Voicemails

Lauren Bailey Sales Rep Tips, Prospecting, Voicemails, Emails + Sequences
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!

One-Two Punch: Email + Voice Scripts That WORK When Prospecting [“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
One-Two Punch: Email + Voice Scripts That WORK When Prospecting
[“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
Does Your Prospecting Messaging Stink?
Let’s face it, nobody loves cold calling. That’s why we’ve renamed it prospecting! Whether it’s a warm call, a cool call, or even existing customer calls — it’s harder than ever to capture our buyers’ attention. Enter the best-practice cadence and omnichannel approach of Email + Social + Phone. It works, but ONLY if your messaging doesn’t stink.
In this special Sales Shot, Lauren Bailey is joined by Brooke Bachesta, Revenue Enablement Manager at Outreach, and they’re sharing their top tips on how to master your omnichannel prospecting outreach.
Watch the video replay!
Does Your Prospecting Messaging Stink?
Let’s face it, nobody loves cold calling. That’s why we’ve renamed it prospecting! Whether it’s a warm call, a cool call, or even existing customer calls — it’s harder than ever to capture our buyers’ attention. Enter the best-practice cadence and omnichannel approach of Email + Social + Phone. It works, but ONLY if your messaging doesn’t stink.
In this special Sales Shot, Lauren Bailey is joined by Brooke Bachesta, Revenue Enablement Manager at Outreach, and they’re sharing their top tips on how to master your omnichannel prospecting outreach.
Watch the video replay!
Learn more about the sponsor of this event!
Need help adapting to the new remote selling world? Request a demo of Outreach, the #1 sales engagement platform that closes more deals faster — so your reps can achieve revenue goals from anywhere. Companies that choose Outreach can expect a 387% return on the investment over three years and an 11% increase in sales productivity (valued at $6.9M). See what the #1 sales engagement platform can do for your business today.

Lauren Bailey Sales Rep Tips, Voicemails
4 Quick and Effective Sales Voicemail Scripts
Are you thinking, “Should I leave a voicemail? Nobody ever calls back! Am I doing something wrong? Why aren’t people calling me back? Can I leave a better voicemail?”
Don’t worry, you’re not alone… and you aren’t wrong.
A good 90% of our outbound calls end in voicemails and less than 3% are actually returned. Oh boy, math time. That means up to 225 voicemails left every week if I’m making 50 calls a day. And only 7-8 potential clients calling me back. More bad news: That’s because your voicemails are probably bad (sorry).
Frankly, most voicemails aren’t great. In fact, voicemails are the one time I advocate for a script. Actually, 4 scripts. After 15 years of teaching phone sales, we’ve found 4 voicemails that consistently get more calls back. We’re talking, double to triple more. Ready for the math? That means 14-23 calls back in a week instead of 8. Dude, 14 more conversations every week! That’s like getting a bonus day of selling time every week, for only the cost of changing up a voicemail. Yup, it’s literally that easy.
You want to know the four types now don’t you? You’re in luck. They’re all below with voicemail scripts. Before you dive in, some advice: join our masterclass on prospecting to really learn these scripts + get individual coaching feedback on your real-life calls. You’ll also get 3 more incredible classes for outbound calling all at a super reasonable price. OK, let’s do this…
Awesome Voicemail Script #1 – Value
Honestly, most voicemails are either all about the sales rep, why THEY are calling, and what THEY want. Or, they are vaguely veiled sales pitches. If you want to stand out, focus all of your attention on the customer instead. We call that So, What’s In It for Them or SWIIFT℠. Each potential customer wants to know if a call back is worth their time, so answer their unasked question immediately by pushing the value. Warning: if you push too hard, these can run the risk of sounding like a sales pitch. So, we find they work best for existing accounts or existing relationships. To use them with a new account, we suggest using it in combo with some mystery. Did you say mystery?
Value Voicemail Script:
Ted!? LB at Factor 8. (480) 630-5318. I’ve got three things that will save you time this quarter. Call me back for a five-minute run down. I’m at (480) 630-5318. Thanks!
Awesome Voicemail Script #2 – Mystery
Folks, FOMO is real. So let’s use it. Just a little mystery can have your potential clients saying to themselves, “Do I know them?”, “Why did they call me?” When you leave them wanting to know more it can translate into real-life callbacks. It may take guts, but when you use this strategy with the right customers, it will pay off!
Mystery Voicemail Script:
Ted!? It’s Lauren at (480) 630-5318. Call me back. Again, I’m at (480) 630-5318.
Awesome Voicemail Script #3 – Levers
A lever is information that proves your credibility, convinces them this isn’t a cold call, AND that you know your stuff! A lever can be account information, history, company knowledge, or a person – from either your company or theirs. The BEST lever is their boss.
Lever Voicemail Script #1: the Boss Lever
Hi Ted. Lauren with Factor 8. I’ve been talking with your boss, Amy, and she asked me to call you so I promised her that I would. Please reach me at (480) 630-5318. Again, Lauren with Factor 8 at (480) 630-5318. Thanks!
See the subtle implication that his boss wants him to talk to me? This voicemail script works if I call Amy and she says, “I don’t handle that, that’s Ted.” I say, “OK, I’ll call Ted,” and then we’re off to the races. I know, this is a special scenario, but use it as often as you can. For a regular lever, try something like:
Lever Voicemail Script #2: the Standard Lever
Hey Ted, LB here over at Factor 8. I’ve been working with your CXS team there for a few years. Will you please call me back? I’m at (480) 630-5318. Again, Lauren with Factor 8 at (480) 630-5318. Thanks!
Awesome Voicemail Script #4 – Urgency
If you’ve ever told someone that you’ll send an email anyway or that you’d call them back anyway, you’ve crushed the urgency in the situation. Reverse it instead! Ratchet up the intensity by adding a timeline and some energy (and even a little mystery). Try to get them to call back immediately after listening!
Urgency Voicemail Script:
Hey Ted. Lauren calling with Factor 8. I’m trying like crazy to reach you by end of day. Please call me at (480) 630-5318. Again, Lauren trying to get to you urgently. Call me back quickly please at (480) 630-5318.
Of course, we love the good combination message. Bringing a few different voicemail scripts together can create some real voicemail magic!
Combination Voicemail Script:
Ted? Lauren with Factor 8. Sue gave me your name. We need to talk today about your account so I can help save you some money. Please return my call at (480) 630-5818. That’s (480) 630-5818. Talk soon.
This script has urgency, mystery, a lever, AND value! (And you can still say it in under 10 seconds.) Now, that’s a powerful voicemail. I’d call back… wouldn’t you? I hope you found one that speaks to you – so more of your prospects will too.

Lauren Bailey Sales Rep Tips, Voicemails
Top Voicemail Mistakes Inside Sales Reps Make
Reps often tell us they feel like they could be replaced by an outgoing voicemail message. Sound familiar? Pretty much nobody returns a call, right? Wrong.
In training, we’ve seen the percentage of returned calls increase 2-4X. In fact, we like to run contests to see who can get the most returned calls DURING training (because we put reps live on the phones during training – doesn’t your training vendor?) 😉
So why aren’t they calling you back? You’re probably making one of these three fatal voicemail mistakes:
- Selling in voicemail: Really, what are the odds they call you back with a PO? The voicemail is like the resume: it’s there to get you the interview, not the job. Quit the pitch and instead sell why they should call you back.
- Chatty Cathy: Too much is NOT a good thing. In other words, “Shut up already!” Voicemails should be about 20 seconds or less or I won’t even make it to your name and number.
- The obvious sales call: In intros we call this the setup: you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Unless you strike it lucky (1:1Million) your contact isn’t waiting for you to call and sell them something, so get creative and think of what value you can add now that WILL get their attention.
Now, two confessions.
Confession #1: I collect unexceptional voicemails… we have found they are a great training tool! Last week I got one that was seven minutes long – and I’m pretty sure he was drunk (“Sheriously LV, we gotta get doo in here and help these peeelew…”) Actually, that might have been a lead. Still didn’t call back.
