Sales and Baseball – It’s all about the Pitching A good pitcher in baseball is one of the most valuable players in the game. A pitcher can have an arsenal of fastballs, curveballs, sliders, knuckleballs, you name it, but If they don’t do their homework on the batters they face, and can’t hit the strike zone, they won’t last long in the big leagues. The same analogy can be said for a sales pro. If you have an email address or a phone number, odds are you have heard a variety of sales pitches. The hard (never take no for […]
Read More
Quality data in sales has always been important. Scott Leese and Richard Harris have been beating this drum for years now and they have co-authored this post specifically as it relates to data quality. The day of reckoning is upon many organizations who have ignored data quality issues until 2020. Companies with bad data will simply not be able to keep up with their competitors as we navigate 2020 and 2021. If you still think you can win in the sales world without having a solid data provider, you may as well close your doors now. Or, I suppose you […]
Read More
If you can’t identify how you are different from your competitors then you can’t grow as a company. The main ways to stand out from the competition depends on what problem you solve and how you solve it. A market research blog by Priority Metrics Group states that a “difference is worth establishing when it meets at least one of the following criteria:” Valuable: the perceived benefit exceeds the cost Important: delivers a benefit critical to success Distinctive: unique or offered in a distinctive way Superior: better technology, faster Emotional: ties to a core emotion — love, hate, desire Communicates: […]
Read More
You get a lead in that wants a quote, or is ready to learn more about your services/solutions? Great!!! What are your next steps? Do you reach out immediately to strike when the iron is hot? Do you research the company so you can put your best foot forward? You should be doing both! Here is a list of things you should be checking into before reaching out to learn more about your inbound prospect. Look up the company persona: what do they do? What do they offer? Who are their customers and what value do they provide? […]
Read More
It is no surprise that sales and marketing departments are seeing more and more budgetary restraints from companies this year. Too many unknowns in the business world cause companies to pull back, run lean and ride out the storm. However, if past recessions have taught us anything, it is that nothing gets better if we stand still. According to an HBR study, that researched companies that pulled out of past recessions “Firms that cut costs faster and deeper than rivals don’t necessarily flourish. They have the lowest probability—21%—of pulling ahead of the competition when times get better.” Today, there are […]
Read More
Companies spend a lot of time and energy on raising money. Getting funded generates a feeling of validation for the product; it signifies confidence in the product by the investment community. If calm and sobriety are absent in management, the company’s vision gets diluted in a false sense of assurance that money will solve everything. During pre-funding, the focus is often entirely on how to raise capital to the extent that the company goes through a vacuum of direction soon after funding. The following tips are on how to stay on course during post-funding: Take Time to Re-calibrate It is tempting to […]
Read MoreWe are creating a huge raffle for Black Lives Matter…. What is in it for you? 1 Year of Lead411 Enterprise Unlimited Export Subscription ($10K to $100K value) *subject to our current terms & conditions The Ultimate Sales Book Bundle (see below) A Dopamine Boost for being awesome All donators get 1 free month to our Starter sub (regardless if they win the raffle) How to Enter? Donate $25 to Black Lives Matter for 1 Raffle ticket – Email me your receipt – tom@lead411.io Tag a friend in my Linkedin post and get 1 Raffle ticket if they donate $25 […]
Read More
Lead411 has a habit of listening to our customers. We ask to hear from our customers frequently because we want to make sure we are providing the solutions/services that will help them be successful. A couple of weeks ago we sent out a customer survey to see what is most important to them. Here are the results, and here is what we will be working on in the future. It is really no secret that our customers expect the highest quality data, and want more of it. Our focus every year is to add more verified data, and this year […]
Read MoreBelow is a free list of companies that have recently been funded since the pandemic was declared. You can click on the link below to export the full csv/excel. I have also included a chart of weekly funding events so far this year in comparison to 2018 and 2019. While there was a rebound 3 weeks ago things have flattened out a bit. Financings are still historically high though. You should expect that 90% of these companies will be growing and spending money during this crisis. I removed all public companies and any who planned to spend the money on “working […]
