Sales Samurai

Episode 24: How to Utilize Cold Email to Fill Your Sales Funnel with Shawn Finder

In today's episode, we delve deeper into the elusive holy grail of sales – the cold email that pays off. The general advice is: keep your email short, sweet, and to the point, and don't try too hard to sell yourself. But how exactly do you get your wordsmith skills to that point, and how to create a call to action that effortlessly galvanizes the reader? Our guest is Shawn Finder, who is a tennis aficionado, author, co-host of the 0 to 5 Million podcast, and Founder of Autoklose. A clear jack of all trades, Finder chats to me today about the challenges and goals of prospecting emails, and shares his top nuggets of gold for getting your foot in the door. It's a pain point for so many salespeople, but he smoothly outlines ways to be efficient and manage it all, amid an inundation of technology and the responsibilities of multichannel networking. We talk about creating a routine for personalization, with learnable examples of using current events to create positive feelings and that elusive initial connection. We also get a concrete list of principal do's and don'ts – specific word count, the 3 second rule, and more – plus actionable advice for upping your click rate and making it easy for the person to answer a call to action. Intent data, the divided opinions on the use of gifs, it's all in here. Just click play and let's dive in.

Key Points From This Episode:

Some background on our jack-of-all-trades guest, Shawn Finder.

Discussing the catalysts for the pendulum shift in emailing and data.

How Finder went straight from professional tennis player to a director of sales position.

What has changed for better and worse in the industry.

How inundation of digital tools can also hinder the efficiency of sales.

Where cold emailing stands right now, and why it's the number 1 channel.

Finder's advice: don't send an email unless you have 2-3 nuggets about the recipient.

Great examples of openers that take advantage of current events.

How Finder approaches the balance of ICPs and personalization.

The principal do's and don'ts: ideal word count, the 3 second rule, and more!

Discussing the most effective style for your call-to-action.

Finder shares a genius hack – this one will blow your mind!

Are you using your tools to their full advantage?

The pros and cons of videos and gifs, and how to use them – if at all. 

Finder outlines the exa

Episode 23: 5 Do’s & Don’ts of Cold Email with Jeremy Donovan

With roughly 300 billion cold emails sent every day, how do you make your message stand out from all the outbound noise? Directly from the sales horse's mouth, our guest today is powerhouse Jeremy Donovan, who is the SVP of Revenue Strategy at Salesloft as well as the author of 5 books - including How to Deliver a Ted Talk and Predictable Prospecting. From AI, to the precise metrics that sales leaders should be using to measure effectiveness, we cover it all. We also delve into the false dichotomy of personalization and relevance, and how to strike that balance, plus the importance of keeping your finger on the pulse of changing trends that boost or reduce customer responses. Finally, Donovan shares, in plain language, his 5 top do's and don'ts that you can implement right now to have a greater reply rate and help the customer do the right thing. This includes specific language, punctuation, sentence length, and more. If you're looking for concrete, actionable tidbits of gold from one of the leading figures in the industry today, you're in the right place! Tune in now and hear what he has to say. 

Key Points From This Episode:

Some background on Jeremy Donovan's varied experience and interests.

How Donovan collects and tracks cold emails for testing and analysis.

Talking about the effects of the pandemic on prospecting.

What's changed for the better and the worst in sales, and the hyper-education of buyers.

Talking about the concept of reciprocity and proving you're a human behind the email.

Donovan recommends researching Becc Holland.

What kind of role will AI play in prospecting?

How the relationship between personalization and relevance is a false dichotomy, and how to strike that balance.

What metrics a sales rep. should be looking at. 

What is a great rule of thumb for knowing when to pivot your style or strategy.

Examples of specific words and alternatives that can boost or reduce reply rates.

5 killer do's and don't, from subject lines to punctuation marks in the first sentence.

Finding the sweet spot of keeping the email customer-centric while keeping it natural.

The importance of keeping it short and simple - plain text performs better.

