Sales Rep Tips
10 Tips for Sales Success from a High-Performer
I’ve been to a lot of places, sold a number of different products, and won quite a few awards. Along the way I have found a rhythm for my sales success. While everyone’s rhythm is different, there are certain keys to sales success that I have found ring true for all.
Here are my top 10 tips for becoming a high-performer:
- Persistence – On average, it takes 18 calls to get someone on the phone. Don’t give up, and be sure to have a voicemail and email cadence.
- Consistent Prospecting – A salesperson should always be busy. If you’re not closing, you should be opening (aka prospecting).
- Trust, but Verify – The information we receive, whether from online resources or a mutual acquaintance, is not always accurate. Verify your contacts, titles, needs, etc., directly.
- Track Your Cadence – Be sure to switch up the voicemails you are leaving and emails you are sending. Also, be sure to show Salesforce (or your CRM) some love. Tracking which voicemails and emails you use, when you use them, and which ones work can help in fine-tuning your cadence.
- Have a Conversation – Open with your SWIIFT Pitch (So What’s In It For Them), then ask the prospect a question. Relationships are built on two-way conversations.
- Let Them Tell You What They Want – Yes, you’ve researched a lot. Once you find out what their challenges are, you can show them everything you know.
- Penetrate Your Accounts – The truth is people leave. So, the more people that know you, the more likely you’ll keep the account when turnover happens.
- Objections are Good – You’ve engaged the prospect and they are seriously considering your solution. If they agree with everything you say, ask an unexpected question (called a pattern interrupt). Don’t be scared of objections, it means they are listening.
- Closing With Flexibility – Set upfront contracts and let prospects know it’s okay to say no and choose another solution. While we want to win every deal, that’s not entirely realistic. The easier you make it for the prospect to say no, the less time you’ll spend chasing dead deals. You can use that extra time to prospect new accounts that will cross the finish line.
- Feedback is Gold – Get feedback on every deal, if you can. No matter if you win or lose, the reasons behind the client’s decision are invaluable. It will help you close future deals and it will make you better. I promise.
Finally, winning the deal is only the beginning. Now you need to deliver on the trust they put in you. Exceed expectations and create those win/win situations.
It’s up to each of us to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. To be the people they know, like, and trust.
About the Author:
Victoria Brooks is a Protégé in Generation 4 of #GirlsClub and a Technical Sales Representative at Dell. She moved into sales to better support her daughter as a single parent and found her confidence by creating win/win situations. She’s passionate about diversity, technology, and animal rescue. She’s usually roaming around Austin, Texas taking pictures to post on social and sharing sales “war” stories to anyone who will listen.
Want more tips for sales success?
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!
Use This Simple Technique To Increase Close Rates
Want to increase close rates? Redefine what “closed” means!
Gone are the days of the one-call-close right? And what customer actually loved the days of ABC – Always Be Closing? What if I could show you a way to bring that back? Would you be interested? (and there I go, trial closing. I promise to stop. Hang tight, it gets better.)
(Psst! While you’re here, watch the recording of our recent session on “Tips to Transition to Close Fast“)
The idea here is that every call CAN be closed – just not for the sale. Indulge me in a sports metaphor (and prepare for me to mix it up halfway through):
Football. When we load up our BDR and outbound acquisition teams with lead lists and then count the appointments booked, we’re essentially only celebrating successful hail-mary passes. Picture your rep near your own end zone and winging it down the field for a one-in-a-million catch in the other end zone.
Maybe not one in a million…more like let’s say .6% or roughly two appointments booked in a week of sixty-dial days? Sound pretty close? Not a whole lotta touchdowns happening in this scenario, and really…how many of us have a team full of Bradys? (and seriously, even HE doesn’t have his contract renewed…but I digress)
Get A Commitment
What if instead, we instituted a first down system in sales? Something that lets us make a shorter-yard play and then mark our spot on the field so on the next play we weren’t starting from scratch?
Surely you’ve heard sellers lament the “starting from scratch” with leads right? Sure you called them three months ago and they told you to call back today, but did anyone actually remember you or what you sell? Here’s where commitments come in.
When we can get a potential customer to make a commitment to us on call one, we increase our mindshare with that lead. Sort of like sending an RSVP. Sure you don’t feel like going to the party when the date actually comes, but you DID send your RSVP that you’d be there, right?
I learned of this tactic from a restaurant. They had tons of no-shows for their reservations and were bleeding cash. My consultant friend went and did an analysis and added just two small words to the hostess’ script which made all the difference. Instead of saying, “Call us if you can’t make it,” she added the words, “will you” thereby gaining a customer commitment on the call.
