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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Jeb Blount
Read between
March 19 - March 28, 2019
“Hi, my name is Jeb Blount, I'm with XYX Company. The reason I'm here is ABC Company next door is one of my customers and they said I should stop in and introduce myself to your owner, Mary.” “Hi, my name is Jeb Blount, I'm with XYX Company. The reason I stopped by is I provide my service to several of the businesses in this industrial park and I wanted to learn more about your company and situation to see whether or not working with you might be a good fit.” “Hi, my name is Jeb Blount, I'm with XYX Company. The reason I stopped by is to speak to Jerry Richards. I've been following your
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Gather information.
Ask for what you want. If you don't ask, you won't get.
Turn around objections.
19 E-Mail Prospecting
Rule #1: Your E-Mail Must Get Delivered
Don't send bulk e-mail.
Avoid attaching images.
Avoid hyperlinks.
Avoid embedding the URL in text. Include the entire URL for complete transparency. Avoid shortened URLs that obscure the website address. Limit the total number of URLs to one—including any links in your e-mail signature.
Avoid attachments.
Skip spammy words and phrases. What you say and how you say it can trigger spam filters. For example, using ALL CAPS in a subject line, adding lots of exclamation points, or using words like free or “special buy now!” can light up spam filters like a Christmas tree.
Rule #2: Your E-Mail Must Get Opened
Familiarity Gets Your E-Mail Opened
For example, you might call and leave a voice mail, ping them on LinkedIn, and follow that up with an e-mail (or vice versa). This “triple threat” increases familiarity
More than 50 characters in your subject line and the open rate goes down exponentially.
A Good Prospecting E-Mail Begins with a Great Plan
The worst e-mails are: Long, important-sounding pitches using incomprehensible jargon—a lot of words with no meaning Feature-focused product dumps Cheerleaders who blab on and on about their “amazing” company, product, or service The ones that get my name wrong—seriously, it is Jeb: three letters The long ones that cause eyes to glaze over. WTF, we live in the age of Twitter, text messaging, infographics, OMGs, and LOLs. Prospects have the attention span of mosquitos.
Consider your audience.
What is their role? What do you know about their style? How do they consume information? When do they consume information? How familiar are they with you?
Tailor the message to your audience.
Define your desired outcome.
The Four Elements of an Effective Prospecting E-Mail
Hook: Get their attention with a compelling subject line and opening sentence/statement. Relate: Demonstrate that you get them and their problem. Show empathy and authenticity. Bridge: Connect the dots between their problem and how you can help them. Explain the WIIFM. Ask: Be clear and straightforward about the action you want them to take, and make it easy for them to do so.
Here is an example of an e-mail to a COO of a bank. It leverages the four-step framework: Subject: COO—The Toughest Job in the Bank Lawrence, Ernst & Young recently reported that the COO has the toughest role in the C-suite. The COOs I work with tell me that the increasing complexity of the banking environment has made their job harder and more stressful than ever. My team and I help COOs like you reduce complexity and stress with strategies to optimize growth and profit, mitigate credit risk, allocate resources effectively, and minimize regulatory surprises. While I don't know if we are a
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Dave disrupts expectations. He tells Lawrence up front that he might not be a good fit for his bank. That is exactly the opposite of what Lawrence would expect of a salesperson. Unlike pitching that pushes prospects away, disrupting expectations pulls prospects towards you.
Practice, Practice, Practice
20 Text Messaging
Familiarity Is Everything with Text
Seven Rules for Structuring Effective Text Prospecting Messages
Identify yourself.
Message matters.
Be direct—be brief.
Keep the text to one to four short sentences or less than 250 characters when possible.
Avoid abbreviations.
Use transparent links.
Before clicking “send”—pause and read it again.
Know your numbers.
Track the number of texts you send each day, response rates, and conversions into appointments and, ultimately, sales.
21 Developing Mental Toughness
Self-confidence Attention control Minimizing negative energy Increasing positive energy Maintaining motivation levels Attitude control Visual and imagery control
Quitting is a choice. Most people when faced with challenges quit too soon—often right as they are on the cusp of success. This is especially true with salespeople in new sales jobs. Starting a new sales job and taking on new challenges is frustratingly hard. There are many dark days when you feel like all you do is fail and there is no hope. As you get closer to breaking through, things actually seem bleaker. You are tired, beat-up, and worn-down. It is at this point that mental toughness in the form of faith and persistence takes you the last mile. Winston Churchill said that “when you are
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In their book Never Hire a Bad Salesperson again, Dr. Chris Croner and Richard Abraham describe mental toughness in salespeople using three dimensions.4
Optimism:
Competitiveness:
Need for achievement:
Four Pillars of Mental Toughness in Sales
Desire