Read More
In an effort to help sales, marketing, recruiting and business professionals navigate through these changing times, Lead411 has created a new Freemium Subscription which includes the ability to access our platform and google chrome extension. The subscription allows for 30 unlocks per month, so users can find verified emails to reach out to new prospects. To get access to the freemium subscription, just fill out the form below. Note* Please use a valid work email to ensure your account is added – It may take up to 48 hours for your new account to be created. Not valid for current […]
Read MoreThe Lead411 research team has curated an 850+ list of A) companies that have officially announced layoffs and B) companies that are rumored to have either made layoffs or have implemented a hiring freeze. This data is coming from Lead411 triggers as well as other research we completed. We created this list as we know a lot of our sales customers don’t want to reach out to companies/prospects that are not in a “buying mode”. Considering the times and that we want to give first right now, we are offering the list for free. Suppression Score: 15 – Official announcement […]
Read More
Sales processes are changing. As companies look for ways to rapidly boost and increase the B2B pipeline for 2020, there are new adjustments that need to occur to ensure a healthy bottom line. Companies that invested in conference heavy sales and marketing are now allocating budgets toward online resources like outbound prospecting and virtual conferences. According to a recent survey from Topo, 63% of B2B companies are moving to digital conferences/events 54% of B2B companies are increasing webinars/video calls 46% of B2B companies are increasing their outbound prospecting Last month, we highlighted our top 20 Growth Hack Tools to Improve […]
Read More
Creating a repeatable and more importantly successful pipeline with viable prospects is one of the most gratifying and (at times) daunting tasks for both sales and marketing professionals. What worked last year may not work this year, and so the need for new tools or tools that are continuing to evolve and offer solutions is important to keep the positive flow. Equally gratifying and daunting is finding the time to research the right tools to implement. The term “growth hack” applies to the tools that you can implement into your pipeline to save time, streamline efforts and ultimately generate new […]
Read More
The need for accurate data is at an all time high, which means that vetting the right data provider is of great importance, to ensure your business stays compliant with data regulations, and new data privacy laws like the CCPA. In order to help our customers and potential customers understand how Lead411 has taken the appropriate steps to protect our customers, here are our answers to the top 6 must-ask questions to ask your contact data provider. 1. Where is your data sourced from? Our data is sourced through a multi-faceted approach. Our data team uses a proprietary technology that […]
Read MoreIn the data era, there are few companies that have encompassed a holistic approach toward customer needs for data accuracy, research, outreach, and integration. Our goal at Lead411 is to be the most comprehensive data platform on the planet and we have done so through listening to our enterprise customer needs, creating innovative solutions and ensuring our data is as accurate as possible. As we continue to evolve our solution, here are the features we are focused on specifically. This blog post serves as an informative resource for companies looking for an all inclusive and affordable solution. Data Enrichment: […]
Read More
Statistics show that SMS/Texting for B2B outreach is on the rise and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon. More and more sales and marketing divisions are utilizing SMS to reach out to potential clients to boost pipelines, strengthen communications and move the bottom line. Over the Next 5-10 years SMS texting is predicted to grow continuously with no signs of slowing down. Below is a collection of statistics from various studies that add evidence to SMS/Texting as a viable and consistent outreach tactic. Across markets, mobile’s use is becoming more commonplace. 52% of business leaders in North America said it’s […]
Read More
Summer time for sales can be exhaustive. Reaching people becomes a battle of out-of-office vacation replies, voicemails and follow-up calendar reminders. If you are doing some cold outreach, the tasks can be even more daunting. It is not all bad news, however. If you stick to a strategic approach you can overcome the auto replies, get a leg up on your competition and close more business. Having sent hundreds of thousands of emails over the last 15 years, I have seen what works and what doesn’t during the Summer months. Here are 3 tips to keep that summer time sales […]
Read More
