Sales Rep Tips

Sales Tips for Non-Sellers

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Selling is Helping: A New Mindset for Non-Traditional Sellers

If you’re a customer service rep or project manager, or really anyone who’s suddenly been asked to “sell”, you might be feeling a little…grossed out.

You’re not alone.

When most people hear “sales,” their minds immediately flash to that pushy, used-car-salesman stereotype. We get it. Nobody wants to be that person, and honestly, that’s part of why sales gets such a bad rap.

At Factor 8, we actually surveyed sellers and asked them what they associate with being in sales. Guess what? Even sellers had some negative words pop up!

Feeling hesitant about selling doesn’t mean you’re broken, it means you’re normal.

But here’s the truth: sales today is different. And if you can shift your mindset, you’ll not only survive it, you’ll thrive at it.

Why We Fear Sales

Let’s rip the band-aid off with a hard stat: Only 3% of people trust salespeople, according to a HubSpot study.

(Still slightly better than politicians though, so there’s that.)

Add to that another eye-opener: 75% of people fail out of sales.

Why? Because they’re doing it wrong.

The old-school “convince and push” sales approach doesn’t work anymore. It feels bad for the buyer, and honestly, it feels bad for you too.

Reframing Sales: Selling Is Helping

Here’s your new mantra: Selling is helping.

Think about it. People love to buy. Buying is exciting! But when we feel “sold to,” we lock up. We get stuck in research mode. We overthink. We hesitate.

That’s where great sellers — helpers — step in.

Instead of pushing products, you help people move forward.

You help them:

  • Get unstuck from analysis paralysis
  • Weigh options and make smart decisions
  • Solve real problems
  • Reach their goals faster

When you shift your mindset from “closing deals” to “helping humans,” you’re doing sales the right way. And it feels really good.

Why Your Role Matters More Than Ever

 Marketing is doing more heavy lifting these days, using websites, social media, and chatbots to educate and engage buyers before they ever talk to sales.

But there’s still a critical moment when a human being (you!) needs to step in.

Because when it’s time for a customer to:

  • Talk through options
  • Ask tough questions
  • Get real-world advice
  • Feel confident in their decision

A human helper beats a chatbot every time.

And it matters…a lot.

Studies show that a customer’s experience with their salesperson has more impact on their loyalty than product features or pricing combined.

Translation: You make a difference.

Quick Gut Check: Are You Selling or Helping?

Ask yourself:

  • How much of my conversation is about my product?
  • How much is about their goals?

The more you focus on helping your customer accomplish their goals (not just selling your stuff) the better you’ll feel about selling.

(And the faster you’ll climb the leaderboard.)

Selling isn’t about being slick. It’s not about tricks. It’s not about pressure.

It’s about connecting with another human being, providing them value, understanding their goals, and helping them get there.

If you embrace that, you’ll not only feel better about sales, you’ll love it.

So go ahead, proudly say it:

“I’M IN SALES!”

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AI for sales prospecting

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Best AI Tools, Tips, And Prompts For Sales Prospecting

If your reps are still using AI like it’s 2023 (or not using it at all), they’re already behind. In our Sales Shot, I sat down with four sales pros and AI enthusiasts whose teams are actually using AI for sales prospecting, not just talking about it. We’re talking AI-enhanced targeting and prospect research, coaching bots, live conversation sentiment tracking, even inbound AI voice agents that are outperforming humans (yes, really – so, will AI take over sales jobs? That’s a topic for another blog!) 

Here’s what went down, and the best AI tools, tips, and prompts you’ll want to steal.

1. Smarter Targeting and Prospect Research

We kicked off with a game-changer: using AI to make sure you’re calling the right people. David Kreiger, SalesRoads, shared how his team uses Clay to qualify leads before reps ever pick up the phone. It pulls company data and uses AI to tell you if a prospect actually fits your ICP, saves hours of manual research, and gets your team focused on the right accounts.

John Buckley (from Sell Better’s Daily Sales Show) showed us Agent.ai, a no-code agent that scores a company for outbound fit with a single URL. He’s trained it on his ICP so it gives a quick thumbs-up or “hard pass.” No prompt writing needed.

Jax Gill (from Inspira Financial) took it even further. She trains ChatGPT to review a company’s website and her prospect’s LinkedIn profile, then find common ground to help her build rapport fast. She even gives it a list of her solutions and asks for possible pain points to reference in the convo. It’s like AI-powered pre-call prep, minus the rabbit holes.

Prompt ideas to steal:

  • “Here’s my ICP. Here’s this company’s website. Is this a fit or not? Why?”
  • “Compare my LinkedIn profile to [prospect’s name]’s. What do we have in common?”
  • “Given this company and our services, what pain points can I lead with?”
2. Better AI Sales Prospecting Emails and Messaging

Let’s talk outbound emails. Doug Gibb’s team at Waste Management uses Conquer with GenAI email, which drafts emails based on past conversations and makes sure they don’t miss a promised follow-up. It pulls call and email history straight into Salesforce, so everything’s in one place.

David dropped this gem: if you write more than three emails a week, build a custom GPT. He’s trained his to match his tone and voice. Upload 50 of your best emails, and now your GPT can write in your style. It’s faster, but more importantly, it’s better.