Do you have an unexceptional voicemail that you’d love to share? Feel free to send them my way! What’s the worst you’ve received (or left)? I’ll start:
Confession #2: Nine years ago I hung up the phone and said, “Oh no. (Actually, I said something else but I’ll keep it PG.) Did I seriously just tell Steve Sharr that I am single in a voicemail? How did that even happen? How do I get it back!?”
Dear readers, we’re married now with two amazing little boys. So all’s well that ends well, right? Actually, yeah. Some of the best voicemails are less robotic and more human. Be authentic, be real. You’ll be more memorable (and apparently desirable! Haha).
Share your story on LinkedIn and tag me @Lauren Bailey so we can all learn from each other’s mistakes. (You can send the story over via message too if you wish to remain anonymous!)

Lauren Bailey Sales Rep Tips, Remote Selling, Prospecting, Cold Calls, Voicemails
Top Cold Call Tips and Techniques
People love to ask, “Is Cold Calling Dead?” It’s probably for the controversy effect more than anything, right? My answer (like all great consultants) is, “It depends.” Marketing has come a long way indeed to ensure our brand is recognized before the call. Maybe content has been consumed, landing pages visited, social posts engaged. But if they’ve never talked to us before, is it still cold? Nah, let’s call that warm.
Not all companies are as fortunate. Start-up sellers may not have marketing support and the customer’s first impression is the first call. Even if they may recognize a little something from LinkedIn, it’s not enough to call it warm. Marketing tells us it takes at least 4 touches to actually leave an impression, and 6-8 to get to the point of purchasing.
But can we be honest for a second? Sellers don’t give a damn. An outbound call to someone who isn’t expecting the call feels cold. Frigid below-zero kind of cold to today’s sellers. Why? Most of them haven’t grown up using the phone. My kid was shocked to learn his phone dialed out. “What!? It’s not just for texting!?”
Your millennial sales force wants to email and send LinkedIn messages. I know this because I get 30 a day. Want to differentiate? Immediately…
Ban the spam and get on the phone!
New to “cold” calling? Here are some tips to help the water feel a bit warmer:
- You’re immediately differentiating yourself by calling vs. emailing. This is a very good thing. I get 30 messages a day and about one voicemail per week.
- It will take about six calls for you to get a hold of most of your prospects and most sellers give up after two. This is the game my friends, do NOT give up. Do NOT take it personally. Cheerfully make your tally mark and know you are one call closer to a sale. Remember from above that it takes 6-8 touches to buy? Each time you leave a message it’s a touch. Sales is math.
- Yes, leave a voicemail! About every two days is great. No voicemail = no touch. You’ve made the dial but forgotten the return. Read more about voicemails that actually get returned here.
- Intersperse written messages. Use your outreach tool to help you send a series of voicemails, emails, and social messages over a period of 2-6 weeks. Close enough to be recognized from the last touch but not so close to being considered a stalker. You and your sales leaders can determine this.
- Design your outreach cadence based on client potential. If you’re doing account-based marketing and this is a top prospect, you’re going to touch more often and for longer. We recommend A,B,C,D lead qualification. Read more on that here.
OK, now let’s move from strategy to psychology.
How do I beat cold call rejection? Rejection sucks. Be very clear that cold call dodging is not rejection! Imagine a stranger calling you just to tell you that they don’t want to talk with you anymore. Um, OK. I’m cool with that. Feels different if it’s your best friend or your brother, right? Now THAT is rejection. They know you. They don’t like you. Ouch.
A stranger saying they have no time, they’re not interested, or simply launching a call is not rejection. It’s a busy life. They don’t know your name, your company, your face, or your annoying habits yet. 🙂 It’s call dodging, not YOU dodging.
Let’s also focus on sales as a helping profession. I recommend you spend a good four hours immersed in customer testimonials and case studies before picking up the phone for the first time. Learn why people love your product and your company. Learn about the problems you’ve solved and the situations you’ve bailed them out of at work! Your job is to find people struggling with these situations and save them. Your job is to educate them on a solution. What would they do without you? What if they don’t even know a solution exists!? What if they’re searching for a solution right now and are about to make a big mistake!? I want you to really dig in and picture this scenario and then picture this stranger thanking you for helping them. See it clearly and then see it every time before you pick up the phone.
