Closing Time: quick insights from sales & marketing experts

How long do sellers have to gain trust during a cold call? 7 seconds. Whether you're using intent data or slightly warm leads, the first few seconds of that first outreach are the most important. But it's oftentimes where sellers miss the mark, by either pushing their product or failing to build trust and spark the prospect's curiosity. In this episode of Closing Time, Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectA...

Sellers: how are you creating connections, building trust, and cementing rapport without feeling inauthentic in a virtual first world?  The goal is to provide your prospects and customers with a unique experience online or via Zoom that captures their attention and makes you memorable for weeks after your call has ended. The million-dollar question is…how? The secret lies in being intentional in t...

AI services like ChatGPT and Bard are already impacting how marketing professionals generate content for SEO (search engine optimization). But most experts agree that high-performance content cannot be achieved simply by clicking a button. The human touch is necessary to be successful. In this episode of Closing Time, we're joined by Mitch Causey of Demandwell, an SEO growth platform, where he'll...

How you personalize your sales outreach can make or break your sales process. Show Me You Know Me (#SMYKM) is a concept that runs through every single part of your sales process, from the first email the buyer receives – to the 1,000th touchpoint you've had in a long-term client's engagement.  In this episode of Closing Time, we interview sales expert Sam McKenna and discuss some of the key compon...

It's easy for salespeople to get into a rut and deliver the same sales demo every time. Today's buyers won't have it…they'll watch a recording at their leisure if that's what they want. You've got to use that discovery call to its fullest potential and customize the experience to make the most of your prospect's time. In this episode of Closing Time, sales consultant Kim Cram talks with Insightly...

Not only should women have a seat at the table in sales and sales leadership, but your company is actually suffering without them. How much? Well, according to a study from Gong, women close 11% more deals than men. Yet, here we are in 2023, and the gender gap still exists. In this episode of Closing Time, Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, breaks down the gender gap...

What's in between a 'yes' and a signed deal? It's the proposal. The proposal is an opportunity to cement the deal or possibly lead it astray, so it's crucial to get it right. In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly's Chip House is joined by Keith Rabkin, CRO at PandaDoc. With more than 50,000 customers, the team at PandaDoc has some insights into what works – and what doesn't – when it comes to...

80% of a B2B buyer's time is spent researching products and evaluating options independently, and only 20% is spent meeting with a sales rep. As information sharing becomes more readily available for buyers, will the salesperson's job eventually become obsolete? In 2015, Forrester predicted that 1 million B2B sales jobs would be eliminated by 2020 because of buyers' easy access to information. But...

Account-based marketing (ABM) can be a more efficient way to drive higher-value deals, reduce lead lifecycle, and increase revenue for B2B businesses. The catch? Successful ABM strategies require complete alignment and support from your sales and marketing teams - and experienced go-to-market leaders know just how challenging that alignment part can be. John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Marketing...

Too many salespeople use the same playbook for every buyer, every time. In 2023, that is a recipe for disaster or – at the very least – missing your sales quota. In this episode of Closing Time, learn from marketing and CX expert Jay Baer how to customize the three essential elements of sales follow-up communication – cadence, content, and channel – to turn more prospects into leads and more leads...

You're interrupting your prospect's day. You have 10 seconds on a cold call to pique their interest and provide some sort of value before they inevitably say, "I'm not interested." What is your response? According to Charlotte Lloyd, sales consultant and outbound sales guru, there are quite a few options available to you to not only respond but continue the conversation productively and increase y...

Chat leads inherently have high intent. This person is on your website and wants to engage with your team - amazing! Do you know how to best align your sales and marketing teams to get the most out of prospect chats? Join Insightly CMO Chip House and Drift CMO Katie Foote for this episode of Closing Time as they talk through effective ways to thoughtfully route chat leads to maximize their potenti...

Your RevOps team is the key to launching and maintaining a high growth trajectory for your business. In this episode of Closing Time, Dave Osborne is joined by Eddie Reynolds, a RevOps consultant and CEO of Union Square Consulting, to hear about a model Eddie developed while working with high-growth businesses. Dave and Eddie will talk through sales ops, marketing ops, and RevOps. Then, they'll br...

