The post The Tenbound Top 50 appeared first on Tenbound.

In today’s digital era, cold emails have become a vital tool for businesses and professionals looking to expand their network, generate leads, and drive sales. However, composing an impactful cold email is more of an art than a science. To help you master this art, we’ve compiled a list of powerful insights that can elevate your cold email game to new heights. By applying these insights, you’ll be able to catch your recipients, engage them, and potentially get a reply. So, let’s dive in!

1. The Importance of Conciseness in Cold Emails

The Power of a Short and Punchy Opening

Imagine opening a cold email that’s as long as an academic essay. Chances are you’d lose interest even before reading the second line. To avoid this, keep your cold emails short, succinct, and impactful. Aim for around 80 words or fewer to maintain the reader’s attention. Consider it similar to a good Tinder opener – you want to grab attention with a brief, intriguing message.

2. Evoking Emotion in Cold Emails

Addressing the Pain Points of the Recipients

People are more likely to engage with a cold email if it resonates with their specific pain points. Research your target audience and identify their challenges. Craft your email to address these pain points, showing your understanding and empathy. When recipients feel that you truly comprehend their problems, they are more inclined to pay attention and respond.

3. Providing Value First in Cold Emails

The Significance of Offering Something Valuable

Want your recipients to take action? Provide value upfront. Offer something of worth before asking for a call or meeting. It could be a free audit, an industry report, or even an exclusive tip related to their business. This approach establishes trust, positions you as an expert, and gives them a reason to engage further with you.

4. Promising Specific Outcomes in Cold Emails

Tailoring Messages to Address Individual Needs

Generic promises won’t cut through the noise. Tailor your message to the recipient’s specific needs and show how you can solve their problems. Understand their level of awareness regarding their problem or solution, and craft your promise accordingly. Specific outcomes resonate stronger and increase the likelihood of a positive response.

5. Utilizing Social Proof in Cold Emails

Building Trust with Notable Associations

Building trust is crucial for success in cold email outreach. Leverage social proof by name-dropping well-known companies you’ve worked with, awards you’ve received, or notable individuals you’ve collaborated with. When recipients see these associations, credibility and trust begin to form.

6. Showcasing Results in Cold Emails

The Persuasive Impact of Case Studies

People are more likely to believe the effectiveness of your offerings when backed by evidence. Include brief case studies or share examples of successful outcomes achieved for your clients. Demonstrate the real-world value you provide and showcase your expertise.

7. Personalizing Cold Emails for Better Engagement

Segmentation and the Power of Personalization

Mass emails rarely yield significant results. Segment your prospect list based on specific criteria and tailor your language and content to each segment. Personalization shows that you’ve done your research and increases the likelihood of engagement and response.

8. Cleaning Your Email List for Effective Outreach

Importance of Email Validation

Sending cold emails to invalid addresses wastes your time and effort. Use email validation tools to clean your email list regularly. This ensures you’re only targeting valid addresses, avoiding high bounce rates, and preserving your sender reputation.

9. Rethinking Open Rates in the Current Landscape

Privacy Changes and Their Impact on Open Rates

Privacy changes, such as Apple’s automatic email opening prevention, have made open rates increasingly unreliable as a metric. Adapt to these changes and focus on alternative engagement indicators, such as link clicks or direct responses, to measure the effectiveness of your emails.

10. Adding Value in Follow-up Emails

Continuously Providing Additional Value

Follow-up emails are another opportunity to provide value and nurture your relationship with the recipients. Each follow-up should offer something new, whether it’s additional information, insights, or helpful resources. Keep them engaged and interested throughout the process.

11. Researching Competitors’ Customers for Insights

Leveraging Competitor Analysis

One way to gain valuable insights into your target market is to analyze your competitors’ customers. Study their reviews, testimonials, and case studies to understand what resonates with your potential customers. Use this knowledge to refine your cold emails and improve your conversion rates.

12. Targeting Competitors’ Followers for New Prospects

Identifying Potential Customers Among Competitor Followers

Your competitors’ social media followers can be a goldmine of potential customers. Identify individuals who engage with your competitors and reach out to them directly with personalized cold emails. They are likely to be interested in similar products or services, making them viable leads for your business.

Crafting effective cold emails requires careful consideration of your recipients, their pain points, and their aspirations. By applying the insights shared in this article, you can create compelling and personalized cold emails that resonate with your target audience, leading to enhanced engagement and improved conversions. Remember to continually analyze and refine your cold email strategy based on results and feedback, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of digital communication.

13. Beyond Email: Exploring Multi-Channel Outreach

Expanding Your Reach Across Multiple Channels

While cold emails are a powerful tool, don’t limit yourself to email alone. Explore other channels, such as social media platforms, to expand your outreach efforts. Connect with your prospects on LinkedIn or follow them on Twitter. Engage with their content to build familiarity and trust. Multi-channel outreach increases your chances of getting noticed and fosters deeper connections.

14. Crafting Irresistible Subject Lines

The Art of Subject Line Optimization

Subject lines are the gatekeepers of your cold emails. Craft them thoughtfully to maximize open rates. Keep them concise, clear, and personalized. Inject curiosity, urgency, or a value proposition to entice recipients to open your email. Experiment with different subject lines, A/B test them, and analyze the results to optimize your approach.

15. Timing Matters: Sending Emails Strategically

Understanding the Optimal Timing for Cold Emails

Timing plays a crucial role in the success of your cold emails. Research shows that certain days and times are more conducive to higher open rates and response rates. Experiment with different schedules to identify the optimal timing for your target audience. Consider factors like time zones, industry norms, and the nature of your offering when determining the best time to hit the send button.

16. A/B Testing: Unlocking the Power of Data

Harnessing the Power of A/B Testing

A/B testing is invaluable in optimizing your cold email strategy. Test different elements, such as subject lines, email templates, calls to action, and personalization techniques, to see what resonates best with your recipients. Analyze the results and iterate on your approach to continuously improve your cold email performance.

17. The Follow-up Game: Persistence Pays Off

Nurturing Long-Term Relationships

Follow-ups are an essential component of successful cold email campaigns. Don’t be discouraged by initial non-responses. Send well-crafted follow-up emails that add value and remind recipients of the benefits of your offering. Building trust and rapport takes time, so be persistent but respectful. Remember, the fortune is in the follow-up.

18. The Power of Storytelling in Cold Emails

Engaging and Persuasive Narratives

Humans are wired for stories. Incorporating storytelling elements into your cold emails can make them more engaging and memorable. Share anecdotes or real-life examples that highlight the benefits of your product or service. By connecting with recipients on an emotional level and painting a vivid picture of success, you increase the likelihood of conversions.

19. Testimonials and Social Proof in Action

Harnessing the Influence of Authentic Recommendations

Testimonials and social proof are potent persuasion tools. Include snippets of positive testimonials from satisfied customers in your cold emails. People are more likely to trust the opinions of their peers. Highlighting the successes and experiences of others helps build credibility, trust, and confidence in your offerings.

20. Staying Compliant: GDPR and Privacy

Ensure Compliance and Respect Privacy

In the age of data privacy regulations, such as the GDPR, it’s crucial to respect recipient’s privacy and adhere to legal requirements. Familiarize yourself with the regulations applicable to your target audience and ensure that your cold email practices align with these guidelines. Always provide a clear option for recipients to opt out or unsubscribe from future communications.

Conclusion

Crafting effective cold emails requires a mix of strategy, empathy, and experimentation. By implementing the insights shared in this article, you can create powerful cold emails that resonate with your audience, build trust, and drive desired outcomes. Remember to continually monitor results, adapt your approach, and strive for continuous improvement. Embrace the art of crafting compelling cold emails, and unlock the doors to expanded networks, increased leads, and business success.

FAQs

How long should a cold email typically be?

Cold emails should be kept concise, around 80 words or less, to ensure they capture the reader’s attention and maintain engagement.

What are some examples of offering value in cold emails?

Offering a free audit, sharing an industry report, or providing an exclusive tip related to the recipient’s business are excellent ways to provide value in cold emails.

Should I use open rates as the primary metric for measuring cold email success?

Open rates can be misleading due to privacy changes, so it’s advisable to focus on alternative engagement indicators like link clicks or direct responses.

How can I make my follow-up emails more effective?

Continuously provide additional value in your follow-up emails, whether it’s new information, insights, or helpful resources to keep the recipients engaged and interested.

How can I leverage competitor analysis for cold email improvement?

Analyzing your competitors’ customers through reviews, testimonials, and case studies can provide valuable insights into your target market, helping you refine and optimize your cold emails.

Is it advisable to use multiple channels for cold outreach?

Yes, using multiple channels like social media alongside emails can help you expand your reach and build stronger connections with your prospects.

How important are subject lines in cold emails?

