Ever wonder when the best time of day is to send an email? 

The answer is between five minutes of and five minutes after every hour. 

Why is that? Well, think about it. Those 10 minutes are exactly the 10 minutes that people are spending their time doing what? Going to meetings and leaving other meetings. The number one place people look down at their phone and check their email. 

Why do I reserve my cold calling for the top 10 minutes of every hour on the clock? Because I want to improve my odds of being in the top seven emails in their inbox. That’s the magic number. If you become the eighth email in their inbox, you will statistically never be read. 

People look at up to seven emails at a time before they leave their email and look at something else. I’ve got to be in the top seven and so do you. If all you do is change your timing of your emails, you could see significant improvement in open and conversion rates.

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Still struggling to get your email returned?

You probably forgot that the first time is the best time.

We have this weird tendency to remind our prospects of all the different times we’ve tried to reach them with failed attempts, hoping to maybe, I don’t know, make him feel guilty to respond. It doesn’t work, so we’re going to stop doing it. 

Make sure you don’t refer to failed attempts to reach people when you’re writing your email. Every email you write should be the first time you’ve ever written one to that person, so that they know if they respond., no guilt attached. 

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Are you still a nervous wreck when making your cold calls? 

Well, you just ain’t bored enough, baby. 

Let me tell you the worst advice I ever got about cold calling: You got to smile and dial. 

No, you don’t – because the last thing anybody wants at the other end of the phone is a highly caffeinated, sugary sales call. It’s an instant turnoff and it’s too easy to get you off the phone. 

The truth is, prospects are diabetics. You can’t give them sugar. So do what I do when I do my cold calling: I do it after four o’clock when I’m exhausted, tired, bored, and want to go home. 

Why? Because that tired, calm voice is going to be a welcome to anyone at the other end of the phone who’s listening to me with their equally tired late day ears.

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Looking for a quick and easy way to improve your inbound lead conversion rate?

Slow your roll. 

Yes, responsiveness is an attractive quality in salespeople, but it is a far more attractive quality if it’s coming from you as a scarce resource. Most reps are simply too eager when they respond too quickly to inbound leads, almost appearing as if you’re the only game in town with your request. 

I like to wait a half a day before I respond to inbound leads. If I get one in the morning, I’ll respond that afternoon. If I get one in the afternoon, I’ll respond the following morning. That way, my calm response shows that I’m absolutely responsive, but also absolutely very busy with other prospects. 

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Ever feel like your deal is getting sabotaged from the inside? Uh oh, you might have inherited an anti-champion.

We love our champions. And we know how hard they fight for us internally. We love ’em so much that we often forget that the competitor may have one too—working just as hard to keep us out as we’re working to find a home. These sales anti-champions can be a major hurdle in the sales process.

Sales anti-champions rarely identify themselves. They’re often quiet, easy to talk to, but generally only active in group settings. So, how can you spot and manage a sales anti-champion? Here are some strategies to help you navigate these tricky waters.

Firstly, be vigilant in group meetings. Pay attention to individuals who seem agreeable on the surface but may subtly undermine your efforts. These sales anti-champions can be difficult to identify, but their influence can be significant. If you suspect there might be a sales anti-champion lurking about your deal, take proactive steps to isolate and engage with them one-on-one.

One effective approach is to ensure that you have at least one, one-on-one session with each key stakeholder you meet in group settings. This way, the anti-champion can’t hide in the crowd. You’ll get a clearer sense of their true position and influence one-on-one.

During these one-on-one sessions, ask direct questions and listen carefully to their responses. Try to understand their concerns and motivations. By building a rapport and addressing their issues head-on, you can potentially turn a sales anti-champion into an ally or at least mitigate their negative impact.

In summary, dealing with a sales anti-champion requires vigilance, strategic isolation, and direct engagement. By identifying and managing these individuals effectively, you can protect your deals from internal sabotage and improve your chances of success. So, next time you feel like your deal is being undermined, remember the importance of identifying and managing a sales anti-champion.

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Do you ever feel frustrated by wishy-washy answers from your prospects? You know the kind—answers that don’t give you clear direction or reveal their true intentions. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to take a page from the band Heart and “even it up.”

