Maybe you believe that WFH regularly has increased your productivity. Or, you might be dying to get back in the office.
Regardless of where you stand, we’ve all had to pivot our routines as 2020 has unfolded. And the biggest absence that we’ve faced is the ability to socialize with our friends, family members, and professional network.
People are hungry for connection and have been looking to digital channels in the absence of face-to-face convos. In fact, social media engagement has increased by 61% over normal usage rates since stay-at-home restrictions began.
But between Slack messages, emails, and LinkedIn direct messages, how can salespeople stand out amidst the increased digital noise? More specifically, how can we easily adapt to different communications channels that are becoming popular?
Here are my top 4 strategies for selling remotely that you can use to build relationships with your prospects, including:
- Best Practices for Adjusting Your Email Outreach
- How to Leverage Social Media Channels
- Tips for Taking Advantage of Video
- How Sharing Grateful Gestures will Make an Impact
Strategy #1: Adjust Your Email Outreach
Reaching your leads and ensuring that they reply has always been the hardest part of sales. And an inability to connect with our desired partners while they’re removed from their office buildings has lengthened our regular email exchanges.
In your effort to break through the digital noise and stand out in your prospects’ inboxes, here are some suggestions:
Switch Up Your Timing
Whoever said, “timing is everything” wasn’t lying. The first technique that you should implement if you’re unable to get in contact with your targets involves switching up when you conduct your outreach.
Take note that according to ZoomInfo, email open rates increase after 12PM, with the most active period being between 2PM and 5PM. So after you’ve had lunch, start smashing that “send” button.
However, if you prefer to compose your emails in the AM, consider using a tool such as Boomerang for Gmail to automate your sends so that your messages are delivered in that 2-5 timeframe.
Optimize Your Messages for Mobile Devices
Since 40% of emails are opened on mobile first, it’s important to maximize different components of your email templates.
Specifically, try using your subject lines and email preheader text in order to catch your prospective partners’ attention.
Keep in mind that the average mobile screen can only fit 4 to 7 words max in the subject line, and mobile preheader text only displays between 30 and 55 characters—so choose your words wisely!
Keep it Personal
Did you know that incorporating personalization in your email subject lines can boost your cold email open rate by 22.2%?
An even more exciting stat? Personalizing your emails can actually increase your reply rate by 100%.
If you’re wondering how you can make your email messages more customized for your recipients, check out these 3 tips:
- Call your prospects out by naming them in your subject lines.
- Since 67% of B2B buyers list relevant communication as a major influence for choosing one provider over another, make sure that your messaging addresses their pain points or needs.
- Use an image to indicate that you prioritize relationship-building. Consider sprucing up your email templates by adding your headshot in your email signature so your leads can put a face to your name.
Strategy #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Get Social
There’s been a lot of social media chatter lately (particularly via LinkedIn). Don’t hesitate to leverage different social channels by viewing your prospects’ profiles, or jumping into digital conversations that they’re currently engaging in.
Think about the different details that you could learn from viewing your targets’ profiles, such as where they’re from, where they went to school, or what their personal hobbies or interests include.
Research conducted by Forbes indicates that 78% of salespeople engaged in social selling are outselling their peers who choose not to attempt this strategy. More specifically, 31% of B2B professionals claim that incorporating social selling has provided them with more opportunities to strengthen their relationships with their contacts.
Since over 10% of social sales reps have closed 5 or more deals by maintaining an active presence across multiple social media channels, in the absence of in-person meetings, we should transfer some of our old socialization skills towards these outlets.
Additionally, consider changing up your own social profiles to make them more friendly and conversational. This can be especially effective on LinkedIn, where you can customize your profile summary to come across as both inviting and professional.
Strategy #3: Take Advantage of Video
One medium that we all should become more acquainted with while WFH is video. Video is a great tool that sales professionals can leverage to follow up with prospects and explain ideas in more detail.
In order to gain some coveted face time with your leads, ask them if they’d be interested in having a call through Zoom or Google Hangouts. Even though you can’t physically meet with these contacts in-person, you can pretend as if you’re in the same room as them by maintaining your standard work attire and curating a professional background.
Plus, you can use video to see your prospects’ facial expressions, which will give you insight regarding their feelings towards your business or its products and services.
Strategy #4: Stand Out by Sharing a Grateful Gesture
One way to ensure that your outreach remains relevant and gets read by your desired buyers? Try sharing grateful gestures in your email outreach.
Including expressions of appreciation in your messages will not only help you stand out and bring a smile to your prospects’ face, but expressing how grateful you are for their potential business will allow you to reinforce the relationship.
These gestures don’t have to be elaborate: try composing a thoughtful “Thank You” note in order to demonstrate your appreciation towards your leads and their potential business. And you don’t even have to worry about handwriting these memos, since recipients of emailed expressions of gratitude tend to feel more “ecstatic” than expected.
A simple way to share grateful gestures with your prospects is by saying Thnks. Sending Thnks gestures with your key contacts, especially if they’re personalized in alignment with their preferences, will make you and your business more memorable.
Some examples of Thnks expressions that you can share include:
- A ‘Berried’ in Work Treat for the prospect who’s been inundated with a never-ending number of items on their To Do list.
- A Mid-Day Macchiato to help a potential partner power through his or her afternoon.
- An Ice Cream Shake so they can have an ex-straw-dinary day.
Unique Times Call for Creative Sales Techniques
Now’s the time for us to leverage the best parts of sales: relationship building and strategizing for how we can circumvent current challenges in our efforts to strengthen our connections.
Luckily, it’s as easy as saying Thnks.
Struggling to get in touch with your prospects during this difficult time? Thnks makes it easier to ensure that you continue building these relationships despite current obstacles. In a matter of seconds, you can search for the perfect gesture, personalize a note, and send it off via SMS or email. Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo!