Poseidon Knowledge Center

Use Poseidon to export contacts from Linkedin Sales Navigator

Once you have a sense of the product or service that you're selling and the market that you're selling it to, the next step often is to take a trip to LinkedIn sales navigator. Sales navigator allows you to do very powerful searches across the entire Linkedin data set for people who may be good targets for your product or service. The best ways to grow your professional network is to use LinkedIn to find perspective clients. Significant amount of data has shown that using multiple channels, for instance email, LinkedIn (social), and calling is highly effective in being able to reach prospects. Often times, across multiple accounts, you will have prospects that are virtually unreachable across one particular channel, but they will be more prone and more open to listening on other channels. How to Export LinkedIn Contacts It's possible to export LinkedIn contacts from profiles very easily. Safe Linkedin automation using Poseidon is similiar to other Linkedin or social media focused tools, such as closely, zopto, weconnect, expandi, growthlead, cleverly, growthlead, or phantombuster. LinkedIn sales navigator allows you to export your contacts; Poseidon allows you to attach these contacts to omnichannel cadences very easily using just a few steps. Steps to export First, visit Sales Navigator and make sure that you are a paid member. If you aren't already a Sales navigator user, you really should join, as it has a number of benefits. Now you are ready to start doing some prospecting and create some account lists within LinkedIn sales navigator. You can create an account list first, and then track down the leads within there using the Lead Lists button. 1. Go to a Lead List Within Sales Navigator https://www.linkedin.com/sales/lists/people 2. Click on the Poseidon Chrome Extension The Poseidon Chrome Extension will open a new tab on the right hand side of your Google Chrome Browser 3. Click on Download CSV in the Poseidon Extension

Omnichannel Outreach Needed Across Sales and Marketing

Communication Channels used to be Separate, but Seamless use of Omnichannels is Where Sales is Going Have you heard of the term omnichannel marketing? What about omnichannel sales? If not, you're a bit behind the curve because having an omnichannel approach to sales is the future. It's a way to make your outbound processes be more effective for your sales and marketing teams. As you know any outbound is all about prospecting through channels like LinkedIn, email, and even cold calling to book meetings that convert prospects into paying customers. With the rise of automation to drive better followup across touchpoints, companies with the right omnichannel strategy will win their prospects' attention. The key thing about an omnichannel is it creates a seamless experience and increases the chance of getting a response. An Omnichannel Customer Experience Across Platforms is the Goal An omnichannel outreach campaign is one that uses multiple channels to reach its target audience. This could include a mix of digital and traditional channels, such as email, social media, print ads, and direct mail. The goal of an omnichannel campaign is to provide a consistent message across all channels so that the target audience can easily engage with your brand. Omnichannel campaigns are a great outreach approach because they allow businesses to reach a larger audience and create more touchpoints with potential customers. It's also a great way to start getting your sales reps to get along with your marketers. The strategy works across sales and marketing, which is important today. This increases the chances that the target audience will see the campaign message and be able to act on it. Additionally, omnichannel campaigns can create a more seamless customer experience by providing consistent information across all channels. Let's take a look at this from an analytics perspective. Using the easier math let's say your reps are reaching out to 1000 leads each month. On average, 15% of outreach emails don't get to your prospect. That means that at least 150 people are lost in your campaign before the game even starts. An omnichannel outreach campaign raises your chances of being heard because you're increasing your touchpoint opportunities. B2B Sales Following an Omnichannel Outreach Strategy will Transform the Customer Journey If the goal is improving customer journeys, what does that actually look like with the omnichannel outreach process? With any good strategy, you want to identify where your ICP is hanging out. Social selling is a big part of all omnichannel outreach approaches. By understanding where your clients are, you can better prepare the buyer journey for them. To use omnichannel, you then need to choose the channels. A great combination is email outreach + LinkedIn + phone touches (calls or texts). By reaching out across channels, you're simplifying the work reps need to do, while getting all the needed touchpoints that lead to conversion. You're also changing the customer expectations because not many B2B companies use social to sell. By improving the customer experience and journey, you'll be interacting with happier prospects. Successful Omnichannel Outreach Increases Customer Opportunities and It's All We Can Ask For It's not enough to use one channel in your outreach marketing or sales outbound. Omnichannel campaigns are a modern outreach process. You always want to have skin in the game and do another step further, crafting a complex and relevant outreach process through different channels, combining them, and measuring to see correlations and do adjustments accordingly. Interested in how you can automate this whole thing? Reach out to Poseidon today and we'll show you how.

How to Sell with LinkedIn Sales Navigator – A Guide from Poseidon

If you're in B2B sales and not using LinkedIn Sales Navigator your sales professionals are missing out. LinkedIn Sales Navigator offers you the best solution to reach key decision-makers on the platform. A common question we here is how best to use Sales Nav and we're here to provide you some tips for using LinkedIn Sales Nav that improve your selling strategy. This advice is best used for sales and marketing teams that used an account-based selling framework. So here is what we are going to cover: Why Sales Organizations Needs Sales Nav if they are Social Selling Where to Start with the Tool 5 Tips to Fill your Sales Pipeline with Sales Nav Does your Sales Team need Sales Nav? If You're Social Selling the Answer is Yes. Sales Navigator has features that go beyond it's Advanced Search Results, and it's the extra features of the premium version of LinkedIn that make it a need for your team. An important thing to know is that the free version of LinkedIn is limited to promote users to invest in it's premium offerings. You can't search too many LinkedIn profiles or send out too many LinkedIn connections. Your activity is being monitored because LinkedIn wants you to make the investment. The limitations on the free account aren't the only reason to upgrade. The advance features available allow you to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to improve your enterprise sales operations. Sales Navigator gives you the power to bolster your lead generation and outbound processes. If your team or enterprise salespeople are not using Sales Navigator, they are missing out on a lot of opportunities. Where to Start Selling with Sales Navigator? Sales Navigator is a great tool for salespeople who are looking for new leads and opportunities. It provides access to a large database of potential customers, as well as tools to help you research and connect with them. You can use boolean searches to find people in your target audience based on their company size, regular LinkedIn use, job title, seniority level, etc. Then you can save leads into custom lists so that you're targeting each ICP with the right message. The best way to get started with Sales Navigator is to sign up for a free trial. This will give you access to all of the features and allow you to see if it is a good fit for your needs. After the trial, you can decide if you want to upgrade to a paid subscription. Now let's get into it and talk about some Sales Navigator best practices. 5 Sales Navigator Tips to Help Sales Reps fill their Pipeline InMail Messages The "gold" LinkedIn logo that you see with some profiles means you have the green light to reach out directly to a lead. It's LinkedIn's version of an email and when done write can get you directly in front of sales navigator users. Power users on LinkedIn are receiving a ton of notifications, especially by email. If you can use the InMail well, you have a much higher chance of moving the deal along. The other good thing is you don't have to send a connection request to send inmails. Another tip is looking for "open" profiles with your sales preferences. This will make landing that first message even easier. Job Change Alerts Knowing your prospect's career journey is important for a lot of reasons. It's good research and it also let's you know when someone is new to a company. Filtering leads on Sales Navigator based on their recently changed jobs is a pro move. It's great for a few reasons. First, it makes the conversation easier to start because you have some great prompts you can go with. Every sales professional knows that the more information you have about a prospect comes in handy. Reps can use recent career changes as a great in to a company. View Similar Profiles Here's an easy LinkedIn Sales Navigator hack that can improve your lead prospecting and reveal a whole new list of relevant leads. Go to the search bar in Sales Navigator. Search for your target market. Select any lead from the results. Press ‘View similar’ Once you do this, you'll get 100+ leads that are similar to your customers. Using the platform as it should be enables your sales leaders and helps close deals which is always most important. Check for those Who've Posted on LinkedIn Sales Navigator has a criteria you set called "Posted Content Keywords," which allows you to filter target potential buyers according to whether or not they have posted or engaged with content related to what you are selling. This is a powerful sales tool because the most active users are going to respond to your offers more quickly. If you're selling on LinkedIn, why not focus on those that are using it often? You can Tag Your Prospects This is feature saves you time and has a great convenience factor. To work efficiently on an account, you need to keep track of who is involved in the purchasing process, be patient, identify their individual priorities, and more. With Sales Navigator, you can add tags and leave notes for each lead in your feed.

Outbound Sales isn't the Problem. Your Outbound Strategy Is

Every day we speak to sales managers and directors that struggle to make anything come of their outbound sales process. This is becoming more of a problem in B2B sales and it's getting in the way of closing deals. The biggest issue with most outbound sales strategies is they're lazy. No one wants to cold call, cold email, or prospect to leads in the right target audience. Are we oversimplifying this? Not really. Outbound sales is a powerful tool that will put your product or service in front of the right people. It just takes time and effort to initiate. Let's look at five reasons your outbound sales techniques aren't delivering sales success. 1. Relying on Inbound Sales means You're Not Doing Enough Inbound and outbound sales need to work together but they are not the same. Inbound marketing is about lead generation and is only part of the sales cycle. We all know one great salesperson. They do it all from making sales calls, to driving inbound leads, and leveraging social selling. If you can recognize that the best salespeople do both inbound and outbound, you need to accept that your sales approach needs to do the same. Put simply, an inbound sales process alone is not enough. The best outbound sales process is about being consistent and knowing your target ICP really well. An outbound process is not about sending one email or cold message. Outbound selling is all about getting as many touch points as possible, and training your reps to be great at this will set your company apart. The key takeaway here is not to think inbound vs. outbound, but rather how do the two work together to create an effective outbound and inbound strategy. 2. Your Outbound Sales Team Doesn't Contact Enough People to Generate Leads If your sales team's CRM is empty then you know they aren't reaching out to enough people. Outbound sales reps should be playing a numbers game, and that means that outbound prospecting is a daily activity focused on building a sales pipeline full of qualified leads. Without a strong business development process via outbound sales prospecting, you'll always feel like your outbound methods are failing. With all of the outbound sales tools available (Poseidon included), there's no reason your sales development reps aren't collecting enough contact information to get the job done. 3. If Your Inbound and Outbound is "Me-Centered" it's Going to Drive Poor Conversion Rates The ability to ONLY talk about yourself kills a conversation. Yet, often copy from new business is almost always a sales pitch for their own services. Just like you and me, prospects are only interested in themselves. They don't want to care much about how great your services are, they want to hear about what you can do for them. That means your sales messaging must focus on the types of problems that your potential customers are experiencing and how you're able to solve them. By doing this, you will be able to better communicate with them through email, cold messaging, or social media posts. Do potential customers need to learn about your services? Yes, but that can come later. For now, let's get them in the door by focusing on their issues. 4. Your Sales Process uses One Channel to Reach Potential Customers Email is not the only answer. Cold calling doesn’t work by itself. And Social Media should not be used alone. Every prospect you want to work with is constantly living in different social spaces and each one has very different feelings on those different communication platforms. We, as new biz people, never know exactly which communication channel is going to hit home with any individual prospect so don’t limit your prospect pool and outreach by only using one channel. Sometimes a prospect just needs to see you in multiple places before they respond. Taking an omnichannel approach shows that you’re a real person, and not a bot mindlessly spamming their inbox. 5. Your Sales Manager is Failing your Sales Reps If you don't have someone whose job is solely focused on generating new business opportunities, then it will never be a successful long-term effort. You may have successes here and there, but in order to create something sustainable and scalable, you need to focus. It also means that your sales manager is not the only one who should be looking for new business opportunities. But, having someone who is constantly searching for opportunities, promoting your brand, and networking with current clients is extremely valuable. If they can't do this with all your focus, then you will always find yourself trying to play catch up whenever you have any client turnover. Outbound and Inbound Sales that Work Together make for High Converting Sales Funnel At Poseidon we believe in transforming the way B2B does sales and our outbound sales software is the best available. If you need some help, reach out and let's turn things around for you.

Why You Need to Niche Down to Become More Profitable

Ever been told to "niche down"? Who hasn't right? Whether we like it or not, some things became cliché for a reason, and niching down is one of them. In short, it's all about narrowing down who you speak to so that your business can be more profitable. Stated like that, it doesn't sound like a bad deal. It's also not an idea that's just for solo entrepreneurs. B2B SaaS companies have turned passions into fortunes by niching down and it's you need to keep reading. The reason people don't like hearing the phrase is that it's often vague and doesn't provide any insight on its own. That said, if your sales team can niche down it's message, it becomes an instant strength and will lead to a lot more sales. Finding the Right Niche is Important Niche is actually more of a marketing term, and classically, the process of niching down followed the STP model: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning. If you have become an expert in your area, then doing these three things should be easy, but also transformational. Briefily: Segmentation is the process of identifying your ideal customers and what they need Targeting helps you focus on the smaller groups in with your target customers (i.e. niching down) and Positioning is how present your brand to that niche. It's also how you stand out amongst your competitors. Three Ways of Niching Down: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Start with Segmentation Online businesses fail because they don't know who their ideal customer is and what their pains are. Without knowing "who" your team is selling to, none of the tips and tricks of the trade are going to work. Unfortunately, most marketing strategy doesn't know this answer and it's why they are not getting prospects in front of your sales team. Before you even begin selling, getting your brand to speak to the right target audience can make or break the whole process. Once you start speaking the right language, start to profile and segment your audience. Your segments are going to be the foundation of the niching down process. Always remember, it's often the little things that impact your ROI (Return on Investment) the most. Put in the work up front and you'll see the fruits in the long run. Targeting is the Niching Down Process To make niching down a little easier, we want to share some questions to get you thinking and filtering down your niche. What problems do the people in your segments have that you're solving with your product or service? Starting with the pain of your niche is a great place because it helps inform the sales process also. You'll find that by thinking critically about this early on the whole journey becomes easier. So let's put this into practice. Sports is a general market and industry. A large segment would be football or basketball, but that's still pretty general. This is where you start asking the pain questions. Doing so will help you think about a specific need in your segment and that will be your niche. Positioning Brings it All Together Once you have a niche you're selling to, it's time to align the process and make sure that your brand and sales strategy actually communicate the message. This starts with things like your elevator pitch. If you can't tell the people you're targeting what you do in a few seconds then you will lose them, and the work you did to start won't matter. Now, this is not easy, and there's a reason why consultants specialize and make a lot of money doing this work. But here are a few things to know when you work on your positioning and message. A key thing to remember is to share things with clarity. You want to be clear over clever. Always. Finding Your Niche and Nailing Down your Ideal Client Profile are Musts If you want to be successful in business, you need to find your niche and nail down your ideal client profile. This means figuring out what it is that you do better than anyone else and then targeting your marketing efforts toward the type of person who would benefit most from your services. Once you've found your niche and ideal client profile, you can start to build a marketing strategy that will help you attract more of the right kind of clients and grow your business.

A Guide to B2B Account Based Marketing (ABM)

Account-Based Marketing or ABM provides organizations with a significant return on investment work their B2B marketing and lead generation tactics. In this article, we'll learn everything you need to know about ABM, and how to leverage it with your marketing channels. What is Account Based Marketing and Why will it Improve your Marketing Efforts and Lead Generation? ABM is about leveraging the expertise of both marketing and sales teams, and target key accounts to design a customized and tailored marketing plan to nurture them through the sales process. Marketing teams of the future bring together sales and marketing processes to: target the right client accounts nurture them into your cycle drive momentum that helps close the sale Benefits of Account-Based Marketing Tactics With social selling, it's getting harder to capture the attention of decision-makers. An ABM strategy helps your organization by allowing the marketing team to specifically target accounts that sales reps want to pursue. Many companies seeking high-value customers often find that this strategy works better than trying to reach a large number of people at once. What makes this a unique marketing approach is it doesn't just try and get a huge number of leads into your funnel and hope the message sticks. Instead, it's a focused content marketing approach that keys on accounts you already know could be customers. This makes closing the deal that much easier because your speaking with leads that are better qualified. B2B marketers typically target leads more broadly in an attempt to reach as many companies as possible. However, this approach does not generate the best return on investment. Thanks to advances in technology, it is now easier and more affordable to tailor an account-based marketing strategy to a variety of organizations. As a result, marketers from all industries are implementing ABM within their teams in order to achieve better results. Advantages and disadvantages of using Account Based Marketing. B2B companies are moving to an ABM approach because it improves the sales funnel while also delivering a better customer experience. Of course, it's not without some perceived downsides. ABM takes more time to set up because key account marketing is more intentional than just spraying and praying, as they say. Marketing professionals might not like the upfront work of creating a set of target accounts. We want this to be objective so here are some pros and cons to consider. Pros: ABM is Great for Social Selling on Platforms like LinkedIn with Personalization Using personalized content is the name of the game with ABM, and that works really well on places like LinkedIn and Twitter You still have to get best practices right like identifying key pain points, but once these marketing activities become a habit, things become a lot easier Marketing Alignment with Sales on Key Accounts An ABM strategy will allow your sales and marketing teams to focus on high-value accounts. Providing these prospects with valuable content will work in your favor long-term. These accounts will hopefully want to be part of your client base and will help to spread the word about your value. Cons: More Accounts to Target = More Work Effective account-based marketing means you're doing more work to cater to each target account. This approach to marketing is more effort, and there's no denying that. There are solutions and workarounds here like automation tools we offer at Poseidon, but it should be said up-front. ABM takes a bit more effort ABM Requires more Focus on Fewer Accounts. To implement an account-based marketing campaign, you have to focus on fewer accounts. You cant' spam hundreds of prospects and expect to deliver personalized messages. This type of marketing involves intentionality and dedication to the customer journey. Planning your Business Marketing around ABM ABM might be more work but it's worth it. By targeting specific accounts of potential B2B buyers that look like existing customers, you are creating a marketing framework that makes selling easier. After you establish your goals, your marketing and sales teams can work together to create and deliver targeted campaigns through the appropriate channels to achieve the optimal outcome. Let's look at practical steps to using account-based marketing: 1. Build account profiles that you know well It's easier to create personalized campaigns for accounts that you know well. This process will allow your marketing and sales activities to be consistent for each profile that's built out. 2. Ensure sales and marketing alignment by mapping out resources from the beginning Having particular accounts means you can begin to see patterns develop throughout your sales cycle. Create consistency in your team so that everyone knows when to engage in the process. 3. Marketing requires personalized messages because they are more likely to convert The content you create is important and both marketers and sales reps need to be aligned to ensure conversion rates are high. This is how you justify the upfront efforts. 4. Find the right marketing channels So many marketing tools and B2B marketing tactics are focused on using very specific channels. If you're not in the right place, implementing an ABM strategy won't matter. 5. Keep executing your campaigns no matter what Long sales cycles and large amounts are inevitable for all B2B organizations. Stay the course when using an ABM approach. 6. Always learn and improve Marketing needs to be based on lessons learned. Make sure your marketing and sales teams work together to identify mistakes and areas for improvement. An ABM Program can bring Incredible Revenue Potential ABM allows for you to meet decision makers where they are and hit them with specific and useful messages. It takes effort but it's worth it in the end. If you want to make the process even easier, reach out to us at Poseidon to learn how our platform can simplify this whole process.

What is your Value Proposition and Why it Matters

What is your company's competitive advantage? Why would someone want to buy from your company instead of a competitor? Your company's value proposition is not just a simple statement, it's the key to sales success. Let's define what a value prop is, what not to do, why it's needed to address your target customers, and how to create an amazing value proposition. Having a Unique Value Proposition A compelling value proposition is going to communicate why customers want to choose your service over anyone else. It's important to know that it isn't just a description of what you do — it's a positioning statement that provides a promise of value for your unique selling offering. The customer experience is important to your value prop, and it should address their main pain points. We won't be able to say it enough. A value proposition is a promise. Done right, and it will be one of your highest conversion factors. To make yours stand out, it should represent your core values and also convey your unique selling proposition. You should convey what you must stand out, while always being honest about your products and services. The value for customers needs to be apparent, and not having one means losing to competitors whose value propositions are clear. A Good Value Proposition Example and What a Value Prop is Not Understanding a good value proposition through modern examples can be really helpful. Nikeis a brand that it's value proposition makes it known by everyone. So what is it? Nike's value proposition: They deliver customizable, performance products that make anyone feel like an athlete. Is their product design important? Yes. Are their marketing materials incredible? Of course. But a value proposition is more than all of that. It's also important to know that a value proposition is not a tagline or slogan. Nike's tagline “Just do it” is important but alone it doesn't let their target market know what they offer. How Your Value Proposition fits into your Marketing Strategy Your value proposition canvas is how you communicate your message to your customer base. Though you'll include it marketing campaigns, your website's landing page and product pages are where you want to make sure your business provides this message. To use the value proposition canvas you need to have three parts: a headline, a subheadline/paragraph, and visual elements. Part 1: The Headline Customers will receive a succinct value proposition statement here. Your organization communicates its value proposition creatively while also being direct. Part 2: The Subheadline or Paragraph Here is where you make the case for how your value proposition tells customers that your company offers the best experience and delivers on its promises. You should be able to communicate this in three sentences, and speak to your particular customer. In some cases, an image, video or infographic may be more effective than words alone in conveying your value proposition. Adding visual elements to your message can help capture your audience’s attention. Summarize: What's a Good Value Proposition? Your value proposition should address a primary customer need. This focus helps keep your value proposition clear and easy to understand. For example, a primary customer need might be low prices, convenience, or selection. A value proposition that addresses a primary customer need might be: "The best selection of books at the lowest prices." After that, you'll want to explain what results your customer can get from using your product or service. For example, will they save time? How will their workflow become more manageable? Your potential customers are not only considering your business' offerings in light of their own needs, but they are also comparing what you offer to that of your competitors. Consequently, your value proposition must include specific points of differentiation. These key points will help customers see precisely what sets your company apart. Create a Strong Value Proposition for your Target Audience A value proposition is a statement that articulates the unique value that your company offers to its customers. It's an important tool for marketing and sales, and it shouldn't be left out of your sales process. At Poseidon we weave your value prop into your workflows through omnichannel outreach. If you want to send a clear message, while also being efficient and fast. Reach out for demo or start free with a trial.

The Role of Visual Prospecting in Sales

Visual prospecting is a powerful sales technique that can help you close more deals and boost your sales pipeline. By quickly identifying potential customers and understanding their needs, you can create targeted sales pitches that are more likely to result in a sale. Additionally, visual prospecting can help you build relationships with potential customers and establish trust. What's great about the method is its functionality. Visual prospecting allows us to use images in our outbound to clients in a way that's automated and personalized making it fast and scalable. Visual Prospecting to Improve Sales Engagement Sales representatives who use visual prospecting have an edge over those who rely solely on verbal communication. By incorporating images and other visual aids into their sales pitch, they more effectively engage prospects and close more sales. Some of the best ways to use visual prospecting include creating infographics, using short video clips, and presenting data in an engaging way. This type of content is not only more likely to capture a prospect's attention, but it is also more likely to stick in their memory. As a result, sales reps who utilize visual aids are more likely to be successful in the long run. Combine this with automation and personalization and you have a formula that takes your outreach to another level. MIT neuroscientists find the brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. In fact, the same study offers evidence that feedforward processing is enough for the brain to identify concepts without having to do any further feedback processing. Images are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than words. 90% of what we retain is visual. Words don't exist as separate entities; they are fonts which are mini pictograms (think cave paintings that tell a story) which our brains frantically parse into words. Reading is a slow process even if you are erudite. Mary Potter, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences and senior author of the study, suggests that even though subjects only see each image for 13 milliseconds, part of the brain continues to process the images for longer. This is because in some cases, subjects weren't asked whether a specified image was present until after they had seen the sequence. Leveraging Automation in Visual Prospecting While Staying Genuine Leveraging automation in visual prospecting can help you be more efficient and effective in your outreach, while still maintaining a personal touch. By automating repetitive tasks like sending follow-up emails or scheduling social media posts, you can free up time to focus on developing relationships with your prospects. Additionally, using tools like personalized video or chatbots can help you add a personal touch to your outreach without sacrificing efficiency. Poseidon takes your Message and Makes Visual Prospecting Easy Poseidon is an AI-powered sales tool that makes it easy to find and connect with potential customers. It does this by taking your sales message and turning it into a series of personalized, targeted ads that are shown to prospects who are most likely to be interested in what you're selling. We have built-in visual prospecting features that you can automatically add to any conversation - doing your product or service justice. Let's set up a call today and get you started.

