A Conversation on Sales Engagement [Happy Hour + Recap]
The trends in sales engagement seem to be changing almost as quickly as the sequences we write for it. From subtle movements away from “best practices” to omitting the old day-to-day steps we once called imperative, sales engagement practices are evolving, and the platforms are becoming more intelligent.
To understand the reality those changes are creating, we hosted a happy hour — Observations and Predictions: A Conversation on Sales Engagement — with a few of the trailblazers in sales engagement. Joining Jake Dunlap, CEO of Skaled, were Jordan Greaser, CEO of Greaser Consulting, and Josh O’Brien, Co-Founder of RevShoppe. Here are the top three takeaways from what they had to say about the current state of sales engagement.
Sales Engagement Magnifies Sales Processes. It Doesn’t Create Them for You.
Sales engagement tools aren’t magical solutions: you can’t implement them and expect immediate results. Lacking the content to accompany their sequences is a challenge that continues to manifest itself for teams new to Outreach or SalesLoft. When the content isn’t right, the sequence isn’t right. And although you have a new addition to your stack, your process might still need some tweaking.
“One of the things Sales Engagement platforms do is magnify your sales process. If your process and the way you reach out is garbage, it’s going to help you do a lot more garbage. But if you think smart about what you’re doing, how you’re setting up your processes and sequences or cadences, it can help you do more of the good things.” – Jordan Greaser
When you’re implementing a sales engagement tool, consider what problem you’re solving. If it’s a matter of content creation or process management, an engagement platform won’t fill the pipeline (that might signal a need for consulting or training).
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Sales Engagement Needs More Creativity and Less Automation
While the era of automated sequences and cadences have allowed teams to prospect more with less, they’ve also limited the human aspect of sales. When companies turn to sales engagement platforms to structure their outbound, they set the work in motion and leave the rest to chance. Consequently, creativity is lost in the clutter of call scripts and email templates, inhibiting creative salespeople from building and developing more effective engagement strategies.
“There are super creative people, and they can work outside the norm. As much as I love the sequence, as much as I love the cadence, the big thing I feel like we’ve lost with them is the ability for people to create, think critically, and come up with something unique.” – Jordan Greaser
Think about the way B2B, even B2C, purchases were made in 2006. It almost seems like an archaic way to buy. Even thinking about consumer preferences in 2020 — behavioral changes in buyer mentality and decision-making happen every year. So, having creativity within your overarching sales engagement strategy enables sellers to match that energy. As their customers’ inclinations change, they need the freedom to explore new ways of attracting their interest.
“The speed of consumer behavior change is unprecedented. And we have to have an always optimizing mindset. We have to start thinking about sales as a creative process… The sequences and cadences are never done, and we should always be optimizing.” – Jake Dunlap
Continuous Optimization is the Only Best Practice
A customer’s experience and needs as the spark for optimization can lead sales teams to massive gains. Optimization is about constantly developing and tinkering with the platform to ensure that it’s always doing what it needs to do. As sellers in an increasingly customer-centric world, stagnation isn’t an option for us. Whether you’re selling to IT or manufacturing, the architecture of your sales engagement strategy should revolve around your customers’ needs.
“I get the question all the time, ‘What is the best sequence framework?’ My question is, ‘Who do you sell to?’ Think about the experience you want your buyer to have. … There’s no one-size-fits-all.” – Josh O’Brian
When the team explores their options with the customer in mind, they don’t need best practices. They create them as they go with innovation at their fingertips. Think about the buyer, how to give them value, and how a sales engagement platform will help you do that.
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Increase Opportunities Generated with Sales Engagement
Sales engagement platforms introduce new vitality and efficiency to sales teams. They help generate leads, deliver stronger communication, effective sales cycle management, and an inside view into how your sales team can improve specific sequences and messaging.
The way to capitalize on every one of those is to prioritize strategy, content, creativity, and drive when you’re launching a sales engagement platform.
To explore how these trends magnify the sales process, join Jake, Jordan, and Josh in this on-demand webinar.