The other day I heard a sales executive say that by using email, sales reps were acting “like marketers.” That using email is “weak” and indicates a sales rep is afraid. Email tools, they said, should be avoided at all costs.
It’s 2015, why wouldn’t we use email in addition to phone for prospecting and outreach? In today’s ever-occupied society you should be using all channels available to break through the chaos that consumes prospects.
Many of us have our smartphones glued to our hands but often screen the phone calls that come in. Even after a voicemail is left, do people ever listen to it?
Publishers Clearing House could leave a message telling me that I won the PCH Sweepstakes and I would never know. In fact, they could leave multiple voicemails but it wouldn’t be until they showed up at my door, balloons in tow, that I would discover my $1 million sweepstakes winnings.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the professional networking page for Sales Development’s own evangelist, Craig Rosenberg:
Does everyone leave voicemails unchecked for weeks? No.
Does everyone prefer a text message over a phone call? Of course not!
But when selling in today’s market, you need to integrate multiple layers in your outreach process.
In order to effectively communicate and connect with prospects you should adopt their preferred method of communication. But how will you know what is preferred by them? You should do all the things to give yourself the best shot.
Phone calls and voicemails will elicit a response from some prospects. Here is a sample voicemail that our SDRs use:
“John, I hope you’ve heard of Salesloft. If you haven’t, I’d like to bring you up to speed on what VPs of sales at (competitor or relevant companies) already know about (short value prop). Search your email for ‘Salesloft.’ S-A-L-E-S-L-O-F-T and shoot me a quick reply so we can catch you up to speed.”
Others will only respond to your sales emails. And some think the primary purpose of a phone is for social media — networking sites are ideal for reaching these folks!
By using multiple methods of outreach, you show the prospect that you are interested in more than just dial quota — you are invested in helping them solve a problem. In a recent post, Marketo’s Ray Carroll (who hasn’t answered his work phone in two years!) points out that “you still have to and should make the calls to get in the door, but these calls are now more of a glimpse into who you are so they are more likely to return your follow-up e-mail.”
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Carroll’s rule of thumb: “Selling is 40% phone, 45% email and 15% social.” It may be summertime, but if you don’t use all three methods of outreach, your prospects will be left out in the cold.