If salespeople spend nearly half their week just finding people to sell to, it indicates a flawed, inefficient process. The focus should shift from a high-volume 'net' approach to a targeted, efficient 'spear' approach that values relevance over hours logged.
Generate a hyper-targeted prospect list by layering specific LinkedIn filters. Instead of a broad search, identify people connected to a key industry conference or influencer, then narrow it down to those who are new in their role or have posted in the last 30 days.
A massive opportunity gap exists in referral selling. While nine out of ten customers are willing to provide a referral, only about one in ten salespeople actually requests one. This failure is often due to fear, lack of process, or treating referrals as an afterthought rather than a system.
A startling execution gap exists in event-based selling. While 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority, a vast majority of the leads generated are squandered due to a lack of prompt and persistent follow-up. This represents a massive, low-hanging fruit for sales teams.
To avoid being 'creepy' when using buyer intent data, don't mention the prospect's specific online behavior. Instead, frame the outreach around general industry trends and challenges, then validate your expertise with a relevant customer story. This builds credibility without invading privacy.