Without an outreach strategy or a plan, sales professionals run the risk of looking pushy. When we focus entirely on making money and closing deals without working a plan, we miss the opportunity to position ourselves as leaders in the sales process.
On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll discuss how emails should fit into your sales process.
Understand the value of trust.
In the book Stop Selling & Start Leading, I discovered this quote:
Some sales people don’t have a moral compass. They don’t operate according to a set of values, so it’s easy for them to deviate to questionable behavior.
Buyers, however, want to work with sales leaders. They want to work with ethical people who live by a set of values. They want to be able to trust the people they are working with.
We position ourselves as leaders when we prioritize the customer and his needs instead of our need to close a deal and make money.
Plan your outreach strategy.
Do not focus purely on making money and closing deals.
Instead, decide how you can motivate the prospect to engage with your company or your product.
Begin by demonstrating your interest in the prospect, which will serve the dual purpose of letting him know that you exist.
Do that by working smart. Your time is limited and his is, too. Send a brief email that makes him aware of you, and begin with something he’ll want to read.
Subject line: Congrats on your recent round of funding, (insert name)
Opening line: Congratulations on your recent round of funding!
Your work is going to impact the law profession in a major way.
I look forward to seeing how you’ll employ your resources to be even more effective in your work.
Sincerely,
(insert your name) 🙂
This brief email serves as an initial connection. It’s simple enough that he can read it on his phone, and it will invite response because you’ve acknowledged his accomplish, and we’re all a little ego-driven.
Additionally, because it’s brief, he can scan it quickly and send a brief response back.
You’ve let him know that you exist, and you’ve initiated a simple conversation that can expand in later days.
Don’t skip steps.
Some sellers won’t understand the point of this because it didn’t result in an immediate sale. But now they know I exist, and I can continue the conversation.
A few days later, I’ll send a value-driven email that provides information about their industry, or perhaps I’ll offer to feature them in a webcast my company is hosting.
I’ll do them a favor without trying to sell them something.
By working smarter, I’m able to build connections that become long-term relationships instead of short-term sales.
Episode resources
Our friends at Wiley have provided a free excerpt of the book Stop Selling & Start Leading. Based upon research and interviews with buyers, the book provides a blueprint sales professionals. Read an excerpt of the book here.
Once you’ve applied the concepts you heard here today, message me or email me and let me know what your results were.
I’d love to hear how you’re working to accomplish big things.
Audio provided by Free SFX.
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