As of May 4th, 2019, Data.com is no longer. The company formerly known as Jigsaw was acquired by Salesforce in 2010 for 142M. Since 2010 the desire for more accurate data has forced crowd sourcing companies like Data.com to the way side. As a result, companies that verify data through multiple sources, (and do so in a frequent 2-3 month pattern) have become the preferred resource. Many of Data.com’s customers had “points” or unused credits that are deemed useless as of May 4th, so Lead411 wants to help! As a result of the recent Sunset on Data.com, we are offering […]
Read More
Outbound email is an adventure. Your message may end up in the spam box of doom or you may get a quick response back with, “Wow, perfect timing, let’s schedule a time to chat”. While there are many factors that need to be in place (ip reputation, spam scores etc,) before writing the perfect message, here are 5 tips that can help get the response you are looking for. Know your Ideal Customer Seems like a no-brainer. The more you know about your existing customers, the easier it is to reach out to like minded businesses and employees. Key […]
Read More
Know your ideal prospect. It seems like a no-brainer to know as much as you can about your ideal prospect so you can not only continue a healthy business relationship, but also understand the segmentation that your sales and marketing efforts work most effectively with. When it comes to prospecting, and formulating emails that resonate with your ideal segmentation, utilizing personalization can get you in the door (or an open in the inbox) faster than a bland mass email that shows no effort or value. According to HubSpot, emails that are segmented, targeted and utilize personalization can increase sales up […]
Read More
When creating a list of companies and titles to reach out to, there are several tips that can ensure you are reaching out to the right prospects. As a best practice, it’s extremely valuable to keep a profile of your existing customers. If you know the right information about companies you already work with, you can craft more effective messages and sell more effectively to companies that could be interested in your solutions/services. Here are some tips to ensure you are collecting the right data about your ideal customer segmentation. Knowing your Customers Questions to answer about your ideal […]
Read More
Time is always a key factor in sales. Whether it is reaching out when a company is going through a growth trend, responding in a timely fashion to an RFP, or reaching out to renew an existing contract; timing can mean the difference between revenue and missed opportunity. However, there is nothing worse than reaching out and getting “ghosted”. Never hearing back and having to deal with the anxiety of “do I reach out again?”, “am I bugging them?”, “did they get my message?”, “I was sent to voicemail again, did I lose the deal?” This uncertainty is nothing new […]
Read More
We live in an age where products and services are increasingly similar, and are increasingly based on both our fast paced lifestyle, and all that comes along with it. If you’ve tried to have a telephone conversation with anyone under 30 years old recently, you can relate to the above statement. The fact is that the weekly call to Mom has now become three text messages over the course of the same period of time. People in general are busier than ever before. For a business to not take this into consideration when considering how their products or services impact […]
Read More
The world of sales is full of obstacles and competition. Dealing with potential customers is like a delicate dance, one wrong step and the performance can be ruined. There are ways to move your product or service while keeping this ‘dance’ elegant and in-step. Don’t lead with a pitch. You almost have to put what you’re selling out of your mind. Start the conversation by finding out what the customer is looking for. As Meghan Casserly at Forbes, points out in her article, clients are looking for help. Identifying what they want or need, is the first step in making […]
Read More
These days, everyone’s phones are always in their pockets buzzing with email alerts, so email marketing can reach even more people than any other type of internet marketing. Because of this increased reach, you’ve decided you want to try an email marketing campaign. Congrats! Now what? Here are some writing tips for marketing emails that will get you the most traction. 1) Personalize your email – People love feeling special, so make that marketing email special. When you personalize your email, don’t just use Hi . Personalize it with as much information as you can, like congrats on your new […]
Read More
In today’s sales world, we are surrounded by time savers. Data is at our fingertips 24/7; we can share files with co-workers, have a video conference call with 12 people in 3 different states, and shorten work-flows with real-time messaging. One aspect of sales that has been traditionally slow, however, is the sales cycle. Companies battle internally with deciding on the right decision to make. Should we add this software, do I trust that this will benefit the company, do we have the budget? It is an understandable dilemma, as no organization wants to make a bad decision, but for […]
