Leveraging The Best Tools For Sales Leaders

The Modern Selling Podcast

If you're feeling frustrated by the lack of engagement and response from your prospecting efforts, then you are not alone! Are you using the right tools to measure your sales team's success?

Discover the surprising method top leaders use to identify the most effective sales tools, and how it saved a business a quarter million dollars. It's time to rethink your sales tool strategy.

Are you tired of spending hours crafting personalized messages only to get minimal results? Let's turn that frustration into success. Keep reading to find out how.

In a captivating narrative, Mike Curliss, the VP of Sales, shares his eye-opening journey of grappling with the daunting task of improving email engagement rates. He paints a vivid picture of the challenges faced when buyers questioned his location during conference calls, igniting a quest for innovative solutions. With a hint of nostalgia, Mike reflects on the timeless advice from his mentor about the significance of personal connections, drawing parallels to the modern virtual world. Through engaging storytelling, he unveils the pivotal role of virtual backgrounds in sparking conversations and establishing rapport in the digital landscape.

As he delves into the art of personalization and delivering value in email prospecting, Mike's insights resonate deeply, offering a compelling narrative of the struggles and triumphs in the realm of modern sales strategies. His tale serves as an inspiring beacon for sales professionals, offering valuable tips and lessons learned from navigating the complexities of prospecting and fostering genuine engagement in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

A fool with a tool is still a fool. - Mario Martinez Jr.

In today's episode, we feature a webinar between our CEO Mario Martinez Jr, and Mike Curliss is the Vice President of Sales at Maximizer, bringing extensive experience in CRM utilization and sales strategy development. With a career spanning over two decades, Mike has established himself as a seasoned professional in leveraging collaboration tools to enhance sales team productivity and customer engagement. His expertise lies in driving successful prospecting efforts and improving email engagement rates, making his insights crucial for sales professionals aiming to elevate their prospecting effectiveness and communication strategies.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Boost Email Engagement: Learn how to skyrocket your email engagement rates and stand out in your prospects' inboxes.

• Elevate Sales Call Presence: Uncover the power of using virtual backgrounds to create a professional and engaging environment in sales calls.

• Streamline Sales Strategy: Discover the seamless integration of CRM systems to supercharge your sales strategy and drive better results.

• Maximize Omnichannel Engagement: Master the art of omnichannel sales engagement strategies to connect with prospects across various touchpoints.

• Measure Sales Tool Impact: Uncover effective ways to measure the ROI of your sales tools and optimize your sales efforts for success.

The key moments in this episode are: 00:00:00 - Challenges with Email Prospecting 00:03:29 - Importance of Virtual Backgrounds 00:04:18 - Using Teams for Collaboration 00:07:34 - Enhancing Email Engagement 00:13:46 - Efficient CRM Integration with Outlook 00:14:15 - Maximizing CRM Integration with Outlook 00:15:14 - Leveraging LinkedIn for Sales Outreach 00:17:50 - Applying Sales Methodology to Multiple Channels 00:19:22 - Building Effective Referral Networks 00:23:31 - Balancing Automation and Personalization 00:28:58 - Applying Sales Principles to Social Media Channels 00:29:56 - Role of TikTok in B2B Sales 00:31:35 - Integrating Tools with CRM for Sales Leaders 00:35:24 - Strategies for Increasing Sales Rep Productivity 00:42:31 - Improving Buyer Engagement through Omnichannel Strategy 00:43:11 - Importance of Multi-Channel Selling 00:44:14 - Evolving Touch Point Strategies 00:45:49 - Utilizing Video for Engagement 00:47:28 - Importance of Inbound Leads and Follow-up

Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:00 - Challenges with Email Prospecting Mario discusses the challenges of email prospecting, with less than 3% engagement rate. Personalization, value, and a call to action are highlighted as key factors to improve email response rates. 00:03:29 - Importance of Virtual Backgrounds Mario emphasizes the importance of virtual backgrounds in sales conversations, sharing how it can engage buyers and start conversations. Personalization to the individual and value delivery are key elements for successful engagement. 00:04:18 - Using Teams for Collaboration Mike shares insights on using Teams for communication and integration, both internally and externally. He emphasizes the importance of visibility, quick information sharing, and integration with CRM for effective collaboration. 00:07:34 - Enhancing Email Engagement Mario provides tips for enhancing email engagement, including the PBC sales methodology, with personalization, value delivery, and a call to action. Efficient use of emails within a CRM and meeting users where they work are also highlighted. 00:13:46 - Efficient CRM Integration with Outlook Mike discusses efficient CRM integration with Outlook to meet users where they work. He emphasizes the importance of syncing up information and allowing sales reps to operate in their preferred workspace for maximum efficiency. 00:14:15 - Maximizing CRM Integration with Outlook Mike discusses the importance of integrating CRM with Outlook to streamline sales reps' administrative tasks. He emphasizes the need for sales leaders to see all activities in the CRM for better oversight and productivity. 00:15:14 - Leveraging LinkedIn for Sales Outreach The conversation delves into the significance of using LinkedIn for B2B sales outreach. Mike highlights the need for personalized and targeted communication on LinkedIn to warm up potential buyers and increase engagement. 00:17:50 - Applying Sales Methodology to Multiple Channels The discussion focuses on the application of the PVC sales methodology to different communication channels. Emphasizing the need to personalize and engage across various platforms, the conversation underscores the importance of understanding buyer preferences. 00:19:22 - Building Effective Referral Networks The conversation emphasizes the power of referrals in sales and the significance of earning the right to make requests on LinkedIn. Mike and Mario discuss the benefits of utilizing referrals and introductions to enhance sales effectiveness. 00:23:31 - Balancing Automation and Personalization Mario provides insights into striking the right balance between automation and personalization in sales outreach. The conversation highlights the importance of leveraging automation tools while ensuring a personalized touch to stand out from the crowd. 00:28:58 - Applying Sales Principles to Social Media Channels The conversation discusses how the sales tips shared are applicable to various social media channels like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. The key takeaway is that building relationships with customers remains crucial regardless of the platform. 00:29:56 - Role of TikTok in B2B Sales The conversation delves into the influence of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook on B2B purchasing decisions. It emphasizes the need for businesses to leverage these channels to warm up buyers and influence their buying decisions. 00:31:35 - Integrating Tools with CRM for Sales Leaders The discussion focuses on the importance of integrating tools directly with CRM to drive increased outcomes and revenue. It highlights the core functionalities of a CRM and the tools that can be added for enhanced functionality. 00:35:24 - Strategies for Increasing Sales Rep Productivity The conversation addresses the challenge of sales reps not having enough selling time and emphasizes the need to reduce non-strategic activities. It introduces the concept of using tools like FlyMSG to increase productivity. 00:42:31 - Improving Buyer Engagement through Omnichannel Strategy The conversation emphasizes the importance of omnichannel engagement and prospecting strategy for improving buyer engagement. It highlights the need to go beyond traditional channels like phone and email to engage buyers where they are. 00:43:11 - Importance of Multi-Channel Selling Using multiple channels can increase buyer engagement by up to 40%. Cadence, content, and engagement strategies are crucial for soliciting a response from buyers. 00:44:14 - Evolving Touch Point Strategies Pre-Covid, 8-12 touch points were needed for a response. Now, it's 12-18 touch points due to increased digital communication channels. It's essential to adapt and experiment with touch point strategies. 00:45:49 - Utilizing Video for Engagement Video is a powerful tool for engaging buyers, utilizing visual and auditory senses. It's important for sales reps to use video effectively, including positioning the play button strategically and making a positive first impression. 00:47:28 - Importance of Inbound Leads and Follow-up Responding to inbound leads within the first five minutes is crucial for success. Additionally, following up at least six times increases engagement by 90%. Personalized and sincere interactions with prospects are essential for standing out from competitors.

Streamline Sales Strategy Streamlining sales strategy involves integrating CRM tools with various communication platforms and leveraging AI to enhance sales processes and efficiency. Effectively measuring the ROI of sales tools requires proper integration, user adoption, and leveraging tools to their full potential to drive efficiencies in sales strategies. Adapting sales strategies to align with changing buyer behaviors, utilizing video for personalized selling, and emphasizing human intent in sales activities are key components of streamlining sales strategy

Elevate Sales Call Presence Enhancing sales call presence involves leveraging various communication channels, including email, LinkedIn, voicemails, text messaging, and video messages, to engage with potential buyers effectively. Utilizing CRM tools, social media platforms, and AI can optimize sales team productivity and enhance engagement with potential buyers during sales calls. Understanding buyer cadence and tailoring sales approaches across different channels can elevate sales call presence and improve buyer engagement in a competitive digital landscape.

Boost Email Engagement Elevating email engagement rates is crucial for successful prospecting efforts, as low response rates hinder sales teams' ability to connect with potential buyers effectively. Implementing personalized, value-driven, and concise email communication strategies can significantly boost email engagement and capture the attention of recipients. By focusing on personalization, value, and clear calls to action in emails, sales professionals can increase their chances of eliciting responses and driving meaningful conversations with target buyers.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Download the 43-page prospecting guide for an interactive prospecting guide to improve buyer engagement. The guide provides valuable insights and strategies to enhance your prospecting efforts.

• Check out the article on the ROI of sales tools to learn how to measure the return on investment of the tools you're using. Gain valuable insights on identifying tools that drive results and how to effectively measure their impact.

• Explore FlyMSG, a free text expander and personal writing assistant that can help you save 20 hours or more in a month and increase your productivity. Download it now to experience its benefits.

• Access the guide on LinkedIn commenting to learn effective strategies for engaging on LinkedIn. Enhance your social selling skills and improve your engagement with potential buyers on the platform.

• Utilize the prospecting guide and the article on the ROI of sales tools to optimize your sales strategies and improve buyer engagement. These resources offer practical insights and actionable steps to drive better results in your sales efforts.