It’s 2023. It’s really cold outside where I reside in Kansas City – home of (Patrick Mahomes and) our Chiefs. As I await and anticipate (hopefully) a successful playoff run, I got to thinking of what successful sales organizations do to eliminate these gaps.
As you may know, I continue to help/support sales teams and individual contributors achieve their sales goals by filling up their sales pipelines with qualified leads.
The reason we have had sustained success is because we are filling these Top Five Sales Gaps.
Here are the Top Five Gaps in Sales for 2022:
1. Only 2% of sales happen during the first point of contact.
{Source: IRC Sals Solutions}
Many people will use LinkedIn to find and confirm a contact. Then they will try to connect or send a cold email with no follow ups.
2. 44% of sales reps give up after an initial conversation.
{Source: IRC Sals Solutions}
They say it takes 8-10 tries to convert a potential customer into a buyer. You got to make the time to follow up.
3. 60% of customers reject offers 4x before making a purchasing decision. Persistence pays off.
{Source: Invespcro}
Some people can’t handle a No. Some hate prospecting. Some hate follow ups.
4. 66.7% of sales reps say they have only reached out to 250 or less sales leads in the span of a year.
{Source: Spotio}
With platforms like LinkedIn, you should be connected with every decision maker in your space and be in the ball game.
5. Only 8% of sales professionals follow up 6 or more times.
{Source: IRC Sales Solutions}
LinkedIn, Emails, telephone, automation tools, knock on the door. Oh my goodness there are so many ways to follow up in 2023.
Summary
It all comes down to FOLLOW UP….and if you break that down, it comes down to TIME and CONSISTENCY.
Everyone is capable…but if you don’t make the time, you’ll never be consistent.
Here is my 2023 challenge to you.
Make the time…..but look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. If you are not going to do it, outsource it.
Help your support team become more strategic. Let’s say you have a marketing team that is supposed to support the reps. Help the sales team and marketing team get aligned and become more strategic.
Discover your gap. Fill it.