Read More
Integrated High Quality Lead Intelligence & Elegant Sales Automation to Provide a “one-stop-shop” for the mid-market SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SaaStr 2018-Marketing and Sales teams in the mid-market face daunting solution integration problems and a confusing number of choices. From CRM to email marketing, deploying an easy-to-use, high-quality solution has required custom integrations and endless support for updates. Nowhere has this been more painful than as it relates to access to high quality, well vetted data available directly inside an elegant and simple automated sales system. Lead411 & PersistIQ will integrate their market-leading solutions in Lead Intelligence & Sales Engagement to finally […]
Read More
Prospecting for new clients is perhaps the most challenging and yet most crucial task in any business. Without viable leads, a business will soon fail. Here at Lead 411, we know a thing or two about prospecting for hot leads, and we have multiple ways of notifying you when a business is primed to buy new products and services. One way you can find out if a company is ready to buy is by examining their hiring trends. Why do hiring trends matter? Hiring trends are considered a sales trigger. A sales trigger is an event or occurrence that creates an opening for marketing or […]
Read More
The first step in creating effective marketing messages is to clearly identify your company’s brand positioning. All too often, a company isn’t clear on exactly what it does best, which can leave potential customers confused. Understanding the three different brand positions, and how to clearly define which position your company offers, can help you attract new customers quickly and efficiently. Cost Leader Companies who choose the Cost Leader brand position promise to offer customers the lowest price. This position is a good fit for brands who specialize in logistics and operational effectiveness. Wal-Mart is a well-known brand that effectively positions […]
Read More
As a recruiter in a large company, you already know the challenges in finding the perfect candidates to hire in each department. Perhaps you’ve gone through a lot of turnovers over the last few years simply because you didn’t do well enough in vetting the candidates you interviewed. If you’re still doing this, it’s time to start using intelligence data in your company. To find and fill positions, trigger data does more than just find information on potential employee leads. It can help you mine data when you need to receive funding or when releasing an IPO. Finding Fresh Contacts […]
Read More
Using Data to Grow Your Prospects More data is publicly available today than ever before, and this new information is helping marketers rethink their approach to sales. By analyzing data in an intelligent way, marketers create more targeted conversations, convert more prospects to customers, and eliminate the need to buy lists and blast information with intelligent marketing triggers. List Buying Traditional thinking about internet marketing creates a demand for an endless supply of new contacts. In the past, sales teams turned to list buying as a way to source new email addresses. List buying allows marketers to build up their […]
Read More
Adjusting your sales pitch to include a sense of urgency can increase your close rates dramatically. When you get a hot lead, the first thing you want to do is call or email the prospect and close the sale. It’s fun and exciting to reach out and make the case why your product or service is the perfect fit for your customer. However, calling without a plan can be a recipe for disaster. Planning ahead, especially with the strategy of creating urgency and a deadline for your prospect is often the best strategy. Time and again, adding urgency to a […]
Read More
The best sales people are those who listen, instead of dominating the conversation. You’ll discover the needs of your customer, dispel any concerns they have, and build a positive relationship that keeps people coming back to your company again and again. Ready to improve your sales with the simple act of listening? Here are a few tips to get your started. Benefits of listening in business Most customers buy because they have a need that your product fulfills. But pitching the product and going for the close as soon as possible leaves potential customers feeling pressured. Instead of doing all the […]
Read More
Salesforce will soon be announcing the end of a partnership with Data.com. Salesforce acquired Data.com (previously known as Jigsaw), the crowd-sourced data provider, back in 2010 but the relationship has been rocky from the beginning. Salesforce support chat has mentioned that they will continue to sell data.com until August of 2017 but the partnership will end in August of 2018. It is unclear why the relationship is dissolving but we have some insight as to what could have been the cause of the break-up. Inaccurate Crowd-Sourced Data Data.com’s business model is highly dependent on users adding, exchanging and […]