WATCH: How to Build a Custom ChatGPT (shared by David)

James added Oliv to the mix. This tool sends him a cheat sheet before every call with company background, team bios, and even icebreakers. “Ask Chloe about her transition from radio hosting to content marketing” is way better than “Hope you’re well.”

One big reminder from everyone: AI-generated emails shouldn’t sound AI-generated. If your message is filled with fluff, jargon, or emojis in every line, it’s going straight to trash. Your prospects can smell it. Use AI to help, but still bring your brain.

Prompt ideas to steal:

  • “Use my tone. Write a prospecting email for this company using the info from our last call.”
  • “Summarize this LinkedIn profile in one sentence I can use as a cold email opener.”
  • “Rewrite this message to sound more human, less like it came from a bot.”
3. Coaching, Confidence, and Call Reviews

AI isn’t just helping reps do the work. It’s helping them get better at it. David recommends using AI to coach yourself after calls. His reps drop their call transcripts into ChatGPT and ask for feedback. What could I have done better? What questions did I miss? It gives them a score and action steps to improve.

Jax uses AI before the call. She practices objections with ChatGPT in persona-mode. “Be a tough IT Director. Push back on cost.” It gives her reps a safe space to screw up and get better.

Doug’s team uses Conquer to transcribe and summarize every call. It flags sentiment dips, highlights next steps, and scores reps on their delivery. That all feeds into Ambition, where managers get a full coaching report before every one-on-one. And yes, even new managers can coach like pros because the system shows them exactly what to focus on.

We also shouted out Grw AI, a tool for roleplay call coaching. Reps can practice calls and get feedback based on real frameworks. It’s like flight simulator training for sellers.

I also shared how much I love using Fathom for call notes. I just click a button and boom, it gives me a clean sales summary with top pain points, current situation, and next steps. It’s fast, easy, and way more useful than generic transcripts. Use it for internal calls too to help you take notes and create to-dos.

Prompt ideas to steal:

  • “You’re a skeptical IT Director. Let’s roleplay a cold call. Push back on price and security.”
  • “Here’s my call transcript. What could I have done better? Give me a grade.”
  • “Give me 3 coaching questions to reflect on after this call.”
4. Real-Time Insights and In-the-Moment Support

Sales moves fast. Reps don’t have time to dig through notes or scroll LinkedIn for the latest news. That’s where real-time insights come in.

James’s tip: Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator alerts. Ring the bell on your top prospects and accounts. You’ll get notified when they change jobs, get promoted, or post. Instant reason to reach out. That’s prospecting fuel your team is probably ignoring.

Doug’s team uses Ambition’s pre-read feature to prep for coaching. It pulls 90 days of call scores, KPIs, pipeline data, and even sentiment analysis so managers walk into meetings ready. Their AI-based pipeline insights show if deals are stuck, what changed, and where to focus.

David shared Trellus, a power dialer that lets reps pause mid-call to get AI-powered coaching suggestions. It’s like having a manager in your ear without the pressure.

Prompt ideas to steal:

  • “Give me coaching advice based on this sales call recording.”
  • “Summarize this opportunity pipeline for my one-on-one. What’s stuck and why?”
  • “If my rep is below target on discovery, what should I review with them this week?”
5. AI for Inbound, Enablement, and Emotional Intelligence

You didn’t think AI was just for outbound, did you? David’s team is using Sela for inbound calls, and it’s outperforming human reps in tier-one qualification. The AI calls the lead, asks 2–3 qualifying questions, and routes the hot ones straight to an SDR. It’s efficient, repeatable, and for simple calls, often better than a live person.

James brought up Sybill, which reads facial expressions and body language during video calls. It sends post-call insights like, “Your buyer leaned back and widened their eyes when you said pricing.” That’s gold for follow-up and helps reps refine their messaging and emotional timing.

And of course, Doug’s team uses Microsoft Copilot, a company-approved, closed AI system integrated into their workflows. Their AI governance committee ensures compliance, which matters when your team is 50,000 strong.

Bonus tip from Jax: Use ChatGPT as your personal hype woman. “Give me a pre-call pep talk.” Or ask it to roast you. Either way, you’re showing up more confident.

Prompt ideas to steal:

  • “Pretend you’re my mentor. Give me a 30-second pep talk before this big sales call.”
  • “Roast me. What could I do better in my outbound pitch?”
  • “Act like a buyer. Ask me 3 tough qualifying questions based on this service.”

READ: Confessions from a Late-Adopter: The Truth About AI for Revenue and Enablement Leaders

This session wasn’t fluff. These are real leaders, using real tools, getting real results. If your team is still scared of AI or waiting for some “perfect system,” you’re already behind.

The final takeaway?

