In a 2019 HubSpot study, more than 40% of salespeople say that prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process, followed by closing (36%) and qualifying (22%). If your sales team finds prospecting to be the most difficult part of their job, they’re not alone. If you’re not seeing the needle move in your sales process, you may need to re-evaluate your prospecting approach.
This Sales Development Technology Report from TOPO reveals the following insights about prospecting.
- “Sales development organizations should use multiple sources for contact data. SDRs need contact data providers to allow them to 1) find prospects 2) research prospects and 3) reach prospects by phone and email.” Social media networks such as LinkedIn have become sources of contact data for sales development teams, but there is a gap when it comes to integrating these contacts with a more robust messaging system for effective prospecting. This results in 89.9% of companies using two or more sources of contact data to fulfill the needs of sales development.
- “Technology can greatly improve the number and quality of SDR touches. Sales email applications have overtaken traditional email applications and email automation platforms as SDRs’ primary means of outreach.”
- “Dialing automation is enabling SDRs to compete with severely low connect and call-back rates. It takes 18 or more dials to connect with a prospect over the phone and call-back rates are below 1%. Despite its inefficiency, the phone remains a critical touch point in SDR outreach.”
Investments You Can Make to Improve SaaS Prospecting
Without a strategic approach, SaaS sales teams could either repel future customers or leave them uninterested in you & your product. So how do you seek out and draw better prospects? Consider investing in the following:
- The right process. Your sales team members may have the energy that could rival that of the Energizer Bunny. But without strategy, individual team members could end up doing their own thing to the detriment of your sales process. Have a plan in place from pre-customer outreach all the way to closing and beyond.
- The right tools. There is a plethora of automation resources available to help your sales team generate more leads both in quantity and quality. In addition to primary contact sources such as LinkedIn, invest in tools that automate your call and email outreach. There is nothing wrong with traditional email and phone calls but forward thinking sales teams will automate these. Other processes you should consider automating are your marketing (to nurture leads and deliver value) and analytics (for predictive data and reporting on current customers).
- The right people. Without the right people, your tools won’t work well for you. To accelerate your growth, your sales team needs to be managed well and in tune with the best that your business has to offer. Applications can execute desired actions but it takes people with a firm grasp of effective sales strategies, as well as your company culture—which leads us to the third investment below.
- The right culture. What’s your company vision and how does that trickle down to your team? Does your company culture reflect what your startup or business values the most? Invest some time to develop and articulate what your business is truly about, distilled in key messaging. Even the most solid lead generation and enrichment process can flop if there’s a gap between your team and company culture. Make it a priority to train your sales team as well and foster their development.
With these elements in play, you’re well on your way to upping your prospecting game.
Grow Your Revenue with Better SaaS Prospecting
Sharpen your outreach and prospecting with UpRoar Partners, and watch your revenue grow with our proven processes. Our team researches your market and ICP to build the right messaging and modern approach to catching the attention of your buyers. Ready to accelerate your growth? Reach out for a no-obligation consultation today!