Subject lines are crucial as they determine whether your email gets opened or not. Craft attention-grabbing subject lines that pique the recipients’ curiosity.

When is the best time to send cold emails?

The optimal timing varies based on your target audience and industry. Experiment with different schedules and analyze open rates to determine the best timing for your cold emails.

How can A/B testing improve cold email performance?

A/B testing allows you to experiment with different elements of your cold emails and identify the most effective strategies. This data-driven approach helps you optimize your cold email campaigns.

How can storytelling be incorporated into cold emails?

Incorporate storytelling elements by sharing anecdotes or real-life examples that illustrate the benefits of your product or service. Engage recipients emotionally and help them envision success.

Remember, mastering the art of cold emails takes practice and persistence. By applying these strategies and continuously refining your approach, you can unlock the true potential of cold email outreach and achieve remarkable results. 

What email tools do you use? Leave a review here. 

Article Outline

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of Conciseness in Cold Emails

   The Power of a Short and Punchy Opening

   Drawing Parallels with a Good Tinder Opener

3. Evoking Emotion in Cold Emails

   Addressing the Pain Points of the Recipients

   Connecting Emotionally for Better Engagement

4. Providing Value First in Cold Emails

   The Significance of Offering Something Valuable

   Free Audits and Other Relatable Examples

5. Promising Specific Outcomes in Cold Emails

   Tailoring Messages to Address Individual Needs

   The Power of Result-Oriented Promises

6. Utilizing Social Proof in Cold Emails

   Building Trust with Notable Associations

   Name-Dropping Companies, Awards, and Influencers

7. Showcasing Results in Cold Emails

   The Persuasive Impact of Case Studies

   Brief Examples to Demonstrate Expertise

8. Personalizing Cold Emails for Better Engagement

   Segmentation and the Power of Personalization

   Tailoring Language and Content to Different Segments

9. Cleaning Your Email List for Effective Outreach

   Importance of Email Validation

   Avoiding Bounce Rates and Wasted Efforts

10. Rethinking Open Rates in the Current Landscape

   Privacy Changes and Their Impact on Open Rates

   Adapting to New Metrics and Engagement Indicators

11. Adding Value in Follow-up Emails

   Continuously Providing Additional Value

   Nurturing Relationships and Sustaining Interest

12. Researching Competitors’ Customers for Insights

   Leveraging Competitor Analysis

   Gaining Valuable Insights from Customer Reviews and Case Studies

13. Targeting Competitors’ Followers for New Prospects

   Identifying Potential Customers Among Competitor Followers

   Strategic Outreach to Build Your Customer Base

14. Conclusion
15. FAQs

Citations

Photo Credit

The post Secrets to Crafting Effective Cold Emails – From Analyzing 20,000 Emails appeared first on Tenbound.

Is this the end of the Sales Funnel, and rise of the Customer Journey Circle?

Why do some businesses have consistent success with Go-To-Market (GTM) team alignment when others fail – sometimes having similar products or services?

Most SaaS companies have their Go-To-Market teams set up focused on a model based in siloes. Marketing -> SDR -> Sales -> Customer Success. 

Problem is, customers don’t care about the structure of your company. 

They care about products or services that solve problems, offer value, and make their life better in some way. Not about how you set up your process.

You know the feeling: you start exploring a SaaS solution. You fill in a form or set up a free trial. An SDR calls you, asks a bunch of questions. You feel like you’re being interrogated. Then you have to take another call with an AE, who was late for the call and asks all the same questions. Then you have to take another call with a Solutions person, who actually knows what they’re talking about but ends up asking all the same questions again. 

At this point…. you tuned out. They want to set up more meetings but at this point you’re over it. 

They forgot the main impetus for you reaching out in the first place: to solve a problem. 

When a business looks at a customer through a self-focused lens, the interaction feels more like they’re being forced into your process, versus receiving the value they need from you. 

Without a deep understanding of the customer journey, it’s difficult to align to provide the value customers expect and to provide a seamless experience.

They made the experience all about them and not you and your problem. 

The way you need to structure your GTM team is not about you, it’s about the customer. 

A Customer Journey Map Can Help You See the Bigger Picture

How do you avoid this and get better results. Where do you start in mapping the journey, and aligning your GTM team to support it?

That effort starts by sketching out a timeline or map that shows each stage of the customer’s experience.

Any time a consumer encounters your brand will add a step to the journey. These touchpoints include any interaction with your company, ranging from how they see you on social media to your website.  Additional touch points might include online reviews, peer community interactions, your sales process, and your email marketing messages.