“Use the time AI saves you to do the task better. Not faster. Better.”
– David Kreiger

 

TL;DR – Here are the best AI sales tools and how our panelists are using them:

  • Agent.ai – James built an agent that scores companies instantly based on ICP fit, eliminating the need for prompt engineering
  • Ambition – Doug uses it to prep managers for coaching with pre-read insights that include sentiment, pipeline data, and call scores
  • ChatGPT – Jax shared how her team uses ChatGPT to simulate prospect objections and refine messaging before high-stakes calls; it’s like having a role-play coach on standby
  • Clay – David uses Clay to pre-qualify leads and filter out non-ICP accounts, saving reps hours of manual research
  • Conquer – Doug’s team uses it to auto-draft follow-ups based on call history and transcribe every conversation for coaching
  • Fathom – We use Fathom here at Factor 8 to summarize sales calls and uncover real buyer pain points. Tip: Use it for both internal and external meetings to quickly extract key details, create to-do lists, and skip manual note-taking
  • Grw AI – Lauren and Jax called it a flight simulator for sales; perfect for reps to practice and build confidence before high-stakes calls
  • Microsoft Copilot – James noted that Copilot helps his team save time by summarizing long email threads and prepping for meetings straight from Outlook and Teams
  • Oliv – James loves Oliv for the call prep emails, especially the personalized icebreakers like asking about career transitions
  • Sybill – Doug mentioned using Sybill to flag buyer reactions mid-call, helping reps spot hesitation or interest and follow up more strategically
  • Sela – David says Sela outperforms humans for tier-1 inbound lead qualification and is being used successfully in production
  • Trellus – David mentioned reps can pause a call and get live coaching advice based on the persona or objection they’re handling

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How Real People are Winning the Sales Prospecting Game Using AI [Webinar]

How Real People are Winning the Sales Prospecting Game Using AI

[Video Recording]

Game-changing ways to use AI in prospecting

Sales outreach isn’t just firing off an email and calling it “prospecting.” It’s an omnichannel approach that includes LinkedIn, calls, and emails. But with inboxes flooded with AI-generated messages and many (new) sellers avoiding the phone, how are teams actually breaking through the noise? Truth: Most aren’t. 👎

Watch this uber informative panel discussion with sales leaders, managers, and sellers themselves to hear their tips and tricks to stand out and connect in creative, meaningful, and value-driven ways. We’ll dive into engaging sales outreach strategies, call techniques that still work, and the tools that are making a real impact. Don’t miss this insider conversation from the pros on what’s working in sales outreach today, moderated by our own LB!

You’ll learn:

  • Creative strategies to reach prospects via phone, social, email
  • Examples of good/bad outreach messages
  • Quick prompts to use (and not abuse) in ChatGPT
  • Words that grab a leader’s attention in messaging
  • Phrases that guarantee auto-delete and unsubscribe
  • Techniques to stand out from the crowd
  • Tools our leaders love

A MUST-WATCH for every and anyone in sales! Sales Managers, Enablement Leaders, and Revenue Leaders who want to help their teams attract (and not deter) prospects. If all you’ve attended are super hype sessions about the magic of AI, you can’t miss this.

Watch replay!


Game-changing ways to use AI in prospecting

Sales outreach isn’t just firing off an email and calling it “prospecting.” It’s an omnichannel approach that includes LinkedIn, calls, and emails. But with inboxes flooded with AI-generated messages and many (new) sellers avoiding the phone, how are teams actually breaking through the noise? Truth: Most aren’t. 👎

Watch this uber informative panel discussion with sales leaders, managers, and sellers themselves to hear their tips and tricks to stand out and connect in creative, meaningful, and value-driven ways. We’ll dive into engaging sales outreach strategies, call techniques that still work, and the tools that are making a real impact. Don’t miss this insider conversation from the pros on what’s working in sales outreach today, moderated by our own LB!

You’ll learn:

  • Creative strategies to reach prospects via phone, social, email
  • Examples of good/bad outreach messages
  • Quick prompts to use (and not abuse) in ChatGPT
  • Words that grab a leader’s attention in messaging
  • Phrases that guarantee auto-delete and unsubscribe
  • Techniques to stand out from the crowd
  • Tools our leaders love

A MUST-WATCH for every and anyone in sales! Sales Managers, Enablement Leaders, and Revenue Leaders who want to help their teams attract (and not deter) prospects. If all you’ve attended are super hype sessions about the magic of AI, you can’t miss this.

Watch replay!


Meet the Speakers

Lauren Bailey
Lauren Bailey
Founder
Factor 8 & #GirlsClub

Lauren Bailey, known to many as “LB”, is a sales leader, enablement leader, and entrepreneur and founder of 3 successful brands: Factor 8, providing front-line job training for inside sellers and managers, The Sales Bar, a subscription-based virtual sales training platform, and #GirlsClub, a community and development program helping more women earn leadership positions in sales.

James Buckley
James Buckley
Host
Sell Better Daily Show

My mission is to walk alongside sales professionals as they develop the skills and best practices needed to find sales success. Our purpose is to show salespeople their true worth as the tip of the spear. I have the pleasure of hosting the best minds in sales every day and creating content that elevates the sales profession.

Connect with me @saywhatsales on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join us live daily to learn and grow into a top-performing sales professional.

Jax Gill
Jax Gill
Training Manager
Inspira Financial

Jacqueline Gill is a Senior Manager in Sales Enablement who’s been at TTEC for 12 years—which in BPO years is basically a lifetime. While her official job is enabling sales, she’s also been known to jump into learning services sales conversations once the executive sellers work their magic. Think of her as the closer with a curriculum. Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of four and a firm believer that AI can help with just about anything—except maybe laundry.

Doug Gibbs
Doug Gibbs
Sr. Inside Sales Manager, Tools & Technology
Waste Management

Forty-seven years’ experience managing teams and processes across two primary industries, Retail Department stores and Environmental Solutions/Logistics. The last eleven years have been invested with the Inside Sales Teams at WM, including managing retention and acquisition teams, then progressing to exploring, sourcing, procuring and implementing 3rd party tools and solutions to significantly improve both our customer’s and Sales Team’s experiences.

