Page 127 - The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million - PDFDrive.com

then call high.” When the salesperson calls the contact from the lead, the
salesperson needs to engage the contact with a relevant value proposition, which
is not necessarily the most appropriate value proposition for the decision maker.

“Hi, John. This is Mark from HubSpot. I noticed you downloaded our ebook on
Facebook marketing lead generation. What specific questions did you have?”

This approach frames the conversation around the topics the inbound lead
contact cares about. Give the prospect as many free tips and as much free
consulting as possible. With each back and forth, the salesperson is developing
trust with the prospect. The salesperson is earning the right to ask questions
about the needs of the organization and where those needs are originating—for
example:

1. Why did you decide to research the topic of generating leads through
Facebook?

2. Was there someone at the company who instructed you to do so?

3. Who do you report to? What have they been asking of you lately?

4. What is on your CEO's mind these days? What did she talk about at the last
company meeting?

5. Can you tell me more about your CMO's areas of focus?

If the salesperson is skilled at this approach, she can be quite successful at
transforming the inbound lead contact into a “coach.” Do not confuse a “coach”
with a “champion.” In most cases, the inbound lead contact does not have
enough authority to be considered a “champion.” In other words, the inbound
prospect can't influence the organization enough to compel the purchase.
However, as a “coach,” the prospect can be useful to provide internal context
about the opportunity so that the salesperson is enabled to help the organization
more effectively.

Once the interaction with the inbound prospect is completed, the salesperson can
now call high to the decision maker.

“Hi, John. This is Mark from HubSpot. I have been working with members of
your team on the company's Facebook lead generation strategy. I am aware that
the company has recently decided to expand the sales team by 20 percent in Q4
and is working aggressively to identify new sources of qualified leads to provide
to the newest members of the sales team. One of our customers in your industry
has had great success with generating leads through social media and actually far