The cost of a new sales rep can be half or more of their annual base salary, plus advanced commissions — not a small price to pay, especially if they don’t stick around. One of the best ways to improve retention is to look at your onboarding process. When you make onboarding sales reps more effective and efficient, you’ll have better-trained employees and save on training costs.
Two Simple Ways to Speed Up Your Onboarding Process
#1 Immerse new hires in your key product or service.
Do this before any other training takes place. When your new sales reps deeply understand what they’ll be selling, they can integrate the rest of their into their product knowledge. If you start with sales skills instead of this immersion, it’s more challenging for employees to find their flow.
#2 Engage your sales reps with quick wins.
Most people who become sales reps do so because they’re highly motivated and thrive on a system of rewards. They don’t want to spend months in training without any opportunity to perform. Providing lower-stakes opportunities for them to ‘win’ will pay off in higher engagement and prime them for closing enterprise sales deals down the road.
Ready to onboard your next sales superstar? Contact us today. We’d love to help.
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Salespeople aren’t all extroverted and enchanting. Some bring a bit of warmth to their role. These are the farmer sales types, and you’ll want to look for them in your hiring process intentionally.
Values that Drive Farmer Types
Farmers are typically different from your front-line salespeople. They are more customer service oriented and enjoy sales within a long-term customer relationship container. They are motivated by increasing the lifetime value of customers to the company — and increasing the company’s value to the customer!
Telltale Signs the Candidate You’re Interviewing is a Farmer Type
When a job candidate shares past experiences of nurturing long-time relationships, there’s a good chance you have a farmer type on your hands. Farmer sales professionals aren’t as aggressive as hunters in their job search, which carries over into their work style.
You can see the farmer’s sales DNA coming through when a salesperson talks about how they maximized account values and brought a standard of excellence to the service their customers received. These types will also be more interested in a high base salary and lower commission.
Are you looking to hire a dedicated farmer salesperson for your team? Contact us today. We’d love to help you find the perfect fit!
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Top-performing sales professionals often have the hunter sales type DNA. They’re achievement-driven and willing to be incredibly agile to reach their goals — and meet sales quotas.
How to Pick Out the True Hunter Sales Types
If you know you want to hire hunter sales types, you might think listing this requirement in your job posting would be sufficient. But, many farmer types will still apply, assuming they have what it takes to become a hunter on the job. True hunters are very strategic, solution-oriented, and risk-tolerant. They will show personality traits that align with extroversion and charisma.
How a Hunter Shows Up For Interviews
In an interview, hunter types will talk in detail about how they have taken unique and effective paths to win challenging clients. At the same time, these types will show you that they know just when to walk away from an unprofitable opportunity.
Regarding salary negotiations, hunters will be open to lower base pay and higher commissions.
Are you on the search for your next sales hunter? Contact us today. We’d love to help you find the perfect fit!
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Psychometric assessments provide deeper insights into a job candidate’s natural tendencies. They are a great way to bridge the gap between interview answers and how a person will behave on the job. They can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s intelligence, values, motivators, and natural behaviors.
A few of the most popular psychometric tests are:
DISC Assessment
The DISC assessment reveals how people handle challenges and work with others. This assessment mainly focuses on self-concept and personality. Great sales representatives usually have a high “D” profile.
Myers Briggs
Myers Briggs measures four distinct personality traits: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Many salespeople are ESFJ, ESTP, and ENTJ types.
The Clifton Strengths Analysis measures 34 personality themes that indicate your innate talents. Strengths like Belief, Relator, Achiever, Communication, Strategic, and Learner could indicate that someone is naturally a motivated and agile salesperson.
We recommend psychometric assessments only be used in the final stages of the interview process to differentiate between top candidates. These assessments should contribute to 20% of the hiring decision.
Ready to make your next hiring move? Contact us today. We’d love to help!
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Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.
You send one sales email with a surge of hope that you’ll hear back from your prospect. And then? Crickets!
Is it time to give up? Hardly. No matter your industry or offering, most sales require five to twelve contact points in the sales pipeline before a deal is made.
A friendly follow-up email can make all the difference.
In this blog, we’re covering the foundational tips you need to understand why you’d want to send a follow-up email after no response, what best practices to follow, the most crucial information to include in your follow-ups, and the top mistakes to avoid.