When to leverage gifs and video, and being on top of the changing nature of trends.

Episode 22: Top 5 Sales Objections and How to Respond when Cold Calling with Kevin Hopp

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people used to pick up the phone as a distraction from work. Now, with people working from home, they are less inclined to do so. Find out how to master the art of cold-calling in this new era as we chat with sales expert and strategist, Kevin Hopp. In this episode, we cover how you can stand out from the noise, which once-popular sales technologies are now obsolete, and why it’s important to make sure your cold-callers are relaxed. Kevin breaks down the top 5 sales objections: the disinterested Prospect, the “send me some information” brush-off, the wrong person, the “I’m busy” brush-off, and “I have other priorities right now”; and gives us simple solutions using his wealth of sales experience. Discover what the X-factor in a cold-caller is, and methods you can use to improve your tactics. We also cover a bonus pointer: when to level with your Prospects. Don't miss out on this fascinating discussion that puts cold-calling in the hot seat. 

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to Kevin Hopp, a self-described sales geek, and how he got into sales. 

Discover how to stand out from the noise: leveraging technology to make cold calling effective.

Why a script for your cold-callers is essential.

Why you should expect clients not to be interested when cold-called, and how to handle it.

How to use a power interruption to prevent a brush-off.

Learn to read the situation, leaving the customer wanting to talk to you.

Ways you can tackle the product not being a priority.

How your business acumen benefits you as a cold-caller.

Pattern interrupting: how and when to level with a client.

Why it’s important to target who you call, and how to get hold of the right person.

Find out what the x-factor for a cold-caller is. 

Bonus: when you should initiate a high-level discussion.

Learn how to build your competitive battle card. 

Tweetables:

“If you’re listening to this, and you’re anywhere from the age of 18 to 22, don’t worry about finding what you want to do. Start going around the list and checking off the things you don’t want to do.” — @KevHopp [0:03:27]

“I really do believe that the key to good cold calling is preparation and mindset” —

Episode 21: It's all About the Buyer's Journey! with Chuck Marcouiller

People like to buy, but they don’t like to be sold. This might sound like a straightforward sales idea, but it is something so many salespeople get wrong. As a salesperson, you are responsible for shepherding the customer through their buyer’s journey. Your goal is not simply to make a sale. Instead, it is to get the customer to a future state. Today's guest, Chuck Marcouiller, has been in the sales game for over 25 years, having worked in sales, sales leadership, and sales leadership enablement. Currently, Chuck is a Senior Director of Revenue Enablement at Jobvite, a leading recruitment software company. In this episode, we talk about the buyer’s journey. Chuck explains what this is, along with shedding light on the salesperson’s role in guiding the customer through it. We hear about some of the mistakes salespeople commonly make, and Chuck weighs in on where those in sales should be placing their focus. Being in sales means you never stop being a student, and this is something all the best salespeople, like Chuck, are fully aware of.  

Key Points From This Episode:

Get to know Chuck, and how he became an accidental salesman.

Why Chuck is so passionate about sales and why he has stayed in the industry as long as he has.

How sales have changed since Chuck became a salesman over 20 years ago.

What the buyer’s journey means, according to Chuck.

The three components of the buyer’s journey.

Unpacking the role of salespeople and how they facilitate the buyer’s journey.

The importance of helping the buyer through every step of the journey.

Using Peloton as an example of how creating a community makes a sticky product.

Why you need to decide what kind of company you are.

The buyer’s journey does not end with your sales; it’s about getting buyers to a future state.

Some of Chuck’s tips on how to best master the discovery call.

One of the biggest mistakes Chuck sees salespeople making continuously.

A lesson from one of the best salespeople Chuck has ever worked with.

Be a student of your customer and your craft.

Think about how you like to buy and apply it to your work. 

