For a while now, HubSpot has had a Pipeline Generation Bootcamp for agency partners. It’s an in-depth course that teaches you how to optimize your sales pipeline and start generating more leads/sales.

Needless to say, Dan Tyre has a lot to teach you from attending the Pipeline Generation Bootcamp. Amongst all the crucial lessons, these were the six things that most stood out:

You must set yourself apart from the rest

A position statement basically states your position within your market. It informs consumers of what you’ve got to offer, but it also goes one step further than this. Your position statement should also outline what makes you different from the rest. How is your company a better choice than any of your rivals? Here, you need to describe your key selling points and what you offer that nobody else does.

The niches the richest, so with a position statement, you instantly capture people’s attention as you show them leader thought in your industry. Target the main challenges of your target audience and address them in this statement.

Forget cold calling, it’s all about warm calling these days

Phone calls are still an effective way of generating leads through your pipeline. However, the key lesson from the Pipeline Generation Bootcamp is that cold calling is dead. Nobody likes cold callers, most people hang up after a few seconds, but warm calling is a different matter.

Warm calling is where you do plenty of research into your prospects before calling them. Show that you’ve done a lot of thinking and have some common points to talk about. It’s less of a hard sales pitch and more of a conversation. Address some of the key challenges you know they’re facing, then talk about what you can do to make things better.

Create more structure with business & personal goals

Having business goals helps you provide more structure to your sales process. They should be short and long-term goals that you deem achievable. For example, a short-term goal of securing 50 leads in a week. Goals keep you focused and give you something to work towards and use as a measure of your success.

Personal goals are also crucial as they help to keep things in perspective. You need a good work-life balance if you want to make it in sales. Your personal goals can give you some release away from work, which can help lessen the burden on your shoulders and decrease your stress levels.

Listening is just as important as talking

‘Stroke chin’ basically refers to thinking hard and active listening. Effectively, you should be engaged with your client when you’re on the phone, thinking so hard that you’re sat there stroking your chin. Your prospect can feel your active listening over the phone. The first time I did it with a real estate operation manager, he told me that I am an excellent sales person.

The idea is that you need to listen to all of your prospects when they talk to you. Think about every little thing they’re talking about, and consider their main issues. Then, use encouraging words like ‘tell me more’ to get them to open up. Be aware of their tone (and body language if you’re talking face-to-face) and adapt your approach accordingly. If they sound aggrieved or upset, then make your tone sympathetic, etc. It shows you’re paying attention, and they’ll open up and talk for longer.

You’re a helper not a seller

One of the main things that the Pipeline Generation Bootcamp discussed was the power of help. Stop thinking about selling stuff to people and start thinking about helping them. You can help everybody but do your research about the company and the prospect before you pick up the phone.

Obviously, you need to sell! However, you should approach each prospect by providing them with help and guidance. Offer advice, talk about how you can help them, rather than just diving in with a rehearsed sales pitch. People are more likely to buy from you if you offer help instead of trying to show a product/service down their throat.

What’s more, if you can’t help someone, then don’t bother. Hang up the phone, say sorry for wasting your time, and move on. There’s no point banging against a door if nobody’s home – you’ll just waste valuable time that could be spent speaking to a more suitable prospect.

Harness the power of social selling

Lastly, social selling is a fundamental part of the modern sales pipeline. It’s the art of using social media to acquire new prospects and sell things to them. You do this by answering any of their questions, providing value in the content you produce, and just generally showing that you can help them.

In this day and age, we must consider all the various avenues for generating leads, and social media is one that you can’t afford to ignore!

Conclusion

All things considered, the Pipeline Generation Bootcamp will teach you a lot about finding leads and closing sales. Think about all six of the things we’ve discussed in this article, and they will all contribute to developing a far better sales strategy for your company.