We’ve also gathered five follow-up email templates from top-performing salespeople in our network to give you a head start on your follow-up email strategy.
5 Answers to the Question, “Why Send a Follow-up Email After No Response?”
Reason #1 to Send a Follow-up Email After No Response:
Reason #2 to Send a Follow-up Email After No Response:
Prospects appreciate quality customer service — that starts before the sale. How you speak to and treat your prospects shows them how you’ll speak to and treat them after a sale, too. Sales follow-up emails create more than an opportunity to make a sale. They also establish your professional reputation with prospects.
Reason #3 to Send a Follow-up Email After No Response:
Polite persistence shows your genuine interest in the prospect. If you don’t follow up, chances are someone else in your industry with a similar product or service will. A little determination goes a long way in keeping you top of mind.
Reason #4 to Send a Follow-up Email After No Response:
Customized sales follow-up emails give you a chance to clarify. Suppose you find areas where a prospect might have misunderstood you or been left with unanswered questions after reading your initial email. In that case, this is your opportunity to offer answers. Be mindful of using an automated follow-up sequence that doesn’t allow for customization.
Reason #5 to Send a Follow-up Email After No Response:
Nurturing relationships takes time, and a polite follow-up email starts the building process early on. Maintaining respectful contact makes an impression on prospects and develops rapport, a priceless asset as you move forward in your sales process.
5 Best Practices for Sending a Follow-up Email After No Response
Follow-Up Best Practice #1: Start With a Compelling Subject Line
The one determining factor for whether or not a prospect will open up your follow-up email — or any email for that matter — is a relevant and curiosity-piquing subject line. Your goal is to encourage the prospect to open your email with genuine interest, not with their defenses already up. Keep this line cordial and inviting.
Follow-Up Best Practice #2: Assume the Best of Your Prospect
Throughout your email, maintain a polite and respectful tone. This is much easier to do if your mindset about the prospect is positive and assumes the best of them. That means expressing an understanding that they’re busy and not taking their lack of initial response personally.
Follow-Up Best Practice #3: Value Your Prospects Time
A simple follow-up email can be just 50 words long. Anything over 100-200 words could be too long for your prospect. Keep your email concise so that your prospect doesn’t waste their time guessing who you are, why you’re emailing, or what you want them to do next.
Follow-Up Best Practice #4: Highlight the Benefits
Keeping the content of your email value-oriented will help your prospects quickly understand the benefit they will gain by responding. Highlight why this conversation or opportunity to connect with you might be important to them.
Follow-Up Best Practice #5: End with a Clear CTA
The easier it is for a prospect to reply to your email or respond to your next steps, the better. All you’re looking for is a ‘yes’ to getting on a call with you (or whatever action comes next in your sales follow-up email strategy), so don’t distract your prospect from the action you want them to take.
→ How Long Should You Wait to Follow Up After No Response?
The timing of your follow-up email can vary based on the context. However, a general guideline is to wait about 3-7 business days before sending a polite follow-up email. If it’s a time-sensitive matter, you may want to follow up sooner, but be mindful not to appear overly aggressive.
5 Key Pieces of Information to Include in a Follow-up Email After No Response
Key Follow-Up Info #1: A Clear Connection
When you write your first email to a prospective customer, keep your follow-up in mind. It should be easy for the recipient to connect your first email to your second. Mention the subject and date of the last email in your follow-up.
Key Follow-Up Info #2: A Gentle Reminder of Your Reason
Don’t assume that the recipient read or remembers your first email. Restate briefly your purpose and what you’re hoping to accomplish so that the email stands on its own and, hopefully, inspires a response or a re-read of your first email.
Present your prospect with one action you would like them to take in response to your email. Whether that’s replying, scheduling a call, or something else — be specific and stick to one CTA per email. Open-ended emails or those with too many options can be overwhelming and get your messages ignored.
Key Follow-Up Info #5: Your Contact Details
Ensure your name, phone number, email, and any other contact information relevant to your follow-up email strategy is easy to read and find in your email signature and, if appropriate, in the body of your email.
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Sending a Follow-up Email After No Response
Mistake #1: Coming across as rude
Your tone is fundamental in writing because even a few words that imply disrespect can instantly turn off a potential customer. Avoid any language that seems pushy, demanding, or aggressive, and opt for respect and patience in your words instead.
