Hydrate Your Sales

I don’t need leads. I need relationships.

It's interesting that so much is invested in the former when that will never take pipelines, revenue, or community as far as the latter.

The unwelcome volume of solicitations flying in from LinkedIn, email, and text, signal three (3) sharp shifts in today's speed-to-close, thirsty sales approach.

1) They Think Cold Is Cool. It Ain’t.

If I want something, I’ll find it. True demand wants to be connected, not convinced. The work of relationship construction parallels that of investment; meaning, it feeds the long-game. In the b2b context where budgets can easily exist in the tens of millions, assuming someone will positively respond to relationally detached outreach is a gamble. One that often irks decision makers and widens the gap that defines the connective dissonance.

In recent years, the value of digital lead gen has been diluted by the sprinted pace and high volume of go-to-market packaging offered in droves by trad marketing agencies and antiquated third-party list pushers. Even the most targeted database of names and emails will never equate to nor outperform facilitated introductions. When adding the heightened distrust of PII data policy and management, reimagining ROI-producing strategies for connecting people and product becomes imperative.

2) Artificial Intelligence Has Y'all Gassed. Govern Your Pedal.

Be wary of wasting decision makers’ time. Your business support services immediately present as low-tier and show less value when preceded by automated inboxing and “personalized” messages that place my company headquarters in the wrong city or incorrectly cite a social affiliation from my alma mater. Why should anyone trust what derives from falsely contrived communication?

Standards of successful sales still include being familiar with those with whom you want to do business. A little research goes far; the ideal and most basic job for your favorite generative platform. Product and service differentiation starts with the one who is presenting it. In an era of glossy profile pics and em dash abuse, standing out in sincerity is becoming invaluable currency. Committing to it signals the kind of provider efficacy that enterprise expenditures require.

AI has a place. But where relationships are concerned, authentic intelligence... intention... interaction will always be best practice.

3) Sales Thirst Commoditizes What Your Prospects Value.

Don’t cheapen what’s important to me by seeking to leverage it for a quick win. If you know my corporate objectives are focused on transformation and community impact, why approach with products that champion simple transaction? Read the room and make the investment to be in it.

Solutions that fuel private sector revenue, municipal efficiency, and nonprofit momentum require a level of customized development and active collaboration. Generic content, pre-packaged software, and reseller pitches disguised as consultative roadmaps show that you’re only prioritizing the prospect for the sake of pipeline.

Essential Principle of Sustainable Sales Success: Free your prospects and customers from the funnel paradigm and invite them into the partnership path.

Understand what they value and weigh your offering(s) against that. If what you bring fits the need and the timing, progress is pending. If not, keep in touch and keep it moving. You have a lot more opportunity than your ICP suggests. So, be genuine. Be helpful. Be strategic. And be cool.

But don’t be thirsty.

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A Word on the Lingo

• ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): The strategic identification of the people who a provider wants as customers and/or are most likely to purchase certain products and services. This typically includes demographic or firmographic data that define priority sales prospects (e.g. Director or Manager Titles with 100-2,500 vehicles, including vans and light duty trucks, located in the mid-Atlantic U.S.)

• Lead Gen (Generation): The process of producing and gauging the interest of viable sales prospects for a particular product or service. This can be achieved through digital, print, and in-person engagement. Compiling or curating a database from internet/AI-enabled scraping or third-party list acquisition does not constitute lead generation.

• PII (Personally Identifiable Information): The data related to an indivdual which can include full name, phone number, email addresses, biometric records, driver license, social security number, and more. Depending on the platform, company, or institution where this information is held, shared, or sold, it can be classified as sensitive or publicly accessible.

Stay hydrated...

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