By saying, “Will you call us if you can’t make it?” the customer responds with “Yes.” And again, even if he’s thinking of ditching the linen tablecloth for the couch and popcorn, he remembered that commitment and was TWICE as likely to either call or show. Massive change right? Mindshare.
Assign An Action
Now before you go and alter your scripts and training to reflect getting a “yes” from your customer, let’s make it even stronger. Give your customer an action item.
Let’s go back to the couch and the party. Sure you RSVPed, but you can probably still make excuses come Monday morning when you see your buddy at work right?
But consider: What if you signed up to bring the beer? Think of all your thirsty and angry friends waiting for you. Now THAT might get my behind off the couch and into the shower. You with me?
And if it didn’t work, the guilt certainly tripled? Same as the RSVP to the restaurant. I said I would call and I didn’t. It gives us a moment of pause. And next time we make a reservation, we might even remember our experience shafting that hostess. Mindshare.
OK, let’s translate.
If we’re outbounding to a customer and don’t get the appointment/demo/stage 2 win of the sales process, what CAN we get? We call these short-yard or mid-yard plays. Some examples:
- An appointment for call #2
- A commitment to check our current contract for the expiry date
- An agreement to read the study we send before the next call
- A promise to ask the rest of the team what they think of the current provider
- A commitment to take my next call
You’ll notice some of these wins are bigger than others, but they all include the customer saying yes, and the strongest ones give them an action. During training, we come up with our list of plays and then listen to calls together and vote on what commitment we’d use if our hail-mary falls short. Try it out!
Remember, the worst that can happen is your customer flakes and stays on the couch. But your odds of him remembering who you are and what you do (and feeling JUST a bit guilty about it) on the next call has definitely increased. Follow these tips and you’re sure to increase close rates in no time.
Want more tips to increase close rates?
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!
Sales Outreach: How to Incorporate Emails and Phone Calls Into Your Sequences
You’ve heard of sequences, right? They are an integral part of your sales outreach and a magical combination of touchpoints to your prospects that, if all goes well, will result in a REALLY good sales call. Recently, the AMAZING Brooke Bachesta of Outreach, aka the gurus of outreach and sequences, and I got together to talk about how to build the perfect sequence! Brooke (who also happens to be a #GirlsClub Gen 1 graduate) is a wealth of knowledge and we were so lucky to grab a little time with her. Okay, it’s time to get into the good stuff!
Let’s start with the basics…
What is a sequence?
A sequence is a repeatable set of steps used to connect with potential customers. These could be a manual list of emails that you send or reminders you set for yourself to connect on LinkedIn (Tip: it’s a heck of a lot easier if you use software like Outreach that allows you to automate nearly everything!) Think of it as you setting your future self up for success.
When do we use sequences?
The idea behind a sequence is to connect with people who are not totally familiar with you or your company. So, you can (and should) be using a sequence in any of these situations:
- Top of funnel
- Prioritized prospecting
- Refining your ‘hit list’
- Cold Leads
- Warm Leads
- Account penetration
- Account revitalization
- Anyone else you’re not talking to on the regular
What is in a sequence?
The most successful sequences include a multi-channel campaign. When we say multi-channel, we mean a combination of email, phone call, LinkedIn, direct mail, etc. Essentially, you want to use every available form of communication to try and find the one that will get you some virtual or live face time with your prospect.
What makes a GREAT sequence?
All of the following:
- A multi-channel campaign
- Phone, Email, LinkedIn, Text, Direct Mail, Carrier Pigeon (just kidding!), etc.
- About 2 weeks of effort before changing strategies
- 15+ touchpoints per contact
- 3 days or less between touchpoints
We get it, 15+ touchpoints in 2 weeks sounds like a lot, but we promise there is research to back us up. Skip Miller released a really great book called Outbounding. One of the things he found was that if you wait for more than 3 days between touchpoints the prospect is going to forget who you are. Think of it this way, even if your prospects are not responding to you, shortening the time between your reach outs helps them to at least have familiarity with your name. While they might not pick up on the first call, they may answer on the 5th call. With this under 3 day window, they are more likely to, at the very least, recognize your name and be more inclined to talk.
How can I write a really great sales email?
Spoiler alert! People don’t really care who you are or what you sell. So, we have to bring them in and smoothly transition right to the point. Great emails typically hit all of the following marks:
- 4-5 word subject line
- Creative & relevant content
- 150(ish) words total. We want it to be short enough to read on your phone
- Use the SWIIFT Method (So What’s In It For Them) – learn more about SWIIFT HERE
- Cleanly and uniformly formatted
- Stick to a structure:
- Make it personalized to them, their company, their industry
- Highlight the areas for potential pain
- Seamlessly transition to how you can help
- Provide relevant social proof
- Include a call to action
How about voicemails, should you leave one?