Mistake #2: Focusing on YOU
Your recipient is focused on themselves — what they want and need. If your email just talks about your company or credentials, you’ll likely lose your lead. Share how your message benefits them if you want to engage your potential customers in a genuine and helpful exchange.
Mistake #3: Copying-and-pasting generic messages
Business owners get cold emails every day, and generic messages are likely to get deleted before they’re even fully read — they’re easy to spot! Tailor your follow-up to reflect the context and any connection you have with the recipient.
Mistake #4: Spamming with emails
Sending too many follow-ups, sending them too soon, or in too close of succession almost guarantees you’ll be seen as annoying spam instead of the advocate of a valuable service. Err on the side of discretion and be politely persistent.
Mistake #5: Using high-pressure tactics
Express your frustration to a friend, not to your potential client. Any undertone of disappointment, shame, or blame in your follow-up email won’t gain you any traction with a prospect. Avoid negativity and high-pressure tactics. Maintain your professionalism.
5 Follow-Up Email Templates
Copy the text in the box to simplify your next follow-up email.
Follow-Up Email After A Meeting
Dear [CUSTOMERS FIRST NAME],I wanted to touch base and follow up on our recent conversation about [INSERT SERVICE] with [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. In our discussion, we highlighted some key areas where we can assist:
[INSERT LIST]
At [YOUR COMPANY NAME], we’re committed to [INSERT SERVICE] that exceeds your expectations. Our reputation for delivering results speaks for itself, with numerous success stories in similar industries. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to schedule another discussion at your convenience.
Warmest regards,
[YOUR NAME]
Follow-Up Email After The First Discussion
Hello [CUSTOMERS FIRST NAME],Thank you for taking the time to speak with me [INSERT WHEN CONVERSATION HAPPENED]. It was great learning more about [CUSTOMER PAIN POINT] and how we can potentially work together.
I wanted to follow-up and see if you’ve made any decisions on pursuing this partnership further? If not, I’m happy to discuss further and provide any information you need to make your decision.
Best,
[YOUR NAME]
Follow-Up Email After No Response
Dear [CUSTOMERS FIRST NAME],I’m writing to follow up on my last communication. I wrote to you via email on [DATE] and left a voicemail on [DATE].
I believe [INSERT SERVICES] at [YOUR COMPANY NAME] could help your company achieve [INSERT RESULTS]. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to schedule a discussion at your convenience.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
[YOUR NAME]
Follow-Up Email After A Proposal
Hi [CUSTOMERS FIRST NAME],I’m following up on our discussion about [CUSTOMER PAIN POINT]. I wanted to see if you had a chance to consider the proposal I sent over? Let me know if there are any questions I can answer or concerns I can address.
Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
Follow-Up Email After A Missed Call
Hello [CUSTOMERS FIRST NAME],I got your voicemail when I called today but I wanted to follow-up about [INSERT SERVICES]. I believe [YOUR COMPANY NAME] could help your business achieve [INSERT RESULTS]. If you’re not the right person to talk to, who should I reach out to?
Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
Ready to take your sales email strategy to the next level? Our network of top-performing sales professionals is ready to help, and we’re ready to connect you with the perfect new team member. Contact us today, share a little bit about your sales staffing needs, and we’ll be in touch soon!
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Ready to elevate your sales game to unprecedented heights? All you need is a few hours and one of the books on this list to get started!
These management and leadership books will give you the secrets to developing your skills as a sales manager and leader. They include timeless sales classics, research-backed methods, and contemporary masterpieces based on hard-earned perspectives.
Let the reading begin!
[The links included in this post are NOT affiliate links. Peak Sales will receive NO commissions or incentives for purchases made through them.]
#1 Sales Management Simplified by Mike Weinberg
If you’re looking to build a high-performance culture within your sales department, this is the sales management book for you. Mike Weinberg explains how to lead a productive sales meeting and set standards for effective sales calls. This book will help you evaluate your management style and practices honestly. It might be the wake-up call you’ve been waiting for.
In Sales Management Simplified, sales leaders can find the truth they need to become the best manager. They can develop themselves personally and professionally.