David Kreiger
David Kreiger
President
Sales Roads

David Kreiger is the founder of SalesRoads, a leading sales outsourcing firm with over 17 years of experience helping businesses drive revenue growth by building winning sales teams. A seasoned entrepreneur and host of the “Sell Like A Leader” podcast, David champions a philosophy that sales success hinges on talent development and a people-first mindset.

Fall in Love With Prospecting: 5 Tips to Make Filling the Pipeline Suck Less [Webinar Recording]

Fall in Love With Prospecting:
5 Tips to Make Filling the Pipeline Suck Less

[Video Recording]

Time-saving Sales Prospecting Techniques

Let’s face it, there are only about 5 people in sales today who LOVE to prospect. The rest of us power through it or put it off.  But the pipeline won’t fill itself and emails are a LOT less effective than they used to be.

So watch Lauren Bailey as she shares the mindsets, reframes, stats, and techniques to make sales prospecting more fun AND more fruitful. 

We’re sharing secrets from our award-winning and best-selling courses Planning for Prospecting, SWIIFT℠ Introductions That Work, Messages that Get Returned, and more.  

Watch the video replay!


Time-saving Sales Prospecting Techniques

Let’s face it, there are only about 5 people in sales today who LOVE to prospect. The rest of us power through it or put it off.  But the pipeline won’t fill itself and emails are a LOT less effective than they used to be.

So watch Lauren Bailey as she shares the mindsets, reframes, stats, and techniques to make sales prospecting more fun AND more fruitful. 

We’re sharing secrets from our award-winning and best-selling courses Planning for Prospecting, SWIIFT℠ Introductions That Work, Messages that Get Returned, and more.  

Watch the video replay!


overcome brush-offs

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How to Overcome Brush-Offs (and Get Prospects Talking)

Let’s face it, every seller has been brushed off (and probably quite often).

“I’m not interested.”

“We’re all set.”

“I don’t have time right now.”

Sound familiar? If you’re making outbound sales calls, cold or warm, you’ve heard these before. But here’s the good news: Brush-offs are not objections. And when you know how to handle them, you can double your talk time, increase your conversion rates, and book more meetings.

I’ve broken down my 6 tips and tactics to help you beat the brush-off and turn dismissals into meaningful conversations. Let’s dive in!

Brush-Offs Are NOT Objections

Objections happen late in the sales cycle after you’ve made your pitch and the buyer has concerns, usually about price, timing, or fit. Brush-offs? They happen early, and they’re not objections at all.

sales objection examples

Think of a brush-off like an automatic reflex. It’s the prospect’s way of saying, “I don’t have time for a sales pitch right now.” That’s all it is. And it doesn’t mean they aren’t a good fit or won’t buy from you later. It just means they don’t know you… yet.

So, what’s your job? Keep the conversation going, show them you’re different, and provide value ASAP.

READ: How to Keep Prospects on the Phone

Brush-Offs Are Uninformed (That’s Good News!)

Prospects brush you off because they don’t know who you are or what you’re selling. That’s great news! It means they haven’t actually rejected you, they just haven’t heard your value yet.

This is why you should never “kill” a lead based on a brush-off. Too many sellers give up too quickly, assuming the lead is a dead end. In reality, the prospect just isn’t paying attention.

Here’s why you shouldn’t take brush-offs personally:

  • They’re often automatic responses, not actual decisions
  • The prospect is likely multitasking or distracted 
  • They don’t remember you yet (if you call back, you get another chance)

Your instinct might be to respond to the brush-off directly (“Oh, but we can save you 20%!”). DON’T DO THAT. That just gets you lumped in with every other pushy salesperson. Instead, sidestep it. Keep the conversation going by staying confident and trying again.

  • If it’s a high-value lead, try them at least 10 times before moving on. They won’t even remember they brushed you off the first time.
  • Call back quickly. If someone brushes you off today, try them again tomorrow. They probably won’t remember the first attempt, and this time, they may actually listen.
  • Don’t answer the brush-off directly. Beat it instead. Instead of reacting to “I’m not interested,” keep control of the conversation and guide it where you want it to go.

By understanding that brush-offs are uninformed and automatic, you can push past them and start real conversations.

The REAL “Objection” Behind the Brush-Off

When someone brushes you off, what are they really saying?

  • I’m busy.
  • I don’t like sales calls.
  • I don’t know who you are yet.
  • I assume you’re like every other seller who’s going to pitch me something useless.

brush-off examples

The key to overcoming a brush-off is understanding what’s underneath it. Most brush-offs aren’t real objections, they’re reactions to an interruption. Your prospect isn’t rejecting your solution; they’re rejecting the idea of being sold to in that moment. Your job is to shift their perception of you.

Here’s how to uncover the real meaning behind their response:

  • Listen for patterns. Is their response rushed? Dismissive? A sign they don’t trust salespeople? Recognizing their tone helps you respond appropriately.
  • Acknowledge and reframe. Instead of pushing back, show you understand: “I hear you. Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on right now.” This lowers their defenses.
  • Use curiosity to break through. Ask a question that shifts their attention, like: “Would you say Q4 is your busiest quarter?” or “Out of curiosity, is this something you handle directly, or does someone else manage it?” When they engage, they’re opening the door for a real conversation.