Read More
Building the perfect post-subscribe email autoresponder is a step many businesses often overlook when it comes to lead conversion. Email autoresponses are almost an afterthought for many brands, mainly because they forget the power it could potentially wield to turn a browsing prospect into a loyal customer. However, following some easy tips when it comes to building the perfect post-subscribe email autoresponder will help turn that around, and ensure that prospects are able to become customers with ease. 1) Offer valuable content without wasting time Many customers lament about the arduous process of subscribing to emails, with many giving up […]
Read More
Businesses today have numerous avenues to announce their presence to potential clients. Social media and web content strategies have without doubt increased visibility in the highly competitive online marketplace. Targeted customers have so many options to choose from and therefore take their time before picking a particular company to engage. It can, therefore, be frustrating for a business just to sit and wait for the inbound sales. Here are the top strategies that can help you to meet your sales target through effective outbound engagement. Intelligent leads The days of Cold-calling hundreds of telephone numbers with the hope that one […]
Read More
The rapid rise of social media has some marketers questioning what types of marketing appeals to Millennials. Some would even argue that email marketing is a marketing tool that Millennials don’t embrace, choosing to consume marketing material in more visually stimulating formats. However, email marketing has never been more effective in achieving ROI goals for small and medium size businesses. According to eMarketer, email marketing tops the list of digital tactics driving customer acquisition and retention. Savvy marketers are likely to counter that although email marketing works now, it simply doesn’t appeal to millennials. A recent study in AdWeek found, […]
Read More
Are you looking for the secret to sales success? It might be sitting right in front of you…literally! Pipedrive calls collaboration “arguably the most important factor you can tweak to improve your sales metrics”, and this sentiment appears to be echoed by experts and data throughout the industry. Collaboration is transforming the sales process in a way that benefits the team and the customer. When teams collaborate to align sales and marketing goals, salespeople are 56% more likely to be top performers. Here are 3 ways collaboration can help your sales team: Collaboration fosters communication between teams, allowing salespeople to […]
Read More
Near forthcoming Q1Y17 presents sales strategists an opportunity to capture new leads for business growth. These days, sales leadership relies on more than mere selling. A global sales plan should include account based selling (ABS) methodologies. Connect with multiple decision makers in a single organization, with these top ABS approaches to closing the deal in 2017. Top 10 ABS Approaches in 2017 1. Budget Leveraging the sales process requires an adequate budget. Companies that invest in updated tools will be able to maintain a competitive edge in selling. Budget for scalable software technologies, designed for sales account management. Lead pipeline […]
Read More
You cannot approach selling to executives in the same way you approach any other sale. It’s true that selling to executives versus employees is a shorter process, (less waiting for approval periods), but it does require a totally different strategy than the one you use for employees. To save you time, and execute your sales effectively, consider these 4 tips. 1. Optimize methods of connection. Multiple studies have shown that executives are in touch with all methods of communication. A study from Ber|Art reported that over 55 percent of top-level management regularly check Facebook. 64 percent reported to using LinkedIn on […]
Read More You have efficiently and effectively filled the sales funnel with fresh leads by gaining insights and improving opportunities, movement and action using tips from references such as this one from Tellwise. You have a process to quickly engage your customers and your sales reps are in the field making contact with new and old leads, but before these leads reach the end of the pipeline, the flow steadily slows until only a few of those leads trickle out and turn into real sales. The problem is not related to clogs, as you have already reviewed the process and removed any roadblocks using […]
Read More
In the B2B world, it’s easy to assume that every lead you go after is going to think alike. It’s risky to make assumptions the B2B industry is overly uniform and businesses automatically gravitate to products like yours. In truth, every business customer is different. Your sales and marketing team could end up wasting time going after leads that don’t even qualify based on your criteria. It’s time to learn how to engage highly qualified leads to avoid wasting time you could spend on more important things. What’s important is to give your sales and marketing team the right tools […]
