This is a guest contribution from Aaron Conroy (Badger Maps).

In today’s world, decision makers are becoming busier and busier. Time is less available than ever before.

Hence, many people direct their calls through gatekeepers such as receptionists. That’s because decision makers don’t want to waste their precious time taking cold calls.

The gatekeeper often has two main priorities: Allowing the right person to speak with their supervisor AND stopping the wrong person from getting in touch.

Therefore, the main aim of the gatekeeper is often to deflect calls and prevent them from going through to the main contact. This creates a challenge for salespeople who need to get in touch with a top executive in order to sell.

That’s why bypassing the gatekeeper is a useful skill for a salesperson to master. Luckily, the toughest gatekeeper is still human. Which means there are a few strategies you could use.

Below are 13 of these strategies that can help you get past the gatekeeper and reach decision-makers.  

1. Be conversational

At the end of the day, the gatekeeper has the power. They determine whether or not you speak to the decision maker. Make friends with them. Be social. Conversation is your key to success. As soon as you find out their name, use it. Building rapport with the gatekeeper is the most important step of this whole process.

(Source: Entrepreneur)

Also keep in mind that emotion influences in a variety of ways. Today’s technology assist you in uncovering new leads and smashing your sales goals. Unfortunately, it costs vast amounts of money to implement. However, the most valuable sales tool remains free – good manners.

2. Be humorous

Humour works in all walks of life. People might not remember what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel. Just beware not to be too controversial with your humor, keep it PG!

Below are four more things to pay attention to during phone conversations. If you follow these, then it becomes easier to convince gatekeepers that you are not just another desperate salesperson.

(Source: Entrepreneur)

Bonus: Former congressman Barney Frank gave some excellent advice on getting what you want and using humor to your advantage.

3. Keep your objective in mind

Your end goal must always be in sight. While it’s important to be polite, build rapport and be charming, your main aim is to get past the gatekeeper and speak to the decision maker. That should not be overlooked. It’s easy to get lost in conversation, but every good salesperson keeps their eyes on the prize.

4. Social Engagement

Gatekeepers generally don’t run their bosses’ social media profiles. Establish which form of social media they use most often and connect with them through this avenue. Practice your introduction message. or get some draft emails from experts in your area to help you get past the gatekeeper.

Usually, LinkedIn is the best route to take in a professional capacity.That’s because most decision-makers are active on this site as illustrated by the statistics below.

(Source: Brandon Gaille )

5. Never take a ‘no’ from someone who doesn’t have authority

The gatekeeper has been trained to redirect calls. Their job is to free the decision makers time for what they think are the ‘more important things’. However, as the name suggests, they don’t have the authority to say ‘no’.

Never end the call on a rejection. If the gatekeeper continues their resistance, send an email and schedule a time to call back. Speaking to the gatekeeper is never the end of the process, just the beginning.

6. Call off hours

Catching a prospect by surprise is a great way to get past the gatekeeper. If you’re an early riser, send an email bright and early in the morning. If you’re playing with your phone in bed, send an email late at night.

If the lead contact thinks that you’re a workaholic, there’s a better chance they will give you the time of day and respond. Think outside the box. When would you be most receptive to an annoying sale email?

Take a look at the results of a poll below. It is evident that decision-makers do respond to cold emails or cold calls. But this is more likely to happen when the gatekeeper isn’t around.

7. Use your network

We often know far more people than we think. Reach out to others in your network. Talk to friends. Check for common connections. A warmer contact will more often than not work much better than a cold call or email.

Use all the tools you have available. A popular quote comes to mind, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.

On LinkedIn for example, you can easily do this. This works for people who are not yet part of your network. Scroll down their profile and you will see if anyone in your network knows them. You can then ask for an introduction.

8. Ask who’s in charge of the budget

Ideally, you will know the first name of exactly who you should be speaking with. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. However, it’s best to make the most out of this situation.

When speaking to the gatekeeper, ask the question, “who’s in charge of the budget?”. It may seem blunt, but once rapport is built with the gatekeeper you should get straight to the bottom line and find out the name of who’s in charge.

This is important for future reference. Also, if the gatekeeper doesn’t let you through at this stage, it will be vital when finding references and other avenues to reach the person in charge. 

9. Use the first name of the decision maker

Asking for someone by their first name is always much more effective. It gives the impression that you know this person and have a right to talk to them. When doing this, be confident and don’t hesitate. 

A good example could be as follows, “Hi, it’s Michael Dunphy, is James in?” (His first name + my full name, but no company name — that makes it obvious that he knows you and you should not be denied.)

This is where LinkedIn can help you. By visiting company pages, you can see all those who work there. For example, below is Badger Maps’s company page on LinkedIn. At the right-hand side, you can see a lineup of employee profiles.

Clicking on “see all” opens up a new window. Here, you can quickly discover who the decision-maker is along with some more information about them that can come in handy later on.

10. If you can’t make the sale, help them make the sale

Put yourself in the gatekeepers shoes. Make sure they see the brilliance of what your product or service has to offer. You want them to enthusiastically pass on the message to their boss. This will increase the chances of getting through to the decision maker. Think of the gatekeeper as the bait and the boss as the great white shark. What’s going to make him/her bite?

11. Ask for help

The gatekeeper is used to taking hundreds of calls on a daily basis. The majority of these are salespeople trying to con and trick them into getting through to a decision maker. Instead, be honest with the gatekeeper. Ask them for help.

If they were in your position, what would they do? When is the best time to get through to the boss? What mode of communication is the best to get them on? Have a list of questions ready. When you treat them like a normal human being, there is a much higher chance that they will be receptive to you. Honesty may well be the best way to get past the gatekeeper.

12. Keep it snappy

You generally have a thirty-second time limit to impress the gatekeeper. You should limit your pitch to these thirty seconds. Write it down and learn it by heart. This is what you will hit the gatekeeper with when they answer the phone. Since attention spans are drastically decreasing over time, it’s best to keep your pitch as short as possible.

(Source: WebPro News)

As mentioned previously, evaluate your pitch from a gatekeeper’s point of view. If recommending your product or service to their boss will get them brownie points, it’s a win-win situation.

13. End on a high note

When coming off yet another unsuccessful call, it can be hard to mask your true feelings. You’ve been rigorously attempting to get through to the right party and you failed again. No matter how upset you are, never show your displeasure over the phone.

The gatekeeper may be a CEO one day, we don’t know what the future holds. Therefore, always end the call on a high note. If it ends badly there will be a sour taste in the gatekeepers mouth when, and if, they bother to pass the message on to their supervisor.

Conclusion

It’s clear that getting past the gatekeeper and reaching your desired contact is not easy. However, by following these 13 steps you’ll have solid strategies up your sleeves that you can implement.

Whichever route you decide to take, keep in mind that respect and manners win out in the end whenever you’re dealing with other people. You can find further help on this matter through world famous sales trainer Grant Cardone, who has devised some extremely helpful videos to help you out. Virtual Sales has also laid out ten tips to get past the gatekeeper here.

I hope you found this information helpful and thanks for reading! If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you. Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

About the Author

Aaron Conroy is a Sales Development Associate and Content Writer at Badger Maps, the #1 Sales App in the Apple App Store which helps field salespeople be more successful. Badger shows salespeople their customers and leads on a map and connects to their calendar to build daily routes.

The post 13 tactics to help you get past the gatekeeper appeared first on LeadGibbon.

Apart from getting rejected, I am sure the other nightmare for salespeople is a dry pipeline. When that happens, panic sets in, red lights go off and it’s time to enter the hall of shame. Just kidding.

But still, when you have a healthy stream of prospects, it easy to relax a bit. And this article is all about making sure that you have a solid email list of prospects at all times.

Did I just write “at all times”? Yep, I did and I will show you how to do that. But first, let me put this out there. Building and updating such an email list is not as hard as it sounds. In fact, with the right tools, you can whip one up pretty fast.

Another thing, you don’t have to settle for only email addresses of your prospects. With newer technology, you can also access other contact details. The more information you have at hand, the easier it is to begin outreach. This is especially useful for cases when you have to cold email prospects.

So if you are sick of taking the long route, hunting down one prospect after another, then keep on reading. Below I share some top-notch applications that will 100x your efforts. With these, you can gather prospecting data in a snap.

1. Lead411

Lead411 provides a lot of useful features for building an email list. This is especially true if you are looking for profiles of companies and executives.

Apart from the web version, you can also their chrome plugin. This handy tool helps you gather data on your prospects as you browse the internet. Contact information includes their email addresses, social profiles, phone numbers, locations etc.

Once you find the information you need, you can go ahead and export it. Since Lead411 integrates with the majority of popular CRMs, it’s easy to plug in this data and get to work.

Apart from this lead411 also emails users a daily digest containing important alerts according to their preferred sales triggers. This means you have access to fresh data every day.

2. Datanyze Insider

Designed for technology companies, Datanyze Insider makes prospecting easy and hassle-free.

Available as a chrome plugin, you can use this to research prospects online. Whenever you visit the website of a potential prospect, Datanyze Insider generates useful details.

This includes the Alexa rank, number of employees and revenue of the company in question. Apart from this, you can also access the social profiles of that company all in one place.

You can then go ahead and add these prospects to Salesforce.

Or you can add them to a Datanyze list and export that to any other CRM. Anytime you add a prospect, Datanyze begins to search for their email address. This way, you don’t have to run a separate program just for that purpose.

3. LeadGibbon

If you are a heavy user of LinkedIn when it comes to prospecting, then LeadGibbon is for you. It works as a chrome plugin that integrates with LinkedIn to pull out contact data such as email addresses and postal/zip codes of LinkedIn users. You can also find their job title, company name, and company size.

Since LinkedIn is home to over 400 million users, there is no shortage of prospects here no matter your industry. Plus, the LinkedIn’s search feature helps you narrow down as much as you want. This means you can search based on location, job title, industry etc.

After you have found you targets, you can go ahead and find their details with LeadGibbon by clicking on the email button next to their names. A sidebar pops up and here, you can go ahead and click on the Gibbon icon to generate their email address.

One more click and LeadGibbon saves your prospect’s contact info into Google Sheets. You can then access these details whenever you want.

4. Outro

A powerful way to build an email list of prospects is to ask for referrals. Leveraging your existing network is a great way to tap into their connections. Since referred customers have a much higher lifetime value, it makes sense to go after them.

But hang on, don’t run off to email/call everyone you know with a request for referrals just yet. That’s too much work and a waste of time. Instead try Outro, a referral automation platform that does all the heavy lifting for you. This tool makes the referral process so much easier and faster.

With this, you will still tap into your existing network and ask for referrals. But in a more streamlined and efficient way. How? Well, the Outro algorithm analyzes people in your network. So, it searches through the people they know and picks out the ones that are the best fit for you.

After that, you can approve the ones you like and your connector can go ahead and make the intros. This can all take place in just minutes, that’s how quick the process is.

With a built-in reward system, you can also thank your connectors for their help. Or you can return the favor by doing introductions for them as well.

Apart from this, Outro integrates with all the top CRM solutions so you can easily export all referrals and build a relationship with them.

5. DiscoverOrg

Next, we have DiscoverOrg. This sales intelligence platform can help you build a targeted email list in no time. By using their chrome extension, you can search for contact details of companies. This includes verified email addresses and phone numbers.