The goal isn’t to argue with their brush-off, it’s to help them rethink it.

WATCH: How To Overcome Brush-Offs On Sales Calls

Get Them Talking (It’s Like Buying a Drink!)

If you’ve ever bought someone a drink at a bar, you know the goal isn’t to “close the deal” in 30 seconds. It’s to start a conversation. The same applies here.

When a prospect gives you a brush-off, they aren’t thinking deeply about your offer, they’re reacting instinctively. Your job is to interrupt that instinctive response and guide them into an actual conversation. 

The best way to do that? Use the CCO Framework (Closed, Closed, Open) to break through their initial resistance. Start with simple, closed questions to get them talking, like “Is this a crazy time of year for you?” or “Would you say Q4 is typically your busiest quarter?” Once they’re engaged, move to an open question that invites more thought, like “Is this for a short sales cycle, or do deals take months to close?” By following this structure, you can take control of the conversation and steer it toward a meaningful discussion.

CCO framework

As a reminder, a brush-off is different from an objection. An objection is a real, considered response to your pitch, something they’ve thought about and have a concern over, like pricing, timing, or relevance. A brush-off, on the other hand, is a knee-jerk reaction designed to end the conversation before it even starts. Your job isn’t to overcome an objection here, it’s to keep them talking long enough to break their automatic dismissal.

DOWNLOAD: 4-Step Process to Overcome Objections

Shaking up the conversation with a pattern interrupt gets them to stop and engage. Small talk about something unexpected (like their location, the weather, or a recent event) can lower their defenses and make them more receptive. People also love talking about themselves, so guiding them toward a topic related to their role or priorities can naturally steer the conversation toward business without feeling forced.

Breaking Through Brush-Offs

Once you start recognizing brush-offs for what they really are—automatic, uninformed reactions—you’ll realize they’re not personal and they’re not final. The key to overcoming them is choosing the right approach. You can take the direct path by breaking the ice with the CCO Framework (Closed, Closed, Open), easing your way into the conversation until the prospect naturally engages. Or you can sidestep the brush-off completely by shifting the conversation to something unexpected, like their location, the weather, or a relatable topic, disrupting their auto-response and creating an opening for dialogue.

Either way, the goal is to bypass their defenses and turn a brush-off into a real sales conversation. Try it out, test both methods, and see what works best.

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7 Phone & Video Prospecting Tips for Sales Reps to Crush It

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7 Phone & Video Prospecting Tips for Sales Reps to Crush It

Plenty of sales reps love the convenience of email and LinkedIn prospecting. But poorly crafted, AI-generated messages do little to build rapport and trust with your prospects. 

That’s why, as much as some people despise it, you have to pick up the phone. 

As young reps continue to phase into the sales force, there is a growing challenge for them to get beyond the keyboard. And while the pandemic certainly didn’t help matters, fostering those face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) connections has become more critical than ever.

Suffice it to say that salespeople can’t afford to rest on their laurels. We have to fight harder to build pipeline, persuade prospects, and win deals. 

That means moving from behind the keyboard, picking up the phone, and utilizing videos in prospecting.

If you’re ready to crush it, here are seven tips that can help our reps make the most of phone and video in their prospecting efforts. 

1. Don’t rely on email alone

It’s important to connect with people on social and email, certainly. But think about it: when’s the last time you bought something over email? 

Never mind that people are wary of scammers and phishing attempts. No one buys from text on a screen. 

People buy from other people. More importantly, they buy from people they trust. 

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use email. But there are ways to make email more engaging and personal. 

For example, emails that use video get a 96% higher click-through rate than those that don’t. It makes sense: video shows off your face, which helps to foster that personal connection.

So if you’re relying on a “spray and pray” approach to email where you’re sending as many as you can hoping for something to stick, just stop. You’ve got way more tools at your disposal. 

2. Make your videos watchable

Just getting started using video in your prospecting efforts is a great first step. But if you really want to maximize your chance of success, then you need to make your videos as watchable as possible.

Most people drop off of videos 70-80% of the way through. So it’s important to structure your video so you get their attention and deliver necessary value as quickly and efficiently as possible—before they click away. 

Here are some tips to make your videos more watchable:

  • Start with empathy. Show the prospect that you truly understand the problem they’re facing. 
    • Lead with value. Catch the prospect’s attention by offering something to help with that problem as early in the video as possible. 
  • Use a list to structure your video. “3 things before our call tomorrow,” or “4 things I noticed on your website.” That will help make the video more scannable and increase the prospect’s likelihood of retaining that information
  • Caption your video. Adding captions to videos can increase the watch rate by up to 80 percent. Captions also help with scannability. 
  • Put your call-to-action in the middle. It logically makes sense to throw the CTA at the end. But by that point, most people have dropped off. Put it in the middle to increase the likelihood that people will actually see it. 

3. Use the prospect’s name off the bat

The first few seconds of a video are key to getting your relationship with the prospect off on the right foot. One great way to do this: use the prospect’s name.

This goes back as far as Dale Carnegie: people perk up when they hear their own name. When you use their name, you set the tone of the relationship as a familiar one, which increases their likelihood to trust you. 

What’s more, when you use a prospect’s name in a video, it’s proof that you aren’t batch-sending messages. You’re taking the time to record a personalized message, which shows that you’re putting effort into building that connection. 

