Understanding prospect priorities

Nate discusses the drawbacks of a common "breakup" email used in sales.

He critiques the approach of asking prospects if they've given up on solving a problem, suggesting it can be counterproductive:

1. Misleading problem perception:

   • The email implies there might not be a real problem.

   • Genuine problems don't lead prospects to simply give up.

2. Misplaced assumptions:

   • The prospect may have given up on the seller, not the problem.

   • They might have chosen a different partner or path.

3. De-prioritization vs. giving up:

   • De-prioritizing is a strategic decision, not giving up.

   • Executives often shift focus to other priorities.

Example of alternative email strategy:

Subject: Checkout Project Kickoff

Hey Erica,

Seems like eComm shifted focus, or kicked off their checkout project already.

Either way’s cool. But our Success team’s still holding time for you just in case.

(We'd need to kickoff by March 31, to be ready for summer shopping season.)

What can I let them know?

Engaging prospects with relevant messaging

Anthony outlines key elements for crafting effective cold outbound emails.

He emphasizes the importance of making the email relevant and focused on the prospect rather than the sender.

Key email components:

1. Relevant reason: Clearly state why you're reaching out.

2. Context: Explain why the reason is pertinent to the prospect.

3. Problem statement: Connect the relevance and context to a specific issue.

4. Proof points: Provide evidence of how you've solved similar problems.

5. Call to action: Engage the prospect by gauging their interest.

Example email for Gong:

Hey NAME,

Saw Intrado had a few recent leadership shifts and recently released the 911 PSAP Video. ← (observation)

Typically with new leadership and a new product release means an emphasis on scaling service delivery and ongoing support. ← (context of the problem)

It’s hard to scale those efforts when there is little insight into how your team is interacting with your customers. ← (problem statement)

Gong recently helped Genesys and ServiceTitan achieve X outcome.

Is this something you’re running into?

-Name

Using Six Sigma to improve sales emails

Justin points out that many salespeople struggle with ineffective messaging.

He proposes a method to improve email outreach:

• Select 100 targets.

• Perform an A/B test by splitting them into two groups of 50.

• Change only one element in the email template for each group.

Practical steps:

1. Send 100 emails with different subject lines.

2. Choose the subject line with a higher open rate.

3. Send 100 more emails, changing one aspect of the email body.

4. Select the body with a better reply rate.

5. Send another 100 emails, altering the call to action (CTA).

6. Opt for the CTA with the highest booking rate.

This approach is based on the Six Sigma concept, which helped Johnson succeed as a B2B rep. He encourages trying this method to see what works best.