Apart from the above, DiscoverOrg also provides you with organization charts. With these, you can find out who’s in charge of what. This way, you don’t end up contacting people who are not decision-makers.

DiscoverOrg’s predictive tools platform help you narrow down the best prospects. Also, the multi-criteria search feature helps to find and sort accounts into groups. This way, you can personalize your interactions accordingly.

6. Socedo

If you use Twitter for prospecting, then Socedo is for you. This automated platform helps you discover and engage with social media leads.

When you put in industry keywords and Twitter hashtags, Socedo gets to work. It unearths qualified prospects and allows you to send automated direct messages to them. 

Once you have engaged your leads, Socedo provides social data for each. This social data syncs with Salesforce, Hubspot or Marketo. You can then use these insights to build your email list.  Because you have already engaged with leads on social media, emails you send to them have a better open rate.

7. KickFire Prospector

KickFire Prospector is a Chrome extension that makes it easy to find details of prospects. Whilst browsing a site, you can click on the KickFire icon to learn more. The extension then displays all the relevant details about that website.

The first tab contains the company information. This includes the location, phone number, and industry. You can also see the number of employees this company has as well as its revenue. Also, there is a lineup of all the social media profiles so you don’t have to hunt for those.

The second tab contains company contacts along with their title and email address.

Another interesting feature of KickFire Prospector is the services tab. Here you can find all the services that this website currently uses.

One more thing, KickFire easily integrates with popular CRM solutions such as Salesforce, Hubspot etc. This means that exporting data to create an email list is hassle-free.

8. InsideView Sales

InsideView Sales is a platform that provides marketing intelligence to salespeople. This database contains information about millions of companies and decision-makers. By plugging into this data, salespeople can build a prospecting email list in no time.

Apart from the usual company details, you can also discover more about your prospects. This includes their competitors, family tree as well as their connections. With real-time tracking, you can stay on top of news and social activities of these prospects.

InsideView Sales is also available as an app for iPhone users. This means you can tap into this database even on the go. The flexible delivery options allow you to use this as a standalone platform. Or you can embed it in your existing CRM system so you can your optimize sales process at the same time.

9. LeadFuze

LeadFuze is a sales enablement platform that allows you to gather contact information for your ideal prospective customers. To begin using LeadFuze, you have to install the Chrome Plugin. You can then begin searching for leads by using either job titles, locations or keywords.

Once you add a lead to your list, you can see their social profiles. An interesting feature of LeadFuze is the personalized emails and follow-ups that it sends out on autopilot.

Apart from the above, you track how many leads you saved as well as how many emails went out. This way, you can easily see results and measure progress.

Thanks for getting this far. Hope you enjoyed discovering all the apps that can help you build a prospect email list quickly.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 9 excellent apps for building a prospect email list appeared first on LeadGibbon.

These tools make it easy for salespeople to go through each stage of the sales cycle much faster. Without them, salespeople would still be stuck doing manual, repetitive tasks. Such as dialing each prospects number one by one. Would you believe that was how they made calls back in the day?

Now, with sales enablement tools, you can do the same tasks in a fraction of the time. Plus, you can do so much more than was possible before these came into existence.

In this article, I am sharing some of the best sales enablement tools. These help salespeople to get things done in an organized and efficient manner.

So without any more delay, let’s begin.

1. Membrain

Membrain has been designed to help sales teams involved in a complex b2b sales environment. Compared to other settings, b2b sales mean longer sales cycles and many stakeholders. For this reason, there is a need for a dedicated platform that can meet the demands of such sales teams. 

That’s why Membrain is one of the best b2b sales enablement tools out there. This platform makes it easy for sales teams to execute their sales strategy for a consistent sales performance. It does this by providing them with continuous guidance through the entire sales process. It also enables sales leaders to coach their team to a higher level of performance. You can use it inside of Salesforce or as a standalone to replace a traditional CRM. 

Apart from the above, salespeople also have access to visual tools that make selling a much better experience. Also, the powerful analytics help to track performance and key metrics. This allows companies to optimize sales execution and to turn salespeople into their competitive advantage.

2. Showpad

It’s no secret that content is important for the growth of any business. But putting the right content in the hand of salespeople at the right time is tricky. With Showpad, it’s easy to get started with organizing your company’s content assets. It’s intuitive and robust features make it easy to scale your content strategy as well.

Founded in 2011, it powers content for over 850 companies globally. This includes Johnson & Johnson, Fujifilm, Audi, Intel, and Kimberly-Clark. So at its core, Showpad helps salespeople to find and present relevant content to prospects.

Through a centralized content hub, salespeople can deliver relevant content to targeted audiences. No matter the format of your content (PDF, HTML5, video etc.) your sales team can share it with your prospects on any device.

With built-in analytics and reports, you can track and measure content performance in a snap. This way it’s easy to determine ROI as well as engagement metrics for each piece of content.

3. ClearSlide

Apart from providing a plethora of  business solutions, ClearSlide also offers sales enablement tools. These tools help improve sales operations and make it easier to onboard reps in much less time.

No doubt activity data and sales metrics are key to the success of any sales strategy. With ClearSlide, you get access to better data and accurate metrics. The result is that forecasting moves away from half-baked guesses and instead has real-world, accurate data to back it up.

Another important feature of ClearSlide is the Sales Engagement platform. This makes content, integrated communication and analytics available to sales teams. In short, interaction with customers and prospects is more streamlined and organized.

One more thing, ClearSlide also captures and logs activity from customer interactions. It makes this available in either Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics. Also, the ClearSlide APIs can integrate with any custom CRM or CSM system.

4. Unboxed Advisor

Unboxed Advisor is another sales enablement tool worth checking out. At its core, it is a platform built for enterprise sales teams. The other thing worth mentioning is that it helps reps connect face to face with customers.

Some features of Advisor include:

• Interactive demos that help to showcase a product or service.
• A guided selling engine that uses customer inputs to create a best-fit recommendation
• A content library to organize and share up-to-date marketing and sales collateral
• A lightweight CRM that manages accounts and recommendations. (Note: This is not a replacement for a full CRM but it does integrate with Salesforce).
• Powerful reporting capabilities that capture data about what happened during the sales conversation.

Advisor also helps to cut down the training time for reps. This tool serves as a guide for them as well as customers. Plus, it also recommends add-ons and other complementary products/services. With this, it becomes easy to increase the average deal size. 

For each client, Advisor customizes and configures their material which is either delivered as an iPad or a web-based app. Below is an example of an interactive app that Advisor created for Samsung. With this app, Samsung’s salespeople can guide buyers on the right TV to suit their lifestyle.

Other companies that use Advisor include Anthem, Comcast, Charter Communications, HP etc. These companies have seen up to a 60% increase in YOY sales and a 40% increase in rep productivity after taking advantage of this platform.

5. Refract

Refract makes coaching for managers and peer collaboration simple, measurable and effective. That’s why it made it to our list of sales enablement tools.

Did you know that sales coaching ranks as the most important role for managers? Yet most spend less than 5% of their time coaching and developing their sales reps? Why is that?

For many, failure to coach sales reps boils down to time constraints. Also, geographical challenges and lack of tools add to the difficulties. The result is that sales coaching often falls by the wayside. And that is unfortunate considering the fact that proper sales coaching helps to improve performance.

If you want effective sales coaching in your company, then Refract provides the perfect solution. This platform can help you observe and coach calls, demos, role-plays and presentations. Plus, it gets rid of the necessity to conduct ‘ride alongs’ in person. It also helps to cut back on the time and expense to coach reps one-to-one.

With Refract, you can tag key moments of all sales interactions for focused feedback opportunities. You can then go ahead and share this with reps. This makes for an interactive and measurable coaching experiences.

Apart from the above, you can also add best examples to a shared library. This way, successful sales performance is not forgotten about. The shared library can also help onboard new reps faster or to level up other members of the team.

Managers can track coaching consistency and quality from within the Refract dashboard. Apart from this, they can also measure individual improvements and team trends.

6. CrazyCall

CrazyCall is a cloud-based platform designed for sales teams who sell over the phone. With this, they can make local/international sales calls and run calling campaigns with ease.

One of the most difficult tasks that sales teams are handling daily is making hundreds of calls. Contacting your potential customers and convincing them that you’re the right fit is tough.

This is especially true during the Christmas season. That’s because most of the people you’d like to call are already stressed out. With personal commitments eating up their time, it’s harder to get them to listen to you.

It’s not possible to get rid of the stress sales teams deal with. But making calling a more pleasant and effective experience helps to reduce the stress. And that’s what CrazyCall hopes to achieve.

Here are some features of CrazyCall:

• Availability of local phone numbers that will help increase your contact rate.
• Set up whole calling campaigns in just a few minutes.
• Watch your agent’s live and past conversations whenever you want.
• Personalize calling panels and scripts so you are able to communicate better.
• Use tags, automatic emails, and intelligent power dialers to save time.

Apart from the above, you can also access important analytics in the dashboard. This way, you will be able to track progress and gain insights to your calling campaigns.

Also, CrazyCall offers a 14 days trial so you can test out the platform.

7. GetAccept

Next on the list of sales enablement tools is GetAccept. This platform has a specific aim: to help salespeople close more deals. And how does it do that? Let’s find out.

When it comes to sales, closing deals is another process altogether. Without an organized setup, it’s easy to lose even the most interested of prospects. That’s why it’s important to offer salespeople a complete toolkit so potential buyers do not slip through their fingers at the final moment.

With GetAccept, it becomes easier to close deals since it provides salespeople with just the tools they need to finalize more deals.

Below are some features of GetAccept:

• With e-signatures, it becomes easier to sign sales documents quickly and securely.
• Video introduction and presentation helps sales reps to build relationship and trust. By sending a personal video with each sales proposal, it becomes easy to stand out.
• Real-time messaging and discussions help drive deals forward. This is because sales reps can communicate with prospects via messages from within documents.
• Smart reminders send notifications based on document behavior and pattern recognition.
• Mobile apps for both iOS and Android ensure that you stay updated on the go.
• Integration with SalesForce, HubSpot, AdWords, Gmail and many other sales platforms.

Apart from the above, the simple workflow, advanced insights and strong focus on sales in reporting are worth a mention.

8. SalesHandy

In my older article about email tracking, I mentioned SalesHandy as a good option. But apart from email tracking, this platform has a lot more to offer. In fact, it also falls under sales enablement tools and that’s why I decided to include it to this post.

What’s SalesHandy about? Well, the basic definition will be that it is a cloud-based sales engagement platform. You can use it to share files, track emails and launch personalized email campaigns. This is just an overview of its main features.

SalesHandy also helps sales teams to create and execute viable sales & marketing strategies. It does this by tracking sales resources and user insights. With this tool, sales managers can track/measure their team’s email performance and workflow.

Other notable features in SalesHandy include centralized email templates, screen sharing and synced document management. Not to forget, it integrates well with Gmail/Outlook so you can do so much more right in your inbox.

9. Bambu

Thanks to the explosion of social media, we can now share content like never before. And we can also reach qualified leads in the process. Because of this, many companies are eager to jump onto the social selling bandwagon. But if your salespeople are sharing content just for the sake of it, then it’s a waste of time. The key to social selling is to share the best content with the right audience.