In a cold call rut? Try picturing your best friend next time you hit “send.” Get a smile on your face and really imagine it. Your entire energy will change and you’ll be shocked how you’ll come off better.
Need more cold call inspiration? I want you to imagine that this outbound calling job is actually your business degree. Hell, your MBA program. Your job on every single call is to learn something about their business, their industry, their company, their job role. It’s called genuine curiosity my friends, and nobody displays it in sales anymore. Be fascinated. Be inspired. Seek to truly learn and grow. Your prospect will be so flattered and surprised, you’ll learn everything you need to know to qualify or uncover a need. You may even find your future perfect job situation!
Finally, a few skills to help. The most important skills to turn dials into actual leads or opportunities are:
- Voicemails. Yeah, we covered this before. If you leave 10-15 voicemails a day using our techniques, you’ll get at least 2 returned. That’s 10 conversations a week. Folks, that’s like a bonus day of the week. You get 6 days to hit your goal while everyone else gets five. (Join our masterclass to master your voicemails, check it out here.)
- Call Introductions. 90% of them suck. Yeah, sorry about that. If you’ve not spent a few hours training and perfecting your intro, it probably sounds like your value prop and is about 10 seconds too long. Learn the SWIIFT Intro that perks their ear and gets them talking. You’ll be shocked at how many conversations happen instead of rejections.
- Overcoming the Brush-Off. Even with a better intro, you’ll get some brush-offs. Remember, this isn’t rejection – they don’t even know you! Most of us either hang up or answer it like an objection, and that’s wrong. How do you overcome “I don’t have time” or overcome “I’m not interested?” By moving around it. Learn more in our masterclass.
- A Better Value Prop. If marketing wrote it for you, it won’t work in phone sales. Sorry marketing. Value props need to answer who you are and why they care in a way that your grandmother could understand. The best ones use “The rule of three” to get their brain accidentally picturing your services. Learn more in our masterclass.
In summary, no matter the temperature of your outbound calls, when you make them a game, adjust your mindset and layer in some skills, then you and your team can harness an incredible power that most of your competition has left behind. Sure, it’s easier to pop an email, but remember:
“Nobody ever bought anything over email.”
Choose to be in sales instead of marketing. Pick up the phone and have some fun!
Virtual Selling Tips [Webinar Recording]
Virtual Selling Tips
[Webinar Recording]
TOP VIRTUAL SELLING TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Join virtual selling expert Lauren Bailey, founder of award-winning training company Factor 8, and Mark Baird, Ascent Cloud VP of Sales, as they discuss surprising statistics and trends in phone sales and tactical virtual selling tips you can start using today to better connect with your customers, get more calls back, penetrate your market, and get more accomplished while selling virtually.
Come prepared to take notes, have a laugh, and get excited to learn more – and accomplish more during our virtual situation.
Watch the video replay!
TOP VIRTUAL SELLING TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Join virtual selling expert Lauren Bailey, founder of award-winning training company Factor 8, and Mark Baird, Ascent Cloud VP of Sales, as they discuss surprising statistics and trends in phone sales and tactical virtual selling tips you can start using today to better connect with your customers, get more calls back, penetrate your market, and get more accomplished while selling virtually.
Come prepared to take notes, have a laugh, and get excited to learn more – and accomplish more during our virtual situation.
Watch the video replay!

Lauren Bailey Sales Rep Tips, Prospecting, Discovery Call, Empathetic Selling, Voicemails
How the Hell Do I Prospect Right Now? Part 2
In part 1, we talked about call planning. I hope you’ll check it out here as your outreach depends on getting to the right people with the right questions.
Outreach
So let’s talk about the outreach call, email, or social media message?
Written
My advice: keep it short, zero sales, and very human. Lead with humanity, the desire to help, and an eagerness to learn and talk. Not pitch. I dare you to craft a message that has nothing at all to do with you and everything to do with them. I’ve replied to messages who even say that it’s a strange time to reach out, even those who vaguely apologize for doing so. I haven’t replied to a single three-paragraph value prop.