The B2B sales compensation market shifts quickly – how are you keeping up in 2023? In this episode of Closing Time, we've invited Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, to break down what's driving the sales compensation market, risks to be aware of, and the importance of a strong sales hiring process. Why do A-players leave? Find out!    Want to stock your bookshelf on...

You've heard about ChatGPT in the news and online, but how exactly does it benefit Go-to-Market professionals? In this episode of Closing Time, columnist, author, and host of the Paychex Thrive business podcast Gene Marks joins Insightly's Chip House on Closing Time to go over five areas where you can start using ChatGPT today to save on resources and time. Actionable tips for salespeople, markete...

Looking to supercharge your outbound sales strategy in 2023? Most sales leaders use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to fuel their outbound sales process. But, as we have learned, very few have mastered it. In this episode of Closing Time, LinkedIn Ambassador Sam McKenna, does a deep dive into LinkedIn Sales Navigator to showcase how users are underutilizing the tool and highlight features and tips most s...

Are MQLs dead? Marketers have relied on generating Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) for years, using them as a critical metric to measure success. But treating all MQLs the same is a mistake.  John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Media, joins Chip House in this episode of Closing Time to talk about the paid media strategies that drive MQLs. He'll also talk through how the source of your MQLs results...

Buyers – especially in B2B – learn about products and services in various ways. As social media platforms like TikTok continue to gain popularity, it becomes increasingly difficult for marketers to track web traffic and social engagement with traditional analytics tools. Enter the phenomenon of dark social – something that is guaranteed to impact your brand. Author and CEO of Zen Media, Shama Hyde...

Happy Women's History Month! Female salespeople are statistically proven to have better outcomes (e.g. more wins) than their male colleagues, and yet the profession is still male-dominated.  In this episode of Closing Time, sales leader Charlotte Lloyd dives into this phenomenon, looking at what attracts and repels women from the profession and how women salespeople can find the right businesses t...

No one wants to receive a "check-in." In fact, it might be the worst follow-up email to send (or receive). No value. No update. No bueno. Instead of the same tired cadence, the most effective salespeople use content marketing resources – blogs, articles, reports, podcasts, videos, and more – to generate interest, capture demand, and close more deals.  In this episode of Closing Time, Jay Baer disc...

How do you make a go-to-market plan? Which motion and strategy do you choose? Which is best for your business? If you've asked yourself any of those questions, then this is the Closing Time episode for you. Join Insightly CMO Chip House as he interviews Sangram Vajre, CEO of GTM Partners on the 7 types of go-to-market. They'll review the growth lever associated with each and who is responsible for...

To connect with your prospects and convert them into paying customers, one of the most powerful stories you can share during the sales process to accelerate trust is a customer success story. In this episode of Closing Time, podcaster, speaker, and storytelling expert Ravi Rajani shares his "ACORN" checklist for crafting a compelling sales success story. Several key ingredients go into crafting a...

Having trouble forecasting 1-2 quarters out? Feeling reactive rather than proactive? Hold out hope for big deals to save the quarter? You're not alone. In this episode of Closing Time, Sangram Vajre, CEO of GTM Partners, shares the results of a recent survey of 250 go-to-market leaders in sales, marketing, and customer service. He'll cover the top 5 go-to-market challenges and how you can enable y...

The prospect has the budget. They have the authority. They have the need. But timing? "Sorry, we'll have to push this project for six months." Overcoming this lack of urgency is tough – but not impossible, and Closing Time has got you covered. You've got to help them recognize the negative consequences of their current state. In this episode, we hear from Doug Landis, former Chief Storyteller and...

60% of well-qualified deals will end in no decision due to the fear of change or choice paralysis. Why? Salespeople fail to turn sales discovery calls into actual business conversations. Doug Landis, former Chief Storyteller and VP of Sales Productivity & Enablement at Box, joins us for this episode of Closing Time to review the steps to building a real business conversation before the call. He'll...