And here is where Bambu comes in. A product of Sprout Social, this tool makes it easy to implement social selling. With this, you take the guesswork out of what salespeople should share on social media.

Not only is it easier to distribute curated content with your sales team but also faster. Whether it’s Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook, Bambu helps streamline social selling activities on any of these networks.

With built-in reporting features, you can view content shares and other important metrics. This will help you understand what type of content is doing well. It also makes it easy to track who on your sales team is connecting with potential buyers the most.

If you made it this far, two thumbs up! Hopefully, you found this list of sales enablement tools useful.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 9 sales enablement tools to skyrocket your sales appeared first on LeadGibbon.

Looking for Rapportive alternatives? You are not the only one.

Once upon a time, Rapportive was the hottest Gmail plugin. With this tool, the email world changed for the better.

Instead of running around trying to find out the person behind an email, Rapportive did that for you.

Right inside your inbox, you could see the sender’s social profiles. And their contact details as well. 

Because of its usefulness, this nifty tool created waves in the online world. Then LinkedIn decided to buy Rapportive.

But after revamping the plugin, Rapportive was not the same. With some of its core features stripped away, it failed to live up to the glory of its early days. Hence the need for other tools to take its place.

In this article, I am on a mission to share Rapportive alternatives that you can start using right away. Over the course of time, I have tried out these tools and now I am all set to talk about their features.

If you miss the good old Rapportive, then this article is for you. So, without any further delay, let’s get started.

1. Clearbit Connect

Clearbit Connect is a powerful Rapportive alternative. Not only does it work well with Gmail but it also pulls up results of your email contacts in a snap.

After installing the plugin hit refresh in Gmail. Then click on the email of the person whose details you want. After that, hover your mouse pointer over their name and Clearbit will display their details in the sidebar.

Now, the results this tool displays is quite useful. You can see their photo, read their bio and discover links to their social media accounts. Apart from that, Clearbit allows displays their website address plus physical address.

Then comes their business details. This includes the company they work for, what that company is about and the address.

But that’s not all. Clearbit goes a step further and shows you the number of employees in that company. It also reveals the amount of funding that particular company received. At the bottom, you can find all the links to the company’s social media profile.

2. FullContact

FullContact is a neat little plugin that integrates with Gmail. Just like Rapportive, this tool pulls online profiles of email contacts and displays them in a sidebar. You can see the contact information and addresses of your contacts there as well. Plus, you can access not only their personal accounts but also company accounts.

Since all of this is housed in one place right inside your inbox, this saves a lot of time. I remember how long it used to take when searching for social profiles of people and then going on a hunt for their company profiles as well.

Plus, you can access not only their personal accounts but also company accounts. Since all of this is housed in one place right inside your inbox, this saves a lot of time. I remember how long it used to take when searching for social profiles of people and then hunting down their company’s profiles as well.

Apart from the usual Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, FullContact goes many steps further. If available, it also pulls the profile from lesser known channels such as Angel List, Klout etc. This means you can follow your prospects at so many different places in a snap.

There is a tab for Twitter updates as well which is quite handy. You don’t have to guess what your prospects or contacts are up to. By going through this feed, you have conversation starters right at your fingertips.

3. 360 Social

360 Social is the next Rapportive alternative on this list. Though it doesn’t integrate with Gmail like Rapportive does, the end results are the same.

So, how exactly does 360 Social work? Well, first of all, it’s a chrome extension. Once you install it, you can sign into either Twitter or LinkedIn. From there, whenever you visit the profile of others on any of these networks, 360 Social gets to work.

A sidebar pops up with the contact information of the person whose profile you are checking out. This includes their email address, phone number etc. Further down the sidebar, it displays links to other social media channels. You can also see the links to their websites (if any).

So, even though 360 Social doesn’t work from inside your inbox, it’s still a great tool. You can use it to unearth a lot of information about people in just seconds. Plus, not every person makes it to your contact list but you may still need to find out more about them. That’s where 360 Social comes to the rescue. It’s good for finding out more about people before you decide to reach out to them.

4. Discoverly

Discoverly is another Rapportive alternative worth mentioning. Just like the latter, it pairs up nicely with your Gmail to generate details of your email contacts.

So, once you install the chrome plugin, you can sign in with your Gmail account to begin using it. Whenever you click on a Gmail contact, Discoverly displays their contact information plus their social media profiles.

Apart from Gmail, Discoverly also works with Twitter and Facebook. This means you are not restricted to email contacts only. You can find the contact details of people on these social networks as well.

The Discoverly icon on your browser’s bar notifies you if it has data on the person whose profile you are on. On Twitter, for example, you will notice a  Discoverly button right near the username. Clicking on this opens up a box with all the available information about that person.  Pretty cool, right?

5. Senders

Senders is another Rapportive alternative worth checking out. For now, it only supports Gmail. But it’s not long before this tool becomes available on other email services as well.

Before I jump into the details, I would like to point out one thing in advance. Senders only works for emails you receive after you sign up. That’s because this tool inserts a card right into the email before you receive it. This card shows the contact details plus social media links of the email sender.

Let’s take a closer look at one such card. We will go for mine as an example. Senders created this card when I signed up. If another user receives an email from me, this is what they will see at the bottom.

Apart from my name and job title, there is a lot more. You can see my Twitter handle with my recent tweet plus my latest blog post. My LinkedIn profile link is also right in there.

One more thing I would like to mention is that you can edit your Sender’s card. This means I can include a short bio, add my Twitter handle and Facebook username etc.

Even though Senders works in a slightly different way, it is still a good alternative to Rapportive.

6. RocketBolt

In my previous article about email trackers, I mentioned RocketBolt as a good option. But at that time, I didn’t know this tool was a Rapportive alternative as well.

So after discovering this, I went ahead and got in touch with RocketBolt’s co-founder, Aaron Dinin. He was kind enough to confirm that his tool did have Rapportive-like features. And that is how RocketBolt made it’s way to this list as well.

You might have noticed that most of the tools on this list work with Gmail only. What about the Outlook users? Well, here’s some good news- RocketBolt has an Outlook version in the pipeline. This means Outlook users will also be able to gain access to this tool soon.

Coming back to the Gmail version, you have to first install the plugin in either Chrome or Safari. After that head to your inbox and click on compose. When you enter an email address, you will see the contact information of that person in the footer.

Unlike the other tools in this list, RocketBolt works in a slightly different way. That’s because it displays results in the footer instead of the sidebar. But the end results similar to what you would get with Rapportive.

7. Strike

Previously known as AboutNumber, Strike is another Rapportive alternative that works with Gmail. When it comes to the way it works and the information it displays, it is identical to Clearbit Connect.

Just like the latter, you head over to the email of the person whose contact details you need. Then, hover over their name. This will trigger Strike to begin work.

In the sidebar, the results will appear. Again, like Clearbit, you get to see the face behind the name, their bio, and location. Right after that, there is a lineup of their social media accounts.

Here is where Strike’s similarity to Clearbit becomes pretty obvious. If the person works at any company, the details of that will also be present. This includes what the company is about plus links to social profiles.

You will also be able to see the amount raised by that company when it comes to funding. Also, Strike displays the number of employees working at that company.

Apart from the Alexa ranking in Strike and the tags in Clearbit, there is a lot of similarity between these two tools. They are both fast and do a great job at providing useful information in seconds.

And now we have reached the end of this article. I hope you were able to discover the perfect Rapportive alternative.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 7 great Rapportive alternatives appeared first on LeadGibbon.

With email tracking, you don’t have to guess whether your recipient has read your email or not. You also don’t have to figure out whether they clicked on a link or opened an attachment.

This is because email trackers can alert you whenever someone does any of the above actions. For salespeople, email tracking is important in a lot of ways. By using email trackers, they can decide whether to follow up or not. 

Over the years, I have used many different email trackers. Now, I want to share some of the best ones that I have discovered.

Many of these email trackers come with additional features such as CRM integration, email templates, scheduling etc.

Keep reading to find out which email trackers are right for you or your company.

1. Hubspot Sales

Hubspot Sales is not only a great sales platform with awesome features but it includes email tracking as well.  Hubspot’s email tracking is a neat little addition that makes a world of difference especially when you send out cold emails.

When you enable the email tracker, you receive alerts based on actions. For example, whenever your recipient opens your email, you receive an instant browser alert. 

If you added a link to the email, you will also be able to know when they click on that link. Armed with this information, you can then go ahead and proceed with your next plan of action. As you can tell, without email tracking, you will never know what to do next.

Another thing, you can access all your previous email history with someone by logging in to your Hubspot Sales dashboard. Right away, you will have all your email communication stats in front of you.

2. Yesware

Yesware has lots of amazing email tools. Their email tracker is one of the most popular ones available. Not only is it easy to set up but also works well with Gmail, Outlook, Gsuite and Office 365. 

With Yesware, you not only receive insights into who opened your email but much more. Added an attachment? You will be able to see when someone opens it. Linked to a presentation? You will be notified whenever someone clicks through to view it.

That’s not all. Also find out which pages they viewed and which ones they skipped. Yesware also helps you find out how much time someone spends on each page. This way, you will know what they are really interested in learning more about.

Also, with mail merging  and touch point features, email outreach becomes so much easier with Yesware.

With Yesware’s smart insights, it becomes easy to send better, targeted emails. You no longer have to take a shot in the dark since you are aware of what they enjoy reading and learning about. So you will only send them relevant material that meets their requirements.

3. Toutapp

Another sales platform that provides email tracking is Toutapp. Like other email trackers, this one also helps you find out what happens to your emails after you send them out. So instead of relying on your gut instincts, Toutapp provides you with the answers you need. You will be able to find out who opened your email or when they opened it etc.

(Source: Technology advice)

Insights into your recipient’s email behavior make it easy to put a plan of action in place. This way, you are able to send out better emails in line with the habits of your prospects. Also, Toutapp integrates with SalesForce, so if you already use this CRM, then you can take advantage of Toutapp’s email tracking right inside it.

Plus, Toutapp’s yearly email reports are also handy. You can see how well your emails are doing and which areas need improvement.

4. Cirrus Insight

Cirrus Insight is a powerful app for integrating Salesforce with your inbox. With its email tracking feature, you not only see who opened your email or clicked on a link but much more.

For example, Cirrus Insight also provides the exact time the recipient opened your email. It also provides the insights into where the recipient was and on which device.

The extra information serves as a useful way to keep track of your prospect’s inbox behavior. This allows you to create more customized emails. For example, your prospects may open emails on their mobiles more often. This means that you will need to optimize your emails to make them more mobile-friendly.

Without email tracking, having access to this kind of information is not possible. And that’s where email trackers like Cirrus Insight come in. They help you unearth valuable information so you can send out better emails.

5. RocketBolt

RocketBolt is a new email tracker that landed on my radar some weeks ago. I discovered RocketBolt in a Quora thread and ended up at their website.

When it comes to email tracking, the free monthly plan allows you to track 100 emails. This plan works with only Gmail. For Outlook users, you will need to upgrade to the paid plan that also comes with website tracking.