YES! I beg you, please, leave voicemails EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We’ve already mentioned that there are 15 touches in a good sequence. About half of those touches should be voicemails. You are already putting in the time, doing the research, and making the calls… but if you are not leaving a voicemail, then it’s like that phone call never happened.
Hot Tip: before picking up that phone for your first call of the day, make sure your voice is warmed up. Whether that first call results in a living, breathing human on the other end or a voicemail, if your voice cracks it’s not a good look (err, sound).
What makes a great voicemail?
Here are some tips for leaving a great voicemail:
- Make it 10 seconds or less
- Put some personality in your message and don’t read directly from a script. Pretend you’re talking to your best friend
- Be clear in your messaging
In a great sequence, there will be about 7 phone calls. For most contacts that could equate to as many as 7 voicemails. So, switch up the message styles. My 4 favorite types of voicemails are:
- Urgency
- Mystery
- Value
- Lever
Insider Tip: in your sequence notes, keep track of the type of voicemail you leave. This will help you know what to say when they call you back and can help you find patterns in the styles of voicemail that are most successful for you. You can read more about my 4 favorite voicemails HERE.
Here are two examples of great sequences from our friends at Outreach:
What’s the difference between these two?
If you read through, you would think these two sequences are exactly the same. And they almost are, with one BIG difference: the 1st email. The “manual” sequence includes a templated email (that maybe has a tiny bit of personalization). While the “personalized” sequence, on the other hand, includes a truly personalized email, like one written from scratch.
When do you use each type?
You will likely find yourself using the manual sequence for the majority of your top of funnel, prioritized prospecting, when refining your ‘hit list’, and cold leads. The return rate on automated emails is roughly 1%. So, we don’t want to spend too much time writing a truly personalized email for an unqualified account.
Now, when we’re talking about account penetration and account revitalization, we would recommend a personalized sequence instead. For these types of prospects, you will likely have solid background information or have had prior contact with the recipient. Warm leads will likely fall under this category as well, especially if you have spent time speaking with them at say a conference or networking event.
*Gasp* your sequence worked and they answered the phone! Now what?
Before starting your call series you should craft a couple of standard (but still great) intros for when your prospect actually answers. The key is to remember not to sell in the intro, instead focus on helping. The goal of your intro is to get your foot in the door and to get your prospect talking. Selling comes later.
Here’s what a great standard intro is going to include:
- It should be short and focused on what’s in it for them (think SWIIFT)
- Includes the goal of the call
- Should end with a question
- The entire goal of your intro is to GET THEM TALKING
The questions you ask in your intro should be short and shouldn’t require too much thinking. We want to aim for yes or no questions, or questions that involve an auto-answer. Think things like “how many reps are on your team?”, “are you outbound or inbound?”, “looking to add a couple of new team members?” Get them talking and THEN we transition to the sales call.
Wondering what NOT to include in your intro?
If you play your cards right, there will be plenty of time for selling either later in this first call, or during your follow-up (more tips on bridging to the follow-up call here). The first time your prospect answers the phone, your job is to get them talking and engaged. We’ve talked about what to do… now let’s touch on what NOT to do:
- No social proof
- No introducing yourself
- No value props
- No features or benefits
- Remember: Don’t sell – do help!
Shoving research in their ear as soon as they answer isn’t appealing. The prospect doesn’t care if you’re the regional vice president for the mid-coast Atlantic region of your company’s XYZ division. In the first 2 minutes of the call, they don’t care what your amazing features are. What they care about is getting their job done better, faster, and easier. So, let’s start out by showing them how we can help!
Remember, the whole purpose of a sequence is to amplify your already amazing sales skills and get you to the finish line faster. So when working on your sales outreach, take time crafting your initial sequence cadence and your templated emails (if you’re going the manual sequence route). Future you will say “thank you!”
If you’d like even more information on crafting the perfect prospecting message or sequence, you can watch our whole session with Brooke HERE!
Want more tips on improving your sales outreach?
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!
Field Selling vs. Inside Selling: How to Excel in Different Sales Roles [“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
Field Selling vs. Inside Selling: How to Excel in Different Sales Roles
[“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
Learn more about the sponsor of this event!
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Tips for Sales Reps to Get a Promotion
Truth: 9 out of 10 sales leaders have had the experience of promoting the wrong rep into management. If you’re a sales rep working on a promotion, read these tips to make sure you’re not one of the reps who shouldn’t be in management.
Tip #1: Be above quota. If you want to lead and teach reps to hit quota, don’t raise your hand if you haven’t hit or beaten quota for at least 12 straight months or 4 quarters.