Learnings from the Book "The Ultimate Sales Machine"

This book review kicks off our book series where we review some of the most important sales books of the last decade. Popular Highlights If you are a one-person army or a very small company and you, as the entrepreneur, are the main person responsible for growing the company, then you personally must spend at least 2.5 hours per day growing your company. This means that you, as the entrepreneur, are responsible for developing and executing a growth strategy, and for growing your customer base, revenue, and other key metrics. This also includes working on sales, marketing, and business development initiatives. There are six simple steps: Touch it once. Make daily lists of the six most important tasks to accomplish. Plan how long each task will take. Assign time slots for accomplishing each task. Focus on the difficult projects first. Ask yourself, "Will it hurt me to throw this away?" Make daily lists of the six most important tasks to accomplish. Plan how long each task will take. Assign time slots for accomplishing each task. Focus on the difficult projects first. Ask yourself, "Will it hurt me to throw this away?" When you start your day by tackling the most important task -- it gives you a sense of control and accomplishment. If you touch it, take action. That's the first step to great time management. Don't open that email or letter until you're ready to deal with it. The best way to avoid procrastination is to take immediate action. Don't give yourself time to think about it – just do it. This way, you'll avoid the temptation to put it off. Concentration is like a muscle and it strengthens as you concentrate more. If you stop concentrating every time an email comes in or the phone rings, you actually lessen your ability to concentrate and you become less effective in any situation that requires concentration. There are a few things you can do to improve your concentration. First, try to do one thing at a time. When you're working on a task, try to focus all your attention on that task and nothing else. Second, find an environment that supports concentration. If you're working on a task, find a quiet place where you can focus without distractions. Third, take breaks. When you're working on a task, take a break every hour or so to give your mind a chance to rest. Make small steps to improve your sales. A fun conversation with a sales rep: CHET: So how did it go?<br/> SALES REP: It didn't work.<br/> CHET: It didn't work?<br/> SALES REP: No. It didn't work.<br/> CHET: Well, how many people did you offer it to?<br/> SALES REP: I offered it to 10 people.<br/> CHET: And nobody bought it?<br/> SALES REP: No, two people bought it.<br/> To the sales rep, the perception was that eight no's out of 10 pitches made the concept a failure. But do the math: if you have 30,000 clients buying once every three years, that's about 10,000 sales per year. Now imagine an extra 6,000 of them (a mere 20 percent) buying twice per year. What does that do for this business? It's an enormous increase in volume. Improving your sales process is like tuning a car up little by little over a period of time. Building a sales machine is not going to be about doing 4,000 things; it's going to be about doing 12 things 4,000 times each. Key strategies Key Strategy #1: Manage your time wisely Good time management allows you to optimize your actions and reduce repetition. Get the most out of your working hours and eliminate unnecessary steps and wasted time. Products like <a href="/">Poseidon</a> help you save time and learn from what's actually working so that you don't have to worry about starting from scratch when you send a request for a meeting to a prospect every single time. Key Strategy #2: Institute Higher Standards and Regular Training Make sure the training is relevant. If employees feel that the training is irrelevant or that it won't help them do their job better, they are likely to tune out or even resist it. Make sure that the training is relevant to the employees' roles and that it will help them improve their work. Keep it interactive. Employees are more likely to retain information if it is interactive. Make sure that the training includes activities and exercises that allow employees to apply what they have learned. Use a variety of methods. Employees learn in different ways, so it's important to use a variety of methods to teach them. This might include lectures, videos, hands-on activities, and online modules. Make it fun. Employees are more likely to learn if the training is enjoyable. Try to incorporate activities that your team wants to do or finds enjoyable, or they won't stick with it. Hot seat training is a good way to provide feedback and coaching to employees. With this approach, you watch an employee perform a skill or task and then provide feedback and coaching. This approach is often used for difficult or challenging tasks that need more attention than can be provided in a live environment. Strategy #3: Executing Effective Meetings Every meeting should have a specific goal or set of goals. This will help to ensure that the meeting is productive and that everyone in attendance is aware of what is expected of them. Every meeting should have an agenda that is circulated in advance. This will help to ensure that everyone knows what will be discussed and that they have time to prepare. Every meeting should be chaired by a clear leader who is responsible for ensuring that the meeting progresses efficiently and that everyone is on task. Every meeting should have a time limit. This will help to ensure that the meeting does not drag on and that everyone has an opportunity to speak. Every meeting should be recorded. This will help to ensure that everyone is aware of the decisions that are made and that everyone is held accountable. Strategy #4: Becoming a Brilliant Strategist There are three types of leaders: those who focus on tactics, those who focus on strategy, and those who focus on both. A "tactic" is a method used to achieve a shot-term goal like running more ads to get more sales leads. A "strategy" is a detailed plan to achieve a long-term goal like continuously training and educating your sales staff so that they close more sales no matter how many leads they have. To be the best and turn your business into the ultimate sales machine you need to be able to design your tactics with your long-term strategy in mind. Strategy #5: Hiring Superstars Star employees are those who can be counted on to come through in a crisis, who take ownership of their work, and who are always looking for ways to improve their performance. They are the backbone of any organization, and it is essential to do everything possible to keep them engaged and motivated. What Makes a Superstar? The type of people I'm talking about are those you can put in a bad situation with poor tools, no training, and bad resources and still, within a few months, they begin to outperform your best people or build your company in ways you never dreamed possible. Hiring someone like this is not about luck. It's about understanding the personality characteristics that fit the job for which you are hiring and having the tools to identify the candidates that possess those characteristics. Strategy #6: Getting the Best Buyers Best buyers are those customers that are most likely to buy from you again and who also require the least amount of sales effort on your part. There are a number of different ways to identify your best buyers. One way is to look at your past sales data and identify which customers have purchased from you the most often and/or have spent the most money. Another way to identify your best buyers is to survey your customers and ask them which features or products they are most interested in. You can then use this information to target your marketing efforts towards those customers who are most likely to be interested in your products. Whatever method you use to identify your best buyers, it is important to focus your sales efforts on those customers who are most likely to buy from you again. This will not only reduce your sales effort, but it will also increase your sales. Strategy #7: The Seven Musts of Marketing This section is a bit outdated... to be honest. Nowadays, most everything is transitioning to online ads. When you provide valuable content for free, customers are more likely to remember your name and consider you when they need your product or service. Additionally, social media and your website provide a way to connect with potential customers and learn more about their needs and interests. This information can help you create targeted content and marketing campaigns that appeal to your audience. Public relations can also be used to build a positive image for a company. For example, a company could sponsor a charity event or donate to a local cause. This would give the company a good reputation in the community and make customers more likely to do business with them. Strategy #8: The Eyes Have It We human beings remember 20 percent of what we hear, 30 percent of what we see, but 50 percent of what we both see and hear. Obviously your communication impact nearly triples when using visual aids over not using them. Information that is visually illustrated and communicated has a dramatic and direct impact on the brain. Holmes is very convincing about using visuals to educate your prospective customers. It This is especially true when it comes to the retention and comprehension of information. A study by the University of Minnesota found that people who received information in a visual form were able to remember it better and longer than those who received it in a textual form. In fact, the study showed that people were able to remember 65% of the information they received visually, while they were only able to remember 35% of the information they received in a textual form. If you ignore the power of incorporating a visual component into your sales and marketing process, you may as well deliver it in a closet. Fail to stimulate the eyes, and the brain tunes out. As stated in the previous chapter's section on radio advertising, the brain can take in information at 400 to 500 words per minute, yet people speak at only 125 words per minute. We can take in a lot more than we are given in normal conversation or even a lecture if we can stay present. A visually rich presentation keeps the eyes busy and, therefore, keeps the brain more active and alert to learn the information you are presenting. Rules for Effective Presenting: Rule 1. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Rule 2. K.I.F.P. (Keep It Fast Paced) Rule 3. Use “Wow” Facts and Statistics Rule 4. Build in Opportunities for Stories Rule 5. Your Presentation Should Be Curiosity Driven Rule 6. Think of Each Headline as Valuable Real Estate Rule 7. Be Confident but Not Obnoxious Rule 8. Focus on Them, Not on You

LinkedIn for Sales: 6 Techniques Every Manager Should Know

Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator in addition to cold calling

For salespeople, cold calling has always been one of the most effective ways to sell. Since the start of the pandemic, more people have been working from home and calling has been less effective. More and more people are discovering that they can sell using social profiles. Linkedin Sales navigator helps sales people generate more leads for their coaching, consulting, or B2B software business. In this story, we'll show you how you can use Sales Navigator and Poseidon to reach peak efficiency as a sales person. Linkedin Sales Navigator helps salespeople, business leaders, entrepreneurs, avid networkers, recruiters, and more generate more leads for their coaching, consulting, or B2B software business. In this article, we'll show you how you can use LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Poseidon to reach peak efficiency as someone who wants to constantly generate new leads. Sales Navigator has been around for a while, but it just went from being a "nice to have" to "an essential", when everyone started working from home. When the pandemic started, many knowledge workers who would be at their desk started working from home at least part of the time. With the rise of remote work, it has been hard to reach through cold calling. As many sales teams are leveraging emails (whether through a warm or cold list), people can easily ignore emails. When you're using LinkedIn Sales navigator, you are able to find out a lot more about your prospect, and you're able to build rapport with them by identifying common ground, or things to talk to. It's a bit like a party. If you just show up to a party and walk up to someone out of context and bombard them with your messages, they might think you're a bit of a loony toon. If you're able to find something to talk to them about based on what you know about them (even if its what they're wearing), you're more likely to engage in a follow on conversation that could lead to a friendship. Networking and sales aren't all that different from going up to someone at a party -- Finding share common ground like using the fields available on social profiles will yield much more fruit. Linkedin's Sales navigator is a great resource that allows sales professionals to find out more about a person and better personalize your messages to them. Sales Navigator is part of Linkedin's premium service, so you'll need to upgrade here if want access. Sales reps using LinkedIn Sales Navigator were almost 5x more likely to view the profiles of decision makers and 2.5x more likely to connect with these decision makers than non-Sales Nav users. Here's a few tips to keep in mind if you're using LinkedIn to sell: The best way to start using Sales Navigator is with a free trial for a month to make sure that you (or your sales reps) know how to use it. Always remember to be clear that you're building a relationship rather than just dump sales messages or spam your prospect. And, really mean it! Remember that sales and relationships are a long game. You're going to want to develop and nurture these contacts over a period of time, not just a one-off interaction. Once you have run your initial search on LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can use the advanced filters to narrow down your list of leads. - You can use keyword, industry, company headcount, and many other categories to filter through an extensive list of Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs). Create a separate list of warm leads and personalize your message to include people you have in common. In some cases, you may want to ask your mutual contact for an introduction in the first place. Remember, cold leads are not as effective as warm introductions. LinkedIn Sales Navigator limits the number of InMail messages you can send, but allows for 1k saved leads. Keep early insights by staying active on the platform.

Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator Tips – Part 1: Better Prospecting

LinkedIn is a magical platform for your sales efforts. For some, they think inmail is the only way to use LinkedIn for sales, but sales navigator helps B2B sales team transform their sales process. With so many tips for sales teams to follow, we believe Sales Navigator gives teams from any company size the best chance to close more deals. We focus completely on prospecting for Poseidon's first part of this Sales Navigator Tips guide. Read more about our team's take on prospecting here. Now let's learn what Sales Nav is before we get to the tips. Before the Sales Navigator Tips Let's Talk about LinkedIn's Reasons for Using It LinkedIn advanced filters in its free and premium offerings only go so far. Sales Navigator became the go to social selling tool used by marketers and sellers looking to improve their sales prospecting. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a place where sales professionals can discover new leads, identify client accounts to target, and manage their pipeline more effectively. LinkedIn created the ultimate tool that improves outbound sales efforts and helps you close highly qualified leads. Sales Navigator's search functions are pretty powerful, and our tips for better efficiency when using the tool could change the game for your sales team. Sales Navigator Tips that are more than Just Search Results 1. Understanding Keywords when doing a Sales Navigator Search Like most things in life, if you don't know what you're looking for you probably won't find it. To use Sales Navigator effectively you need to focus on the right keywords for your Ideal Customer Profile. Whether you're doing large-scale outbound or taking more of an Account-Based approach, knowing which keywords are related to the LinkedIn profiles you're looking for makes all the difference. Once you find the right combination, make sure to save your search history. 2. Don't Rely only on Job Titles This runs contrary to some popular best practices, but relying on job titles is, well not reliable, because each person chooses their title to share on LinkedIn and may misrepresent what they do. We recommend having a list to measure against and make sure that prospects meet your search criteria. 3. Job Changes Are a Great Conversation Starter Sales Navigator offers your sales reps the ability to set up notifications on ideal prospects. Tracking job changes and reaching out to prospects that are new to a target company account can drive really productive conversations. Every sales professional knows that the right research can warm leads up and these conversations will help you make a better first impression. 4. Use the Search Filter to your Advantage Once you have a strong list of leads and you know which keywords you're searching, using LinkedIn's advanced search filters helps up the game for your sales teams. Consider looking at things like seniority level, open profiles (which allows you to send inmail messages for free), and mutual connections in your searches. 5. Target active users Social selling is an incredible way to conduct your sales activities. The issue a lot of sales teams run into is they target leads that are not using LinkedIn actively. That means that your sales cycle takes longer to close because people aren't responding as quickly. Make it a priority for your sales team to have lists made up of highly active users on the platform. Every Salesperson should Feel Empowered using these Sales Navigator Tips Every team member can unlock the power of LinkedIn Sales Navigator with just a little training and intention. To make the most out of these best practices we recommend using a tool that allows you to export your lists and maximize the opportunity of using Sales Nav. Poseidon can help you do just that with our easy-to-use and automated processes that allow you to focus on making human connections with your leads.