Apart from tracking email opens, RocketBolt also tracks links in the email plus re-opens. If you use Gmail and need an email tracker sometimes, then RocketBolt is a good free option.

6. SalesHandy

SalesHandy provides a set of sales enablement tools that also come with email tracking features.

The email tracker works just like other email trackers on this list. Browser notifications will alert you every time someone opens a tracked email. This way, you will know exactly when someone is going through their inbox.

The free plan comes with unlimited email tracking. If you want document tracking features as well, then you will need to upgrade to one of the paid plans. 

7. Streak

Dubbed as “CRM in your inbox”, Streak is a feature-rich yet light set of email tools that work with Gmail.

You can use Streak to track emails in a hassle-free way. Also, you can send out mass emails plus schedule emails for later. The more you go up the pricing ladder, the more features you unlock with Streak.

But even the free package contains lots of cool options plus you are able to track 200 emails per month. That too without paying a dime. Streak is a good option for those who want some nice extra features. It’s powerful than just plain old email trackers but simple enough to use.

8. Mixmax

Mixmax is another email tracker worth checking out. It works as a chrome plugin that integrates with Gmail. This means you can begin tracking right from your inbox.

Not only does Mixmax help you track email opens but also clicks and downloads. What if you send the same email to a group of people? Mixmax helps to track each person so you know the ones who opened and the ones who didn’t.

Another cool feature I discovered in Mixmax was the “undo send”. Ever sent out an email you wish you could recall? The “undo send” makes this possible. Even though this is not related to email tracking but it’s still a useful thing to keep in mind.

9. Mailtrack

If you are looking for a simple email tracker, then Mailtrack is the way to go. This program works with Gmail.

Whenever you track an email with Mailtrack, you will be able to see who has opened or read your email with the help of tick marks. This lightweight email tracker does not come with too many bells and whistles. But rather, Mailtrack comes with core tracking features that are easy to use.

The free package allows for unlimited tracking and up to five users. With the paid package, you get an additional set of features. This includes real-time notifications, link tracking, and ad-free signatures.

10. Bananatag

For both Gmail and Outlook users, Bananatag is one of the best email trackers to use. It helps you to track emails right from your inbox. The free version allows email tracking for up to five emails per day. You also get basic notifications and email scheduling.

But if you want detailed notifications plus reports, then you will need to upgrade to any of the paid plans. There are plans for both individuals and teams, so you can choose based on your requirements. Also, the Bananatag dashboard displays all reports and you can see important metrics right from there.

11. ContactMonkey

ContactMonkey is another email tracker that comes with robust features. Even though there are no free plans with this program, you do have the option of a 14-day trial.

The paid plans include unlimited email and link tracking. Apart from this, you get real-time notifications. This means you get instant alerts whenever someone opens an email or clicks on a link. Internal email tracking and SalesForce integrated sidebar are other useful features that may come in handy.

(Source: Technology advice)

Apart from the above, ContactMonkey also helps you analyze the best-performing subject lines. This way, you will know what works better so you can stick to that instead.

12. Vision

Vision is an email tracking software from InsideSales. With Vision, you can track which prospects opened your email and at what time. You can also track links and attachments.

Also, if anyone forwards your email, you will receive notifications for this well. Because Vision provides real-time results, you will know when to reach out to prospects. Following up also becomes much easier once you are aware of the best times to get in touch with prospects.

You can begin with a free trial of Vision before requesting for pricing information. This way, you will have the chance to try out this email tracker before committing to paid plans.

13. SalesLoft

Apart from creating Sales emails, you can also use SalesLoft to track them. The intelligent email tracking of this software helps you to tailor your emails. This means you will be sending timely, relevant and valuable emails to each prospect.

Even though there are many email trackers available, the plus point of SalesLoft is that it integrates with SalesForce. This means that you can perform all your email-related activities right inside SalesForce. In here, you will be able to see all the tracked emails. This makes it easy to create automated, personalized sequences based on each trigger.

And that’s it for this article. Hopefully, you are now aware of all the various email trackers available and are able to choose the right one.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 13 smart email trackers to help with email tracking appeared first on LeadGibbon.

You might be thinking, “out of all the sales topics, why talk about apps”?

Well, sales is a tough field, and with mountain-high quotas and deadlines to meet, salespeople need all the extra help.

So, in this article, I want to talk about some cool sales apps that can make your life easier. Ever since I started relying on apps instead of my own memory, my productivity has soared.

It’s no secret that even the best brains tend to forget stuff. That’s why I am excited to share the top apps that I think should be a staple in every salesperson’s mobile.

Think of these apps as little helpers that live in your phone all day long. They can help you organize, plan and save time. And with more time on your hands, you will be able to sell better and sell more.

You might be familiar with most of the names on this list. But I am pretty sure there is at least one new app that you are yet to try in here.

So, do read till the end. Who knows, you might find your little helper in this post.

1. Evernote

Staying organized is hard work. When you have so many documents, files, and reports to store, a huge mess is inevitable. Unless you use Evernote, then it’s not such a big headache. In fact, it becomes more of a seamless process since you know exactly where to put what.

I remember the first desktop app I ever downloaded for organizing my stuff was Evernote. Back in the day, digital notebooks were a new concept but I was an early adopter.

Fast forward to today and now many people can’t live without Evernote. The millions of  users worldwide is proof of the immense popularity of this app.

Since everything syncs well between all devices, you can log in anywhere and access your stuff. So, whether it’s a text, audio, or any other file, you can store them away in Evernote and access them later from any device.

If you don’t have the Evernote mobile app, here’s what you are missing out on:

• An all-in-one note-taking app. From text, video and audio to sketches, photos and PDFs, Evernote does/save it all. This means you won’t have to worry about losing your notes or files ever again.
• You can also create checklists to stay organized and productive.
• The sharing and collaboration features are great. You can share your stuff with others as well as collaborate together, all in one app.

I could go on and on about how awesome this app is. But then there will be no room left for the other apps. So, I will just add one more thing- do give Evernote a try if you are struggling to stay organized.

Works with: Windows, iOS & Android

Bonus: Check out this detailed guide on how to use Evernote.

2. Fleep

On the search for the perfect team communication app, I recently discovered Fleep. And now there is no going back to emails or other chatting apps for team collaboration.

Because Fleep has it all. Dubbed as the messenger for teams and projects, I can’t recommend this enough.

I had a chat with the folks over at Fleep to ask how salespeople could take advantage of this app. Their CEO, Henn Ruukel, had this to say:

Fleep streamlines salespeople’s communication with customers and leads. As it interoperates with email, you can create and participate in email conversations from this platform.

It also groups all emails from same people into one conversation, giving the salesperson an overview of all communication with that person, no matter what has been the email subject.

Also, the salesperson can see all files exchanged in the conversation in the conversation’s File Drawer and so doesn’t have to look them up from individual emails like in normal email apps.

Additionally, Fleep can be used internally within a sales team to update each other on progress and news.

– Henn Ruukel, CEO and co-founder of Fleep

But what if a team member isn’t on Fleep? No worries, they will receive all messages just like regular email until they sign up and start using the app. This way, you don’t have to push everyone to use this app unless they want to.

Apart from the obvious chat feature, you can also take advantage of the audio/ video calls (works via Google Hangouts). With screen sharing added to the mix, it couldn’t get better than this.

Only it actually does get better. Right inside the dashboard, you can add tasks and also assign them to team members. This way, you don’t have to use a separate app to track who’s assigned to what.

Also, you can pin notes, parts of discussions and links so other members can see them. It’s kinda like a virtual pin board and I love this concept.

The search bar is another great feature since it helps you find what you need in seconds.

Overall, Fleep is one of the best sales apps out there. So, if you are struggling to stay on top of communications with clients or team members, do try this platform out.

Works with: iOS & Android

3. Grasshopper

Gone are the days when you had to sit next to your office’s phone all day. Now, you can be out and still receive all your office calls directly on your mobile.
Now, all you need is the Grasshopper app. Apart from calls, you can also receive voice mails and faxes anywhere with this app. This means you no longer have to be location-dependent.

Other features of Grasshopper include:

• Ability to create and customize toll-free numbers and extensions for each employee or department.
• Call using your Grasshopper ID instead of phone number. This will help you keep your personal number private.
• Grasshopper also shows you who’s calling before you decide to pick up.

Also, no more scribbling notes after every voicemail. With the “read your voicemail” feature, you have the option of getting your voicemails in a text format as well.

The other best thing about Grasshopper is that it’s easy to use. You don’t need any fancy equipment or professional IT Gurus to get it up and running.

Works with: iOS & Android

4. Badger Maps

For those in field sales, Badger Maps is the perfect companion. Not so long ago, sales reps used to have a map and a calendar in tow when selling out in the field. Not to mention they also had to use a separate program for customer data. That was such a hassle and a waste of time.

With Badger, you get maps, a calendar, and customer data in one neat app. These bundled features help to save time and allow you to concentrate on selling more. That’s because you won’t waste time switching between apps whilst frantically searching for customer info.

Badger also helps you see your customers on the map as well as sort them by priority. You can also add notes to each customer as well as go through your history with them.

Apart from the above, Badger also optimizes your travel routes. This way, you can get more done in less time. That’s not all! With a quick search, you can find new leads in your area. So now, you can build your prospect list on the go, how cool is that?
Works with: iOS & Android

5. Profit Story

Tired of using your phone’s calculator to figure out profit margins or break-evens? I know some salespeople are good with calculations, but for less math-savvy folks, we just want to punch in a number and get the answers without thinking about whether we need to divide or multiply to get the right percentage.

If you are also on the hunt for such a fix, then check out Profit Story. This handy sales app calculates profit margins, break-even, markup percentages etc. In seconds, you can have all the answers to the value of a sale right at your fingertips.

Works with: iOS only. However, Android users can use Margin Markup, it works the same way as Profit Story.

6. CamCard

People love to hand out business cards, it’s like a ritual at business gatherings. At one point, I had collected so many of these that the plastic box I kept them in wouldn’t close. But I didn’t want to part ways with those cards.

So, I got another box and soon that was full too. This was just one side of the problem. Another issue was going through the stacks every time I wanted the contact details of someone. Talk about slow and frustrating. Then, noting down their details into my phone-book was another process altogether.

I would have lost my mind long ago were it not for CamCard. This nifty little sales app not only scans business cards but also manages them. What if you want to exchange a business card? No worries, CamCard has that feature too. Plus, it also notifies contacts whenever you update your profile.

Works with: iOS & Android

7. LinkedIn

Surprised to see LinkedIn on the list of sales apps? Even though LinkedIn has crossed over 450 million members, only a fraction of these use the app.

Maybe LinkedIn isn’t as appealing as Twitter or Instagram to some people, but if you are in sales, then you better have the LinkedIn app – unless you’re okay with missing out on good opportunities.

Because let’s face it, LinkedIn tops other social networks when it comes to lead generation.

(Source: Brandon Gaille)

Also, with social selling taking over, LinkedIn is the place to hang out. Spending a few minutes on LinkedIn can help you uncover prospects and businesses to work with.

Plus, LinkedIn makes it easy to build relationships on the platform. You can see who has a work anniversary coming up or who landed a new job. This way, you can stay in touch and nurture business relationships further.