What are they doing at each step – from identifying a problem, to interacting with you, to becoming a customer, to staying a customer and expanding their relationship? What feeling do you want them to have in the journey?

Mapping Your GTM Team to the Customer Journey

After you’ve mapped out the customer journey, build your GTM team around it in a circle, versus a funnel or vertical diagram. Hubspot has a version of this here, they call the The Flywheel Model. 

Your goal now is to expand the size of the circle. The more you sell, the bigger the circle becomes.

Start with your brand promise- how do we want people to feel about their experience working with us? Build your brand marketing programs around that. Measure success based on the seamless experience of brand from discovery,to interaction (SDR) and hand-off to Sales/Success. 

Once customers are raving fans, Success and Marketing then work together to increase that loyalty and create more leads.

Around and around it goes. Ever expanding, always with the customer in the middle. Not your process or your system, the customer. 

The better you are each stage of the circle, the larger it expands.  

The GTM Organization

If your GTM team is still contained in individual units or struggling to communicate with one another to discover the customer journey, Tenbound can help with our Alignment workshop.  

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

The post Building Your Go-To-Market Team Around Your Customer’s Journey appeared first on Tenbound.

5 trends in Sales Development to look out for in 2021

2020 was a difficult year for many businesses, and it is now time for Sales Development professionals to shift their attention from executing basic activities to providing extreme value to prospects, while forging greater alignment with their Go-To-Market allies in Marketing, Sales and Success. 

Sales Development is always difficult, and it is not getting any easier, especially given the unprecedented disruption of the past year. Sales Development Leaders must focus on continuous improvement to develop their teams to better accommodate a rapidly evolving, information-flooded market. 

The buyer landscape is changing in favor of customers, who are better informed than ever before in the age of online reviews, peer communities and social media. Sales Development professionals must adapt to that change to go from interruptions to real value providers, while integrating all the new tools and services being provided to help them succeed and working closely with Marketing, Sales and Success to ensure they stay relevant. 

Top findings:

#1. Alignment will be more important than ever

Sitting between Sales and Marketing, the Sales Development team can be more productive if it has achieved close alignment with both departments. Sales Development needs the  dedicated support of Marketing, and the agreement of Sales to forge alignment and stay competitive. During the past year, due largely to coronavirus-related restrictions on in-person sales, companies relied enormously on SDR and Inside Sales to increase performance, and many were not adequately prepared or supported for such a rapid transition. Although in-person sales will likely start making a comeback in 2021, SDR and Inside Sales will remain critically important. Alignment is critical. 

#2. Sales Development activity remains inconsistent

Our research found that SDR activity levels were highly inconsistent between organizations of different sizes. The lower the revenue, the more activity, the higher the revenue, the more strategic. The highest activity levels were found in companies with an annual revenue in the region of $20 to $50 million, specifically those with ACV products valued at between $100 thousand and $1 million. SDR activity was, unsurprisingly, much lower in enterprise field sales, although this is likely to change in the years ahead as restrictions ease and in-person sales start making a return. However, the changing sales dynamics have also highlighted the long-term potential of account-based marketing (ABM) strategies.

#3. Outcome-based tracking will start to take off

Fewer than half of companies track the pipeline and revenue outcomes of SDR activity. This needs to change, since Sales Development can no longer happen in a bubble where there is a lack of strategic insight available from across the buyer journey. SDRs will face increasing pressure to adopt outcome-based tracking by achieving closer alignment with Marketing and Sales. More than ever, companies need to acquire a big-picture look at the customer journey by tracking key metrics related to appointments set, pipeline generated and sales produced. 

#4. Emerging companies will conduct more outbound activity

We also found that the maturity of the market and the product or service greatly impacted the activity levels and conversion rates of SDRs. Companies entering emerging markets with new products saw about 50% more outbound activity than those in well-established markets. This might come as a surprise at a time when inbound tends to get the lion’s share of attention, but what it does prove is that outbound is still enormously important. Currently, less than half of companies have dedicated outbound and inbound SDRs, while those offering ACV solutions valued at $25 thousand to $100 thousand were 50% more likely to have a dedicated inbound SDR.

#5. SDR ramp up times will need to get shorter

SDR ramp time generally varies between one and six months with larger companies or those with ACV products taking a month longer than the median of three months. Reducing the ramp time for new SDR hires remains a key priority in many companies, especially those in rapidly evolving markets. Proven ways to reduce ramp time include maintaining close alignment with Sales and Marketing, setting clearly defined and measurable goals, and hiring SDRs with the right behavioral characteristics, rather than experience alone, using online assessments. 