#2 Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie from Gallup
To have a successful sales team, the leader must understand their team’s strengths and weaknesses. With the book Strengths Based Leadership in hand, you’ll be able to tap into the unique strengths of each member of your sales team. This will equip you to better determine what type of salesperson they’ll be and the sales process they’ll be most suited for.
Strengths Based Leadership is backed up by over three decades of research regarding strengths, studies of over one million work teams, and the CliftonStrengths assessment taken by over 23 million people worldwide. This is an evidence-based book that any sales professional can benefit from.
Brian Tracy’s timeless classic teaches you the fundamental principles of sales. It helps you earn more money and enhance your sales strategies. His ideas, methods, and techniques are highly actionable and can be applied to sales in any industry. When setting sales goals and wanting to exceed them, this is the perfect book to inspire and fuel your ambitions. The Psychology of Selling is a valuable read for sales leaders, sales managers, and those with leadership aspirations.
#4 How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Despite being written over 80 years ago, this classic book stands the test of time and teaches foundational principles of leadership that are essential to any professional’s success. If the title has put you off, take a note from the old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” and grab yourself a copy today. Any reputable sales manager ought to have this book filled with notes and highlights from several rounds of reading.
In How to Win Friends & Influence People, you’ll find timeless guidance on motivating your sales representatives (and yourself) through values and inspiring influence. If you’re struggling to move your team forward, try applying the powerful principles in this sales leadership book.
#5 Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
A unified team works together, moves together, and achieves together. If your team is disconnected, confused, or even chaotic, the New York Times bestseller Leaders Eat Last will help you make sense of the problem and design effective solutions. Simon Sinek teaches leaders how to shift their teams out of cynicism and self-interest to create motivated and aligned teams.
Honorable mention goes to Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why — a great read for focusing your team on what matters most.
#6 Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbooks for Managers and Executives by Keith Rosen
This book could earn a permanent spot on your desk and within reach. Keith Rosen’s writing and teaching style is direct and detailed. This book is a valuable reference for leading and managing a sales team. It focuses on coaching instead of training.
In Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, Rosen provides playbooks for powerful coaching, clear improvement plans, and even coaching templates/scripts to get you started. If you’re a sales leader looking to enhance your team’s performance, this book is ideal. It provides new ways to turn inexperienced salespeople into valuable team members.
#7 Race to Amazing: Your Fast Track to Sales Leadership by Krista S. Moore
Krista S. Moore’s book Race to Amazing builds on the idea of taking the “coach approach” to sales leadership. Moore’s insight brings a profound perspective to creating a rallying vision, a winning sales strategy, and effective sales management systems. You’ll lose track of time reading Moore’s entertaining stories and highly applicable advice.
Sales representatives recently promoted into sales leadership will get a skills upgrade from reading Race to Amazing while gaining the confidence they need to be great sales leaders.
#8 The Sales Leader’s Problem Solver: Practical Solutions to Conquer Management Mess-ups, Handle Difficult Sales Reps and Make the Most of Every Opportunity by Suzanne Paling
Let Suzanne Paling guide you through a concise assessment of why your sales reps won’t make challenging calls, track their work properly, or procrastinate prospecting for new business…and then devise concrete strategies to address your management woes.
Sales managers often cannot receive training. The Sales Leader’s Problem Solver is a 24/7 trainer that provides helpful advice and effective strategies.
#9 Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance by Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana
Methodology reigns supreme in Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana’s book Cracking the Sales Management Code. This book is set apart by its focus on controlling sales performance and effectively managing a sales force. Inside, you’ll find a best-practice approach anchored in metrics that measure action and impact.
Sales leaders who want a straightforward and actionable plan for improving their team’s sales process and performance will find solace away from more organizational leadership-focused and interpersonal coaching books in Cracking the Sales Management Code.
#10 Smart Sales Manager: The Ultimate Playbooks for Building and Running a High-Performing Inside Sales Team by Josiane Feigon
This book is an essential read for any inside sales manager facing Sales 2.0 without the tools needed to win. Josiane Feigon covers how to sell to the new elusive buyer, choose intelligence tools, and retain sales superheroes through relatable examples that reveal a clear path forward. Complete with manager cheat sheets, this book gives you everything you need to handle even the toughest of situations to ensure your sales team’s success.