Tweetables:

“Sales is the art of helping people, if you do it really well.” — Chuck Marcouiller [0:05:23]

Episode 20: How Does Behavioral Economics Apply to Sales? with Nick Mishkin

Behavioral economics is an academic discipline that studies the effect psychological factors have on our economic decision making, but how can we apply that to sales? Well, today’s guest is an expert in exactly this topic! Tuning in, you’ll hear how behavioral economics applies to sales from Nick Mishkin, public speaker, podcast critic, music promoter, and behavioral economic consultant. Nick specializes in applying behavioral science to business communication. Since earning his bachelor's degree in economics and music from the University of Pennsylvania, Nick has sold products for several companies across various industries; from music and advertising to SaaS, technology, and information technology. He is currently earning his MA in Behavioral Economics at IDC Herzliya in Israel and curates the popular Spotify playlist, Behavioral Economics. In this episode, we discuss the power of connecting with buyers on an emotional level, the relationship between behavioral economics and emotional intelligence, and how you can use framing and anchoring to rethink how to describe your offering. We also touch on buyer association, vulnerability, and loss aversion, as well as how you can benefit from finding commonalities with the buyer, plus a whole lot more! Make sure not to miss this insightful conversation with Nick Mishkin!

Key Points From This Episode:

Meet Nick Mishkin and find out how his failures inspired him to study behavioral economics.

What initially drew Nick to sales, including how it lends itself to his extraverted nature.

How he believes sales has evolved since he got started; the importance of management.

The constant need to onboard new technology and how it can overwhelm salespeople.

Defining behavioral economics: the study of human decision making.

Connecting on an emotional level rather than hyper-focusing on scripts as a salesperson.

The relationship between behavioral economics and emotional intelligence.

How salespeople can embrace behavioral economics by approaching calls in a different way.

Why managers need to become coaches as technology companies start developing emotional intelligence tools.

Learn the power of framing and anchoring; rethinking how you describe your products.

Nick uses an experiment by behavioral economist, Dan Ariely on the importance of irrelevant alternatives to illustrate buyer decisions.

Distilling framing and anchoring into simpler terms: descriptions and reference points.

Buyer association and experience and how they inform the reception of certain terms.

How to be the expert

Episode 19: Writing the (ALMOST) PERFECT Sales Email with Ryan Lallier

Like so many salespeople, Ryan Lallier fell into the sales world by accident, and a very happy accident it was! Ryan refers to himself as a sales practitioner, and managed to build a business, SalesGevity, through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve brought him on the show today to share the knowledge that he has accumulated about the value of emails through his many years of experience. Emails are such a fundamental element of sales, but unfortunately, due to the pervasiveness of automated content, they have lost a lot of their power. Ryan however, strongly believes in the value of the written word, and has almost perfected the art of creating connection through email. We talk through each part of an email, from the subject line, to the opening lines, the body, and the call to action, and Ryan explains the strategies that he uses to grab the receivers’ attention, establish rapport with them, and ensure that his emails result in a positive reaction. Ryan also has some inspirational words of advice about trusting yourself, and not second guessing what you have to offer! 

Key Points From This Episode:

The exciting new chapter that Ryan and his wife have recently embarked upon.

Ryan shares how he accidentally ended up in the world of sales. 

When Ryan founded SalesGevity, and how the experience has been. 

Why Ryan advocates for a sales people to move away from technology.

Skills that are vital for being proficient in sales. 

Examples of email subject lines which will catch the receiver's attention. 

The three strategies Ryan utilizes for writing impactful opening lines of emails; geography, commonality, and value. 

How Ryan approaches writing the body of an email, and some phrases that he commonly uses.

Ryan shares his thought process around calls to action in emails. 

An example of what Ryan sees as a good call to action. 

How Ryan builds connection over email.

The importance of being brave enough to trust yourself. 

