Sales Lessons from this Year’s Outbound

It’s no secret that sales is both an art and a science. Art because you have the freedom to get creative with your own style and a science because there is a tried and true method to the madness.

I recently attended OutBound, a sales conference focused on both the art and science of sales. It gathered sales leaders from across the globe to share best practices on prospecting, mindset, productivity, and pipeline management.

Here is everything I learned at OutBound:

What OutBound Taught Me About Prospecting

• Top salespeople are consistent with their outreach and use a variety of channels to add value. Besides phone, email, and text, try using video, snail mail, and everything at your disposal to engage your prospects.
• Focus on giving instead of getting. Your prospects can sense whether they are going to be “just another sale” for you, or if it’s the beginning of a valuable relationship with you. Always lead with honesty and empathy.
• Connect, Ask, Listen, Link (C.A.L.L.). Don’t focus on telling your prospects how your product works, but rather focus on how it will make them feel. Find out their “why” and paint the picture for them on your value add.

What OutBound Taught Me About Having a Sales Mindset

• Emotions are contagious. Your prospects’ emotional experience while working with you is a more consistent predictor of outcome than any other variable.
• Salespeople have the reputation of having a big ego. To combat this, shift your mindset from “ego” to “E.G.O.”, which stands for Empowering Greater Outcomes. This will help you be seen as a valuable trusted advisor to your clients, rather than just another vendor.
• You need to be willing to do what others won’t, so that you can enjoy what others can’t. Focus on giving, not getting.

What OutBound Taught Me About Productivity

• Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Have a plan and know how you will engage with the most people possible.
• Own your calendar. Plan your days in advance and review your activities at the end of the week. Know exactly what worked and what didn’t.
• It’s not what you do, but how you do it. Prioritize and dedicate yourself to the activities that will generate the most revenue (prospecting, account management, and education).

What OutBound Taught Me About Pipeline Management

• The percent of business that you get from referrals is a direct reflection of the value you provide.
• Don’t get stuck talking to one person in the companies you prospect into. The more people you talk to within an organization, the more people will talk about you and your product internally, so it’s important to build a network of support.
• Prospecting is asking for time. Selling is asking for commitments. Every next step needs to be justified and generate satisfaction to your prospect. It must feel like both of you are working on this deal together in order to make it happen.
• Show your prospect how important they are by following up with them and not giving up. Always follow through with the things you say you’ll do. Trust is earned, not given.
• Know your sales velocity. How fast do you bring in new business? Manage your pipeline more efficiently by prioritizing contacts and labeling each opportunity based on how far they are in the buying journey.

After learning all these great tips, I realized how much the right tools can help me achieve even more. Spiro’s proactive relationship management platform has been extremely helpful for increasing my sales. Spiro creates automatic, intelligent reminders that keep me on top of all my commitments for the week, month, and quarter ahead. And, it has never been easier to have complete visibility of my productivity through Spiro’s robust reports. I highly recommend finding a sales solution that works for you.

With all the knowledge gathered at OutBound and with the right sales solutions at my disposal, I feel like the sky is the limit!

Happy selling.