Download our new Sales Development Benchmarks 2021 report to find out more about the trends and metrics shaping the future of Sales Development. tenbound.com

The post The Sales Development Benchmark Survey Report 2021 appeared first on Tenbound.

As we collectively bid-ado to the year that was, now is the time to start making serious strategic decisions that will have an out-sized impact on 2021. But even if this year is better than the last (it has to be, right — right?!), there is still some lingering uncertainty for the business community.

One of the largest uncertainties is the possible return of trade shows. An important channel for many businesses, trade shows make up the second largest source of B2B revenue in the US. With that in mind, businesses everywhere are anxiously awaiting the green light to reactivate one of their biggest channels. But how do you plan for an event that may-or-may-not happen? 

We surveyed 103 sales and marketing professionals on how their businesses navigated lead generation in 2020 and how they are thinking about trade shows in 2021. We distilled our findings into a 5-point checklist you can use to frame your strategic planning for the new year. (You can read the full report, The State of Trade Show Lead Generation, on the SalesRoads blog)

• Review Your Pipeline 

Trade shows were essentially non-existent last year. So if you’re still in business, you likely found other ways to generate leads. If you were previously reliant on trade shows for lead gen, maybe you aren’t so reliant anymore. That’s a good thing because our data suggests trade shows will have depressed turnout through 2021, which may predicate unpredictable ROI when they do eventually return.

With this in mind, it makes sense to take stock of what is working before you decide how to approach the riskier investment in trade shows. 

• Establish Internal Parameters

We asked our respondents when they would feel comfortable attending a trade show and 68.9% said sometime by Q3. This tracks closely with a survey conducted during the same time period by MarketingLand which found 6/10 marketers would attend a trade show by Q3. But the same MarketingLand survey found something else — 66% of marketers will not attend a tradeshow without a vaccine, even in Q4.

What about you and your team?

Will you feel comfortable at a busy event later in the year? What if the vaccine rollout lags? What if an employee gets sick at an event and brings it back to the office? These are all deeply personal questions without an obvious answer. Establish parameters with your team for when you will-and- won’t follow through on a trade show. Continue to update those parameters as the year moves on.

• Recalculate What You Need to Generate an ROI

We established 69% of our respondents would attend a trade show by Q3, but that still leaves 31% of respondents who said they won’t feel comfortable at a trade show during that time. Furthermore, 9.7% of respondents told us they won’t feel comfortable at a trade show until 2022. 

Perhaps more importantly — only 41% respondents told us they would restore 100% of their trade show budget, even if completely safe to do so. In other words, businesses are not planning to invest as much in trade shows, period. This almost certainly guarantees you can expect fewer leads from the trade shows you do attend. 

Let’s use our figure and pretend you see 41% fewer leads from a big event — what’s your game plan to generate an ROI from the other 59% you do get? Is your SDR team ready to maximize those leads? Are you finding ways to schedule meetings before the trade show? What about your marketing automation platform? 

These are the questions you need to ask yourself before even considering a trade show.

• Consider All Options

Even if your current lead gen initiates are falling flat, that doesn’t mean trade shows are your only option. In fact, our respondents told us they were finding overwhelming success with their investments. Take SDR-based lead gen initiatives; for every respondent who told us their SDR initiative was not successful at all, roughly eight respondents told us they we’re at least somewhat successful. This was true for both in-house and outsourced options. Virtual events were also successful at a slightly less impressive 5.5:1 rate. 

Another important consideration is your current channel diversification. We found that respondents who activated three or more new channels were 5X as likely to report positive revenue impacts compared with those who only activated one new channel. Consider a new initiative if you haven’t already.

• Set a Budget

By now you should have a sense of what options are available and what the risks of those options are. Now comes the hard part, committing to your plan with a budget. 

Avoid the temptation to underfund your investment — our analysis found companies who reallocated 50% or more of their planned trade show budget to other lead gen activities were 17X as likely to report positive revenue outcomes compared to those who invested 49% or less. 

Put in concert with our previous finding that firms who invested in 3+ channels were 5X more likely to experience positive revenue outcomes compared to those who invested less, there is a compelling argument to consider launching two initiatives and balancing your investment to favor strong performers.  Depending on your current biz dev strategy it may even make sense to remove trade shows from your 2021 planning altogether and focus strictly on maximizing your chances of success by pursuing less-risky alternatives. 

In any event, you’ll need to consider your own business conditions and the risks of any choice you make. Whatever direction you move, don’t wait so long as to let your competitors get a jump on your planning before we even end Q1. 

– – – – – – – – – –

Author Bio: David Kreiger is the president and founder of SalesRoads, a nationally recognized SDR outsourcing and lead generation service provider. 

The post Trade Shows in 2021: Your 5-Point Strategic Checklist appeared first on Tenbound.

We’re spending more time online before making a purchase, with research from Gartner showing that buyers now only spend 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers. 

At the same time, we’re more skeptical than ever of Google results and five-star reviews. Cold calls go straight to voicemail.  

However, one thing remains: people still trust their peers. 

At the same time, there’s been an explosion of online communities over the last five years, a growth that’s been further accelerated by the pandemic, as people look for that sense of trust and connection that they’ve lost. 

As buyers increasingly turn to communities to guide their purchasing decisions, they represent a huge opportunity for Sales Development professionals. 

Finding the Right Communities

As well as joining communities to directly help you reach your goals, you can also join communities aligned with your prospects’ goals. These can be pure gold, giving you a better understanding of the challenges your prospect faces while fostering a think tank 

There are four main categories of community to consider:

1. Branded (Corporate) Communities – These groups spring up around specific products and services, allowing people to learn more about how the solution works and interact with fellow users. For example, the Salesforce Trailblazer community gets users invested in the brand by enabling them to connect, get certified, and find job opportunities.  
2. Free Peer Communities -These are banded together around similar interests and challenges, providing users with advice and support from their peers. Examples include Modern Sales Pros and the Field & Event Marketing FTW Slack group
3. Paid Peer Communities – These communities typically involve an ongoing monthly fee. This adds a certain level of status to the group, as well as encouraging greater engagement. They’re also more likely to have an application process. 
4. Hybrids – Finally, a community can combine elements of all the above elements, for example with a free basic membership with paid tiers that bring additional benefits. 

As powerful as they can be, communities aren’t magic. 

You have to put in some effort and contribute to the community before you’ll see any results. 

Note: No matter how amazing your product or service is, pitching is not contributing. No one joins a community to be sold to. Direct answers to specific questions about tools and services are welcome, but not unsolicited pitches. 

Instead, become a part of the conversation by asking and answering questions. Share your experiences and help others without expecting anything in return. 

Starting Your Own Community

Sometimes, you might struggle to find an ideal community. 

In that case, why not start your own? After all, chances are that others are looking for the same thing, which gives you a great opportunity to lead that conversation. 

For example, we created the Tenbound Community when we saw that there was a lot of confusion around Sales Development. There was conflicting advice, along with a whole ecosystem of tools for people to choose from. Our goal was to be a partner to those in the Sales Development space and provide them with high-quality content and unbiased support. 

However, creating a community involves more than just setting up a Google Group and hoping for the best. What kind of community will it be? How will you grow it? What will be in the community guidelines? How will those guidelines be enforced? Who will be the trusted admins especially when your group scales? The most important thing you can do is make your community valuable. 

For that reason, encouraging high-quality participation (such as with an application process or paid membership) and regular events that promote contribution and collaboration. 

A highly-recommended reading is Mark Birch’s book Community in a Box.

Conclusion

Digital transformation has accelerated the growth of online communities, and they are only going to become more important in the buyers’ journey. Whether you join an existing community or create your own, creating value for others will bring long term benefits to your Sales Development program.

Are you looking for an active Sales Development community? Contact Tenbound today to learn more about how we can help you get more appointments, more pipeline, and more sales. 

The post The Power of Communities in Sales Development appeared first on Tenbound.

The post 5 Ways Rev Ops Can Impact The Customer Journey appeared first on Tenbound.

A great SDR Tech stack is only the beginning!

There’s no question, a sales development team that’s seeking growth needs to have the right tools.

You’ve probably invested in purchasing prospect lists, LinkedIn Sales Navigator and a Sales Engagement platform.

But, even with all the tools at their fingertips, do your SDRs use their time in the most productive way?

Join Jacob Wiggins, Director of Sales at RightBound, and a seasoned SDR leader, and Tenbound CEO David Dulany, to debate the most common ways that your most precious resource, your SDRs, can become more efficient.

Follow Tenbound here!
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/cPHLsb
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4546488/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tenb…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHBs…
https://www.facebook.com/tenboundinc/
https://twitter.com/Tenbound
https://www.instagram.com/tenbound/

David Dulany is Founder & CEO of Tenbound, a research and advisory firm focused and dedicated 100% on Sales Development. Tenbound has become the hub of the Sales Development industry, with a thriving online research center, market map, tool directory, training and consulting programs and The Tenbound Sales Development Conferences held yearly around the world

sales development
sales pipeline
sales pipeline management
sales pipeline stages
sales pipeline template
sales training
sales training online
sales training programs
tenbound
rightbound
prospecting

The post You’ve invested in a Modern SDR Tech Stack: Now What? appeared first on Tenbound.

Sales Development is an integral part of selling and can help companies set more appointments, build more pipeline, and make more sales. 

However, some people still aren’t sure about the Sales Development role. Where does it fit in the sales process? What are the various responsibilities? 

Along with our definitive guide and glossary, we’ve created the Tenbound Way™ Sales Development Process, to help you see at a glance how the Sales Development fits in with your marketing and sales teams. 

The framework is divided into five key components, ranging from the executive with overall responsibility to the customer’s journey. 

Starting Point: The Customer Journey

On the right, we can see the customer’s journey. Although this is outside of your direct control, it’s essential to understand the five-step process your customers go through before making a purchase:

Awareness – The customer becomes aware of your product.

Involvement – They become involved in your product, perhaps reading about it or signing up for a trial. 

Researching – They carry out further research to gain a better understanding of your product and how it can help them.

Winnowing – They compare your product with other vendors’ solutions and narrow down their options.

Deciding – They make a decision; hopefully to purchase your product! 

Database Status

At the same time, your team has to work to attract those customers, at whatever stage they’re at in their journey. 

This process starts with Account Prioritization, identifying which companies are out there and prioritizing them so that you spend your time effectively and don’t waste time with companies that are a poor fit for your product. 

Within each account, there are the actual people who work at the company. Persona Prioritization is where you identify and prioritize these people so that you’re talking to the right people.

Once the right accounts and personas have been established, the rep has to talk with them and introduce the product. Communication of Value means getting over that information in an effective way that encourages them to take the next stage: Meeting Accepted.

Following these stages, you then reach the Pipeline Created stage, which in turn will lead to sales. 

Responsible Department

It’s essential that each team is aware of their responsibilities relating to the database. Without that awareness, certain tasks may be repeated or, even worse, missed out entirely. 

The Marketing team is in charge of adding accounts to the database and prioritizing them, ensuring that there are enough companies in the database. While Sales Development and Sales teams will have input, Marketing is responsible for the actual work of adding and sorting accounts.

Both Marketing and Sales Development are responsible for persona prioritization. Specifically, Marketing will add intent data, enrich existing data, and actually prioritize the personas. Sales Development will customize the messages to those personas. 

Sales Development takes full responsibility for communicating value to the prospect. With everything already prioritized, they can get to work calling, emailing, and reaching out via social media. 

Once they’ve successfully booked the meeting, the Sales team comes in. They’ll run the meeting and give those customers in the winnowing phase all that they need to make the right decision and go with your product.  

Infrastructure

To carry out this process, you need to have the right infrastructure in place. The RevOps (Revenue Operations) team ensures the required tools and services are in place and running properly behind the scenes. With everything properly organized, you can effectively move people down the funnel.  

Responsible Executive 

Finally, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) oversees the entire process. They have overall responsibility for ensuring that you’re building your brand and increasing awareness, knowing what accounts and people to go after, and that everyone is trained and enabled to communicate that value and set those meetings. 

If you’re looking for ways to set up a Sales Development program or improve your existing process, contact us at Tenbound today for a no-obligation exploratory call.

The post The Tenbound Way Sales Development Process appeared first on Tenbound.

It’s always important to evaluate your team’s onboarding and gaining feedback on what went great and what could be improved. As a Sales Development Manager, we have the opportunity to do just that! 

In this blog, you will learn about three major areas I focus on and have incorporated into my team’s first 90 days and beyond, which has been successful. 

Onboarding. 

Planning to onboard new team members can be exciting and overwhelming, especially as companies continue to transition into working remotely. New SDR’s who are green to sales means taking the necessary steps in teaching them the business, industry, and role while learning the sales fundamentals.

The first two weeks should focus on the topics mentioned above, but it isn’t just about teaching but doing. With each lesson given, an exercise should be included to really practice what is being taught. For me, this includes working with our sales enablement team and setting aside time with me, the manager, to go deeper into their role and responsibilities. 

