Try a re-frame. Perhaps you were cut because you were the most expensive! It’s the most efficient way to cut costs, right? You may have not been as aligned with the new leadership or go-to-market strategy. It’s probably time to refresh your skills, sharpen the saw, and expand your horizons! What I’m talking about here is your internal self-talk AND your “packaging.” Are you a dejected, rejected, dime-a-dozen AE on the hunt? Or are you a senior-level, uber-expensive, in-demand revenue professional!? I thought so. 🙂

  3. Get clear on what you want. For decades I’ve made a hobby of helping great people find great companies, and every time I get an email requesting help, I reply asking them to detail their dream job. I don’t mean title and income (you DID think that didn’t you!?). I mean what industry, working with what kinds of customers? What will you be learning? What kind of product or service would make you proud? How will your boss treat you, how do sell, and how will you be led and fed? Go nuts on the wish list and ask questions about past peeves like work hours, development opportunities, bosses and mentors, facilities, friends at work, tools, and more! When we know exactly what we want, we can describe that for people and INSTANTLY get better referrals than a generic, “anything in SaaS.” 

    Try this: When I ask if you know someone who leads a new or growing sales team in the banking industry, runs an insurance house, or manages a team that sells into government, did your brain find someone? Could you feel it scanning deeper than, “Know anyone hiring?” When you help people picture someone they know, you’re more than halfway to a referral.

    I’m also a believer that putting it out there in the universe is necessary step #1 in bringing what we want to us!

  4. Brag a little. No, strike that. Brag a LOT. Your resume needs to be packed with results! 

    Numbers Are The Love Language Of All Sales Leaders!

    Get yours in order! What percent did you increase market share? Was there a spike in metrics under your leadership? How many quarters did you exceed quota? How about your team? Did you win any records? Awards? Listen, if the very best thing you did was reach quota consistently realize that is a WIN! If you’re still there, start running reports to shore up your data. 

    What else did you do? Customer satisfaction? Product development? Process documentation? Testimonial acquisition? New customer types? Lead with numbers and close with some voice of the customer. They’ll be lining up to talk to you!

  5. Call in the favors (by offering to help!) If you fear it’s coming but haven’t left yet, NOW is the time to work your network. Funny how our colleagues, customers, and friends lose our numbers when we leave (and listen, some actually do only know your work email). But a call from an employed friend calling to catch up and see how I am and how they can help me gets 10x the callbacks than my newly laid off buddy who wants to give me the Telenovela version of their unfair termination. So do as many favors as you can before you’re gone, so it’s easy to call up for the payback when you need it. Start your re-frame marketing campaign about where you’re headed and your desire to leave to move up or move on! Then find out how you can help THEM and do it. Reciprocity is real (and everyone will like you better.)

In short, approach this well-deserved break like the freaking diamond you are. There’s an international shortage of professional sellers – especially virtual sellers. Find an industry and company that’s thriving and package yourself as a FIND! I’m confident that YOU are something you can sell.

Good luck out there! If we can help you brush up on your selling skills at Factor 8 with free virtual sales BDR, AE, or Account Management training, please email us at info@factor8.com and mention this blog. 

If you’re a woman in revenue leadership, please apply to join the #GirlsClub Sales Leadership Certification Program as a Protégé (new or aspiring manager) or Mentor (5+ years of leadership experience). Our amazing sponsors will help foot the bill.

Want to hone your skills after a sales layoff?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

Email us at marketing@factor8.com for a FREE seat in any of our masterclasses.

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5 Tips for Reps to Keep Selling During a Recession

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5 Tips for Reps to Keep Selling During a Recession

When the economy gets shaky and buyers get nervous, we see meetings fall off calendars, and deals go dark. It can feel scary for sure – especially when we see our new hire classmates cut from the team. 

Here are some tips to keep on keeping on selling during a recession.

Confirm and reconfirm all your meetings.

That includes getting cell phone numbers. Start with everything currently booked. Call and email them today to confirm and leave your cell number. Ask them to text and leave theirs. It’s OK to be honest. Try something like:

“Hey Ted, LB here. Looking forward to Tuesday and just want to confirm we’re still on. I’ve had a few folks literally disappear in the past month with this uncertain economy. VERY glad that’s not you. Listen, I’m going to leave my cell. Will you please be kind enough to return my call or pop over a text to confirm Tuesday at 11 Central? Thanks! It’s xxx-xxx-xxxx. One more time: xxx-xxx-xxxx. Talk soon.”

This move helps you keep the connects you have, shows concern, and gets you cell numbers. Winner! Do it for meetings you are setting up this week as well.

“OK, I’ll hit you back on Tuesday at 11. I’ll be ready to cover A, B, and especially C. Will you bring XYZ? I’m sending over a calendar invite to hold our place. It has a bridge, but I want you to have my mobile as well. My number is xxx-xxx-xxxx, can I grab yours?”

You won’t get it every time, but I’ll estimate 9 out of 10. Boom. No more going dark.

Reswizzle your value prop – in your messages, your posts, your pitches.

I stole this great tip from Doug Landis in our recent webinar, How To Build Pipeline And Keep Selling During A Recession. Nobody buys vitamins during a recession, they buy Advil. Truth is, my service of sales and leadership skills is definitely vitamins – the stuff that’s good for you we are supposed to take and tell our doctors we do…but isn’t usually prioritized. Yes, even though taking your vitamins helps you AVOID taking the hard stuff down the line, human nature is human nature. So if you’re normally plugging things like employee morale and retention, it’s time to restate. 

Advil helps us avoid pain. Pain we’re already in. What does your product solve that fixes a pain? Uncertain times lead to fear buying (one word ya’ll: hand sanitizer. Wait, here’s another: toilet paper.) These memories are fresh. People stop buying anything that isn’t essential, doesn’t pull them out of pain, or won’t protect them from horrible recession-related risks. Find the Advil in your solution and lead with that.

(Watch LB’s tips on changing your value prop during a recession below)

Sort & call intelligently.

What industries aren’t suffering right now? Automotive is strong (have you SEEN prices!?), healthcare and insurance are always winners, banks are flush, who else? Buy a new list or pull the bottom of yours out and go long.

Remove risk however you can.

Can you highlight a cancellation clause? Payment terms? Low-cost trial? Nobody wants to be the guy who spent too much and trapped the company in a big spend if this whole situation gets worse. Help them see this purchase will deliver them from pain and not get them in trouble.

Talk longer.

Now is the time to build deeper relationships. When someone says they can’t buy now, don’t hang up the phone! Get to know them, their company, their situation, their partner! Sometimes the best you can do is build pipeline, so build the strongest damn pipe your manager has ever seen. That means rock-solid projections of how many, how much, when they can buy, and every step it will take in the purchasing process. Get it one step short of a signature and be best friends with everyone along the way so they can’t wait to sign. 

We’re talking about asking more questions, building more rapport, showing more empathy, finding more contacts, going wide in the account. You should know every past competitor considered and why they failed, exactly how your solution will be used, the three purchases in line in front of you, the one guy who’s most doubtful. Getting the picture? About triple the info you normally have when you call it.

Remember…A recession or economic downturn is inevitable and also temporary. Do your future self a favor by staying positive and keeping momentum going so you’re ready to hit the ground running when things get back to “normal”!

WANT MORE RECESSION SELLING TIPS?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer 4 different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

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