Let’s dive into why prospects often hold back and how you can earn their commitment without getting stuck in indecision.

The truth is, many prospects work hard to avoid revealing their intentions to Closers.

Why? Because to disclose their true intentions is to invite persuasion or influence. Most prospects are hesitant to let their guard down, especially when they’re not ready to make a decision. This often leads them to adopt a strategy that looks something like Goldilocks’ choice—the middle option. This “middle lane” doesn’t clearly show where they stand, leaving things vague for you, the Closer.

However, this middle ground is, in fact, a form of indecision. It’s a “no decision lane.” When prospects say, “I’ll think about it” or “I’m not sure,” they are choosing to stay in that middle zone, where they are not committing either way.

So, how can you move past this uncertainty and actually earn prospect commitment? One effective technique I use is giving my prospects an even number of choices. By providing two options instead of three, you remove the middle lane altogether. When there’s no clear middle option, the prospect is more likely to make a choice that leans toward one direction. This subtle change makes the decision-making process easier for them and, importantly, helps you move closer to earning their commitment.

When you take this approach, you’re not only guiding the prospect toward a decision, but you’re also showing them that you understand their hesitation. Instead of pushing for a quick yes or no, you’re providing clarity and a path forward to earn prospect commitment.

In sales, we don’t always want to push prospects into a corner, but we do want to help them navigate their indecision. By eliminating the wishy-washy middle option, you increase the likelihood that your prospects will make a more definitive choice, and in turn, you’ll be able to earn prospect commitment more effectively.

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Looking to get more bang for your buck from marketing-event driven leads? There’s one thing you need to do before anything else: check that expiration date.

We all know that leads don’t last forever—every lead has a shelf life. However, what many people don’t realize is that different types of leads have different expiration dates.

When it comes to event-driven leads, the expiration date is the shortest of all. Why? Because event-driven prospects are often most active leading up to the event itself. Once the event is over, they quickly move on to other things, and that’s usually when we begin reaching out to them.

The problem with waiting until after the event to follow up with event leads is that they’ve already shifted their focus elsewhere. The buzz and excitement around the event are over, and they may no longer be as engaged. To really capitalize on these leads, timing is everything.

If you want to maximize the value of these leads, take a proactive approach. Here’s what I do: Next time you have a marketing event scheduled, sync up with your marketing team and get access to the attendee list before the event. This allows you to start your prospecting efforts before the event even happens. By reaching out to prospects ahead of time, you can begin building relationships while their interest is still high.

By getting ahead of the game and starting your outreach early, you’ll increase the likelihood of converting those event leads into actual sales. You’ll be able to engage with prospects at a time when they’re still excited and actively thinking about the event. Additionally, this approach helps you stand out from competitors who may be waiting until after the event to contact these same prospects.

The key to success with event leads is being prepared and reaching out at the right time. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Start building connections before the event takes place, and you’ll be in a better position to convert leads when the dust settles.

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Struggling with getting your emails returned? 

Well, maybe they need to go on a diet. 

Not only are our emails often too long, they’re often too wide, and too wide in the middle. And those wide emails where the sentence carries from line to line, are very difficult for anyone to read on a small smartphone, particularly when they’re in the back of an Uber headed to the airport.

So lose the commas. By removing things like commas from your sentences, you’ll make your sentences shorter and give it the right margin that it needs to be easier to read.

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Want to leave a stronger voicemail? Well you want to end on a number, not a word. 

It’s really easy to feel like you’re rambling on and on as you trail at the end of a voicemail. So do what I do. End your voicemail with high levels of confidence and social value, with a number – like your phone number – instead of a word. “I can be reached at 5 5 5 1 2 1 2.” Click.

By ending on a number instead of a word, you maintain your social value and leave a much cleaner experience for your customer to consider if they want to respond or not. 

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Having a hard time getting someone to engage on a Zoom call? 

Quit being a Bobblehead doll. 

You know, we always want to be a good listener, but that doesn’t mean we want to show we’re being a good listener with a lot of activity. The best way to show someone you’re listening is to keep your mouth shut and your head still. By violently moving your head up and down while the other person is speaking on camera, only is distracting and looks like an interruption. So do what I do. Stay still, not just silent when you’re engaged. 

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