WATCH: 10 Tips for Building Human-to-Human Connections on Sales Calls

4. Don’t just call prospects once

It’s no surprise that phone calls used in tandem with email help to increase the likelihood of a response. 

The problem, however, is that only 10% of sales reps make more than three attempts to reach a prospect. Calling more than three times may seem like a lot, when you consider that it takes anywhere from seven to fourteen touches to get a conversation with a prospect, then frequent follow-up is key to making that conversion. 

Also remember that while email and social media are powerful tools, they have one purpose: to get you on a call with the prospect. That’s the only way you’ll be able to sell them. 

5. Don’t waste time following up if your data is incorrect

Spray and pray is popular because it’s quick and easy. Even if half the data is incorrect, you’re spending so little time on each prospect that it nets out positive. 

But when you’re taking the time to follow up multiple times, record videos, and build relationships with prospects, investing in the wrong people can be a significant time sink. 

That’s why it’s important to do your homework. One tip we recommend at Factor 8 is if you get a voicemail, hit the 0 button to find the directory or talk to someone else in the company. 

What I tell people is: try to be James Bond for about 10 dials. You’re going to learn something critical that will help you find the right person or provide you with important information that you can then use to land the deal:

  • Who reports to who?
  • What system do they have?
  • How long has your decision maker worked there?
  • Are there any current projects that are a priority?
  • How many employers/locations are there?
  • Other key influencers that you should include in the process?

Use your personality, talk to people, and get some critical account information that can help you become more successful as you build your relationship with them over time. 

READ MORE: How to Use Sales Intelligence to Boost Profits

6. Qualify, qualify, qualify

First of all: sales qualification is not the same as lead qualification. The latter is a marketing indication that a prospect may be ready to buy due to their engagement. Sales qualification is about how much money you can make with a particular account—what’s the potential that they’ll buy from you?

There are a number of factors that go into play here:

  • Size of sales team—more reps means more revenue
  • Is the company B2B or B2C?
  • What tools or platforms does the company already have (especially important if you sell SaaS)?
  • Do salespeople have to acquire their own tools or does the company provide them? 

One great tip for this: don’t blow past the gatekeepers! In your haste to get to the decision maker, you may end up missing the opportunity to gain some vital information on the company that can help you tailor your video and phone communications. 

READ MORE: How to Build an Account and Lead Qualification Strategy

7. You were hired for your personality—use it

If marketing could source leads and close deals on their own, we wouldn’t need sales.

The reason you have a job is because salespeople can do something marketers just can’t. You weren’t hired to send canned messages. Marketing can do that more efficiently than you. 

Salespeople are there because personality makes a huge difference in how prospects feel about potential vendors. For many businesses, it’s the people that are the differentiator between themselves and their closest competitors. 

So let people get to know you. You’ve been hired to be a personality. Use it!

If your sales team struggles to use phone and video effectively, Factor 8 can provide the training and resources needed to get everyone up to speed. Learn more about our training and coaching services here. 

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Overcoming Sales Objections

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Quick Tips on Overcoming Sales Objections

If you’re a BDR or SDR, you’ve probably heard your fair share of sales objections. And chances are, you’re likely NOT a big fan of them. I’m here to change your mind. Why?

I LOVE objections.

They’re proof a prospect is actually listening, and at some level, they’re even considering buying. I see objections as a challenge to understand prospects better and to showcase the SWIIFT℠ value of my product. 

Ready to love objections? Let’s get started.

First, let’s understand the difference between a brush-off and a sales objection. If you’re hearing things like “I can’t talk right now” or “I’m not interested,” what the person on the other end of the phone is really saying is “I’d rather be doing anything than be sold to right now.” In these cases, you are experiencing a brush-off. These are typically heard at the beginning of the call and have almost nothing to do with your product or solution. Brush-offs require their own set of solutions, we’ll get to those in another article.

On the other hand, an objection sounds like “we don’t have a budget for XYZ” or “it’s too expensive” or “this isn’t our top priority.” Prospects with true objections are informed. They know who you are and what you are selling. Their objection is directly related to what you have presented to them (i.e. “We don’t have room in our 2022 budget for XYZ right now”).

Now that we understand the type of push-back that we’re solving for, let’s talk about overcoming objections in sales. Think about sales objections in terms of dating. You’ve poured your heart (your “pitch”) out to this potential customer and they’re quickly trying to show you the door. It’s only natural for us to take it personally. But let’s think about it this way, would you rather hear why a prospect is rejecting you, or be ghosted and left wondering why you weren’t a great fit? If you’re anything like me, you need to know “why?!”

So, let’s go over the 4 easy steps to sales objection handling so you can find both a solution and the answer to that “why?!”

SPOILER ALERT: Most sales reps only follow one step and the majority are unsuccessful! The most important thing to successfully handle an objection is to complete ALL 4 steps! 

#1 Acknowledge 

When you first hear an objection, you and your prospect are like two people on opposing sides of the table. You need to move to the same side in order to work together. Start by listening closely to what your prospect is saying to help identify the truth behind the objection and to LOWER defensiveness. Be sure to use your active listening skills here, folks. Nodding your head saying “mmhmm” or “I get that” are all useful cues to let them know you hear them. Go a step further by rephrasing their objection to show that you were truly listening to their thoughts. 