Tip #1a: Don’t be the top rep. If you’re consistently smashing quota, rethink management. You’re the number one mistake, my friend. That’s right you special snowflake, most of the managers I met who were top reps are miserable. You also have more trouble teaching new reps how to be awesome. Why? Because you’re so damn good it’s an art to you – harder to teach an art than a science. Also, you’re wired to win at all costs, and in management the job is about helping your team win. You’ll also make less money. Yeah I know, I should have led with that.
Tip #2: Process wins. A hiring director wants to see that you have a system in place for how you:
- Attack a list of leads
- Document your actions in CRM
- Penetrate new accounts
- Approach your day
- Onboard a new account
Fill in your own blank here, and do it several times. And if you aren’t asked about this in the interview, bring it up.
Tip #2a. Document that process and hand it in. “Here’s how I approach ABC. I’ve documented it to help some of the new hires.” Boom! Winner!
Tip #3. Actually go and help the new hires. Every team of sellers has a de facto leader. No, not that person who wins every contest, the OTHER person who you go to and who actually answers your questions. The nice and helpful one. THAT’s the future manager on the team. Be them.
Tip #3a. Be a mentor. Ask your manager to assign you as a mentor to newbies on your team or others. Being a mentor for 6 months is the number one way to find out if management is a gig you want. If you don’t enjoy it, that’s your sign it may suit you more to be in control of your own success and commission as a next-level seller vs. manager.
Tip #4. Go Pro. Ask a friend or mentor to review ten random emails you’ve sent to customers or internally and give you feedback on the professionalism of your communication. Nobody is going to hire the master of misspelling or the novelist. Bullet points. Clear. Direct. Grammatically perfect. Completely auto-corrected.
Tip #4a. Now go make them all 30% shorter. Make your subject lines actionable, speak in bullets vs. paragraphs, and have a clear call to action at the end.
Tip #5. Network now. The time to start talking about career moves, desires, and paths is about a year before you probably want it. Do all the managers know your name? How about the directors? When the VP asks who is on the shortlist of folks wanting to move up, are you 100% positive you appear on that list? If not, start booking some lunches or virtual coffees. Start by sharing your desire to grow and asking for advice on how to work to get there.
Tip #5a. Speak up! Ladies, do this 11.5 months before you’re comfortable doing it. The whole reason I started #GirlsClub was to help us level the playing field, and I need your help by actually getting on the field. We’re historically the last to apply and raise our hands – and then we’re upset for not being approached or chosen. That happens because we wait and wait and wait to speak up. Learn more and maybe even participate in our management certification at www.WeAreGirlsClub.com.
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Best Sales Script To Get A Buyer’s Attention
You may have heard us talk about our SWIIFTSM Intro before. The idea is for your best sales script to focus on the buyer and add value so they stop typing their emails and start listening to you. When you have it, there is something even more powerful than the SWIIFTSM “ear perk,” and that’s a lever. A lever is a piece of information you have on the company, contact, industry, or history that says:
“Hey man, this isn’t a cold call. I’m important and you practically already know me. Tune in!”
The best lever is a name – preferably one in their company (e.g. their boss! An executive!), but in lieu of this, use some buying history, shared experience, shared external contact, or even events. Here are some examples:
(external name) Looks like we both know John Smith pretty well
(company history) We’ve been providing your security licenses for the past few years
(internal name) I work closely with Kathleen in marketing
(experience) I see we both attended the AA-ISP conference this year
But here is the all-time favorite and most powerful sales script (the name):
Bob! Lauren with Factor 8. I talked to Larry Reeves yesterday. He asked me to give you a call and I promised him that I would. Tell me something, are you guys expanding your sales force this year?
What’s different and powerful about this lever statement is that we leave the “why” to the contact’s imagination. And it’s probably generating something like, “Oh, snap! What’s going on!?” NOW Bob is paying attention, right? Also notice that I didn’t launch into some big history like:
“I talked to Larry and he said that he isn’t the right contact and that I should call you.”
Yeah, that just screams sales pitch! But it’s what I hear most often. Listen, if Larry gives you the brush-off and Bob’s name, just spin it into the above. OK, Larry, I’ll call him. Boom! You promised him that you would. So don’t fret about the wrong names on your list. They can be powerful levers!
Get your contacts to STOP thinking about how to get you off the phone and START talking to you.
And don’t leave out the SWIIFTSM question at the end of your intro. This is what gets them to STOP thinking about how to get you off the phone and START thinking of the quick and easy answer to your question. And guess what? Now they’re talking!
Need some help creating the best sales script ever? Download our SWIIFT Intro in a Box Guide below!
Want more tips to craft your best sales script ever?
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!