Works with: iOS & Android

8. Wunderlist

I have tried lots of to-do list apps. One after the other, none of them had that one special yet simple feature I was hunting for. When I was just about to give up, I stumbled across Wunderlist.

Most to-do list apps come with reminders built in. But I didn’t want just any plain old features. I wanted recurring reminders. Like say, you have a weekly call that you need to do. With other apps, you have to reset the reminder for the following week in advance, every time. Annoying, I know.

For me, I didn’t want to be constantly bothered with updating my to-do list with recurring tasks. When I tried Wunderlist, I was pumped that it had the exact feature I was on the hunt for. Now, I just create the task once and set it to periodically remind me. Simple as that.

Though this is the main reason why I love this app, that’s not all it does. You can create folders, share lists or add notes/ comments. Oh and the hashtags make it super easy to find what you want.

Wunderlist is a good to-do list app if you are the sort who likes a smart to-do list with a great user interface plus some nice extra features.

Works with: iOS & Android

9. Appear.in

The default way to make videos calls for years used to be Skype. If you were thinking of group calls, then everyone had to have Skype. So non-users had to install the app, make an ID and then log in just to be part of a conference call. So much work for something they might not use for weeks or even months.

But Appear.in is different. You can create a chat room and invite anyone. It doesn’t matter even if they have never heard of this platform. Also, they don’t have to install anything. As long as you send them a link, they can be part of the video call using their browsers.

Plus, it’s free for up to 8 members. Not to mention, it integrates with Slack as well. So, if you want a hassle-free way to set up video calls, Appear.in is the app to snag.

Works with: iOS & Android

10. TripCase

Most salespeople need to travel a lot. But planning a trip is hard work. With itineraries, hotel bookings, and flight information, there is just too much to remember, which makes it pretty easy to forget important details.

I have seen the best people at their wits’ end when traveling. All because they had no system of keeping track of their travel plans. So my next app is all about taking the headache away from planning your travel.

Whether it’s work or personal, you can use Tripcase to keep it all stored in one place.

You can also update others about your travel plans anytime. All you need is their email. You can also check weather updates right from the app.

Another cool thing about TripCase is that you can save places you discover on the way. This means you won’t have to guess which restaurant your prospect invited you to. Two taps is all you need to store any place on the map for future reference.

Works with: iOS & Android

11. Pocket

Pocket is a pretty small name for such a powerful app. If you ever needed to save something for later, Pocket is where you’d put it. Be it videos, articles, tweets or anything on the internet.

But Pocket doesn’t just save your stuff, it allows you to access them without the internet. This means that you can save stuff for viewing later without worrying about eating up phone data. With this cool app, you also don’t need to search for Wifi hotspots just to watch that video you were unable to finish.

Pocket is great for salespeople who need to save stuff to show prospects. You can store company videos, demos, blog posts etc. This way, you won’t be bothered by spotty internet reception whether it’s on your laptop, tablet or phone. That’s because everything you save syncs easily between devices so you can access your stuff anywhere.

Works with: iOS & Android

And that’s it folks! I have exhausted my list of sales apps (for now). Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 11 must-have sales apps to help you sell better appeared first on LeadGibbon.

The reason why I chose this topic was due to the controversy surrounding cold emails. This method of outreach has a mixed band of critics and die-hard fans.

The problem isn’t the concept of cold emails. It’s what’s inside turns people off whenever one pops up in their inbox. And that’s what I set out to prove in that post.

Due to the awesome response that post received on social media, I knew people wanted more. So, I am back again with this topic. But today, it’s all about cold email templates.

As someone who sends out a lot of emails every day, I know the pain. I know how hard it is to try and come up with the perfect intro, hook and call to action.

When I started out with cold outreach, I had a bad case of “what ifs”. What if the email is too long? Or what if the words I’m using aren’t right? Instead of pulling my hair out, I set out to look for answers to these questions.

Armed with a boatload of cold email templates after a quick Google search, I was all set. Whipping up emails became a much easier affair. No guessing which CTA to use, how many words to aim for, etc.

Granted, templates are generic but who says you have to use them as they are? With some tweaking and personalization, you can get past the generic issue. In fact, here’s a piece of advice: always rework templates so that you can give them your own personal stamp. Make them your own. By all means use them as a guide, but don’t copy/ paste them.

In fact, here’s a piece of advice: always rework templates so that you can give them your own personal stamp. Make them your own. By all means use them as a guide, but don’t copy/ paste them.

Before I share my goldmine of templates, let’s take a look at what makes up a good email. Consider this a 10-seconds refresher course.

Anatomy of a good cold email

So, what ingredients do all juicy cold emails have in common? Let’s find out.

Subject line: Something compelling that lures readers in and makes them open the email.

Introduction: Brief and to the point but powerful.

Main Statement: Provide details of benefits and value offered.

Call to Action: A clear call to action.

Extra Components: Social proof, relative experience.

Time to bring out the cold email templates. Excited? Me too!

Cold email templates for introducing your business

First up are the introduction templates. There are 101 ways to introduce your product or service through a cold email. But I won’t be talking about all those ways. Instead, I picked out the ones that I think are truly kickass.

A little tweaking here and there is all it takes to turn these generic templates into personalized powerhouses. So, let’s dive in.

1. Offering business value

(Hubspot)

Why this works:

This template (by Jill Konrath) is a perfect example of a short yet powerful email.

And why is that? Because it strikes the perfect balance.

When you approach introductory emails this way, you are able to put your offer on the table. Plus, your prospects can see what’s in it for them, all in less than a hundred words.

And why does the word count matter? Because people don’t have time to read longer emails.

In the chart below, you will see that shorter cold emails have a better response rate.

2. Asking the right questions

(Attach)

Why this works:

If you are looking for a way to challenge the current state of a prospect’s company, this is the template to snag.

Short yet detailed, I think this template is a keeper.

Plus the no-frills CTA is brief and to the point, which is something I love. By offering different time options, you make the email much more targeted.

Since smart CTAs have a better conversion rate, spend time thinking of what to write in that area.

(Hubspot)

3. Providing advice

(Hubspot)

Why this works:

This email starts off with praise for a prospect’s website. This acts as a hook that grabs the attention of the reader.

Right after that, you point out any mistakes that you’ve come across. But you don’t end it there. Instead, you follow up with a solution. This could be a suggestion or a direct offer to help the reader out. Don’t you love it when someone offers you a helping hand? Sure you do.

When using this template, don’t jump right into the problem. Make sure to point out the positive aspects first. This way you will have some nice things to say instead of sounding downright critical.

Also, since you are talking about specific things, the email looks more personalized. Failing to personalize emails can reduce response rates by a huge margin.

(Canopy Labs)

4. Showing a connection

(Attach)

Why this works:

Right from the subject line, it is clear that there’s a possible connection between both businesses. Using the “+” sign is a creative way to point this out. Plus it arouses curiosity which has the highest open rate when it comes to different subject line elements.

(Experian)

In the email body itself, the sender introduces himself and what he does. Without skipping a beat, he proceeds to mention all the companies he and his company have helped so far.

In the next line, he throws the ball over to the recipient’s side of the court. Instead of bragging about how his company does things, he allows the prospect to take the lead.

With a crisp CTA, this email delivers from all angles. If you noticed, all the cold email templates I’ve shared with you so far contain 5 to 6 lines. That should be your goal, to keep all emails short yet powerful and under a hundred words, if possible.

5. Referred outreach

(Attach)

Why this works:

Alrighty then! It’s time to switch over to getting referral customers through cold emails. In one of my articles, I mentioned how important referrals were for any business. And the fact that only 10% of sales people actually ask for referrals from existing customers is shocking!

The biggest reason for this could be fear. Most sales reps don’t want to come across as pushy and annoying. And that’s why they skip sending out referral emails to potential customers.

However, with this template, you won’t look like a desperate salesperson. And the best part? You might land some new customers.

Quick tip- Don’t forget to mention the company/ person who referred you to this prospect. By including a mutual connection, your recipient is more likely to take the time to explore your offer.

Cold email templates that are great at finding leads

When you are on the hunt for leads, there’s a thin line between doing it right or completely turning the other person off.

With the cold email templates below, you don’t need to worry about crossing the line to Spamland. We’ve all been there and it’s rather chilly this time of year. Each email is carefully crafted so that your quest for leads doesn’t go in vain. Let’s dig in.

6. Full transparency + social proof

(Pipetop)

Why this works:

This is a “bare-all” kind of email. In here, you talk about some behind the scenes stuff; like who your investors are, how much funding you have so far, etc.. Don’t shy away from mentioning popular folks who buy from you. This will help you build up social proof. So, the meatier, the better.

Adding 1-on-1 customer services is an excellent idea. Most people buy from a business due to their customer service. Highlighting the fact that your prospects will have the chance to talk with a customer service representative is a great incentive.

(ClaraBridge)

Even though this template is a bit longer than most on this list, it still works. That’s because it covers a lot of ground which makes it perfect for the hard-to-convince type of prospects. Especially the ones who want proof of everything before they pull out their wallets.

7. Striking whilst the iron is hot

(Pipetop)

Why this works:

Whenever a potential lead downloads a resource from your site, that’s a good time to email them. You can use this opportunity to begin lead nurturing. Nurtured leads are more likely to buy since they receive relevant information at the right time.

(Visually)

By reaching out and asking the right questions, you’re able to stand out among a sea of sales emails.

Adding a couple of helpful tips helps to strengthen this email further. Not only is this refreshing but also polite. People don’t mind when such an email lands in their inbox. They can sense that your sole purpose isn’t to make a quick sale. Rather, it’s about providing value in a non-spammy way.

Cold email templates for making a sale

If you have a qualified lead, chances are you want to put down the foundations for a sale early on. Not to worry, there are templates for that too. Most people argue that you shouldn’t try to sell right away. I agree. But when your product is perfect for that prospect, there is no harm in pitching right from the first email.

However, this doesn’t mean you shove your product down your prospect’s throat. Instead, use any of the smart selling techniques in the cold email templates below.

8. Adding bullet points

(Close)

Why this works:

Using blocks of text to talk about features and benefits isn’t a good strategy. Not only does it look messy but you stand to lose the attention of your prospects. And with decreasing attention spans, you need to change the way you write emails.

(NBC)

This template is super effective for this purpose. The addition of bullet points help the features/ benefits part stand out even more. Even if a person skims through the email (God knows we all skim nowadays…), it’s hard to miss out on these core points.

9. Picking on pain points

(Attach)

Why this works:

This cold email template is all about identifying a pain point and providing a solution. Usually, sales reps push the benefits of their product. It’s easy to go on and on about why XYZ is the best fit for a prospect’s company.

But this email takes a different approach. It touches on how the prospect has a business to run but how a time-consuming task can get in the way of success. By riding on the “time is precious, so spend it wisely” wave, the sender makes it obvious that they have a solution.

Keep the core points in mind when tailoring this template to match your product and prospect. Remember, it’s all about showing them how much time (or money) you can help them save.

Also, the subject line is the perfect length (36 characters). Look at the chart below and you will notice that character count matters when it comes to subject lines.

