Do Sales Tools = Sales Effectiveness?

With the explosion of "Sales 2.0" mentions, how do we evaluate the tools that are available?  Which ones will really drive better effectiveness? 

According to CSO Insights, the #1 issue that worries VP Sales and CEOs, behind increasing revenue, is increasing sales effectiveness. 

In a different survey, 97% of CEOs interviewed are planning on increasing revenue this year.  More interestingly, 67% plan on increasing revenue while REDUCING headcount in the sales department. 

Now, I am not a math major, but, if you want to increase sales and decrease sales people, each sales person has to sell more than they were selling.  Right? So increasing the productivity of each sales person has to be the utmost priority.  The real question is exactly HOW do you do that?  Enter sales 2.0 tools. 

First, let's back up and talk about what Sales 2.0 IS... With all the stuff written, you would think that there is a new Facebook that sells the stuff for you.  The reality is that selling is just as hard (more so) than ever before.  The other reality is that buyers are more informed than ever before, and they EXPECT you to be.  Therefore the first 2 sales calls (introduction, learning about the business etc.) are gone.  Sales 2.0 is the acceleration and abrupt deceleration of the sales process.  It is also the incredible number of tools and services available.

So what are the tools?  Salesforce.com is the most visible tool that sales teams are now using, but InsideView, Connect and Sell, DemandBase, and Kadient are excellent examples of where sales tools are headed.  The key is having the information that you need, when you need it, in a place that you need it, so you can ACT ON IT!  And this is where things sometimes fall down.

For today, let's start with Connect and Sell.  This is a great tool, technology and service... BUT, for it to work, the team has to be ready and trained to use it. If they just throw up on the individuals that they get on the phone, then all you did was add efficiency to a bad selling experience and process.  You will get more conversations, so by simple math you will get more deals, but you haven't really made the sales process an engine.  So a few things to make this a success:

1. Have a plan and a VERY TARGETED list.  Without a good target list based on a good sales plan, then this is automated "Spray and Pray"
2. Have an Excellent 15 second introduction.. Get their attention fast and keep the conversation about them, their issues, and their success.
3. Know what your goal is.. 99% of companies are not going to close anything on one call.  You are probably just trying to set up a time to have a more detailed conversation.  Get their attention, generate some interest, set up a time, get off the phone, move to the next one
4. Stack industries, verticals or product lines.  This makes the introduction and the conversation easier for the rep to focus on.  If the first call is a bank and the next call is an engineering firm, the mental shift in a few seconds is tough.  make sure that the list is focused every time you use the service.
5. Turn off your cell phone and forward to voicemail your desk phone.  Close your email client.  FOCUS on the calls and you will be much better.

These tips should help you increase your effectiveness with Connect and Sell.  In the next few days I will talk about how to best use Inside View, Kadient, Demand Base and maybe a couple of others.

Good Selling!

Steve

Selling in Turbulent Times

I was on a great webinar last week presented by Dow Jones and CSO Insights, and I recommend that you listen to the replay.  You can click here to watch the "Successful Sales Strategies" replay.  We can talk about Sales 2.0, and sales effectiveness, or even sales optimization.  But a lot of what is making sales people successful in this economy is a) having good sales intelligence and b) having an effective sales plan or an account plan!

Why did I like this so much?  First, they based the strategies not only on the sales truths that don't change, but on the completely changed realities of selling today.

"We Need the Right Team,
To Do the Right Things,
Using the Right Tools,
Supported by the Right Insights,
To Get Our Customers to Do the Right Thing,
Right Now!"

Now this isn't news, but how you get there today, is very different than just 3 years ago. Today, prospects EXPECT you to know their business, before you come in to meet with them.  You can expect them to know your business before you talk with them the first time even.  The question is now, how do you get to the conversations in real time around issues that they care about as opposed to your product or service?

With the huge amount of information that is available, how do you get what you need in order to have the RIGHT information for a sales call or to target a prospect.  Dow Jones has the product that they acquired from Generate.  Inside View is a great tool that integrates with SFDC.  So does ZoomInfo.  What you have to do is figure out which tools or combination of tools works for your business and your industry.  More importantly, what information do you need to fully have a plan?  Some of my favorite statistic that CSO Insights has on this call is that fully 43% of sales reps are missing quota, and according to their managers, over 50% of the sales reps need to do more research before making a sales call.

As we get ready to end Q2 and head into the second half of the selling year, you have to stop and ask... Do I have the right information?  Do I know what information I need to have a successful Territory Sales Plan or Account Plan?  Where can I get the information that I need?  How can I have it all easily accessible in my CRM?

The tools are there, including the sales planning tools.

The question is are you using them and is your team being effective?

The Guy at Sasquatch Music Festival! Sell like nobody is watching.

I ran across this video because a friend and colleague, Trish Bertuzzi, wrote a great blog post about "Crossing the Chasm" in technology sales, and used this video as an example.  Seth Godin used it and said,

"Initiators are rare indeed, but it's scary to be the leader. Guy #3 is rare too, but it's a lot less scary and just as important. Guy #49 is irrelevant."

We as sales people and entrepreneurs are in many ways that Crazy Guy dancing.  But hey! Look what happens if you dance long enough!  Just keep dancing, and dance like nobody is watching.  Maybe that means making huge mistakes on a cold call or taking a huge risk on a sales tactic or strategy.  Just keep dancing and selling.  You will win and you will succeed... somehow.. and maybe with a 100 weird friends dancing along :-)

Steve