Outbound Strategies that Leverage Omnichannel Sales are Thriving

The buying experience for customers is more different today than it has ever been. A study conducted by Google found that the majority of Americans switch between devices going from mobile devices to desktops to tablets when they're shopping online. Unfortunately, this isn't limited to retail, as B2B buyers are often looking across multiple channels to make the best buying decisions. Prospects are present on every device, platform, and channel; and as salespeople, we have to meet clients where they are. The key to strong prospect engagement requires a holistic approach that connects multiple channels and drives consistent outreach — omnichannel outreach. What is the Omnichannel Experience? Omnichannel outreach is the process of using multiple channels to reach and engage potential customers. This might include social media, email, phone, and other methods. The goal is to create an integrated omnichannel experience for the customer across all touchpoints. By leveraging a strategy that focuses on connecting individual outreach channels together on a single, easy-to-follow process, it's easier to create a strong relationship with your target audience. Now, let's understand what sets omnichannel outreach apart from other sales approaches. The Customer Experience: Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Outreach Since the pandemic and the normalization of remote working, salespeople can no longer rely on a single communication channel to reach their prospects. This has made room for multichannel and omnichannel outreach strategies. Though the two sound similar, omnichannel outreach is the process of using different channels to reach, connect, and engage prospects in a way that is integrated and coordinated. Meanwhile, in a multichannel approach, there are multiple touchpoints, but they stand alone and there is little to no integration. This means that salespeople can easily track progress on each channel and see how each channel contributes to the overall success of the outreach campaign. Omnichannel outreach is about creating a cohesive and often tailored experience across all the channels used to communicate. The key to successful omnichannel outreach is integrating all the channels onto one dashboard, so you can continue the conversation based on the prospect's behavior. The more your omnichannel model pays attention to the customer needs, the better results you'll see. To go even further into this discussion, let's look at two aspects that further differentiate the two approaches. Channel-focused vs. prospect-focused The multichannel approach involves targeting potential customers through as many channels as possible. The thinking is to cast as wide a net as possible to reach the largest number of people. In contrast, the omnichannel approach connects those channels in one place to create a more seamless and effective experience for prospects at every touchpoint. This makes the process easier for the sales team as well. SDR/BDRs have one dashboard to track all the different outreach points being used. With omnichannel, outreach is a more unified and intuitive process that engages prospects on whichever channel they are present on. Inconsistent outreach vs. consistent engagement Inconsistency is can kill the best of deals, and because multichannel separate outreach on each channel, you run the risk of creating an inconsistent and impersonal experience for the prospect. This is where omnichannel can really stand out as a sales strategy. By consolidating all touch points on one dashboard, there's more control to create the same experience across every channel. When done well, seamless omnichannel outreach creates the consistent experience clients deserve. I'll add, this isn't just useful for sales. An omnichannel system is a great marketing approach to creating a consistent brand for your business. Does using Omnichannel Outreach Improve the Customer Journey? When we think about the customer journey, it's about delivering the right messages to the right prospects in the right place at the right time. This is the nurturing process and it's essential to achieving omnichannel excellence. One of the first hurdles selling across all channels is knowing which ones your ideal clients are using most often. And because we don't know which channel that is when we start, an omnichannel approach is key to discovering it. Here's what that discovery process looks like: Send your message across multiple touchpoints Use a centralized dashboard to understand which channel each client responds to most Use analytics to systemize the process Adjust and improve your outbound campaigns Doing this consistently over time is guaranteed to improve your funnel and customer journey. Implementing Omnichannel Outreach for B2B Sales Establish a Great Brand Experience and find the Right B2B Clients The key to any great sales strategy is marketing. Having an omnichannel marketing approach that creates a strong brand experience will transform your sales process. It’s also important to have a sales strategy that is flexible and can adapt to the changing needs of your customers. The best sales strategies are the ones that create an experience with your brand and are customer-centric. Focus on providing a great customer experience by understanding your customer’s needs and wants. This leads to a sales strategy that will be successful. Knowing how to use your Channels & Sales Tools to Create a Personalized Experience The right tools can be transformative in your omnichannel outreach strategy and they should create a seamless integration between channels. Poseidon is the only place where you can find an omnichannel environment that integrates email, calls, and social touches in one place. When you add in our ability to personalize automation and you have the most powerful platform for outreach across channels. Remember, automated omnichannel outreach needs personalization. By using personalized and automated messages throughout the buyer journey, you are creating human-like responses while ensuring consistent outreach. Automating manual tasks makes the lives of your sales team easier, and allows them to focus on the buyer experience more. A Seamless Experience: It's Why a Strong Omnichannel Approach Works Lazy sales teams don't rely on outbound and it gets them burned. When you make outbound sales a staple to your business processes your team is in the strongest position to succeed. Using different sales channels is how you can meet your prospects where they are. Omnichannel isn't a luxury, it’s the future of sales.

Use Poseidon to Build your Network

How many times have you heard the phrase, "It's not what you know, it's who you know?" We're here to tell you that this is truer than ever - And this has been accelerated by the pandemic. Nearly every company has a social media presence and most people use LinkedIn as their primary business networking tool. If your job depends on meeting new people and building relationships with them to get deals done - then it's time to embrace social selling in addition to your other methods of reaching people - Cold (fridid, really!) emails, introductions, and cold calling. Sales professionals, are always looking for ways to be more efficient in how they go about their day-to-day tasks of prospecting, presenting, negotiating or closing deals. Poseidon can help by providing another avenue for connecting with potential customers or partners while also giving you a way to engage with prospects outside of the enterprise walls. How does it work? Poseidon works in a number of social media sites, including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Github (What? Github is a social media site? Yes! It is!). Many of you may already have a CRM in place that you try to maintain your hygiene in. You are constantly updating contact information in. What if the whole world was your CRM? People maintain their profiles on social sites, and now all you need to do is to visit their profile and know exactly how to engage with them. When you visit a profile page with Poseidon, you will see a blue tab on the right hand side of your screen. All you need to do is click on this blue tab, and the extension will open. From here, you can Save this person as a lead, Establish a Cadence to connect with them, and help figure out what to say to them as a One-off message. Take our quick tutorial in Poseidon to learn more about how to optimize your Message Templates, Cadences, and Sharing pages so that you can connect with your audiences better and close more deals.

LinkedIn Outbound Sales and Lead Generation that Work

Need help to use LinkedIn and leverage outbound tactics that work? LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B business development and sales outreach, but there are certain things you need to do to be successful. If you believe LinkedIn can help, make sure you're targeting the right audience, using the right sales tactics, and saying the right things. This guide will show you how to find your leads on LinkedIn, how to message them so they're interested in your pitch, and how to make the most out of sales automation. Here’s what we’ll cover: Outbound and Inbound Sales Tactics The Top Tips and Tactics to do LinkedIn Outbound Sales Well Dialing in your LinkedIn Outbound Sales Messages even with Automation Ready to help you and your sales team make more sales with LinkedIn? Outbound and Inbound Sales Tactics Understanding the role and importance of inbound and outbound sales is a great starting point. LinkedIn outbound is when you reach out to your leads instead of waiting for them to come to you. Meanwhile, inbound opportunities are when prospects come to you because they like your content and believe you can solve their problems. Both approaches have their advantages, but today we're focusing on outbound sales on LinkedIn. Later we'll talk about how Poseidon can get your lead gen on autopilot. When doing outbound on LinkedIn, these are the most important outreach activities: Send connection request with notes – To connect with someone on LinkedIn, you have to send them a connection request. Including a personalized note that explains the purpose of connecting sets you apart. These notes can be up to 300 characters. Leverage boolean searches with your LinkedIn – This is a LinkedIn tactic that isn't used often. Boolean searches use keywords and operators like AND, OR, and NOT to find a more specific target audience. Be strategic with the LinkedIn groups you join – LinkedIn groups can expand your network with your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Find groups that are relevant to your niche and start connecting. Pro tip: You can message people in the same group even if you're not connected! Top Outbound Sales Tactics We’ve shared about a lot of different sales tactics and hacks on our blog but we’ve found the best outbound sales results are usually because of: Your offer – Good sales is about believing in your service or product. Has it been validated? Will you generate results for your client? Yes? The next step is most important. Your strategy for targeting your ICP – Do you know your people? Make sure you’re using the right language when engaging your prospects and that your offer is relevant to your targeting. With a compelling offer, your prospect will feel like they are getting a deal that is too good to refuse. You need to have a strong offer that will make the client want to buy from you. Then, your strategy for targeting your ICP ensures you're always interacting with your ideal customer. Once you know who your ideal customer is, you can then begin to improve your messaging in a way that is relevant to them. It is also important to use the right language when engaging with your prospects so that they can understand what you are offering and sell your product or service. With that said here are the top outbound sales tactics we recommend for LinkedIn: Using an omnichannel outreach campaign Personalizing your messages Being disciplined with, or even automating, your follow-ups An omnichannel approach will improve your outbound prospecting on LinkedIn and is all about using a combination of communication channels to get your offer in front of the prospect. LinkedIn should be the center of this strategy, and here's how: We believe LinkedIn and email are the heart of omnichannel selling. From there you can consider adding phone (both calls and text) to the equation, Finding the right pattern of connection requests, emails, LinkedIn messages, and calls takes practice. We help you find the right cadence at Poseidon. All the information you need is on LinkedIn and can be pulled up with the right tools. Personalization of your messages Personalization is key when it comes to reaching out on LinkedIn. Most people only personalize the first and last name, which is not very personal. Anyone can tell when someone is using a template, so it is important to take the time to write a personalized message. Templates are ok if you don't have time to write a personalized message, but it is important to take the time when you can. The more personal you are, the more likely you'll get a response from your prospect. Of course, this is made easier when you're using the right tools and Poseidon leverages templates that prompt personalized messages. Examples are king so here are some ideas to consider when personalizing the message. Take the time to research your prospect, and know more than just the basics of their role and business. Go a step further and interact with them. Your leads will feel special when you engage and comment on their writing, and they’ll be more likely to connect with you. Being disciplined with, or even automating, your follow-ups One of the most effective sales tactics is to follow up with your potential customer. A study showed that 44% of sales reps give up after only one follow-up. Just because you have made initial contact with a potential customer, it does not mean that the sale is complete. Similarly, just because someone accepted your LinkedIn request and saw your message, it does not mean you should stop messaging them. They may have missed your initial message, been distracted, or simply have not had time to reply. So it's important to keep tabs on your connections. I get a lot of messages and pitches every day, so I know how easy they are to miss. If you're wondering whether someone you reached out to on LinkedIn is interested, it's okay to follow up--but don't go overboard. Five times should be the limit. The final follow-up can mention that you won't be contacting them again after this. "{prospect first name}, When I don't hear back from someone it's usually because they're busy. Did you see my above messages? If I don't from you after this message I will assume a total lack of interest … and will not be in touch again. Please let me know? Cheers, {your name}” Play with this template to find out what works best for you. Your follow-up cadences are a great place to leverage LinkedIn automation with Poseidon. You can set up a simple campaign that runs in the background and keeps you engaged with your top prospects. Now that we've covered these tactics let's look at the best cold messages to get a conversation going and reach out to prospects. Outbound Messages via LinkedIn that Work Sales development is all about writing the right connection request or cold message to ensure you set up meetings in your pipeline and close sales. Goes without saying you should not jump into selling yourself in the first message. Instead, as a rule of thumb, you should always make sure that your connection or cold outreach message contains the following: Personalization (yes again) – Mentioning something specific in your outreach campaign makes you more likely to care and connect with you. A real reason to connect with you – Your sales prospects are busy, and are getting 100 requests/messages daily. Having a clear purpose for connecting will help keep the conversation flowing. Profile Optimization – If you're reaching out to your LinkedIn network, they're going to land on your profile. Making sure everything about your LinkedIn account is in good shape will help round out your sales strategy. Note length – Your connection request on LinkedIn is limited to 300 characters. Having these small details ironed out will improve your sales process. People you may know – Leveraging mutual connections is a great way to find commonality with a prospect. An authentic reference will spark an immediate conversation and ensure there's trust from the beginning. Bring value – Prospects know that you're looking to sell to them. If you can bring value from your first message they will be much more interested to hear your offer. Conclusion LinkedIn is the best place to generate leads for your business because it's where decision-makers are at. When leveraging the right outbound strategies to grow your business, sales become a lot easier. Like we said earlier the two most important parts of your LinkedIn outbound sales tactics are: Your offer proposition – Play with this and get as much feedback from your current clients as possible. Always consider how you're crafting an offer so irresistible, that your leads can’t say no. Your target ICP – Talk to your ideal client and get to know what makes them ideal for your business. Have your sales reps learn this profile well and their outreach strategy will improve dramatically. Finally, do what others aren't doing, and follow up. Not doing so means your throwing away sales because you didn't want to put in the work. Remember to make this easier, Poseidon provides the best suite of tools to ensure you'll never lose another prospect because you failed to be reaching out.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Tips – Part 2 Tips for Better Prospect Nurturing

