Episode Summary

How much research are you doing before launching an outbound campaign?

Odds are, it's probably not enough.

If you feel stuck and unsure of how to strengthen your sales process, tune in to this episode of B2B Power Hour. We’re on a mission to remove uncertainty from the buyer's process and make it easier for them to say yes.

We detail every piece of research you should gather before even contacting anyone. From internal sales data to win/loss statements and proof of value, there's a ton of internal data you can use to create a winning outbound sales strategy.

The sales process doesn't start with throwing spaghetti into the universe and seeing if it hits anything — it starts with an internal investigation.

Take a look at your five most recent wins and losses. Notice any patterns around the ones that were successful? What about the ones that weren't? Who was the buyer's first person of contact, how was the communication worded, and were they capable of being a champion for your solution?

Next, figure out your proof of value. This is one of the largest disconnects in the sales process: what buyers thought they were getting versus what they said they got after the sale.

To create a successful outbound sales strategy, you'll need to conquer one of the most important aspects of any high-performing seller's research plan: understanding the transition from prospect to buyer.

Closing a deal is often about finding the prospect at the right time, which is easiest to do right when they decide they’re ready to buy.

So, how do you do all of the above (and more) at your company?

Take a deep dive into building a successful sales process from start to finish with this episode of B2B Power Hour.

B2B Power Plays

Top takeaways from this week’s conversation

Use Win/Loss Statement findings to close more deals.

🌟 Look at your five most recent wins and losses. Use the following framework to identify why each was a win or a loss:

  • Who was the first person who reached out to the potential buyer?
  • Who was involved in the deal? Determine the personas of each person involved from start to finish, including their job titles and roles in the buying process.
  • What were the sticking points?

This should give you an idea of the most viable segment to start your outbound process with. Focusing on one segment at a time allows you to create a more consistent high-level outreach framework.

➡️ Understand the transition from prospect to buyer.

Understanding the transition from a prospect to a buyer is a crucial aspect of any seller's research plan.

If you can capture your buyer the moment they switch from prospect to a buyer, it can have a huge impact on your sales process.

A lot of "hot leads" don't end up working out because they aren't actually buyers — they're prospects who are intent on solving a problem but don't know how yet, so they're brainstorming.

Building a relationship during their prospect phase and being the first person to reach out when they're finally ready to make a decision can help you come out on top.

✅ Always be validating.

This is the hardest piece of the sales process, because it's where good judgment comes in. After gathering intelligence and insights, you have to piece it all together, validating your evidence.  

Find out what your buyer's company is prioritizing that quarter or that year. Then, figure out the internal initiatives and the people who are feeling the problem the most. (Bonus points if you can quantify their problem!)

Write out a daily, weekly, and 30-day plan. Test reaching out to people on all phases of their buyer's journey — student, prospect, and buyer — and go from there.

Episode Highlights

Inflection points from the show

[3:56] Accusation audits: Nick breaks down the process of an accusation audit — an invaluable tool that helps sellers eliminate guesswork.

[10:50] Win/loss analysis: A win/loss analysis helps you understand the makings of a successful sales process. Deep dive into your last five wins and losses to try and figure out why they were (or weren't) successful with this framework.

[17:14] Proof of value: One of the largest disconnects in the sales process is proof of value. Talk to buyers to see what they thought they were getting versus what they said they got after the sale.

[20:57] Buyer's journey: A successful buyer's journey doesn't always start where you think it does. Instead of focusing on qualified prospects, target students of their craft who have yet to reach the prospect phase and curate a journey to help them along that path.

[34:23] List building and prioritization: Morgan explains how he builds and prioritizes his lists, starting with sales intelligence, proof of value, and identifying power users.  

[41:15] The testing phase: Once you have all your internal research, it's time to take your strategy into the wild and build the best sequence for your buyers based on real-life outreach results.

[46:40] Mapping the earthquake: Pull your most successful deals and map out everything that came before it — AKA "mapping the earthquake" — to look at all of the signs and symptoms contributing to success.

[52:40] Always be validating: Forget about the ABC's (Always Be Closing). Instead, always be validating and qualifying so you know what you need to look for as a seller to get the highest return on effort.

[55:35] Starting outreach: Start with whoever you have the most access to and the most experience you have to speak to their specific problem.

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