It is no surprise that SaaS sales prospecting is no cakewalk. It requires arduous attention, effort as well as time from your end. In fact, prospecting is regarded as one of the toughest part of the entire sales process and demands long hours of identifying clients, writing mails, and calling them up, that too thankless. On top of that, the pressure of the situation, and the time constraints make it worse. On that note, this post will walk you through the ins and outs of SaaS sales prospecting and how to do it right. Without any further ado, let us get started with the list right away.
Table of Contents
- Zero in on your existing clientele
- Prep up with enough Research
- Learn the subtle art of building relationships
- Pay special heed to Marketing Automation
- Cold calls to the rescue
- Start Leveraging social channels
1. Zero in on your existing clientele
Networking is one of the best spin-offs of sales prospecting. And why shouldn’t be the case? Now that you have given a good amount of time in building strong relationships with your customers in portraying how you can add value to their lives, why not do the same for their networks, friends, and colleagues? When you have the referrals of these existing clientele, you tend to have a good chance in converting those prospects into loyal customers as well. And if you are able to generate substantial referrals in a short span of time, you are actually selling way smarter than the traditional methods.
2. Prep up with enough Research
It is possible that your first call or email to your prospect might be your first connect, that does not mean that it is your first chance to find out more about them, their demands, and expectations from your brand. Had you given a little research and effort to anticipate their needs in advance, you could have gone a long way in closing the deal already. A well-done research will help you break the ice with your clients, know their deals in advance and understand their expectations from your brand.
3. Learn the subtle art of building relationships
Although at the end of the day, it is all about the number of accounts you closed and the volume of sales you generated, it is equally about the relationships you made with your customers. If you start to treat every prospect just like a race to close the deal, you will defiantly end up unhappy. A prospect does not want to deal with those traditional sales techniques where you sound like a robot to close the deal. Neither do they want you to be pushy and too adamant to make this sale? On the contrary, they simply want the reps to listen to their issues and take note of their demands. It is as simple as that. Active listening and attention is all they want.
4. Pay special heed to Marketing Automation
The seller’s answer to the new buyer’s journey is in fact marketing automation. With the help of marketing automation tools, you tend to serve the right message to the right audience at the right time. When you tag these tools on your site, converting them into sales is much easier. In simple words, without marketing automation, you are shooting in the air without any aim. Kindly note that you can easily close deals when your leads are thoroughly nurtured over time and when they see you as a thought leader in the industry.
5. Cold calls to the rescue
No, cold calling is not an outdated sales technique and neither is it dead. Calling is an essential element in sales prospecting especially when your clients are from the C-level category. Before setting up your first call, make sure that you have a script, that way you will not be caught off-guard. Opt for a warmer reception by familiarizing the client with your brand’s name and the purpose of you calling them. Also, enquire if it is the right time to talk and move swiftly into your pivotal point of discussion.
6. Start Leveraging social channels
Do not just rely on developing a relationship with your prospect to show them that you are an expert in the industry. You know that you must respect their time and schedule. And that is why it is more than necessary to prove your audience about your skills and expertise in the industry. One of the best platforms to prove your mettle is Quora. This kind of Q & A forums will help you carve that expertise and prove your audience that you can be easily trusted. When your prospects see you on such social channels, their trust, as well as respect for your brand, will simultaneously increase, thereby making your SaaS sales prospecting easier.
Parting Thoughts
Even though the SaaS sales prospecting of yesterday is seeing new changes as compared to the SaaS sales prospecting of today, some things still stay the same. As discussed following these 6 golden rules to stay on top of your sales prospecting. This includes, zeroing on your existing clientele, prepping up with enough research, learning the subtle art of building relationships, paying special heed to marketing automation, keeping cold calls to the rescue, and last but not the least, leveraging social channels. Start deploying each of these techniques and you will surely start to see the changes in a short span of time.
Highly accomplished, motivated, and adaptable sales and operations professional with a track record of successful leadership. Known for an empathetic and consultative approach that consistently exceeds growth and revenue goals.
Published October 29, 2021, Updated June 28, 2023