In part one of this series, we shared tips for better prospecting on Sales Navigator by sales and marketers. But sales prospecting is only part of the sales process. Great sales teams know how to nurture leads throughout the cycle, both directly and indirectly. In part two of our series, we go over how Sales Navigator helps you nurture your leads and close more deals. Before talking Tips and Best Practices let's Look at How we Use Sales Nav at Poseidon It's one thing to know what Sales Navigator is, but another to know how to use it. You may not struggle with understanding search results, but we still want to break down how our teams use Sales Nav to our advantage when social selling. Here are four pillars to consider: Sales Navigator Search and Advanced Search Filters: Searches are commonplace today, but LinkedIn does an incredible job of having over 20 advanced filters that help you identify your target accounts and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). InMail Messages: People like to say InMails are like emails but really it's a way of sending a direct message to anyone you're not connected to. We are not crazy about sending random email messages, but once you've followed some of the nurturing tips below, InMails can be great for your B2B sales efforts. LinkedIn Groups: Sales Navigator's function of searching for LinkedIn groups is really helpful to find prospects that are aligned with your company's sales message. Consider searching through relevant groups when making your list of leads. Using Sales Navigator Tips to help Nurture your Prospects and Help you Close 1. Generic Sales Pitches don't Work Personalization of your pitches can feel time-consuming, but the best sales organizations understand that the extra time up front always leads to better results throughout the sales cycle. Sending tons of generic messages cold tells prospects that you've done no work to get to know them. On the other hand, by knowing some details up front and using that information in your messaging, you immediately warm up a lead and they're more receptive to your message. 2. Personal Branding is Key to Social Selling If you checked out our first article, we talked about targeting active users on the platform. If you follow that advice, your prospects are going to check out your LinkedIn profile, and if they find that you're not that active - you leave a bad impression. But, if you have a strong brand presence you're sending a message to your prospects before you even have the first conversation. 3. Make Friends The sale doesn't end after the first pitch or the first call. If you want to manage your sales cycle properly, you have to be dedicated to maintaining a relationship with your prospects. This means checking in, paying attention to their latest moves, and being a friend. It may sound strange in sales but it makes the whole experience better for everyone. 4. Have a Strong Rapport Going with maintaining relationships, and building rapport is key to using sales navigator effectively. A tool is not going to help you if you're not likable. Make sure every interaction with your prospect helps build rapport. 5. Second-Degree Connections = Easy Warm Leads The "2nd" sign you see on profiles means that the person is also connected to one of your LinkedIn connections. This makes for an easy intro to a conversation. Go the extra mile by reaching out to the mutual connection and ask if you can reach out or if they can make the intro for you. Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Lead Generation is Great but Nurturing Helps you Close Prospecting and lead generation build your pipeline, but having a team that knows how to nurture their prospects means your organization is in a much better position to close more deals.

6 Data-Driven Reasons to Use LinkedIn for Networking in 2022

Available data shows that it's no longer feasible to ignore LinkedIn, the online resource that helps millions of people find jobs and expand a professional network more effectively. With the gig economy hitting new highs and companies looking to hire contractors and freelancers more than ever, the platform's algorithms offer an easy and straightforward path to match one's talents and skills with market demand. If you're still hesitating to use LinkedIn for networking, here are 6 data-supported reasons that might persuade you to start reaching to people right now. 1. Build a strong professional network in any industry LinkedIn, with over 700 million users from 200 countries, is the most trusted social media platform, according to Business Insider. That's not a surprise. Launched in 2003 as a networking and job listing website, it has gradually expanded to a reliable web resource for professionals across the world who would like to break into new industries, companies, and markets. LinkedIn Audience: 80% of LinkedIn members drive business decisions 180 million of its members hold senior-level positions 10 million LinkedIn profiles created by C-level executives Over 186 million users are from the United States and Canada More than 157 million LinkedIn members are based in Europe The stats prove that having a LinkedIn profile today is no longer an option but rather a requirement if you want to boost your career or business through high-quality networking opportunities. So, now is the time to update a personal page, post regularly, join groups, and network with people who can bring meaningful changes to your life. 2. Generate high-quality business leads faster LinkedIn is a must-use platform for freelancers, managers, startup owners, or entrepreneurs who are planning to prospect for new clients, generate more leads, and close more deals. LinkedIn's data shows that it's the top lead generation platform. The website's users have twice the buying power of the average web audience. It has plenty of advanced search filters that make finding the right prospects easier. Sales Prospecting Facts and LinkedIn 50 percent of B2B buyers made their purchase decisions through LinkedIn. Almost 80 percent of B2B buyers rely on recommendations from their professional network. 90 percent of C-level executives ignore cold emails and cold calls. 70 percent of the buying process is already digital, or based on online content. Thus, fill out your profile to make it more trustworthy, search for qualified prospects, prioritize them, regularly comment to grab their attention, and try to help your leads by sharing professional insights. 3. Get the job you really want quickly LinkedIn, with over 20 million vacancies and more than 30 million companies, has become an essential online tool for people who are actively searching for a new job. The platform is so effective and popular because it not only allows users to post information about their work experience, achievements, and recommendations but also alerts them about openings that match their expertise and geographical location. The website's algorithms based on keyword optimization makes it quite easy to find recruiters, jobs, and companies where you would like to work. Hiring Statistics and LinkedIn The platform's users apply for over 20 million jobs weekly. Every 8 seconds somebody is hired through LinkedIn. Over 30 percent of employees help their friends get a job by providing job referrals. Networking helps companies fill 50-80 percent of jobs The data proves that it's getting quite difficult to ignore LinkedIn, which helps millions of people find their dream job more effectively. 4. Find top-quality employees LinkedIn brings together millions of companies, employees, freelancers, and job seekers, and has been changing the traditional job board-based recruiting strategy. The platform helps hiring managers and career consultants find and reach out to candidates who are not actively looking for a job, but are ready to explore better opportunities. Some statistics show 70 percent of the global workforce are passive job seekers; LinkedIn can aid HR managers in revealing all the best talent. Recruiting Statistics and LinkedIn 56 percent of people who are planning to get a new job rely on social professional networks. Almost 90 percent of job seekers reached out by recruiters accept a job faster. Social professional networks like LinkedIn are the top sources of high-quality job candidates, ahead of job boards and employee referrals. So, do your best to incorporate LinkedIn into your recruiting strategy to fill all types of positions faster by finding candidates with the right skills. 5. Promote your services by posting on LinkedIn regularly LinkedIn's advanced algorithms, combining job search instruments with social media and networking features, drive a lot of independent contractors to the platform. The freelance economy is rising. In 2017, over 50 million Americans had full-time or part-time freelance jobs, and the numbers are still growing. By posting and commenting regularly, and sending personalized messages, you get an opportunity to showcase your expertise, promote your services, grow your professional network, and draw the attention of potential employers. Freelance Statistics and LinkedIn Almost 50 percent of hiring managers prefer to employ independent contractors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic Over 70 percent of HR professionals use freelance services and plan to increase the volume of their current use Around 60 percent of B2B marketing specialists believe that LinkedIn is their top social network for generating high-quality leads. If you're still not sure whether LinkedIn is the right platform to get more leads, then give it a try by engaging with people from various industries. The results may surprise you. 6. Find a mentor to get industry insights LinkedIn unites millions of professionals from every corner of the world, so it's a good source for finding a mentor. If you're taking your first career steps or would like to break into a new industry, reach out to people who are already experts in their fields. Find a potential mentor's profile on LinkedIn, analyze it, draft a personalized direct message to them, and feel free to hit Send. Mentors can give some firsthand insight, help you get your foot in the door of a particular company, or aid in making your career more sustainable. Mentor-related Facts and LinkedIn 80 percent of professionals on LinkedIn want to either get a mentor or help others with meaningful professional advice, but don't know where to start. More than 80 percent of CEOs argue that mentors have helped them avoid crucial mistakes and save money. Over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies support mentoring programs. Don't miss a chance to engage with professionals who, as the stats show, are willing to help you succeed in your career and professional development. LinkedIn is a truly efficient networking tool that can definitely aid you in getting a job, finding a mentor, searching for prospects, and bringing more high-quality leads. If you would like to make the process more efficient and don't want to waste time on drafting messages, try Poseidon's templates.

Account-Based Sales and How to Be Successful

The account-based sales process is used by sales teams to identify and target key accounts that have the greatest potential for generating sales with the right prospects. The account-based sales approach is often used by organizations selling complex products or services to large, enterprise customers. To be successful with account-based selling, salespeople need to be able to identify and qualify potential target accounts, build relationships with key decision-makers within those organizations, and create custom sales strategies for each account. They also need to be able to effectively manage their time and resources, as well as track their progress and results. 5 Things to do Now to Improve your Account-Based Sales Think of this as a quick guide to account-based selling that you can share with your sales reps to implement or improve your sales process. This is definitely not a one-size fits all approach so feel free to personalize and customize this advice to make sure it's best for your message and the pain points of your customers. Here are five important factors to prioritize as your target companies for your account-based marketing and sales. 1. Is Your Average Selling Price (ASP) High Enough to Justify AB Sales? Average Selling Price is the average of your closed-won deals and captures the complexity of your sales process. If you have high a ASP you can justify taking an account-based approach. Additionally, recurring revenue streams from ABM and ABS efforts. The higher the ASP the more an account based selling approach makes sense. 2. How Much time do you Allocate to your Sales Cycle? The length of your sales cycle from inbound to close tells you a lot about your sales process. Understanding the sales cycle can definitely inform your selling strategy. Short sales cycles don't involve a lot of people and may not be good for account based sales. It's longer sales cycles that need nurturing and personalization that fit the account-based everything model the best. 3. Market Maturity is an Important Metric to Consider Market Maturity is level of awareness the market has for your product or service. This is a metric important for marketers and the marketing strategy your team puts together. If you're solving new problems with an innovative solution, an account-based approach is a good marketing and selling framework to leverage. 4. Target Addressable Market (TAM) and your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Your TAM and ICP determine your target sales outreach and strategy targets for your company. TAM is all of the companies that could be customers, while your ICP is more focused. Companies a better-defined TAM and ICP are going to have more success with account-based sales models because they are more precise. It's not about identifying thousands of accounts to target, instead, you're selling to the best available prospects. 5. Understanding the Decision Makers in Your Target Account Lists With an account-based strategy, it's important to know who the decision-makers are. This simple account management focus will ensure that your messaging lands with the people that are going to drive the sale. Having the wrong buyer personas and contacts within your target accounts will lead to your B2B sales teams not getting meaningful responses. A decision-maker should be identified in every account for your ABS strategy to work. Are Account-Based Sales Right for your B2B Sales and Marketing Teams to Use? If your B2B sales and marketing teams are looking for a new way to increase sales and improve efficiency, it's time to consider an account-based approach. This type of strategy is especially beneficial if you sell products or services to large organizations with multiple decision-makers. With account-based selling, your team will focus on selling to a specific list of high-value accounts rather than trying to reach as many people as possible. This approach can help you close more deals and increase your overall sales.

A Guide to Account Based Sales

Marketing and sales have stayed the same for a long time. Cold calls and outbound have been proven tried and true but we might be entering a new time for the industry. Account Based Sales and marketing is interesting because it's fit the tools and strategies of the modern world we live in. It's focused on metrics and using them to target key accounts that we now have a better chance of being closed. The account-based sales model is still new but it's the best form of outreach that we've seen in a long time. It's made better by solutions like ours at Poseidon that allow you to target the right companies at scale, while also being highly personalized in the process. The account-based sales model is one in which each company is treated as its own market, with significant resources allocated to persuading them to become customers. This model requires a lot of resources, so it may not be suitable for everyone. In this article, we'll explore the account-based sales model in more depth, help you determine if it's right for your company, and provide guidance on how to get started if it is. How do Account Based Sales help Sales and Marketing Teams? The account-based sales model is one that focuses on selling to entire companies, rather than to individual leads. This model is highly personalized and takes into account the specific needs of each company. It is usually used in B2B sales, as it is too time-consuming for B2C products. It's focused on long-term results and not quick wins because there's an emphasis on high-value engagement across multiple platforms. Needing buy-in across a company means getting all the key decision-makers together during the sales cycle. It takes more time but when done right, account based selling delivers an incredible experience to every account you have in your CRM. It also aligns marketers and sales reps under a common vision of how to reach out with their message. Sales reps don't find themselves alone with an account-based selling approach because the entire sales team is dedicated to the sales outreach process. This means targeted companies are hit with highly personalized messages, but that load is distributed between sales and marketing departments. This alignment between sales and marketing is key to the selling strategy, but it's easier to achieve than you would expect. You'll hear the account-based model be referred to in a few different terms, such as account-based sales (ABS) or account-based sales development (ABSD). These focus, as the names imply, on sales teams that are focused on accounts. The most well-known account-based model is account-based marketing (ABM strategy). How to Create a Target Account List With an account-based sales process, you're targeting high-value accounts with personalization in your messages to address their pain points. Each salesperson needs to know what these target companies look like, which means defining an ideal customer profile or ICP is really important. One reason that account-based sales have increased in popularity is the availability of new technology to help execute this model. Once you have created your ideal customer profile, you can use account identification software to create dynamic target lists of companies that match the profile. The target list will automatically update as new companies become a match and some companies no longer meet the criteria. Consider an Account Based Sales Strategy Taking an account-based approach can be a game changer for B2B sales teams. It's a high-touch process, but it aligns sales and marketing strategy in a way that the industry hasn't seen before. This selling model makes sales calls go smoother because multiple stakeholders were involved in the process. By focusing efforts and resources on top accounts to target, you're also creating better habits for your sales approach. The tools for account-based strategy are also quite impressive. What we can do at Poseidon can is a game changer for account-based selling frameworks. We help minimize sales efforts and equip your marketing and sales teams with insights into buyer personas. Because this approach is used in a social selling environment, we also leverage LinkedIn Sales Navigator to amplify your results and find the best customers in the process. Your sales professionals need the best tools like what we have at Poseidon to close more deals. Selling involves a lot of moving parts and having a centralized place for your account-based selling process is important. We provide that and more. reach out if you're interested in improving your account based marketing and sales efforts.

