0AI threats are everywhere nowadays. From new Blade Runner coming to our cinemas in less than a month to the media warnings about artificial intelligence taking our jobs first…and then everything else. Of course, this is an easy topic for websites to get clicks, but how do people whose job actually is affected by AI right now (ie. Sales reps) really feel about the change in their scope of work.
We look for the ways to keep our SDRs from burning too quickly and our Sales Managers from failing to meet the quota. Turns out, solutions are right in front of our noses.
What is most important, we go back to the beginning for every sales person – making the difference between selling and buying and using Salesforce.
So, let’s start.
Back To Square One
Akoonu blog takes us back to step one, helping us understand the difference between selling and buying and reminding us that the primary goal of sellers and buyers is to solve a problem, not just turn the profit for the sake of it. Only when approached with a solution for the problem in mind can a seller and a buyer have a long lasting trusting relationship.
Step two for every sales person is definitely using Salesforce. So if you are just getting started with sales’ most beloved tool, Contact Monkey will help you learn the basics of email automation. The biggest misconception people have about Salesforce is that it’s sales tool exclusively, but there are Force, Desk, Cloud and Einstein Analytics, each giving different options and possibilities. Unfortunately, there’s an omnipresent fear of technology and software as something complicated or not that necessary in your industry. Wrong and wrong. If you can navigate Facebook, with proper training, Salesforce won’t be that much harder to learn. If you have an industry – then you have use of Salesforce. Unless you sell potatoes on the farmer’s market AND you don’t want to expand your business.
Sales Meets Tech
GetResponse warns you about the email automation traps you can easily fall in when you rely too much on technology. First of them is acting like a bot and losing human touch, which is something we regularly remind about when we write about cold sales emails. Also, try not to misuse the time saved by automation and then send 10,000 messages just because you can. Spamming your prospects with more messages will hardly have a positive outcome.
However, don’t forget to follow your strategy and track your metrics. Automation tools can help you keep track of your success even faster and easier than before. Try not to settle with first software you discover and implement, but always look for updates and other options.
Similarly, HubSpot gives us a list of 10 best networking apps for any sales professional out there. Starting with MightyMeeting and, of course, HubSpot CRM, all the way to good old LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Quora. In case you’re wondering which one of them are free, it’s Calendly and Feedly (for the Basic package), Shapr, Quora, Evernote Scannable and HubSpot CRM.
HubSpot also writes about using sales intelligence to your advantage. Most sales software is able to go gather information from different resources (media, social networks, etc.) to signal the best time for contacting a certain company. These tools help you unify all your accounts into one and have all information available in real time.
Seriously, just imagine that just a five or so years ago all of this had to be done manually. What a time to be alive!
SalesHacker wonders what sales people really think about sales intelligence and it turns out all those click baits about AI leaving us unemployed are fake news. Research showed that 88% of sales professionals believe AI will make their jobs easier, while only 6% felt that AI will make their jobs harder or redundant. Still, people working in big companies with large sales teams have more fear about tech in sales, while Salesforce users largely disagree.
Sales Meets Stress
Hiring a Sales Consultant can be a difficult choice for any business owner or sales department out there because most people feel it gives an impression of incapability. What is worse is putting your entire department and company in danger, just because you failed to confess you might need help. Sales Consultant can give you a fresh perspective on your company and sales method. Sales experts believe you should do it as soon as you notice your team starting to plateau or as soon as you discover you don’t have time to train them further yourself. There will always be someone who is better at your job and seeking their help will not make you a bad leader, but someone who recognizes a problem in time and wants to solve it the most effective way.
On the other hand, SDRs are burning the candles at both ends and consequentially burning out. There are many reasons – stress, failure, great expectations, insufficient training, etc. But what is the solution? To help your SDRs perform better, HubSpot thinks you should help them count their small victories, explain their career advancement path clearly and integrate them into your sales organization.
Finally, SalesHacker claims this SP30 principle is the only email template you will ever need. Do you agree?
Week In Sales No 9 – Wrap Up
This is what we found to be most interesting in sales during our second week of sales knowledge sharing.
Did you read or write anything that could help us learn something new?
If so, feel free to contact us and send us interesting links, we’d be happy to share the article with the world.
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