Skipping this first step will leave you sounding defensive to someone whose guard is already up. That is not a recipe for success. So, let’s listen and acknowledge before moving to step 2.

#2 Ask Questions

The end goal of this step is to truly understand the prospect’s objection. Often, the initial objection is superficial. So, let’s use questions to isolate and clarify before we attempt to handle it. Taking a breath and approaching the questions with a calm tone can really help as well. Below are a few examples of defensive questions vs. calm, open-ended questions. 

“What do you mean by that?” vs. “Sure, I get it, tell me more?”

“How could you say we’re too expensive?” vs. “I totally understand. Can you explain more about the cost?”

“You honestly think you don’t need this?” vs. “I hear you. So, what’s your solution to this problem?”

The most important part about this step is asking questions until you fully understand what the roadblock is. 

#3 Overcome! 

This is the step that most salespeople jump to. Reminder: If you skip steps 1 and 2, you are very likely not getting to the root of their objection and are coming off as defensive. This will lead to an aggravated prospect who will likely hang up on you. 

Now let’s talk about addressing the true objection and providing a solution. After years of handling objections, we have found three tactics that show proven results! 

  • Value:
    • Find the SWIIFT℠ value that the client’s objection embodies and use it to explain how your solution will overcome the objection at hand. (New here? Don’t know about the SWIIFT℠ values, yet? Check out the details HERE)
      • Money Example: “You know, if we implement this right now, our solution will help save about five times this investment! And that’s just in the first year. Our projections estimate at least $50k in savings right off the bat! I know it’s scary, but the savings are worth it!”
  • Felt/Found: 
    • This tactic explains the cause and effect of your solution in the context of a previous client or clients.
      • Example: “I get it. Honestly? At least half of my current customers have FELT this way. It’s scary to invest upfront. But, what each of them has FOUND is that the cost savings more than make up for it – and does so quickly!”
  • Story: 
    • This is similar to the Felt/Found tactic but goes into more detail. It’s important to remember that this can be a true story that happened to you or one of your co-workers, it could be a story pulled from a research report (with the names and details adjusted to your specific company), or it could be a story based in truth, with a few exaggerations. 
      • Example: “I get it. It’s a totally normal reaction. You know from the beginning, you’ve reminded me of Bob from Spokane. He was shopping for the same solution – although he picked the XYZ model. He hesitated to pull the trigger too, and he has already recouped 75% of his original investment. That was literally just last month!”
    • When you’re sharing a story with a prospect, remember that good stories have these components:
      • Time
      • Place
      • Main Character
      • Challenge
      • Goal
      • Series of Events (aka Plot)
      • Outcome
      • Details (1-2 fun embellishments or random details)
  • Insider Tip: facts are 20 TIMES more likely to be remembered when they are part of a story! Stories release dopamine to the brain. Which, in turn, causes a deeper sense of emotional engagement with what is said. The brain automatically goes into curiosity and receptive mode (instead of defensive mode). Cool, right!? So, get your clients to drop their guard a bit with a good story! 

DOWNLOAD: 4-Step Process To Overcome Objections

#4 Check-In & Close

In this step, you’ve got to confirm that you’ve answered your prospect’s questions and concerns. After confirming, we push the deal forward to either the next steps or to a close. Only about 10% of customers will close themselves. This means 90% of deals will stall out if you skip this step! Check out the image below to see 5 different types of closes. Which one feels the most comfortable for you?

BONUS! Here are a few additional tips to use after you’ve mastered the 4 steps above:

  • Always run through the proposal live with your client. If you are only emailing a quote you will lose a larger percentage of business. 
  • If you are getting pricing objections from a lot of clients, you are probably selling on features only. You’ve got to include those SWIIFT℠ values! 
  • If you don’t know which questions to ask, then remove the objection. Example: “Suppose you didn’t have ______? How would the situation be different?”
  • If you don’t know what to ask, then ask “why”? Example: “I’m sorry to hear you feel that way. I would like to understand your concern. May I ask why you say that?” 

If you master the 4 steps above, you’ll find those sales objections turning into deals in no time!

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Top Techniques for Closing the Sale

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Top Sales Closing Techniques

So you put in the hard work, you hooked your prospect, you got to the decision-maker, and you’re at the finish line – it’s now time to close the sale.

Time to celebrate? Not quite yet…

A shocking 64% of reps don’t actually end up closing the deal. (and unsurprisingly enough, only 10% of customers will close themselves).

So, why aren’t most reps closing? Hint: there are 5 main reasons.

Keep reading to learn our top sales closing techniques. Buckle in, folks!

READ: How to Close More Deals

You Feel Too Pushy & Lack Confidence

I get it – you don’t want to come off as the “used car” sales rep and hound someone to get your deal finalized. Or maybe you’re just nervous and don’t have the full confidence to take that last step.

Let me help you out here – take a look at the graphic below of the buying funnel. Most prospects are stuck up in the top half – they’re in research mode!

Buying Funnel

When you lack the confidence to ask for the close, you’re letting them stay in an endless loop of research and evaluation without clear next steps. The reality is you should be offering clear steps on the VERY FIRST CALL to lead them into the evaluation phase.