Voicemail
Ask yourself what calls you’ve returned in the past few weeks. Company I’ve been dodging for months to sell online credentials – hard pass. In fact, I’ve eye-rolled at the message as he and I both know damn well I should have been segmented to the bottom (read about segmenting and more planning in part 1 here)
FedEx account rep who was sorry to bother but thought she could save me some money – yes. Even called her during “I’m on kids” time and talked for fifteen minutes.
We have four simple strategies that work better than any other I’ve seen for getting a call back (watch more here) but the key is to customize these even further with empathy. During these times I recommend you downplay the “mystery and urgency” approach and lean more on the “value or lever” approaches. Let your message show that you know who they are and you get their situation. A few lines I like to get you started:
“I’ve been thinking about you and wondering how you and your team are doing”
“What a crazy time to call…or maybe crazier NOT to call…but I do hope you’ll call me back…”
“You may not be taking sales calls, but if you’ll give me five minutes, I might be able to save you some money right now / make things easier right now. Anyway, I’d really appreciate it…”
“I understand you won’t be going to XYZ conference anymore this summer with person A and person B, could we talk about that…”
Call
Same with our opening call. How are you doing? How is your business doing? How are your people doing? These are your go-to questions right now, and people want to answer them (a year ago I told folks to ditch the “how are you?”).
Keep the rapport building and empathy section of your call long and strong. A quick pivot into exploring for sales opportunities starts to smell. Want to build the fastest rapport? Get real and share your side as well. Skip the pat, “Hanging in there…it’s the new normal.” If you want to connect, share something real. What are you struggling with? For me it’s managing homeschooling and not drinking every day. It’s a little personal and a lot real and it builds fast connections with virtual strangers.
Now is the time to be 100% human.
Not an employee. Not a rep. Not a brand. Be you. And enjoy it. Connecting with people is probably a big reason you got into sales in the first place. If you achieve nothing else but a fifteen-minute rapport-building session at a personal level, you’ve achieved a lot. Be willing to leave it there. In the wise words of my friend Colleen Stanley, author of Emotional Intelligence for Sales Leadership: Ask yourself if your prospecting effort demonstrates that you get their world right now. It’s the perfect litmus test.
Disco Anyone?
If you’re lucky enough to go further and you’re in a discovery call, lead with learning. Understanding how your customers and prospects are approaching their business and lives gives you great stories to share with the rest of your prospects. I want to know:
1. How are sales?
2. How are they serving their customers?
3. What are the biggest challenges?
4. Any hiring or layoffs?
5. Any new markets or approaches?
6. Any changes to the tools they are using?
7. How has their leadership approached this?
8. Have they had to change or cancel plans?
9. Are budgets frozen?
10. What are the top priorities right now?
And that’s just getting started. These answers will not only help you connect but even change your approach as needed.
Tell Stories
Even better, if you’re leading with learning in discovery, you’re collecting stories to tell others that can help other prospects and even yourself (XYZ company is actually hiring right now because….spending right now because….buying software because…) Storytelling is key right now – right up there with empathy.
You are providing a service by doing some cross-pollination. What is the flowerbed over there doing? How about our competition? What are you hearing that’s real and not either fake news or LinkedIn fluff?
And the Pitch!
Finally, if you’re in a position to pitch something, very carefully lead with value – and customized value to the situation (you planned this above!). You’re not just convincing people why to do business with you, it’s why to do business with you RIGHT NOW.
May I also be so bold as to recommend a backup. If you pitch the sale, be prepared with an offer. I’m offering discounts, payment plans, and delayed payments. I’m trial closing for next month or quarter when this doesn’t work. Help people who want to say yes to do it or to sell it internally right now.
I hope you grabbed some nuggets in the above. Take “lead with empathy” to a new level with your planning, your outreach, your discovery, and your pitch. Note what’s working, cross-pollinate stories, and set yourself up to love your sales day rather than feeling (and smelling) like failure. Harsh…but fair.
It’s time you guys. Let’s get after this together.
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