Every sales team dreams of closing deals. But without a clear strategy, even the most ambitious goals can feel like chasing stars in a cloudy sky.
A sales strategy isn’t just a quick conversation in your quarterly all-in. It’s the north star that aligns everyone, moving from point A to point B with purpose and precision to qualify leads, target customers, and push the sales cycle to success.
Here’s how to craft a sales strategy that drives results, why it’s essential for success, and how to fine-tune an existing approach to elevate your organization’s sales game.
A sales strategy is a comprehensive approach to achieving sales goals. Think of it like a game plan that identifies how your team identifies prospects, nurtures leads, and closes deals. But it’s more than setting targets — a successful sales strategy creates a repeatable process that turns potential prospects into successful deals.
Here are five ways a clear strategy assists your sales process:
At the core of any strategy is how you want to reach your target market. There are two types of sales strategies: inbound and outbound sales. Each offers different benefits.
Let’s break them down with sales strategy examples:
An inbound sales strategy focuses on attracting prospects through engagement. Rather than reaching out cold, inbound creates a pull effect. Content marketing, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO) are common tools for showing the audience what you can do and creating a need for your product or service.
For example, a book publisher might launch a marketing campaign in which readers give friends and family a book with a personal message and tag the publisher on social media. This builds relationships between readers and the publisher while showing the products to a larger audience.
Outbound sales take a more direct approach. Sales reps proactively reach out to potential prospects through cold calling, targeted emails, and direct outreach. This approach is ideal for teams seeking quick, targeted results, and it’s the golden standard for business-to-business (B2B) sales funnels.
For example, a tech startup might invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software with prospect databases, using that data to send personalized emails to decision-makers. An email can offer a free demo or consultation to discuss how the startup’s software solves specific industry challenges.
Once you choose between an inbound or outbound strategy, it’s time to focus on a technique that aligns with your sales goals. Although sales representatives should be flexible, each technique has a structured approach for your team to follow.
Here are four effective sales techniques to consider:
Direct selling is a popular outbound sales strategy in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sales pipeline. It involves engaging with customers in person, through sales calls, or via emails.
Sales strategies don’t get more direct than this. This type of selling is a straightforward, personal approach that relies on a sales rep's ability to build trust and persuade prospects to purchase quickly.
Account-based selling is a highly focused outbound sales strategy that prioritizes high-value accounts — usually larger companies signing onto bigger sales and ongoing deals. Salespeople develop a detailed understanding of their target customers and tailor outreach to meet specific needs and pain points.
Account-based selling is common in the B2B sales pipeline for companies that value high conversions over the quantity of sales pitches. It relies on a sales rep’s ability to research key accounts, nurture trust with key decision-makers, and develop highly personalized value.
SPIN selling is a type of consultative selling. The technique utilizes a structured questioning framework to uncover a prospect's Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need payoff.
This popular B2B sales strategy is ideal for complex products where specific pain points require tailored solutions. For example, a software company might inquire about a sales target's logistical inefficiencies before demonstrating how its software streamlines operations and boosts revenue.
Solution selling is another type of consultative selling. Rather than pushing a specific product, salespeople get to know their target customers' goals, pain points, and current needs. If a sales rep identifies an opportunity, they recommend a tailored solution with one (or several) of their products and services.
Developing a winning sales plan template doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these simple steps to guide your sales team toward stronger relationships and closed deals:
A successful sales plan is an ongoing process of evaluating, adapting, and optimizing. Here are some tools to push your strategy template to the next level:
Ready to put your new sales strategy to the test? Whether you need to record sales calls, meetings with your marketing team, or follow up with a prospect, Otter Sales Agent has you covered.
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