In these 1.5-2 hours sessions during their second week, I review with them a lot of how-tos such as how to create an opportunity, read a lead, write an email, and more. Not only do I show them, but after I ask each person to share their screen with the team individually and repeat what was just taught. Fear not, my friends, they aren’t left to make a fool of themselves. I have created multiple Google Docs that show them step by step how to complete the task they were assigned, which they can use for future reference. Pro tip: Create an SDR FAQ Sheet with all the links. 

Another great way to ensure they process all that is being taught is by assigning them to an SDR buddy. Why make someone go through this alone? Assigning an SDR Buddy is a great way to help your newbie feel a part of the team and has someone who checks-in with them daily even if it is for 15 minutes to see how their day is going. I also like to set aside time by the second week to shadow their SDR buddy to be exposed to their soon to be day-to-day activities. Once they start receiving leads or accounts, I ask that the SDR buddy shadows them as well to help answer any questions. Pro tip: SDR Buddy’s should have a guideline to follow on what they should cover during their sessions. The mentorship itself should only last 8 weeks.

Weekly 1:1’s 

Structure during a 1:1 never hurts. Why? Because it allows you to know what to touch on when you have 45-minutes of uninterrupted time with your team member. During this time, it allows you to review metrics, weekly and monthly goals, roadblocks, development, and feedback.  As a new SDR, you are teaching them the ropes of success. Starting with a structure allows them to understand the expectations. Each category holds accountability, understanding your team member’s gaps, and gives time to reflect on how to proceed moving forward. 

As a manager, it is also important to ask how you have been doing and if there are any suggestions they have. Communication is a two-way street and you can only become better by being aware. Typically, my team members know that this is a question that will be asked weekly. Although it is not expected to have an answer each time, it has allowed me to make changes in our process and know that the team is being heard. 

And last but not least, how to end the meeting. The last 10 minutes place a crucial role because not everything is always obvious. Setting time aside allows you to review what is expected for next week and where they are in their progress, so there are no surprises. Pro tip: Document the developments, wins, and success. This comes in handy for QBR’s and Mid-Year Reviews.

Feedback.

Constructive criticism can sometimes be hard to swallow. As much as we all love growth, we have all been at a point in our lives where it hurts the ego. Being in a professional setting and working with new hires, positivity comes first. 

There are a few ways I love incorporating feedback to help my team members become the potential I see. Below are my top three go-to’s.

1. Feedback Friday’s is an activity I created to dig into my team’s emails, cold calls, and qualification meetings. I typically aim for 2-3 activities that happened within the current week and give feedback on their strengths, what could be improved, and giving an example of what that improvement looks like. I send this in an email and attached the Salesforce or Chorus link so that they can review what I looked into as a reference. Pro tip: Digging for emails can be tedious, ask your team to add 2-3 activities they did each day within an excel spreadsheet. This helps save time. 
2. High Impact Coaching is a training I learned through Winning by Design. Typically, I ask my team members what topics they want to review or common objections they have been dealing with and then place an hour training on that topic. I invite 3-4 team members, ask them to bring their recordings or talk track, and have them present it to the team. From there, each team member goes around giving their teammate individual feedback and go into a mock call afterward using the same scenario and the tidbits they learned from their team. Pro tip: If you have a big hiring class, mix your new team members and veterans every now and then. 
3. Meeting with Team Members is the best way to expose your new hire to different methodologies. Whenever a team member of mine is struggling in an area, I always direct them to a teammate who I know could say that’s their strength. And it honestly isn’t always within my own team. I take this opportunity for them to create a relationship with other members on the sales team that they might not interact with every day. Afterward, I have them report back on what they learned and how they would incorporate the process into their own day-to-day. 

Overall, training and hiring is a never-ending process. You will find one way that works and a few months later you will be re-evaluating your ways. I encourage you to be open to adapting and overcoming these challenges and know that you have a community that you can rely on and share ideas too. We’re in this together!

Danielle Benavides is a Sales Development Manager at Tipalti, an automated global accounts payables company working with high-velocity companies to overcome the back-office challenges of paying vendors, suppliers, partners, and networked service providers. Tipalti is growing 100% every year and has over 1,000 customers including Amazon Twitch, Roblox, GoDaddy, and Headspace. As the inbound manager, she has hired team members who were recent grads or looking for a career change. 

The post Ready, Set, Hire Your Next Sales Development Superstar! appeared first on Tenbound.