4 Skills Sales Reps Need to Get the Most Out of ConnectAndSell

The average ConnectAndSell (CAS) client gets somewhere around seven connects and one scheduled meeting per hour. While those numbers are impressive, it takes more than buying software to get there. The teams at ExecVision and Vorsight have been using ConnectAndSell for years. Along the way, we’ve discovered what it takes to maximize your ROI from CAS. Here is how your sales team can get the most out of ConnectAndSell:

There are two key factors often overlooked when implementing ConnectAndSell:

1. Lists
2. Conversion Rates

Good sales skills or the lack thereof in the first steps of the sale process are only amplified by sales acceleration platforms. Be sure your reps are well-versed in these four skills to maximize your ConnectAndSell ROI:

1. Pre-Call Research

Reps should be manually cleaning up the lists they pull from databases and researching the account/prospect prior to the call. ConnectAndSell will get you past gatekeepers and phone trees, but if you skip pre-call research you’ll find yourself faltering in those crucial first seconds. Reps not only need to do the research, but they also need to use it in their conversations, otherwise, it’s a waste of time.

2. Building & Using ‘Hot Lists’

‘Hot lists’ are comprised of high-quality prospects, so using them for CAS sessions is a no-brainer. If your team isn’t regularly building, updating, and using ‘hot lists’ backed up with easy to scan CRM notes, you should get the habit started. ConnectAndSell is an efficient way to make first touches when people are busy, making it easier to schedule a meeting on the second touch.

3. Strong Call Lead-Ins

Knowing how the first 10-30 seconds of a call should flow is critical for fast-paced CAS sessions. Preparation, training, and coaching are essential. Be sure reps are thinking about:

• Whether to use the voice pre-recording in the platform or the standard beep
• How they continue: Do they ask the prospect for permission or barrel straight into the value prop?
• Which mechanisms to use to warm up the conversation
• How they confirm they’re speaking to the right person
• Using their pre-call research!

A strong lead in will make the transition from cold call to conversation easy and natural.

4. Mastery of the Value Prop

Any rep should be able to articulate what your organization or client does plus how it’s different in just two sentences. This can be hard to do well, especially for outside appointment setting firms, but mastering it comes with huge payoff. True value prop masters know how to add some flair by challenging the status quo, using a metaphor, or adding a short but sweet client story.

ConnectAndSell is a powerful sales development acceleration tool if you know what you’re doing. If your reps have mastered the four skills above, CAS sessions will help them maximize their time while making first touches and scheduling meetings.

Steve Richard originally posted a version of this blog on FunnelClarity. Updated April 2018 for republishing.