(Unbounce)

10. The power of ten

(Attach)

Why this works:

If you want to make a statement with numbers, then this email template is for you. Short, concise and yet terribly effective, it points out that ten minutes is all you need to talk about 10x results. Since people usually avoid calls due to talkative sales reps, differentiating yourself is key.

Next, you immediately point out the value of that ten minutes call. After all, they still need to give you their time. So, give them a reason why they should listen to you.

(Exceed Sales)

Finally, tossing in the name of the prospect’s competitor gives the email an air of suspense. They can’t help but wonder what advice you gave their competitor.

11. Quick follow up

(Hubspot)

Why this works:

Ah, the dreaded follow-up email. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s surprising there are no follow-ups to 70% of unanswered emails? Yes, but it’s perfectly understandable. The same old fear that salespeople have of sounding “pushy” creeps in. They imagine the recipients rolling their eyes when they see another email. At least, that’s what I used to imagine.

But consider this – People receive tons of emails a day. Most of the time, they forget your offer or are too busy to take action. Sometimes, being persistent is good since it can take more than five follow-ups before a prospect buys. This makes it perfectly okay to follow up multiple times.

(Plan B)

By following-up with this template from the folks at Breakthrough Email, you are able to assess their interest levels. Plus, you also give them an option to forward your offer to someone else who might take action. This way, you won’t miss potential opportunities that are just an email away.

And there you have it! 11 of the best cold email templates that you can start using today. I enjoyed putting together this list with the hope that it will help people send out better cold emails. Before you get started, check out this list of email finders that you can use to find the email addresses of your prospects.

One more thing- To make it super easy to use these templates, I compiled them into a handy PDF. You can copy/ paste these emails and edit away. So, go ahead and enter your email below and I will send the PDF to you.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 11 awesome cold email templates and why they work appeared first on LeadGibbon.

Can you imagine how awesome it would it be if you owned a machine that could pop out quality targeted sales leads?

Just imagine that for a second.

You simply tell your magical leads machine what you want, push a button and voila!

Your machine starts firing a steady stream of business cards, email addresses and social media handles at you. All you have to do to get the sales is dig into the pile of leads.

Nice thought, huh? I think so too.

But I am pretty sure such a machine doesn’t exist (yet). Any tech wizard reading this, you just got yourself an idea for your next project. However, just because we don’t have such a machine doesn’t mean the end of the sales world.

In fact, we can use the next best thing- the internet- to generate sales leads. There are many tried and tested techniques out there that have helped tons of businesses and companies to generate sales leads online. So, let’s focus on what we do have and try to leverage that as much as possible.

When it comes to lead generation, there are two sides involved. The first group is made up of those with a lead generation system already in place. If you are on this side of the fence, you might wonder if it’s worth it to try something new.

In that case, consider this: You know how always fishing at the same fishing hole can get boring? Plus, there is a high possibility that you might miss out on a really good catch elsewhere?

Trying to generate leads over and over from the same place is exactly like that. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to add a couple more fishing holes and to try a different bait once in awhile.

On the other hand, if you are on the hunt for ways to find sales leads, then sit tight and keep reading. That’s because we are about to light up the obscure lead generation corners of the internet with the methods below.  

In short, get ready to learn how to not only create but also diversify your lead generation efforts.

The final result? You will reach more people, get more leads and hopefully, close more sales.

Let’s get the fire started.

1. Landing pages + Free downloads

I am sure you must have heard so many folks talk about landing pages and how you can generate tons of leads from them. And it’s true. Good landing pages convert like crazy and allow you to turn visitors into sales leads whenever they opt-in with their email addresses.

(Source: Visualistan)

In our digital world, email addresses are like currency. Once you have them, you are all set to begin lead nurturing through emails. It’s a well-known fact that only a few people will buy on the first contact. With the majority, you will need to build trust by following up and nurturing the relationship until they are a 100% sure about buying from you.

(Source: Visually)

As you can see below, lead nurturing helps to increase sales and purchase rates. And landing pages with a free download/resource helps to bring in these leads so you can begin nurturing.

(Source: Visually)

However, before all of this can happen, you need to give people a reason to hand over their email addresses to you. This means you will have to offer something in return. It should be the kind of thing that your target leads can’t wait to get their hands on.

(Source: Circles Studios)

Some of the most common opt-in bait on landing pages include:

• Video/audio clips
• Ebooks
• Checklists
• White papers etc.

Basically, think about what form of content people in your market enjoy and create that. Better yet, instead of diving in headfirst, do a bit of digging. See what your competitors are doing, ask your customers or conduct a survey/poll. This should make it clear what to create, the topic to pursue etc.

Once you have that, you are all set to put together your free resource and create a killer landing page.

2. Influencer outreach

Why do we see movie stars or famous basketball players in commercials or on billboards? Because influence sells.

People love to buy shoes endorsed by their favorite athlete even though another brand might have something better and cheaper. Being able to associate themselves to their idols (whether it’s through everyday products like deodorant) acts as a purchasing trigger.

You can also ride the influencer bandwagon no matter what industry you are in. You don’t need to sign up a celebrity for this. Thanks to the internet, there are mini celebrities in every industry known as influencers. No matter what your business is about, there is bound to be an influencer whose audience matches your target buyers. It’s all about looking in the right places.

(Source: The Shelf)

Most influencers are either popular on social media, have their own sites or a strong email list. Any one of these channels is perfect as long as the influencer has a strong voice (and following) in your industry. Doing a quick search online with industry keywords and topics will help you find influential people who talk/mention these topics. From there, you can put together a list of these influencers along with their social media profiles as well as email addresses.

Once you have a list, get in touch with these influencers. Make sure you mention what’s in it for them. It could be incentives such as cash, samples, free memberships etc. That’s something you should try to figure out beforehand. Also, familiarize yourself with their work so you will know how to use that to your business’s advantage.

A lot of brands collaborate with influencers to create custom content that provides value and in the process, directs sales leads to the company’s website. Another method is to use product placement or reviews. All of these are indirect selling methods but work well since people trust influencers and love to buy stuff recommended by them

(Source: The Shelf)

Bonus: Here are 10 tips on how to collaborate with influencers the right way.

3. LinkedIn Saved Search

This is a “set and forget” lead generation method. If your potential customers are LinkedIn users, this is the easiest way to get targeted sales leads right to your inbox.

All you have to do is search for people with relevant keywords. For example, if your target buyers are sales managers, use the search bar to look for them. Once the results are in, you can further narrow them down based on location, industry etc. and then hit the “save search” option at the top.

From there, you can choose to receive weekly or monthly results by email. LinkedIn will then send you profiles of people that match your search criteria. Seems quick and easy, right? It should be. After all, LinkedIn is where business meets social.

4. Facebook Ads

Considering the huge number of active visitors that log into Facebook from all over the world every day, advertising is a good way to tap into a potential consumer base.

(Source: All Infographics)

Thanks to Facebook’s Ad Manager, you can run campaigns solely for lead generation purposes. You can also advertise your landing page on Facebook so people will go there directly and opt-in. That’s much better than a website in terms of lead generation since visitors usually end up moving onto another website. Once they click away, it’s hard to bring them back.

However, don’t jump into advertising on Facebook without research first. Like every other platform, you need to know if your target audience is actively present there or not. The best way to do this is to check out the pages of competitors. Also, search Facebook with keywords related to your industry to see the pages and groups available. You want lots of engagement in these places in the forms of likes, shares, and comments. Once you are able to tick all these boxes, then that’s a go-ahead.

Just like other forms of advertising, you will need to run experiments, tweak campaigns, and measure results. All this can seem daunting. And it is, especially if you are new to advertising on this platform. However, I found a solid guide that walks you through this process so you can make the most out of every buck you spend on ads.

Also, check out these examples of Facebook advertising done right for more ideas.

5. Webinars

It seems like anyone with some sort of expertise now has a webinar to their credit. Before I knew and got attracted to webinars, I thought it was just a trend and wasn’t bothered to find out more. But as time went on and webinar invites kept popping up, I just had to give in.

Finally, I found out what the hype was all about. A webinar is a short form of “web seminar” and it’s just an online presentation, workshop, or event. Since it’s held online, it allows for a greater pool of participants from around the world plus you can attend one in your PJs. 

So, how can webinars help you with lead generation? Well, before the webinar goes live, people have to register to attend and this means they will need to provide their email addresses. So, right off the bat, this means you now have email leads.

(Source: Webinar Jam)

If you manage to properly promote your upcoming webinar by bringing it to the attention of the right folks, you could have a nice number of attendees. But keep in mind that not every registrant will be present. However, since you still have their email addresses and you can send them recordings or other helpful materials. The cycle of lead nurturing can continue long after the webinar ends.

(Source: On24)

For those who show up, provide them with tons of value in the form of  Q&A, live chat etc. And at the end, throw in a call to action.  Or you could follow up later via emails.

(Source: 3Sixty Interactive)

The main thing is, webinar attendees convert into sales leads well if you plan ahead carefully. Also, because people actually take the time to opt-in and show up, it’s a green signal that indicates they are ready for you to nurture. However, keeping track of how long a webinar runs is crucial since webinar lengths are important. Stretch it and you might bore people, make it to short and you could miss out on important points that your audience is waiting for.

(Source: 3Sixty Interactive)

Alo, some days and times are much better than others in terms of webinar attendance. So, keep that in mind when picking a date and time.

(Source: On24)

If you are pumped up and can’t wait to host your own webinar, here’s something to check out before you jump into it. Might save you tons of time.

6. Strategic partnerships

Some people prefer to go solo. They scale mountains on their own or handle business by themselves. Even though that’s fine, you could go further and do much better with some outside help. Ever heard of the saying “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?” When it comes to business, you need to do a lot of back scratching. This means you will need to give up your status as the lone cowboy (or girl) and rope others in.

Ever heard of the saying “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?” When it comes to business, you need to do a lot of back scratching. This means you will need to give up your status as the lone cowboy (or girl) and rope others in.

(Source: Powerlinx)

With the internet, you don’t even need to be at the same place for these partnerships work. Nowadays, online partnerships are becoming increasingly common and popular due to the benefits they offer.

Apart from generating sales leads, a lot of companies believe that partnerships also help with customer acquisition the most. Not only that, an increase in revenue is another factor that pushes companies to enter partnerships.

(Source: Powerlinx)

No matter what you sell, there is bound to be complementary products/services that other businesses offer. Here is where partnerships come in. By pairing your products and , you are all able to make use of each other’s consumer base. The other plus point is, unlike partnering up with someone to run the same business together, you won’t be stepping on each other’s toes. Rather, this will lead to increased exposure for every business that takes part.

(Source: Powerlinx)

Apart from that, strategic partnerships allow businesses to pool resources and ideas. Using each other’s insights can help each business improve their own strategies and this can result in more sales leads.

(Source: Powerlinx)

You can also leverage your newfound affair by collaborating on content creation and sharing it with your respective audiences. 

(Source: Powerlinx)

Bonus: Here are some rules to keep in mind when opting for digital partnerships.

7. Podcasting

Have you ever thought of podcasting for lead generation? If not, then you should. That’s because nowadays, there is a podcast for almost every industry and interest. Multitasking is responsible for the rise in popularity of podcasts. People try to juggle so many things at once which means they want to consume information whilst commuting or having dinner without the need to pause every few seconds just to go back and read.