Read More
While the holiday season is boom or bust for retailers, B2B email marketing requires some extra thought ensuring that the season remains strong and leads do not cool while customers focus their efforts elsewhere. Steve Denner wraps up a few tips in his article “4 tips you cannot ignore this holiday season” to help keep your email marketing campaign focused and in front of your business partners. Beware of spam As businesses and retailers turn up the heat to boost sales, email inboxes stuffed full of goodies, may often go unread. As receivers become overwhelmed, rather than read every email […]
Read More
Calling various prospects on the phone can be intimidating. The sales pitch needs to go out the window because it’s ineffective. Research has shown that knowing more about the person you’re calling makes all the difference in the world. Customize the Call The old-fashioned idea of cold calling was hard because it was all about spewing information and hoping that the lead would stay on the phone long enough to learn something they found useful. Now, it’s better to customize the call. Ask questions and be sure that you offer a solution based upon their responses. You want to have a […]
Read More
Your email list is growing, your content is on point, but wait…your delivery percentage is dismally low! How are your going to turn these emails into sales if you can’t reach your customers? These 8 tips to improve your outbound email deliverability will ensure your message reaches everyone on your list. 1. Clean Before You Import Scan all lists before you import them, especially those from contests and trade shows. Remove duplicates and then vet all emails thru a service like Email Checker or Mail Tester. And of course, only import emails from reputable sources! 2. Keep Your List Healthy Purge! Remove […]
Read More
Big data is this generation’s telephone. It changes everything about our lives, from the regulations we live with, to the charities we support, and even the products we buy. Particularly, big data has revolutionized the way companies think of potential customers. Instead of trying to pull them to the product, companies can put the product where consumers are. Information is the most powerful force in advertising. If you’re looking for ways to build your customer pool and convert leads into sales, you need to look at what Big Data practices can do for you. Think about how these three strategies […]
Read More
The term “sales approach” has evolved with the changing needs of society. As a result, the way that a salesperson goes about the entire process needs to be revisited. The following 3 tactics will impart some fresh insight on the practiced art of selling, and allow you to create and tailor a more effective, results-oriented sales approach. Research, and Enlighten Yourself! In any field, subject, or profession, the more knowledgeable and educated you are, the better equipped you are for success. Sales is no exception to this rule. In the past, the process of selling involved the sales person contacting the […]
Read More
Though many modern marketers and business executives have heard of and understand terms like data analysis, big data, data mining, predictive analytics, and the like; there are still many professionals that have heard the terms, yet don’t understand them. However, predictive analytics is something that all professionals should strive to understand. Predictive analytics can offer businesses a simple way to increase revenue while decreasing risks and costs. Predictive analytics is the use of data gathered through: Machine learning, Statistics, Data mining, and Modeling … to clarify what has happened in the past. In theory, studying these patterns can predict future […]
Read More
Lead intelligence platform captures job changes, tracks sales champions and mitigates risk associated with losing champions to new jobs April 18, 2016 — BOULDER, CO. — Losing valuable sales champions to new roles or different companies can lead to customer churn and missed opportunities. Today, Lead411 announced the availability of TrackStar, an enhancement to its lead intelligence platform, which reduces that risk by notifying sales and marketing leaders of position and/or company changes associated with a contact. “Our business was built on the belief that our customers need a more comprehensive view of their prospect and his business in order […]
Read More
In the past year we have made a ton of improvements. We have been working really hard with you to figure out what you need and how we can step up our game. Because of this we have seen a HUGE increase in customer satisfaction and that is reflected in our ratings inside G2Crowd. Last Friday we were notified that we were in the Top 3 of all Sales Intelligence platforms in terms of customer satisfaction in their Best of 2015 User Choice Lists. In addition, G2Crowd also asks specific questions to any user that is being surveyed across all […]
Read More
