By Nikki Damaschino, Area Vice President, Salesforce
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Account executives’ time is precious and they have a ton on their plate. The demands and expectations can be overwhelming: feeding the pipeline, forecasting, preparing presentations, cold calling, the list goes on and on.
But some activities do not need a huge time investment for quick wins and results. It often comes down to actually budgeting the time and setting it aside. Here are a few 10-minute activities AEs can incorporate into their daily or weekly routine right away.
Revive Latent Accounts in 10 Minutes
Latent accounts don’t have to stay that way. First and foremost, you need to pick up the phone and call the customer. The person you’re most afraid to call is usually the person you should be speaking with. Do your homework, take a genuine interest in how that company ticks, and be relentless in your pursuit of how you’re going to get in the door. It doesn’t take long to do this—it’s the actual act of getting around to it or putting fear aside.
Accelerate an Enterprise Sales Cycle in 10 Minutes
You can also take 10 minutes each day to accelerate an enterprise sales cycle. The number one strategy is to avoid a single-threaded approach to an account. It’s never just one person, so you need to know all of the decision-makers. Be sure to leverage the full power of your team to strategically touch every contact within your account. And always have the end-game in mind.
Prep for Sales Presentation in 10 Minutes
If you’re preparing for a large, executive meeting with a customer, set aside 10 minutes to really think about the problem you’re trying to solve. During a sales presentation, customers want you to show up with the solution to their pain-point or the change their current experience.
Eighty percent of selling is done when we’re not in the room. So what is the story you’re going to tell? And, in turn, the story the meeting attendees can retell to their manager or peers? Taking 10 minutes to simply outline and brainstorm the solution, ROI, and implementation plan will guide you in better sales presentation development for an individual customer.
Strengthen Relationships in 10 Minutes
It actually only takes a few minutes to strengthen your relationships and show your commitment to a customer. Successful AEs will always send a follow-up email summarizing what was discussed in the meeting the same day or at least within 24 hours of the meeting. And, if it’s been awhile, do a check in with your customer or provide some helpful content. Without a doubt, it is always worth the time.
Cold Calls in 10 Minutes
OK, let’s admit it—not many reps are fans of cold calling. But making it part of a daily 10-minute ritual gets the job done to feed the pipeline and potential leads. Cold calling in snack-size bites of time removes some of the drudgery. And try calling first thing in the morning! Not only do you get it out of the way, but you’re more likely to reach contacts.
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