I can confidently say this because I also listen to podcasts most of the time. In fact, I mentally high-five myself whenever something I am searching for has a podcast episode. It means I can hit play and get the information I need whilst doing other stuff. Because unlike reading or watching videos, I don’t have to stare at the screen all the time and this makes it so convenient.

I am positive a lot of other people share this same feeling. Don’t take my word for it, podcasting stats point to a rapidly growing user base. These people are hungry for new stuff all the time.

(Source: Copyblogger)

So, do your homework and if podcasts are popular in your industry, then consider trying them out. Remember, it’s all about providing value to your sales leads. This way, they can trust you enough to buy from you. 

Another way to take advantage of podcasting is to reach out to already established podcasters. Once you have built a great relationship with them, request for an interview or mention on their show. If you provide value to these podcasters and your product is useful for their target audience, it will be easier for them to say yes.

I have personally discovered so many great businesses as a result of listening to interviews. This means other people out there are also tuning in and discovering products that match their interests. Find out how you can get started with podcasting for your business here.

8. Live chat on website

When you add a live chat box to your website, you tear down the barriers of communication. Not only does chat equals convenience for customers but it also leads to more sales leads. Customer support is able to guide visitors/sales leads/customers live without back and forth emailing. Plus with live chat, people can’t complain about getting stuck on hold whilst waiting for help.

(Source: Marketing Tech Blog)

Consider the stats below and you will see that many people prefer to chat with support instead of calling or emailing. If you want to improve your customer service and convert casual visitors to loyal buyers, then something as simple as a live chat box can make that happen.

(Source: Marketing Tech Blog)

9. Blogging

Previously, the slogan was that every business should have a website. Nowadays, it’s shifted to every business should have a website AND a blog. Due to this, more businesses are including blogging as part of their online lead generation activities.

Without a blog, you miss out on a lot of opportunities including pleasing the Google gods. That’s because blogging helps you to add fresh content to your site and Google thrives on fresh, relevant content. Blogs that are search engine optimized and reader-friendly help to increase website rankings. Better rankings equal more traffic which means more sales leads.

(Source: Feldman Creative)

Besides Google, blogging makes valuable information within the reach of internet users and your customers.

(Source: Feldman Creative)

Without any doubt, blogging, when done right, is a powerful tool that can increase customer acquisition and retention. So, you should make sure your business has a blog in place that is regularly updated with great content according to your industry.

Check out this guide to learn how to run a business blog.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 9 proven ways to generate sales leads online appeared first on LeadGibbon.

It’s no secret that the world of sales is fast-paced and constantly evolving.

In a blink of an eye, competitors can spring up and target your customers with similar products or services, which isn’t great but seems to be a daily occurrence.

When this happens, you’re involved in a rat race you clearly never signed up for. But the important thing is that you need to be prepared for it to happen to you.

If there’s one bit of advice you should cling onto, then it’s that your sales strategies – you know – the ones that allowed you to hit your targets a decade ago – simply won’t cut the mustard today.

“But I hit all my targets with those sales strategies and my sales process is bulletproof!” 

Think again. 

Your competitors are armed with bullets (strategies and sales processes) that’ll pierce your Kevlar-sales-vest.

If you want to make a difference in today’s sales market, you need to understand and review your own sales processes and make improvements to them today.

Gone are the days when you could build your sales process on the fly. There’s simply no time to dance to the “trial and error” song. 

“Hoping” that your sales process will work, or having that “gut-feeling” will see you lapped by your competitors before seeing them dab themselves to the finish line.

Here at LeadGibbon, we know all too well that a sales process has to keep evolving.

Remember, there’s no magic wand to your sales process, and to prove it, we’ve jotted down the top seven key ways to ensure you’re streamlining your sales process.

1. Buyer personas

Do you know who your ideal buyers are? What work they do? Their struggles and desires?

Can you point out what they love, hate and fear? What about their hobbies, activities, and passions?

The answers to these questions matter, because you are selling to actual people. You need to know as much as possible about who your product or service is for. In fact, you should be able to refer to these characters by name just like you would with actual customers.

As buying habits evolve, it’s necessary to market and sell to the right people. Creating buyer personas allows you to do just that. As more businesses realize this, buyer personas are steadily becoming an essential component of  the sales process.

(Source: Buyer Persona Institute)

What makes a good buyer persona?

The more detailed your buyer personas are, the better. Think about it, the more you know about someone, the easier it is to figure out what makes them tick.

When creating a buyer persona, your Sales Team should team up with your Marketing Department; two heads are better than one and the combined knowledge of both Sales and Marketing will allow you to create better, more realistic persona that depicts your target customer base to a T.

It’s no wonder these personas are referred to as marketing personas sometimes. In short, sales and marketing need to join forces to make this a success, otherwise, you will be left with vague details that make no sense.

When it comes to gathering data for creating the personas, there are many methods you can use. However, consulting stakeholders, interviewing customers and conducting surveys are some of the most common ways to go about collecting information.

(Source: Buyer Persona Institute)

Some businesses might require one persona, others might need ten. That really depends on who your target market is and what you are selling. However, no matter which industry you are in, a few things are similar across the board when it comes to creating a customer persona.

Things like a fictional name coupled with insights that reflect age, occupation and pain points are some of the mandatory elements in a good buyer persona.

(Source: Liz Hidalgo)

Bonus: Hubspot has a great guide that covers this topic in depth. You will find where to look when searching for answers, who to get in touch with, as well as the template to use when creating a customer persona.

2. Social media prospecting

Once you have your buyer’s persona all done, it’s time to go prospect hunting. A healthy list of prospects ensures that the sales pipeline is always full, so it makes sense to prospect on a regular basis.

However, many businesses fail to make prospecting a part of their activities. It’s not uncommon to come across stale prospecting lists that are hardly updated. Also, many sales professionals consider prospecting a time-consuming task.

(Source: Map my customers)

The good news is that social media makes prospecting very easy. In fact, half an hour a day on social media can significantly increase your chances of finding and connecting with prospects.

Not to mention, social media prospecting yields good results in a short span of time.

(Source: Pixlee)

Social prospecting makes direct use of a buyer persona and that’s why it is important to have one in place before you begin. The data you compiled when creating your buyer personas helps to narrow down the places your potential prospects hang out online.

So based on this data, you can choose to go prospecting on a professional network like LinkedIn or target multiple channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Age is also another factor to keep in mind when thinking of which social media channels to target as illustrated by the chart below.

(Source: Super office)

No matter which platform you choose, you should focus on building a strong online presence. For example, taking part in discussions, offering to help people and sharing useful content can put you directly in front of potential prospects.

(Source: Sales for life)

With the bulk of social selling taking place on LinkedIn, it’s important to focus on creating a powerful profile. So, make sure your profile/company page is up-to-date so anyone who lands there will know what you are offering.

(Source: Social media marketo)

The same applies to all other social networks, update them regularly. No one likes to visit stale pages with out-of-date information. This is because a large percentage of customers rely on the social media content of brands and businesses to make a purchasing decision. 

(Source: Social media )

Failing to take advantage of this shift in buying habits means your business can go downhill and into oblivion in today’s fast-paced world. So, don’t wait for that to happen before you scramble to claim a spot on social media.

Bonus: Here’s a social prospecting workbook you can use to find new leads on social media.

3. Quick response rates

Connecting with prospects is very important. Sometimes, your prospects will show interest and ask questions even before you have had the time to pitch to them.

That is a good sign but don’t high-five yourself just yet. You still need to make a good impression in order to convert them into customers.

The key to success here is speed. For example, if a new prospect subscribes to your newsletter or someone asks a question about the product, the sales team must respond quickly.

Almost one-third of sales are finalized by vendors who respond first to the queries. This means that quick response times are crucial if you don’t want leads slipping out of your hands and going to your competitors. 

In the chart below, you can see that the majority of companies studied by Inside Sales struggled to respond within the first 24 hours. Imagine the number of sales opportunities they missed out on just because their response rate was slow.

(Source: Inside sales)

The best, proven practice for an effective sales process is to call a prospect after sending an email. According to another study published by Lead Response Management, the success rate if called in the first 5 minutes can drop by 21 times if delayed to 30 minutes.  

(Source: Lead response management)

Due to the short lifespan of leads, it is important to have a system in place that will ensure quick response rates. Take time out to figure the best way to improve your company’s response rate or go here for some tips.

4. Focus on the prospect

It’s easy to get carried away when talking about how great your product is or how top-class your services are. But bragging does little to capture the attention of prospects.

In a survey by the American Management Association, 18% out of 1100 respondents mentioned that salespeople with poor listening turned them off. Such salespeople lose potential customers simply because they fail to pay attention to what their prospects are saying.

So how do you actually get prospects to show interest in your offer?  The only way out is to focus on their specific problems. Digging deeply to unearth their pain points makes them sit up and listen to you. But in order to do that, you need to listen first.

Salespeople must be trained on how to develop their listening skills. Also, they must make sure to allow the prospect to finish talking instead of jumping in and stealing the spotlight. Really paying attention to a prospect’s requirements allows you to provide a customized solution.

Sometimes, you may not have the solution they are looking for but simply taking the time to listen helps you understand what people need.

During interactions, prospects may voice their objections. So always be prepared beforehand. Practice what to say in response to common objections such as price, features, design, etc. This way, you won’t be caught off-guard whenever you come across any objection.

Bonus: Here are some common sales objections and how to overcome them.

5. Personalized emails

Emails are a great way to get in touch with prospects and build relationships. However, cold emails have gotten a bad rep since people tend to associate them with spam and irrelevant offers.

In order to make your emails stand out, you need to target the right prospect with the right message. Focus on personalization and providing value. Again, shift the focus from your company or product to the customer’s needs first.

Remember that it only takes seconds for someone to mark an email as spam, so make sure you spend time crafting an informative and engaging email. Otherwise, you are better off not sending any emails at all.

The trick to getting people to read your email is to include the human touch as much as possible. Writing in a friendly tone makes it easier for people to keep on reading until the end.

Bonus: Here’s a list of email finders, tools, and techniques to help you find the email addresses of your prospects.

6. Automation

Going by their name, you would think that the work of salespeople is to sell. However, salespeople spend less than half of their day actually facing customers and selling.

So, where does the rest of their time go? In the chart below, it becomes obvious that they juggle a lot of different tasks apart from selling.

(Source: Hubspot)

In order to help salespeople to increase their selling time, automation is necessary. All parts of the sales process that can be automated, should be.

Some examples of tasks that can easily be automated include:

• Lead capture and scoring
• Lead nurturing through email
• Project management and tracking
• Compiling databases of prospects etc.

There are so many other tasks in the sales process that can also be automated easily.  As companies look for ways to increase productivity and efficiency of their sales teams, the demand for automation is on the rise.

(Source: Pardot)

In order to recognize which tasks should be automated in your company, it is important to ask your sales team to provide insights on what takes up most of their time. This is because every business is different and what will work for one may not work for the other.

Using their responses, compile a list and then go here to find the automation tools and software that meet your requirements. This is will save you countless hours trying out tons of software just to find the perfect one.

7. Customer referrals

If your company does not have a referral system in place, then you are missing out on a lot of potential customers. Many businesses thrive through customer referrals and there is no reason why you can’t do so too.

