Sean Lund-Brown

In the world of sales, you have access to a whole new arsenal of tools today. Technology is making it easier than ever for sales teams to improve their operations, streamline customer databases, and ensure that they have the most relevant, useful information about customers in their hands as possible. There are many services available to assist with that. Even if you do it all yourself, you’ll want to consider adding data enrichment to your list.

When you know how to pinpoint the right buyer personas for your company, you can cut out bad leads and connect with those most likely to convert.

In the business world, the sales structure is changing. Thanks to the digital global economy, more companies are outsourcing to remote teams that can do the same work as employees, but at a fraction of the cost and often with more expertise and experience. Outbound sales outsourcing is also referred to as SDR-as-a-Service, which essentially means you’re using outsourced sales reps to handle your business.

When you start cold calling, you can’t just grab the list and pick up the phone. You could, but you’re not going to get the kind of results that you want. There is a huge strategy at play with cold calls, and it’s only gotten more important to come up with a solid plan for managing this part of your business. Prioritizing your cold call list(s) will ensure that you are reaching out to the right prospects at the right time, and more.

If you’re in the market for a receptionist, outsourcing to a third-party provider or company is one of the options on your list. People like this option because it often allows them to get more for their money than hiring in-house. These companies also specialize in receptionist duties and admin work, giving them a leg up on any other admin professional. Of course, there are several types of receptionist services out there today. Choosing the best one can prove to be a bit of a challenge if you’re not sure what to look for.

If you’re looking to make the best impression, you have to do it from the moment that the interaction begins—right when you answer the phone. There is an entire industry dedicated to researching customer behavior and interactions to ensure that call centers, receptionists, and other professionals know how to answer the phone and deliver the professional image that their brand is trying to project.

The phone is always ringing—or at least, it should be if business is good. And yet, you don’t exactly want to be tethered to the desk all day or have your time eaten up by fielding phone calls left and right. How are you supposed to find the balance? As a decision-maker or business owner, it’s your job to talk to people and make sure that everyone who contacts your company gets what they need. That starts by answering the phone.

Choosing the right way to field phone calls can quite literally make or break your business. When your startup has grown to the point that you’re no longer capable of fielding the calls on your own, you need to invite in professional help. Of course, that insinuates bringing in the right kind of help. What that means is a little different for everyone, but typically it involves a custom solution like outsourcing to a specialized answering service (like the dedicated virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, but more on us later).

When you’re making sales calls, the more time you spend trying to reach the decision-maker, the less time you’re spending on the actual sales process. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be the impossible task that it’s been in the past. If you do a little bit of research and planning, you’ll find yourself getting the decision-makers on the phone faster and even getting more of their attention than you might have on your own. Here are five tips to get you on the right track and get you to the right person on more calls for a better chance of conversions and closes.

Sales is a bit more complex of an industry than some people realize. Being successful in this field, like any, involves taking the time to define the right roles and make sure that you have people in the correct positions to leverage the best chances of success. A sales team is made up of several different roles. Some organizations may have different roles or team members than others, but almost every organization can benefit from the roles of a BDR and an SDR, respectively.