Top 5 Competitors or Alternatives to Highspot Sales Enablement

Successful businesses are driven by successful sales strategies that rely on effective and up-to-date techniques and instruments. In times when competition intensifies, and marketing teams come up with new and more sophisticated ways to pitch their products - sales enablement tools allow companies to stand out and pave the way for customized communication with potential clients. To help you navigate among a broad range of sales enablement tools, we came up with a list of top 5 Highspot competitors that deserve your attention. But first things first: What Is Sales Enablement? Sales enablement is the process of empowering sales and marketing teams to close more deals. To achieve this goal, the professionals should be provided with all necessary resources, including documents, in-depth analytics, regular trainings, and online tools to communicate with prospects effectively and be prepared to answer all their questions. 1. Brainshark If you're looking for a single sales enablement solution to help your team with closing more deals, then Brainshark can be a good choice. The Massachusetts-based company, founded in 1999, has been serving thousands of customers, including the Fortune 100 companies, for over 20 years. Brainshark is an excellent platform for large enterprises that regularly break into new markets, launch new products, and make merger and acquisition deals. It has a wide range of useful tools to make the most of every client interaction: Content authoring Dashboards and analytics Content management and sharing Coaching and practice Onboarding and training. Overall, the sales enablement platform aids managers in producing and updating engaging content, managing all sales documents from a centralized portal, and finding the most relevant information quickly to share it with prospects. 2. Get Accept Another sales enablement platform, which can assist your team in engaging with prospects and clients more efficiently, is Get Accept. This San Francisco-based company opened its first office in 2016 and expanded globally quite fast by attracting clients from over 50 countries across the world, including major companies like Samsung and Siemens. At the heart of the company lie data-driven analytics, sales automation, and personalized engagement features. The Get Accept platform provides its users with such sales instruments as: Proposal templates Sales document management Sales tracking Sales engagement (live chats, video production, email and SMS functions) Contract management Electronic signature This sales enablement tool simplifies life for sales teams by increasing efficiency, cutting costs, and improving customer engagement. 3. Chorus.ai One more sales enablement tool that can definitely compete with Highspot is Chorus.ai. The platform makes customer communication management more efficient with artificial intelligence technology. The company, founded in 2015 in San Francisco, also has offices in Boston, Tel Aviv, and Toronto. Among their clients are such well-known enterprises as Zoom, Adobe, and Cision. The platform offers managers a variety of products to improve sales processes and analyze every interaction with prospects: Call recordings AI-based self-learning sales system Onboarding and skill development Market intelligence Team performance measurement, etc. The sales enablement solution allows senior managers to evaluate all calls and provide useful feedback to their colleagues. The tool also helps with building a personalized training curriculum for sales reps based on information from real customer calls. 4. Poseidon If you would like to "network like a god" (an ancient Greek aquatic one anyway) when engaging with prospects on LinkedIn, then Poseidon is the right sales enablement tool for you. The platform allows you to customize communication with your contacts and potential clients by suggesting various message templates that you can modify, save, and reuse if necessary. All you need is to download and install the free Google Chrome extension to use all the platform's features right on LinkedIn. Here's a list of the funcationalities Poseidon provides: Personalize your outbound messages See your recent connection requests Get notified when your connection request has gone through or messaged you via a webhook or Slack Send and track your documents Check grammar Analyze your sales process Work in teams Poseidon has a free version for people who are just testing out social selling but would like to do it right from the beginning. Sales teams can use a professional version which allows them to upload PDFs, documents, presentations, whitepapers, and images and share them with prospects. Additionally, managers on the professional plan can get sales analytics and an unlimited number of message snippets. 5. Mediafly The last sales enablement instrument that deserves your attention is Mediafly. This Chicago-based company, founded in 2006, helps marketers and sales professionals create, access, and deliver engaging content and presentations. Its AI-powered software assists companies in boosting their productivity and effectiveness by personalizing content and helping managers to find it within several minutes. For example, the sales enablement platform allows managers to: Upload, edit, and access dynamic content online and offline Distribute customizable content to sellers in real-time Improve content performance with analytics and reporting Communicate and quantify your unique value with Interactive Sales Tools. The platform has empowered over 120,000 marketing and sales specialists and is trusted by large companies, including Procter and Gamble, Sony, 3M, Disney, LG, and many others. *** If you are planning to use sales enablement tools to make your engagement with customers more efficient, start with Poseidon. It's a great tool that turns LinkedIn into a professional sales instrument.

Training SDRs to Avoid Long Ramp Times and Improve Sales Development

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) are the key to success for any sales team. They are responsible for finding new prospects and nurturing them through the sales process. A successful SDR is someone who can handle objections and quickly build relationships with potential customers, identify their needs, and fill pipelines. Unfortunately, it's taking too long to get SDRs to ramp up and become productive members of the team, and is a major problem for B2B companies because it translates to lost sales and missed opportunities. There are a few things that companies can do to help their SDRs avoid long ramp times and improve their sales development skills. We are going to talk about those best practices, and no it's not just training them to do cold calls (although they are still important). SDR Training Best Practices Having a good recruiting process for finding new SDRs is a great place to start. It doesn't matter how good your sales training is if you're working with the wrong people. Also, if you're like most companies you're doing social selling for your B2B sales, which means you should build your sales development team from a social platform. Enter places like LinkedIn and Twitter. These platforms are filled with professionals with a proven work history and an eye for new and great opportunities. The other great thing about finding your sales hires in public spaces is you don't have to rely on first impressions to make your hire. Look at their history of engagement and you get a good picture of the type of sales development reps they will be. The other great thing about recruiting on LinkedIn or Twitter is you can find SDRs that have no prior experience in sales but can still be champions that you mold to your sales process. Your company's success is going to rely on the work of these salespeople so make it a point to find the best ones out there. This will help you build a sales development training process that will take less time because you have strong people. A Training Program that helps SDRs Operate like Account Executives Your onboarding process does not have to be a nightmare. A new SDR can be effective from the beginning if you have the right processes in place. Every company needs to think with the end in mind. SDRs want to become AEs so why not treat new reps like closers, and set expectations of a closer. SDRs get their first interaction with leads so training your SDR team to set a strong example will help build your sales pipeline and meet team quotas. A training program that helps SDRs operate like account executives can be extremely beneficial for a company. Set goals for SDRs on how to effectively communicate with potential customers and understand their needs. Ask your SDRs about objection handling and teach them to deal with common objections. Doing this early on will make the process a lot better for everyone involved. A mentorship program is also a great thing to consider for your new team. Having your SDRs rub shoulders with people that have had successful sales can give your new employees some solid knowledge of what it takes to succeed. Give your SDRs the Tools they Need to Succeed Software tools will either make or break your sales process. Better equipped SDRs will have an easier time and a tool like Poseidon can help with your onboarding plan. Leveraging our automation features means you can ramp up your reps a lot faster while also creating a scalable process. High-performing sales professionals all have the strong tools they leverage to win. SDRs need to be put in an environment that facilitates fast ramp-up time and we have everything and more to make that possible.

Safe LinkedIn Automation is Possible for Your Sales Team

It's 2022 and the most popular LinkedIn automation tools are changing how social selling works. But there's still a lot of worry about how safe these tools are and whether they will get LinkedIn users blocked from the platform. Let's talk about what makes automated marketing tools and lead generation tools unsafe, and how tools like Poseidon can turn around your next LinkedIn campaign. LinkedIn Automation Tools of 2022 have Debunked a lot of Myths There are a lot of myths about the different automation features of AI tools, and it's important that we address those myths first. Chrome Extensions used with LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Sales Navigator are less Safe than Cloud Automation Software Cloud-based solutions love touting that they're safer than Chrome extensions, but it's not true. Not only are cloud-based LinkedIn automation software not safer, but they are also harder to use and less streamlined. There are a number of these solutions that are easier to detect than Chrome browser extensions. When we decide to use a LinkedIn automation tool, it was a no-brainer to choose the Chrome extension route. It's secure, and the LinkedIn connection is seamless, making your experience easier and faster. Using LinkedIn Automation Tools Blocks Your Access It's important to state that automation tools alone do not trigger a blocked account on LinkedIn. Multiple LinkedIn mistakes need to be made for your activity to be flagged as suspicious. Here are some things that can make LinkedIn bots flag your account: If too many automation requests and messages are sent, or if too many profiles are viewed, LinkedIn will take action. This might include flagging the account, or worse, blocking the account. Sharp increases in activity can also lead to consequences. The best thing about automation tools like Poseidon is they limit a lot of this activity including, connections on LinkedIn, visits to LinkedIn pages, and LinkedIn messages so that spikes in activity don't appear. Are there Risks to Using Tools for Safe LinkedIn Automation? Of course, there are risks to using automation tools, but they're not as great as you might think and they certainly don't outweigh the benefits they bring for LinkedIn lead generation. There are Unsafe Tools It only takes one search to find LinkedIn automation tools that offer all the good in their free trials. It's important to take the time to study and even look at the teams of these tools to make sure that they are legitimate solutions you should consider using. We recommend you make a list of LinkedIn automation tools you want to research and do the work. Usage Limits do Exist for Your LinkedIn Account As we have mentioned before, it is very important that you stay within the usage limits to avoid having your account blocked. Some of the automation tools available allow you to send an unlimited number of connection requests and messages which can be risky. To avoid this, make sure you use a tool that limits your usage or one that lets you monitor it yourself! Don't use Automation Tools that Automate all of Your LinkedIn Activities Your LinkedIn outreach should never be completely automated. It's can be tempting with the tools available to take this approach but doing is the riskiest strategy and it won't pay off for anyone. Your target audience on LinkedIn is keenly aware that automation exists and if you automate the whole approach, you're going to lose those prospects. The Safest LinkedIn Automation Tools Focus on Personalization LinkedIn tools can be powerful and get you ahead of your competition. Doing LinkedIn automation safely will bring the best results. Personalizing automated messages on LinkedIn is a big part of that but it's not the only way to maximize your leads from LinkedIn. Leverage the Human aspects of LinkedIn Prospecting and Automate the Rest There are two key aspects to successful LinkedIn prospecting: the human element and the automation of repetitive tasks. The human element is all about building relationships and connecting with potential customers on a personal level. This means creating content that is interesting and engaging and taking the time to comment on and respond to posts. It also means connecting with people outside of your usual network and getting involved in groups and discussions. The automation of repetitive tasks is important for efficiency and productivity. This includes using tools to automate tasks such as sending messages, invitations, and reminders. It also includes using filters and search tools to quickly find potential customers and using tracking tools to monitor your progress. Make Personalization Part of the Process One LinkedIn tip that always will help you win is personalizing your messaging. It's one of the safest LinkedIn strategies for both automation and converting your prospects. Poseidon is one of the automation tools on the market that makes this easy. We built an automation tool that can help you streamline your outreach while making room for human interaction. LinkedIn doesn't like spamming and sending the same message over again. When we work with you we go over the best practices for using automation. Outreach on LinkedIn doesn't have to be painful or slow and automation can be your friend. Safe LinkedIn Automation Drives Incredible Lead Generation. Don't be Afraid to Use the Tools Safe LinkedIn automation can drive incredible lead generation for your business. Don't be afraid to use the tools available to you in order to get the most out of LinkedIn. There are a number of safe, effective ways to automate your LinkedIn account in order to generate leads. By using these methods, you can connect with more prospects and customers, and ultimately grow your business.

The Truth of Speed-to-Lead and 3 Sales Myths to Ignore

When prospects reach out to your business and become a lead, they want you to reach out fast! Speed-to-Lead helps drive higher conversion rates, and yet nearly half of businesses do not respond to a lead within 24 hours! As an industry, we need to do better to serve our customers. The other issue is that the companies that do believe in fast outreach still don't know how to respond effectively. Sellers have a lot of misconceptions about speed-to-lead so we want to highlight the truths so you can improve your sales funnel. The First Sales Myth: Fast Outreach Makes Customers Uncomfortable As a salesperson, we often forget that a qualified lead is going to have many suitors. If you believe you're the only business that can solve their needs, you might have a bigger problem than just speed-to-lead. Back to our point, here are three great reasons to reach out as fast as possible when you get a lead: Staying top of mind — if someone takes the time to fill out one of your company forms it's just good customer service to respond. Doing so quickly makes sure your brand stays with the lead, getting them into your sales cycle. First to Impress — Instant gratification is a real thing and if you can trigger that in your lead you're doing something right. You still need to finish the sales process but a good first impression always helps. They're In the Right Environment — If you can get back to them within 5 to 10 minutes, they are in the right mindset to hear back from you. It's that simple. The Second Sales Myth: You Need to Hire too Many Reps to Do It Right Hiring more sales professionals is going to slow down the process. Every new rep you bring you, you're adding training time and there's a need to break bad habits and build the good ones. A handful of average salespeople will never beat out the great salespeople. It doesn't mean you shouldn't hire, but when you do make sure it's a move you need to take. One thing to consider is looking for tools that make B2B sales easier, while also improving speed-to-lead. Poseidon has some great features that will improve your sales tactics across the board including how fast you respond to qualified leads. The Third Sales Myth: Outreach like Cold Calls and Text Don't Work Phones are still a thing even today. Cold calls can work really well to reach out to a prospect that has just filled out your lead form. But to make things interesting you can also text. It's a sales strategy that is not taught enough in sales training, but it should be. Why does it work? First, you avoid the dreaded voicemails, and second, it's still pretty unique. If you can craft the right message that's approachable, you can count on a better chance of getting that demo. Struggling to Reach Qualified Buyers? It Might be Time to Connect with our Team at Poseidon

3 Reasons Why Sales is Hard and How Social Selling Can Make a Difference

The rise of social media has had a profound effect on B2B selling over the past few years. Working in sales has changed completely because social selling enables salespeople to build better relationships, increase credibility, and connect with potential enterprise clients much faster, and with more enterprise clients come better commissions. However, these changes in the sales landscape come with a few potential pitfalls. If you're looking at a sales role, there are a few, straightforward things to consider. Let's look at some of the top reasons sales is a tough job, and how some simple tactics lead to a successful sales career. Reason 1: In an Industry where Clients and Prospects Matter Most – You Don't Know Where to Find Them Social selling is not created equally when you look at all the different social platforms that exist. Most people reading this are on focused on B2B, and that means the channels you need to look at could be very different for someone operating a B2C business. Because so many options exist, many salespeople face the challenge of identifying which social platforms to spend their time on. A good head start is knowing that for B2B, Linkedin and Twitter have been proven to be the best platforms for B2B sales and marketing. Of course, you need to do a little more to identify the best prospects. Reaching out is not an easy job, but great salespeople know how to find their target audiences. Reason 2: Failing to Teach Your Talent to Provide Value Leads to More Rejection On platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter value is king. Sadly, providing value is a sales skill that employers don't demand of their candidates. After you find your target clients, you need to build up trust with them so they're more optimistic about receiving your sales message. Without these interactions, salespeople are going to be met with a lot of rejection. Traditional sales tactics don't teach this, so here are a couple of tips to help. Take the time to write on your social platform of choice. If you can share words that motivate others and create strong relationships, you will be miles ahead of many sales folks. Salespeople are competitive by nature, try to teach them some ways for them to get ahead and you'll build a lot of trust with potential clients Be consistent and reach out often. This makes cold outreach easier. Reason 3: Working a Sales Job Requires Tracking and Asking Questions One of the biggest challenges for B2B companies when selling through social media is being able to track how their online activities are translating into sales. It's not enough to just measure likes and followers. To really gauge the effectiveness of your social media strategy, you need to look at deeper metrics. If you're using LinkedIn, they have a great tool called the SSI score. It serves as a good early indicator that your sales team is active and having success with social selling. Another great way to stay on top of your efforts is using the right tools. Getting into a new sales position is going to come with a ton of options to track success. Poseidon offers some of the best options for those trying to hit their quotas and drive new business. Using our solution makes tracking easy and leaves you the time to be more human during the sales process. An important to being human is asking questions. The used car salesman makes you believe that sales professionals need to talk your ear off. Truthfully, it's the people that know how to ask questions and listen to that win in sales. A Career in Sales is Tough but It's also Fulfilling Sales is a tough career, but it can be very rewarding. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in sales, but it can truly transform your career. If you are driven and can be held accountable, you can make a lot of money in sales which is a great incentive. But, you also have the opportunity to help people by providing them with the products and services they need.

6 ClearSlide Competitors to Improve Your Sales Engagement

Effective working processes build the foundations of successful businesses, while engagement tools establish lasting and fruitful customer relationships. Today, selling techniques alone could not continue to extract qualified leads without a reliable and up-to-date engagement toolkit. This article will cover 6 ClearSlide competitors that can help you boost sales engagement and close more deals. What is Sales Engagement? While sales enablement tools help teams improve and automate internal processes, to ensure that reps have all the necessary resources to close deals, sales engagement platforms assist managers in building strong customer relationships to maximize their satisfaction and increase sales. 1. VanillaSoft VanillaSoft is a quite popular sales engagement tool. It allows marketing or sales managers to maximize their performance by eliminating administrative tasks and automating best-practice workflows. It has a wide range of sales-friendly features that can simplify your job and improve your communication with prospects and clients: Lead and sales tracking Auto dialing Call recording Appointment setting Email and SMS Marketing Logical-branch scripting If you're looking for an excellent alternative to traditional CRM platforms, then VanillaSoft is the right choice. It helps sales reps systematize all their tasks and handle every lead with maximum capacity. The tool has impressive customer satisfaction and increased productivity rates – over 90 percent. This is good evidence that the tool aids companies in finding qualified leads, contacting them at the right time with personalized messages, and closing more deals. 2. Reply.io If you want to scale your email communication with clients and prospects while keeping them personalized, then Reply.io may be the sales engagement tool for you. The electronic messages created with this SaaS provider don't look overly commercial and so always end up in the recipient's "Primary" inbox. The platform has a lot of other sales features, helping reps not only send emails and follow-ups, but also create daily tasks, make calls, connect on LinkedIn if necessary, and analyze their sales processes: Email and sequence templates A/B testing Custom schedules International calls Daily workflow on tasks dashboard Native CRM Integrations, API & Zapier Complete prospect info and recent activities Team results Call recording and listening, etc. Apart from that, its Chrome extension allows sales reps to discover the work emails of their prospects on LinkedIn to reach out to them later with customized messages. 3. DocSend DocSend is a great sales engagement instrument if you want to ensure that your clients, prospects, and sales reps are always using the most up-to-date version of any document. The platform allows sales managers or clients to store documents in their own secured hub. The only thing that they need to do is to send a link to the materials they want to share. But that's not all. DocSend provides the reps with analytics that help them engage with clients and follow up if necessary: Get notifications each time someone views your document Monitor time spent on reading it Track top performing pages and average completion percentage Analyze document version performance The platform even allows you to update a document that has already been sent. That's quite useful for avoiding unnecessary work and being sure that nothing is lost to spam filters. 4. Poseidon Poseidon is an excellent sales engagement tool for managers who are using LinkedIn to get qualified leads. The platform is a great alternative to expensive sales instruments as it offers a free version for those who just started their social selling journey. But at the same time, it features an affordable option for sales teams who would like to improve their customer engagement process. Poseidon provides sales managers with a broad range of opportunities that can make their job easier: Personalize your outbound messages See your recent connection requests Get notified about new accepted connections or messages via Slack or webhook. Send and track your documents Check grammar Analyze your sales process Work in teams Poseidon is also great in maximizing your messages' click-through rate. The system makes them unfurl with OpenGraph, so your prospects get a preview of what you linked to and so are less skeptical and more intrigued about opening it. Apart from that, you can upload as many documents as you need, name and describe them, add your own social media preview (unfurl) image, and assign each document a custom command alias (key combo). This lets you embed them in your LinkedIn or email messages in-line, on-the-fly. So you can send even complex sets of material within seconds, faster and more in-flow than copy-pasting. Poseidon, like a far more costly accounts-based sales landing page, gives you an opportunity to surround and target prospects with personalized and branded content that speaks to their needs and gets them to respond. All you need is to download and install the free Chrome extension to use all the platform's benefits right on LinkedIn. Poseidon can help you customize communication with your prospects and clients and boost sales. 5. Mixmax Another sales engagement tool that deserves your attention is Mixmax. This platform allows sales reps to create customized messages with higher open and reply rates. Its features facilitate communication with customers and provide managers with necessary instruments to close more deals. Mixmax saves a lot of time, helps sales teams track their performance, get feedback, collaborate, and respond faster, smarter, and with better information thanks to the following instruments: Link previews Sidechat Polls and surveys Email templates for Gmail Mixmax Sidebar to craft messages using social and CRM insights Phone dialer to call prospects without leaving Gmail, etc. Mixmax makes customer-facing work more efficient, eliminates a lot of manual tasks, and decreases the number of apps you need to use at work. 6. Groove.co If you want to improve customer satisfaction and boost your revenue, then it's time to try the Groove sales engagement tool. It's one of the top platforms that can help sales professionals send personalized emails, automate workflows, scale informed calls, collaborate on account lists, and get some analytics to polish sales processes. It has an extensive list of useful sales instruments that assist managers in delivering the right message at the right time and raising their productivity: Email and calendar sync Custom data collection Automated flows Analytics Workspaces Leads import Local presence calling SMS messages Call stats Account-based engagement, etc. Apart from that, the platform supplies its users with a template performance tool. This allows them to understand the efficiency of emails or call scripts, share the best ones with colleagues, and improve templates that are underperforming. *** Every sales professional knows how crucial customer engagement is. If you're looking for an affordable tool to facilitate your communication with prospects, download the Poseidon browser extension now.

Use Outbound on LinkedIn and Win

Many businesses emphasize inbound sales and lead generation over an outbound strategy. B2B owners and founders that do this are damaging their own sales process. Outbound sales are crucial for any kind of sales strategy for lead generation. LinkedIn is the best place to do this because it has everything needed to find opportunities and do business. Social selling is changing the game of sales and you're either jumping on board or getting left behind. Whether you're prospecting on LinkedIn, growing your network, or using LinkedIn automation tools, LinkedIn is the platform that should be the foundation of your sales development framework. LinkedIn Prospecting is Key to Your Outreach Strategy LinkedIn is a powerful platform for business networking and prospecting. By connecting with potential customers and clients on LinkedIn, you can create opportunities for your business. When prospecting on LinkedIn, it's important to be strategic in your approach. First, identify your target ICP, and then it's time to start creating touch points. Visit their profile, mention something related to their business on their posts, and finally craft a personal message to connect with them. List building is the most common way to start outbound prospecting on LinkedIn, but it's not the only way. You can also find potential customers with some hacks not everyone knows about. Joining and being active in LinkedIn groups related to your ICP is one of the best. You begin to build a following and trust within the group and you can reach out to anyone at any time for free through LinkedIn messages. Keyword searches are also an under-used tool for using LinkedIn for outbound. A strong prospecting strategy is a strong outreach strategy. Doing it well and consistently will guarantee sales. Network Growth Improves Outbound Sales Too often sales gurus knock outreach campaigns for being slow and not producing huge pipelines immediately. The truth, sometimes slower can be better, and growing your opportunities by networking is a proven way for sales teams to be more efficient. B2B leaders need to leverage LinkedIn to grow their network because it makes selling easier. Networking via LinkedIn takes away the hurdle of selling to strangers. It will always be easier doing business with people in your network because there's trust built in. I know we all love cold calling, but if your sales reps can warm up their prospects before they make that first pitch, you're looking at better conversions. With as many industry leaders and decision-makers on LinkedIn, there is no downside to growing your network. A quick tip to improving your networking: make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized. It makes a huge difference so optimize your profile! Add Value and Earn those Connection Requests The power of LinkedIn outbound sales is real. Most people just don't provide enough value to other LinkedIn users to realize it. To sell successfully using social platforms like LinkedIn, you have to add value to your network of peers and industry leaders. By posting content that's valuable and interesting, you're taking control of your business's brand image. Someone on LinkedIn will buy your product or service if you just convince them you are trustworthy and likable. When you build that trust and credibility in your network, you become more likely to secure business from your ideal customers. If you can't be convinced of adding value as part of your LinkedIn sales tactics, there's no hope that LinkedIn works for you. Social Proof Improves Outreach with Prospects Testimonials, recommendations, awards. There are many ways to get your prospect's attention by displaying social proof on LinkedIn. Leads on LinkedIn will definitely be impressed to see how you treat other customers. By using strong social proof you are creating a reason for prospects to reach out to you eliminating the need for more cold messaging. Of course, you're also boosting your brand and company profile which is a great added bonus. With so many tools to use there's, you have every reason to establish your authority in your industry and build greater trust. It truly is powerful to bolster your outreach strategy. Personalization with Automation and Follow-Up The last, and possibly most important consideration for your outreach is keeping things personalized and following up. You can do this by tracking your prospects but at Poseidon, we make personalization with automation easy. With its cold outreach or follow-up, we help ensure you build strong customer satisfaction and loyalty. By automating follow-up processes and personalizing communications, you're showing your customers care about their experience and are committed to providing the best possible service.