(Source: Front spin)

Since referrals usually work like a second slice of cake, you don’t get it unless you ask for it. And many salespeople fail to ask for referrals even though the majority of customers report that they are more than willing to help out. Whenever a customer is delighted due to your product or service, take advantage of that and ask for referrals.

You can even go a step further and offer something in exchange for referrals. Many successful businesses do this and they see referral rates go up. Referred customers have lower churn rates and higher lifetime value. It’s no secret that these are the type of customers you should aim for.

(Source: Amplifinity)

Think of referrals as a shortcut to qualified leads. This is because people trust other people they know when making a purchasing decision. So, the chance of scoring sales goes up due to word-of-mouth and the power it has to shape people’s perceptions towards a product of service.

(Source: Promoto)

As you can tell, refining and optimizing all the various parts of the sales process is key to increasing sales and crushing quotas. Taking time to tweak the sales process with feedback from the sales team and their experiences alongside industry insights can make a huge difference.

Don’t settle for what used to work a couple of years ago and focus on what works today instead. That is the only way you can improve your sales process for best results. After all, the way people buy is changing and so should the way you sell.

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.      

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 7 ways to improve even the best sales process appeared first on LeadGibbon.

Emails are like the gateways to unlimited opportunities, which means email addresses are the keys that open up these gates.

But searching for email addresses can take time. This is due to the fact that not many people share their email addresses freely, unlike their website URLs or social media handles.

Because emails are so powerful and widely used, there are a lot of tools that allow you to look up email addresses of your prospects easily. As someone who sends a lot of emails regularly, I am proud to say that I have mastered the art of email address search.

Now, I want to share the tools and techniques that have worked for me. So, from prospecting to getting in touch with the CEO of a company, this guide will help you unearth the perfect email address finder.

But first, let’s take a walk down digital lane. I discovered some interesting stats about emails that I want to share first.

Why Are Emails Important?
We live in an era where the bulk of online businesses are investing in SEO, social media marketing, and PPC campaigns, often neglecting one of the most effective digital marketing channels – Email.
However, email marketing is the oldest technique used by digital marketers but is still considered as the most effective in terms of ROI and conversion rate according to a report by Litmus.

(source: Litmus )

Some other points worth noting:

• Email is one of the easiest ways to reach growing mobile consumers. Over 50% of internet users now use mobile devices to access their emails. In fact, checking emails is the number one activity that users perform on their smartphones and tablets.
• Email is the best way to reach your prospect and to keep them informed. (You don’t want to call all your business prospects, do you?)
• When compared to any other digital marketing method, results generated by an email campaign are easier to track and record. This is due to the presence of numerous software and tools that make it easy to track and monitor emails.
• Targeted email marketing that announces sales or offers coupons can boost sales volume instantly for e-commerce stores.
• Email is cost-effective and easy to manage when compared to traditional marketing methods such as TV Ads or billboards.

According to MarketingSherpa, 72% of adults in the US prefer business communications to take place over email in contrast to phone calls, text messages, and even social media.

This means that if you or your company is paying more attention to other means of staying in touch with customers/ clients, then you might want to rethink your outreach strategy.

(source: MarketingSherpa )

Like any other communication channel, email has also evolved in the last decade. The only way to make sure your email campaign is successful is to keep it highly targeted. To do this, you will first need to find the email addresses of your prospects and create a list.

The next step is to send out personalized, well-written emails to these prospects. If done right, this form of outreach is a powerful tool that can turn leads into clients. Also, emails can increase brand loyalty in customers when they receive relevant offers in their inbox from time to time.

Best ways to find the email address of your prospect

Let’s get down to the actual nitty-gritty of email address search. There are many different ways to go about this process. To make it easier to understand and implement, I have grouped the various tools and techniques together into 3 groups:

• Basic search
• Plugins and extensions
• Web-based tools

This means that if you tilt towards one method, you can find all the available options right under that section. No more guessing which tool works in what way. I am making this as simple as possible so you can find the right tool for your needs by the time you are done reading this article.

Basic search

As the name suggests, you don’t need any tools apart from ones you’re probably already using when doing a basic search to find an email address- i.e Google and Twitter. So, you don’t have to sign up or wait for a confirmation email before you can start your search.

Also, since this is a free method, you won’t pay anything. However, I want to put it out there that this method does not always work. If it’s not working for you, keep reading for more options, I cover lots of other tools that you might like.

1. Google

Strictly speaking, Google does not brand itself as an email finder. But since it does a fine job of searching online databases and platforms, it is an obvious place to start looking. Just like you would tackle any other search query in Google, the right combination of keywords is important during your email address lookup too.

Try different combinations such as:

• Name + Location
• Name + Company Name
• Name + Email Address
• Name + Contact
• Name + Company Website URL

2. Smart Twitter Search

After Google, Twitter is another place to turn to when looking for someone’s email address. It’s free, a staggering number of internet users are active on this platform, plus it has a good search feature.

Instead of going through all the previous tweets of a person just to find their email address, use Twitter’s advanced search option. Like the name suggests, it is an advanced form of search so this means better results.

You can find this option after doing a normal search, then navigate to “More options” and scroll down to “Advanced search” or you could just click here to go straight to that page.

• Search for (at) (dot) under the words section
• Enter the Twitter handle under the people section

This will reveal any tweets that contain these search terms in that particular profile.

3. All My Tweets

Third-party Twitter tools fill up the gaps that the original platform leaves behind. Some of these tools are quite good and can make it easier to utilize the large userbase of Twitter. For this reason, it is important to add one such tool that could potentially lead you to your prospect’s email address to this guide.

If you have found the Twitter account of the person you are looking for, use the online tool All My Tweets to pull out all the tweets made by that account.

Having all the tweets in one place makes it easier to scan and find an email address in any tweet. Press CTRL + F to activate the browser’s search bar and then insert various words related to email (such as .com, Gmail, email etc.) one by one to check.

Plugins & Extensions

If you need to search for email addresses daily, skip the basic search and instead try plugins/ extensions. Not only will you save more time but you will not be doing the same tasks over and over again.

Most plugins/ extensions are easy to install and use. This makes them ideal for those who need to gather email addresses all the time.

Since I reach out to numerous people every day, I find that using plugins makes it easier to find an email address without taking up too much time. Also, some of these plugins go a step (or two) further and provide additional features that can come in handy during prospecting.

4. LeadGibbon (Chrome extension)

LeadGibbon is a Chrome extension that generates the email addresses of your LinkedIn prospects. After installing the plugin, you can search LinkedIn for prospects. Near the profile of each user, you will see the email button. The cool thing is that you don’t have to be connected in order to get their email address.

On the other hand, if you already have a user in mind, navigate to their profile page and the same email button will also be there.

Once you click on the email button, a window will pop up. Another click on the LeadGibbon icon generates the email address. The email addresses generated by LeadGibbon are automatically verified.

Clicking on the next option saves the email address and other contact information of your prospect (such as name, job title, website etc.) to a spreadsheet.

You can then go back and access this data out when necessary by clicking on “my leads” at the bottom of LeadGibbon’s window.

The third button opens up another window in which you can compose and send an email to that prospect right away.

5. Name2email (Gmail)

Name2email is another Chrome extension that works inside Gmail. To use this tool to find an email address, enter the person’s name, last name and corporate domain name starting with “@” into the “Compose” dialog box. The tool automatically generates the most common corporate email address patterns for this person.

Next, mouse-over the generated emails and once you see a popup that appears with a person’s name – it means you got the right email address. Click on this email address to select it. You can then go ahead and send an email.

6. Clearbit Sheets (Add-on)

Clearbit Sheets is a useful tool for those who have identified the company as a business prospect but do not know the best person to reach out to. With this add-on, you can create an email list based on your specific needs whilst working in Google Sheets.

Install it as an Add-on by clicking on Google Spreadsheet > Add-ons > Clearbit Sheets > Add.

A new pop-up window will appear. Enter the company domain name and choose a role like “executives” or “support” after clicking “Prospector”.  After entering the relevant details, Clearbit populates the sheet with all the available results.

The tool can do a lot more on a wider scale. You can use the “Discovery” tab to find companies at a particular location with a particular number of employees or the industry they are in. Based on this data, you will be able to get the email addresses of people who work at those companies.

Since this tool automatically generates results with the given variables, you will need to go through the list and filter it before you can use it. Sometimes, you might end up with results that you don’t need and the only way to fix this is to go through and delete irrelevant results.

Web-based Tools

Apart from plugins and add-ons, you can also use web-based tools. Even though extensions are great, not all of them work with every browser (I am looking at you, Firefox and Safari!) so web-based email finders are good in such cases.

7. Email Hunter

Email Hunter is a web-based tool that is useful for pulling out emails if you know the website of the company. You can also use it to find email addresses that are attached to a domain name.

Apart from the web version, you can also use the chrome extension (they both work the same way).

Another thing about Email Hunter is it also provides the sources from where it fetched the email. This helps to make it easier to verify the email address.

8. Voila Norbert

Voila Norbert is a good online tool if you are playing the email guessing game. Once you have obtained the domain of the company the person works for, you can simply provide the first name, last name and the company domain. The tool will find the email address for you.

The dashboard is pretty straightforward. There are two bars on top; one for the person’s name and one for the company domain name. However, you need to sign up before you can actually use the tool.

Once you get the email address of your prospect, you can add them to a list.

Apart from that, you can also email your prospects from the app itself.

9. Toofr

Toofr is another website that guesses email addresses based on the person’s name as well as a website and/ or company name. Just like Viola Norbert, you have to sign-up first. After that, you can begin using the tool. It’s easy to use, however, it can take a while to get the list of possible email addresses.

The one most likely to be accurate makes it to the top of the list. So, start with that email address and make your way down until you can find the right one.

Tip: Instead of manually trying to send an email to each address to see which works, use Mailtester. This website checks whether an email address you entered is valid or not.

10. Pipl

This website allows you to search for people using either their names, usernames, phone number etc. By the look of it, Pipl is a good option for those who are looking for the email addresses of people who don’t have a company website or are not that influential online.

The final results may include their social media profile and photo, where they work, their phone number as well as any usernames. Pipl is a good way to begin the initial search of your prospects, even if you are yet to find email addresses, you can still trace them using the information provided, get in touch and then request for their email.

Even though this can seem like a long-winding method, it is sometimes the only option for getting in touch with people who do not belong to companies or do not have websites since most email finders rely on these to be able to find email addresses.

11. Anymail finder

Anymail finder helps you to track down the email addresses of your prospects once you sign up and provide their names and company websites.

You can also tick the “all employees” box to gain access to all the email addresses attached to that particular domain. This means that if you are looking to get in touch with more than one person in a company, this tool makes it easy to find the email address for each person on that domain.

Anymail finder recently released a Chrome extension as well to make it easier to find email addresses whilst browsing company websites. 

That wraps up this list. Two thumbs up if you made it to the end!

Have a question about something I wrote?

If you have something to add that may improve the helpfulness of this information, I’d love to hear from you.

Whatever the case, leave your thoughts in the comment box below and I will get back to you.

The post 11 clever ways to find your prospect’s email address appeared first on LeadGibbon.