Tweetables:

“Try to get to a “no” as quickly as possible. If you can get it within one phone call or one email, you’re winning.” — @ryanlallier [0:08:04

“The pendulum is swinging back towards less sequence, less technology, more using your noodle and becoming a fine writer and a stronger communicator.” —

Episode 18: Sales Prospecting Simplified with Nico De Bruyn

Rather than struggling to start a conversation with someone who doesn’t need what you’re selling, there are ways to streamline and systematize the process to make it more efficient and productive. On today’s show, we discussed some tactical tips for simplifying your sales prospecting with the CEO of Boundless Media, Nico De Bruyn. Nico is an entrepreneur with a focus on helping brands break through the noise to win more clients and live better lives. Tuning in, you’ll learn the value of personalization, creating human connections, and using online marketplaces to zero in on your ideal clients. Nico also shares his insight into Boolean searches and contextual follow ups that add value, as well why he believes that salespeople tend to overcomplicate the prospecting process in the first place. Nico has a key piece of advice for listeners who are struggling with prospecting: ask yourself what sales would look like it was easy, then make that a reality! Make sure not to miss this conversation full of winning sales strategies and practical examples with no-nonsense author, digital marketer, growth hacker, speaker, and entrepreneur, Nico De Bruyn!

Key Points From This Episode:

Hear about Nico’s background and why he doesn’t consider himself a ‘traditional marketer’.

The differences between sales and marketing and why Nico takes a holistic approach.

How to break through the noise: find what works and master it before moving on.

Find out how personalization can help you connect with more people.

Nico shares some elements from his custom email template; don’t overcomplicate it!

The benefits of multichannel prospecting, auditing your time, and just being human.

Find more people who need what you are trying to sell using online marketplaces.

Nico’s tips for developing your ideal client profile (ICP); be specific!

How Google has all the answers you need for channel identification.

How to use the Boolean keywords, ‘AND’, ‘OR’, and ‘NOT’, to narrow it down.

Outreach methods you can try once you’ve found people who need what you’re selling.

Nico outlines the benefits of sending contextual follow ups that add value.

Why it can take from seven to 16 follow ups in your email cadence to convert a lead.

Why Nico believes that salespeople tend to overcomplicate the prospecting process.

The value of leaning into the unknown; embrace the no’s!

Episode 17: Why is Sales Enablement CRITICAL with Roderick Jefferson

Sales enablement is absolutely critical, there are no two ways about it! Today’s guest, Roderick Jefferson, is an acknowledged practitioner, keynote speaker, and award-winning author of Sales Enablement 3.0: The Blueprint to Sales Enablement Excellence. Listeners will hear the story of how Roderick coined the phrase ‘sales enablement’, what the term entails pre-COVID and today, and how it differs from training. You’ll learn more about the role, which includes talent acquisition support, role-specific onboarding, teaching business acumen, measurements, leadership coaching, and succession planning. Roderick considers training to be a part of enablement, and sees AI and developments in technology as the next level. He gives us his opinion on ‘Shiny Tool Syndrome’, and tells us why he doesn’t hire anyone who isn’t “carrying the bag” before telling us why he believes that shelfware is the enemy of productivity and where companies can start if they are looking to adopt an enablement strategy. Tune in to hear all of this and more from this highly experienced enablement expert today! 

 

Key Points From This Episode:

Roderick’s background in sales, running enablement, consulting, and VP of field enablement at cyber security company, Netskope. 

How he coined the phrase ‘sales enablement’.

The belief that 70 percent of a sale is already done before a salesperson gets involved.

Sales enablement pre-COVID: breaking the complexity of sales into practical ideas through scalable, repeatable practices.

Sales enablement today: being woven into the fabric of a company through market strategy.

How tools, processes, and people need to shift as you move further up the maturity curve.

Why enablement needs to sit under sales, in the thick of things, to stay in the loop.

Due to time constraints, the more a company grows, the more they need enablement.

The option of hiring a consultant for this role rather than an in-house person.

The difference between training and enablement: enablement is ongoing. 

What a sales enablement job entails, from talent acquisition support to succession planning.

Why the biggest challenge is acquiring the right talent that fits your ideal profile.

How to delineate between training and enablement: training is a part of enablement.

The reason sales leaders should care about enablement: it takes some things off their plate.