5 tips to create a more buyer centric sales process

In today's market, buyers are more likely to be looking for a quick, easy way to find the right software for their business. This means that your sales process needs to be fast, efficient, and customer-focused. In this article, we'll discuss five tips for selling B2B software in today's market that's focused on buyer centricity. The buyer-centric selling model is based on the idea that customers are the lifeblood of any business. Satisfied customers are more likely to return, recommend your business to others, and be more forgiving of occasional mistakes. <iframe width="650" height="345" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dHRoO4kbtug" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> 1. Use a Sales Process that Fits your Buyers There is no one-size-fits-all sales process. What works for one company might not work for another. It's important to tailor your sales process to fit the needs of your buyers. Start by understanding what your buyers want and need. What are their pain points? What are their goals? What are their priorities? Then, create a sales process that meets the needs of your buyers. Make sure your process is clear and easy to follow, and that it provides value to your buyers. 2. Don't focus on features! Focus on benefits Some companies make the mistake of focusing too much on features when creating their content. While features are important, they're not as important as benefits. Your customers don't care about the fact that your product has a certain feature – they care about what that feature can do for them. For example, if you're selling a product that has a long battery life, don't focus on the battery life itself. Instead, focus on the benefits of a long battery life. Tell your customers how they'll be able to use their product 3. Actually spend time understanding your customers You can't In order to be successful with this sales model, it's essential to have a deep understanding of your customers' needs and priorities. You also need to be able to communicate effectively with customers, build trust, and provide value. 4. Play the long game When you play the long game with customers, it helps you to be more open and communicative. It encourages trust and vulnerability so that your customers can be open with you about their problems. It allows for deeper connection and understanding. And finally, it fosters a sense of mutual respect. When your customers know that you have their best interests in mind, you are going to have much stronger LTV (Life time value) for the products and services that you sell. 5. Spend time creating a buyers guide Creating a buyers guide helps your buyers know that you are selling on their terms. Kickstart any project by outlining the key topics you wanted to cover, such as the benefits of your products, how they work and what to expect from them. Then, outline the structure of the guide and began drafting the content. Here's a structure that we recommend from a buyer's guide: An explanation of which pain points each product solves Context to why prospects may have come across that pain point General features of the product (Try to explain these from the perspective of your customer!) Competitor alternatives and how they may not solve the pain points your customer has What makes your products a more viable option for solving those pain points How can they get started? A link where the prospect can read independent reviews, testimonials, and other information about how to be more successful with your product

Prospecting Can Make or Break Your Sales Team

All of the potential customers you want to sell to are your prospects and they make up the foundation of your team's pipeline. So if your prospects are the people your sales and marketing teams target, prospecting is the process of reaching out to those prospect lists. Prospecting is so important to the sales process and not having a strategy for it is setting yourself up for failure. Let's walk through what it takes to get the process right so your sales teams are set up for success. What does the Prospecting Process Look Like? Prospecting doesn't matter if you don't start with the right Ideal Customer Profile or ICP. To get the ICP correct, you need to know the pain points to address and speak to that for each prospect. Once that first critical step is addressed, sales reps need a system to drive their outbound prospecting effectively. This could include cold calls, email templates, and automated campaigns. The goal of the prospecting process is to speak to the right people and nurture them into the sales funnel. To do this well, there are a lot of prospecting techniques and prospecting methods to consider. Let's take a minute to consider our favorite for B2B sales. Tips for a Salesperson that Wants to Master the First Touch in Prospecting While there are a lot of platforms that are great for prospecting, LinkedIn is one of the best platforms no matter what you're selling. The following are three things to master that first touch that's so important in prospecting: 1. Don't Connect Right Away, Try Following A personalized note is helpful you're connecting with a new prospect, but they're not always received well. If you're failing to connect consider trying to follow and engage with your prospects first. This builds a rapport and warms up people to the idea of connecting with you. 2. Check out LinkedIn Groups and Live Events Networking in groups and at live events is one of the best sales hacks when using LinkedIn. If you start prospecting where your ICP is, you're going to find more success. In both situations, you can send direct messages to prospects at no cost to you. This can be a powerful way to drive new business. Prospecting to Outreach Personalization is the best way to approach your outbound prospecting efforts. The success account-based marketing and sales have had with personalization has helped make the case for making personalization standard for any sales organization. The first messages you send no matter what prospecting strategies you use are the most important to get right. You might be able to guess but sending an immediate sales pitch never works. The best sales professionals follow some of these following sales prospecting tips for outreach Leverage your Sales Prospecting Tools Effectively Tools like Poseidon are meant to make the lives of sales managers and their reps. Prospecting in sales is hard but you're empowered with tools to make that easier and to close more deals. Poseidon gives you the ability to automate the most time-consuming processes and let you focus on doing research and getting to know your prospects so you can leave the right first impression. Research means Better Prospecting and Better Sales Calls It's important to start with a strong ICP and know the buyer persona. But if you don't know each prospect personally, your messages are going to fall flat. Doing research on prospects is so important to the sales development process. Spend some time in your prospect's world and make sure that your every prospect feels like you know them. Prospecting to Purchasing Decision We've talked about first messages, and outreach, but the most important thing is closing a deal. Prospecting is important in getting people to the purchasing decision because it's how you prep prospects for the entire sales cycle. If their prospecting efforts go well, then your leads won't feel like they're being pressured into an uncomfortable buying situation. This means organizations need to take their prospecting strategy seriously. It can be time consuming to get right, but effective prospecting makes the whole sales cycle better.

LinkedIn Automation Warnings - What are they and How to Avoid Them

For many, their LinkedIn profile isn't used for just selling. After all, it is a social platform. It's why a lot of sellers can be hesitant using automation tools. Ironically, LinkedIn fights automation with automated robots, and accounts can be restricted even when a user isn't using LinkedIn automation tools. When considering a 3rd party automation tool it's important to know how the software interacts with LinkedIn. Automation does not have to be your enemy, and with a little diligence, you can be off and running without getting your account temporarily deactivated. LinkedIn Fights against Automation Abuse but they Can Wrongly Hit your LinkedIn Account It's important to know that anyone can be confused for using automation because LinkedIn's bots can are triggered pretty easily. The following are some of the main reasons LinkedIn thinks you're using automation: Too many profile views or fast LinkedIn activities Profile data scraping with no filter for how many profiles are visited in a given period Abusing connection request limits Jumping between multiple LinkedIn accounts Because networking is such a big part of being on LinkedIn, simply viewing too many profiles of people you don't know can lead to a warning from LinkedIn. It makes using LinkedIn tools tricky, but with a little intention, it's definitely manageable. LinkedIn Restricted My Account. What do I do? First, we recommend using Poseidon only if you have a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account. LinkedIn has proven to be less restrictive with users who have invested in their platform. If your account is restricted and you believe it's due to using Poseidon, we recommend changing your settings to ensure the actions taken are more natural. Practically speaking, LinkedIn bans are for set periods of time. There is no getting around waiting for the time to run out before you can access your account again. The first action taken by LinkedIn is not severe, but they do threaten to ban users completely for multiple perceived infractions. We recommend you reach out to our support team to walk you through how to easily set up Poseidon to avoid this happening again in the future. Be Proactive and Avoid LinkedIn Automation Warnings LinkedIn is a great platform for networking and building relationships, but it's important to be aware of the potential risks of automation. The best way to avoid being banned is to be proactive. We have made Poseidon the ultimate companion to LinkedIn and want you to have the best experience with both platforms. We are happy to walk through how to do this with any of our clients.

How Many Sales Touchpoints do You Need During the Customer Journey

According to TrueList, it takes 8 touches from sales reps to close deals. Of course, this will always vary, but it's important to acknowledge that in B2B sales, you need to get as many touchpoints as possible. What's more, those touches should also be personalized. It's a lot to ask but that reality of sales in marketing today. What are Customer Touchpoints and How Do They Impact the Customer Experience? Whether you're selling a product or service, touchpoints are any points of contact with a potential customer. This can include email, social touches, cold calls, texts, and the list goes on. The goal of customer touchpoints is to create a positive experience that will keep customers coming back. However, if a touchpoint is poorly designed or executed, it can create a negative experience that will drive customers away. Companies that focus on creating a lot of touchpoints, generally also improve the customer's experience because multiple touchpoints create a feeling of hands-on customer service. It's important to ensure that your service is friendly and helpful, but doing so creates positive experiences and minimizes pain points along the way. Do the Number of Sales Touchpoints Matter when Engaging a Prospect? By this point, you should know that yes the number of touchpoints matters. That means tracking touchpoints with your CRM is something really important. The TrueList estimate is eight touches but this will change based on what you're selling. Conversion is another thing to think about with your prospects. You must realize that you're taking a cold prospect and trying to turn them into a believer in what you do. Enterprise sales is a nightmare for gauging customer touchpoints because a sales cycle can span the entire year. What does all this mean? Taking an average of eight touches is not extremely helpful. What's better is looking at the sales history of your current customers and figuring out how many touchpoints does it take for our business to close a deal? Understanding the Touchpoint Process A salesperson that doesn't have touchpoint data will always be limited. Getting benchmark data on customer touchpoints from within your organization will improve both sales and marketing processes. We can say this strongly enough: prioritize touchpoint data! Understanding the customer's journey will help you figure out how different touches are distributed. Let's say you do track touches already. Begin to look at the key touchpoints, and what helps make a purchase. This involves looking at those that make contact and those that don't. Evaluate everything, and try to find patterns the customer might be leaving behind. Eventually, you will find the average customer touchpoint across multiple platforms. Tracking touchpoints can help you enhance customer experience and also make things easier for your sales professionals. Negative Engagement doesn't Nurture Leads into Buyers Here's one caveat. Negative engagement doesn't nurture leads into buyers. In fact, it often has the opposite effect, pushing potential customers away. There's no reason to create touchpoints for the sake of having them. Every touchpoint should be intentional and positive for them to make a difference. If you want to turn leads into buyers, you need to focus on positive engagement, providing them with the information and support they need to make a purchase. How to Leverage Customer Touchpoints to Get More Sales? Customers are looking for a great sales process. Customize your outreach across multiple touchpoints and with a focus on your target audience. That is a touchpoint strategy that will drive qualified leads into the pipeline and help you close more deals. Knowing when to give up and when to keep going all get better results, and help you not waste time during the qualification process. You need to know how their potential customers interact with your business. If you think this is important, we're happy to have helped. Poseidon offers the ability to automate a lot of these processes. Reach out and let's take your top performers and help the do better.

SDR as a Service Could be Your Sales Development Solution

Sales Development Reps or SDRs are key to earning qualified leads throughout the sales process. Unfortunately finding qualified salespeople that can deliver results is harder and more costly than we'd like to admit. Let's talk about SDR as a Service is a such solution that can be used to increase business as it provides access to a team of sales professionals who are experts in generating new target leads and developing them into sales-qualified opportunities. Why SDR as a Service to Build Your Next SDR Team? SDR as a Service is reducing costs and effort by outsourcing its sales team's tasks to another company or software provider and their internal SDR team. Some of the tasks include lead generation, lead nurturing, outbound outreach, and reporting. The appeal of SDR as a Service to companies looking to increase revenue lies in dramatically lowering costs by outsourcing SDRs and avoiding the costs of onboarding new employees. This enables sales teams to scale quickly, without the time and expense involved in creating traditional sales teams. Hiring and training can take months and there's no guarantee that the new hire will even get the job done. In-house processes become risky and costly on your bottom line. SDR as a Service companies have the tools and experience to help you generate leads right away, all without having to worry about the time, and financial constraints of onboarding. This means freeing up time to focus on your message, knowing that your outsourced SDR team has the insights and ability to drive the meetings you need. Can Outsourcing your B2B Outbound Drive Better Inbound? If you're like most businesses, outbound is a key part to your B2B lead generation. Are you making the most of your limited resources by outsourcing outbound campaigns? There are a number of advantages to outsourced sales development teams that have a proven record of filling pipelines. First, it frees up your internal staff to focus on other activities. Second, it gives you access to a larger pool of potential customers. And third, it allows you to tap into the expertise of experienced sales professionals. Best Practices for SDR Outsourcing When looking for an SDR as a Service company, it is important to inquire about the quality of the team that will be provided, as well as their qualifications. Consider the industries they've served as you consider your questions as well. Another point to ponder when selecting your SDR as a Service company is the remuneration scheme. Some businesses will give you various grades of service to choose from, while others may only offer one level or none at all. You can also consider working with a software first option like Poseidon that gives you the tools you need to book more meetings with prospects while also giving you access to our sales reps that know how to craft messages and fill your pipeline. Conclusion There are many benefits to outsourcing your lead generation to an SDR company. Whether you're a startup looking to validate your product in the market or an established company looking to increase revenue, SDR as a Service can save you thousands of dollars while helping you achieve your goals.