Think about it like this: when you go to buy coffee in the morning or stop to pick up lunch, do you walk up and order? Or do you wait for someone to ask you what you want? You probably stared at the menu figuring out what to get and then someone asked if they could take your order, right? They prompted you out of your research and evaluation mode into the bottom half of the funnel!

Helping lead them into those next phases is the core of being a sales rep! It’s not pushy, and not doing it shows a lack of confidence. This is where you decide if you are a true salesperson or not.

Remember: Closing. Helps. The Buyer.

You Don’t Know How To Ask

If you’re worried it sounds too good to be true – it’s not! You can literally just ASK them questions to inch closer to the close. Okay, so the reality is that a lot of those go-to closes rely on cheesy or crappy tactics. Here are a couple good questions and statements for closing sales to steal:

  • Ask a Question: Did we solve the problem? Did we meet your needs? Ready to move onto the next step? 
  • Make an Assumption: We’ll get this nailed down and start next week. When do you want to take delivery? (You’re acting like you’re already involved in the next step!)
  • Which pitch: Which solution is a better fit right now? Which option is a better match for budget? Do you like option A or option B? 
  • Timeline: You mentioned wanting XYZ in place by next month – working backward we’ll need to ink the contract by next week.
  • Add-On: If we can get this wrapped up by the end of the month, we can throw in an extra license and a live training. 

DOWNLOAD: How to Transition to Close

You Need More Customer Info

Don’t make the super embarrassing mistake of lacking customer insight and information by the time you get all the way to closing!

CSO Insights estimates that 26% of deals are actually LOST because sellers weren’t fully aligned to a buyer’s needs before closing. Save yourself the time and hassle by making sure you know these before you get to close:

  • What is the agreed customer goal or pain?
  • What is the “why” behind the buy/value to them?
  • What’s their budget & timeline?
  • What does their buying process look like?
  • What is their current state vs. desired state?
  • Are there other options/competition?
  • Any personal motivation here?

(Hint, if you need help coming up with a pitch that aligns with their value – check out SWIIFT℠!)

READ: SWIIFT℠ Selling Methodology 

You’re Out of the Closing Habit

Closing is a muscle just like anything else – if you aren’t exercising it, you’re not going to know what to do with it when the time comes to use it!

You can close every single call you have with something we like to call closing for commitment. 

Think about football for a second. You’ve got your first downs to lock it in – and instead of having to go all the way back, you get to start on THAT yard line. Now when you apply to this sales – even if it’s something small you’re getting a customer to make a commitment to you. That means next time you’re starting from THAT point! You’re taking up mindshare with them.

Here’s an example:

You’ll never have to ask yourself if it’s closed because you will know and you will OWN exactly what you need to do.

Always plan for the win!

READ: Increase Close Rates Fast With This Technique

You Don’t Know When to Close

Can you guess the most critical stage when it comes to closing?

Gong did a study on this, and believe it or not – the qualification stage is MOST important. Close rates decline by 71% when the next steps are not covered on that first call. Plus – deals that closed the fastest spent 1.53 times MORE talking about those next steps compared to other deals.

If you have a well-defined sales process, you’re 33% more likely to close your deals (TAS Group). And if you don’t know how to gauge when that is or how it plays out – do a trial close! Try something different!

Sometimes you have to abandon your sales script, and that’s okay.

Read: Quickly Transition to Close on Sales Calls

The more confident you get with closing, I promise the easier this gets. So don’t be afraid to get out there, practice, and remember that there’s a closing strategy for each and every one of those fears you might have. You got this – now go get those deals!

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4 Easy Tips (& Scripts to Steal) to Close More Deals [Webinar Recording]

4 Easy Tips (& Scripts to Steal) to Close More Deals

[Video Recording]

4+ Closing Scripts and Techniques to Get Deals Moving

Wish you could be a more confident closer? Sick of wasting time working deals only to have them go dark? The truth is, the vast majority of sellers don’t feel confident closing – you’re not alone! So how do you get past the mental blocks and feel GREAT about winning more deals? We’re here to help. 

Since only 10% of customers will close themselves, it’s critical to overcome our reluctance and employ some time-tested techniques around closing. It starts with the techniques, then drills the practice and coaching, and in a short time you’ll be a closing machine!

No more wasted time! No more fear!  No more missing quota!

In this session, we cover:

  • The psychology of closing that will change your outlook forever
  • Buying signals – learning when to close to win! 
  • Transition statements that help steer the conversation 
  • 4 proven close techniques that work
  • Scripts and lines to STEAL!
  • A sure-fire way to prevent deals from going dark

Watch the video replay!


4+ Closing Scripts and Techniques to Get Deals Moving

Wish you could be a more confident closer? Sick of wasting time working deals only to have them go dark? The truth is, the vast majority of sellers don’t feel confident closing – you’re not alone! So how do you get past the mental blocks and feel GREAT about winning more deals? We’re here to help. 

Since only 10% of customers will close themselves, it’s critical to overcome our reluctance and employ some time-tested techniques around closing. It starts with the techniques, then drills the practice and coaching, and in a short time you’ll be a closing machine!

No more wasted time! No more fear!  No more missing quota!

In this session, we cover:

  • The psychology of closing that will change your outlook forever
  • Buying signals – learning when to close to win! 
  • Transition statements that help steer the conversation 
  • 4 proven close techniques that work
  • Scripts and lines to STEAL!
  • A sure-fire way to prevent deals from going dark

Watch the video replay!


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