The Scout motto is “be prepared.” But perhaps that should also be the motto for SDRs. One of the biggest mistakes SDRs make is not adequately preparing for sales calls. Sure, there isn’t time to extensively research every sales prospect. But suppose that a key decision maker at one of your target accounts filled out a contact […]

For most SDRs, sales discovery calls are in fact the most important sales activity. Sure, emails and social outreach are vital, but conversations with prospects are the only way to differentiate yourself in an increasingly crowded marketplace. The better you know your prospects, their colleagues and their unique needs, the better chance you have of winning their business. I’ve […]

Leaving voicemails can be one of the most powerful sales channels. I often get over 100 sales emails in my inbox a day. But I get very few voicemails from salespeople. A great voicemail can be an excellent way to cut through the noise and reach your prospect. And remember, that voicemails should only be […]

We recently spoke with ServiceNow’s Senior Director of Global Demand Center Ralph Barsi about how to hire and train your inside sales dream team. We asked him to reveal some of his hiring secrets.  How do you evaluate candidates with little or no professional experience? Ralph Barsi: Evaluate attitude first. It’s the #1 reason people succeed or fail […]

When you’re reaching out to new prospects via telephone, there is little room for error. You only have, at most, a minute to convince a prospect to stay on the phone. So how can you get prospects to not only stay on the phone, but engage them enough to convert them into buyers? The answer is that […]

Salespeople must first consider themselves in the prospect’s shoes. When you have purchase authority in your organization, and the marketplace is made aware, you receive solicitation calls and emails throughout your day, every day. Those who differentiate themselves by messaging you the right way, at the right time, with the right information are the ones […]

The most important rule in sales isn’t always be closing (ABC), it’s always be helping (ABH). And in order to help prospective clients, you need to ask a variety of questions. Without asking questions, it can be impossible to know how best to help a prospect, or if you are even the right vendor to […]

Imagine someone interrupts your busy day with a phone call. They don’t greet you by name or ask how you are, they go straight into pushing a product on you that doesn’t solve any of the problems that you’re currently facing, They haven’t asked you any questions, they’ve just spoken. By the end of it, […]

When you get on the phone with prospects, you are the front-line emissary for your brands. With the right knowledge and attitude, your prospects will see you as an ally who is helping them solve problems. But far too often, sales reps and SDRs strike out during sales calls. Why do they strike out? Usually it comes down to the […]

Now is the perfect time to ask yourself the question: how can I sell more this year? Whether you are a sales development rep, and account executive there are always ways to improve. Reps can ask more astute questions, solve customer’s pain points faster and better overcome objections. While managers can discover new strategies and […]

In karate, there are a lot of skills that you need to master before gaining a black belt. You might be better at breaking boards with a high kick than anyone on the planet, but that skill alone is not enough . Sales is kind of like karate in the sense that there are a lot […]

Since releasing our Complete Guide to Inside Sales Analytics, I’ve had some time to reflect on what the most important sales metric is. While there are dozens of metrics that I believe sales leaders must track in order to succeed, one metric keeps sticking out in my mind, and it’s a fairly simple one: sales conversations […]