We get it, you’re busy. It’s Q4 and you’re grinding more than early ‘00s teenagers playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The days are getting shorter and the deadlines for revenue goals are creeping up. So, if you didn’t have time to catch the Q4 webinar about intentional outbound in all its glory, we hope you closed that deal instead.
Now that you’re here, let’s get you caught up on what this webinar was all about. You already know Lusha exists to help you reach your goals, which is why we invited 3 world-class sales leaders to share their outbound strategies:
Mintis Hankerson – Director of Demand Management at Hubspot
Sam Lapointe – Head of Sales, North America at Enboarder
Henry Spitzer – Global VP Sales at Lusha
Our guests were asked the following questions:
1. What are your strategies to cut through the noise during an economic downturn?
2. How can you coach your team to keep up the volume of their outreach while adding a personal touch?
3. How can teams build stability moving forward?
4. How are you approaching outbound?
In this wrap-up, we’ll go piece by piece and cover the insightful responses that our guests gave to the questions we all want answered while trying to close out a particularly difficult year.
What are your strategies to cut through the noise during an economic downturn?
Mintis:
Research. Research. Research. Personalizing outreach and connections is the best way to get noticed. Be sure to differentiate your message from other companies and salespeople. Take it one step further by finding out how companies are currently spending their budgets and tell THEM how to spend their money—rather than telling them that they need to spend MORE. Track down the unnecessary products and replace them with your own solution.
Sam:
Understand your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). Learn about what your prospects’ KPIs/goals are in order to make the most out of every engagement you have with them. While researching your prospects, keep in mind that disqualification is nearly as important as qualification. Don’t spend unnecessary time on leads that don’t have much hope.
Henry:
Be a human. These are hard times. Ask yourself, “What can I control vs. what can I not control?” You can control your outbound efforts, but not necessarily your inbound. Determine which messages are resonating and implement them with the right audiences to maximize your chances at success. Additionally, consider the timing of your calls.
Maybe Mr. or Ms. VP has a child they need to pick up from school in the afternoon. Maybe their company deals with consumer goods and things get hectic around the holidays. Pick your moments. Measure twice, call once—or ten times, but do your research first.
Tip 💡: Have your team members ask themselves 3 questions before any call is made and any message is sent: Why you? Why me? Why now?
How can you coach your team to keep up the volume of their outreach while adding a personal touch?
Mintis:
Look for the greatest tech out there and tell your sales org why your team needs it to be efficient and successful. For example, there are great tools *wink wink* that can help you build lists of relevant leads in minutes. Once you have that information, grab some cold brew and get to work making connections. Send videos, engage your prospects with social selling, and connect where people will see you. Your emails may get lost among the dozens or even hundreds of others sent each week.
Sam:
Consider the timing of your prospects’ activities and pain points to capitalize on them. Put your focus into relevant groups so that you’re aiming at a dartboard that’s all bullseyes. Casting a wide net in a pond, rather than an ocean, will give you the best chance at success.
Henry:
Do your research on relevant stakeholders at a company as early as you can and then use a multi-thread approach to connect with each of them individually. It becomes easier to close the deal when you have multiple champions backing your solution.
How can teams build stability moving forward?
Mintis:
Work on optimizing your outbound processes. Don’t be worried when your close rate dips for even 2-3 months. When everything runs smoother than Nutella and close rates reach new heights, your team will appreciate the efforts you put in motion.
Sam:
Take a look at subsidiaries and sister companies for potential deals. They can be great targets for “puddle-jumping” and can help build out your pipeline. Separately, too much training happens in January. Try to get through it in the quiet times so your team can focus on prospecting and closing when Q1 rolls around.
Henry:
If you can prove your product’s ROI, you’ll be fine. Leverage intent and evangelize your product to build out the potential customer base. Also, be sure to do your cleanup work before the end of the year so as not to be stuck doing it in Q1 while you might be dealing with limited pipe.
How are you approaching outbound?
Mintis:
Always begin outbound efforts with, “Why you? Why me? Why now?” Why is YOUR company in need of MY solution, right NOW? More specifically, how can I help YOU right NOW? Utilize LinkedIn–maybe even more than email. Videos and social selling meet people where they are in a more unique way and allow for human experiences to be created.
Sam:
Imagine that the last month of the quarter doesn’t exist for prospects. Encourage reps to lean on champions to set the schedule. Afraid of talking budget during a recession? Make it the first thing you bring up on a call and turn the sore subject into a flexible talking point.
Henry:
To try to expedite the sales cycle, ask your prospect about their budgeting and challenges. Be open, up-front, and honest about obstacles that you’re facing as a team with the prospect. The cold market is just waiting for you to figure it out, so gather as much information as you can on the intent of your prospects and use that to guide your actions. Don’t forget, there’s new tech and new solutions. Use them to your advantage.
That’s all, folks!
We would wish you good luck in Q4 and beyond, but it’s clear from our guests’ answers that you don’t need luck to succeed. With the right processes, tools, and mindset that bonus is just around the corner. See you next time.
(If you want to catch the full conversation, you can check it out here)
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