Episode 16: 10 Tips to Better Cold Calling for B2B sales professionals with Michael Hanson

Cold calling may seem like something that has been in the sales world for as long as anyone can remember, but that doesn't mean there is no new ground to be covered. Today on The Sales Samurai, we are joined by the CEO and Founder of Growth Genie, Michael Hanson, to hear his top ten tips on how to improve your team's cold calling practice and get your offers in front of more ideal customers. According to Michael, setting up qualified opportunities with strangers is the most difficult skill in sales, and is often left to the least experienced members of a sales team! It was with this in mind that he started his company, aiming to support and enable sales professionals to hit the ground running and excel in their careers. As Michael runs through his list of ten tips, with a few bonuses ideas added in, he reminds us that it is no use having the best messaging and product in the world if no one gets to hear about it or see it. So without further ado, let's jump in and hear his amazing advice!

Key Points From This Episode:

Michael's background in the B2B space and the observations that led to founding Growth Genie.  

Unexpected hurdles in the process of starting a company; hiring and building a strong team. 

The initial impetus to get into sales and why Michael leaned into the field after other ideas.  

Changes in the world of sales; the best and worse of recent shifts in the space. 

Why cold calling is in a stronger place than ever and how to stand out from other outreach.  

Getting past obstacles around fear and ego and minimizing discomfort. 

Detachment from the outcome and allowing a call to be an exploratory exercise. 

The best times for cold calling people; going outside of office hours!

Why sending emails on the weekend garners better response rates.

Using trigger events as the 'why' for your outreach and opening statements. 

The power of closed and open questions when used at the correct junctures. 

Staying authentic to your own personality and introducing a lead to something real.

Giveaways and freebies as an entry point; helpful tips and strategies. 

Telling customer stories as a way to keep the conversation and engagement flowing. 

Focusing on the needs of your customers instead of on your product. 

What to do once a meeting is booked; getting other importa

Episode 15: Top 10 Tips to be a KICK ASS SDR!!! with Eric Smith

After about 10 years of paying his dues in the sales landscape, Eric Smith broke into the SaaS space as an SDR, only to be fired during the COVID-19 pandemic. He took what he learned, and combined it with 15 years of experience in the music industry to start his own company, ABUVEGROUND, a podcasting and digital marketing company. In today’s episode, Eric shares his number one tip with us: create a personal brand and build your network. Sam weighs in with his advice to be selfish with your time, before encouraging listeners to own their time by blocking out their calendars. Eric shares what he has learned from the opportunities he sought out and advocates for the power of taking control of your career by investing in yourself, before Sam takes the hard stance that there is no excuse not to take responsibility for your own self-learning. The next pair of tips are complementary: find the channels that work best for you and drive efficiencies across the board to maximize your time. You’ll hear why Eric believes its so powerful to surround yourself with people who you think are good at your job, and we touch on knowing your numbers, the importance of avoiding burnout by having a limit and an outlet, and why being creative is so important. Eric’s final tip: just have fun! If it loses you a job, then it wasn't the right job for you. We hope you tune in for an action-packed episode today! 

Key Points From This Episode:

Eric Smith’s background in music, entrepreneurship, sales, and commercial finance.

The story of how he got fired during COVID and started his company ABUVEGROUND, which offers podcast and digital marketing services.

His first true sales job, DJing at private parties and weddings when he was in high school.

The volatility of sales as a career and the power it has to get you where you want to go.

Eric’s number one tip: create a personal brand and build your network.

Why the worst thing you could do is build a brand around something that isn’t you.

The power of finding what you are passionate about and making it work for you.

Sam’s first tip: be selfish with your time.

Another tip from Sam: block out your calendar.

Why you should take control of your career by investing in yourself.

How there is no excuse not to take responsibility for your own self-learning.

Finding channels that work best for you: phone, email, social, or something else.

Driving efficiencies across the board to maximize your time.

A life hack: try a free trial and cancel it before you have to start paying.