#11 Sales Manager Survival Guide: Lessons from Sales’ Front Lines by David Brock
The Sales Manager Survival Guide presents a simple and easy-to-follow playbook for management success with the hidden benefit of improving employee retention.
Whether you’ve already made mistakes in your management journey or just want to avoid making as many as you can, the practical guidance David Brock brings will help you easily navigate sales cycles. This book helps current sales managers get back on track. It is also vital for new and aspiring managers to start off right.
#12 The Accidental Sales Manager: How to Take Control and Lead Your Sales Team to Record Profits by Chris Lytle
Unexpected promotions can leave sales representatives either motivated to learn or lost in their new roles. If you’ve received an unexpected promotion yourself, The Accidental Sales Manager will give you the advantage you need. From hiring to developing your representatives and running efficient meetings to impactful one-on-ones, Chris Lytle covers it all.
This book focuses on management methods and implementing processes and focuses less on the personal development behind long-term leadership.
#13 Nuts and Bolts of Sales Management: How to Build a High-Velocity Sales Organization by John Terace
Nuts and Bolts of Sales Management covers a few unique topics, such as how to balance morale, execution & teamwork, how to develop a powerful sales culture, and how to leverage expenses while managing your budget. Given its targeted guidance, managers can regularly revisit and reference this book.
If you want to execute your sales vision with more precision, this is the sales management book you need.
#14 52 Sales Management Tips – The Sales Manager’s Success Guide by Steven Rosen
An easy read to pick up, put down, and meaningfully action, 52 Sales Management Tips is a book designed to help sales managers struggling in a corporate structure that doesn’t support them. Improve your personal management performance by taking charge of your development needs. Reach for this book whenever you need a boost.
#15 ProActive Sales Management: How to Lead, Motivate, and Stay Ahead of the Game by William “Skip” Miller
Reveal your blind spots with Skip Miller’s acute approach to ProActive Sales Management. This book will help you save time and face with humbling yet motivational wisdom and guidance on maintaining control while you achieve your business goals.
This book is a great pick for all sales managers and leaders looking for a way to escape procrastination and pick up the pace of their success.
#16 Sales Leadership Playbook: The Definitive Guide to Sales Leadership by Shawn Hamilton
For a comprehensive guide to sales management, read the Sales Leadership Playbook by Shawn Hamilton. Leaders in smaller businesses with cross-functional relationships will find Hamilton’s insights particularly helpful.
Sales Leadership Playbook gives a broad picture of the sales landscape, the mindset needed to succeed in the industry, and how to build trust to get ahead. It also equips readers with tools to communicate effectively, integrate emotional intelligence into their management style, and empower their team. If gaining internal cohesion while building stakeholder support is important to your organization, this is the sales management book for you.
#17 The Qualified Sales Leader: Proven Lessons from a Five Time CRO by John McMahon
SaaS sales presents specific challenges that set them apart from other types of sales. For this reason, a sales management and leadership book devoted to these professionals is essential. The Qualified Sales Leader brings readers on a journey through a strategic sales structure with pointed questions for reflection and fueling action.
If you’re in the enterprise technology sales sector as a sales manager, leader, or representative, this will be an enlightening read for you.
#18 The Sales Boss: The Real Secret to Hiring, Training and Managing a Sales Team by Jonathan Whistman
High performance is often considered an individual characteristic when it must be a collective one. Jonathan Whistmas supports this claim in The Sales Boss by sharing the true drivers of high performance and how to invest in them so your team will be destined to win. The psychology of peak performance and proven hiring and training techniques will help you make real-world decisions that foster a quality team.
This book reveals the secrets to sales management and building a top-performing team, making it a fantastic read for any sales professional or executive looking to grow their sales team or hire top performers.
#19 Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
Negotiations are a part of our everyday lives, conversations, and exchanges — but we aren’t always in tune with our power to connect, influence, and ultimately get what we want. In Never Split the Difference, the FBI’s former lead hostage negotiator, Chriss Voss shares his core negotiation techniques.
Sales managers and leaders will find this book filled with techniques for interacting with team members and helping representatives improve client relationships and sales conversions.
#20 The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales by Trish Bertuzzi
Trish Bertuzzi turns several decades of sales expertise into a street-smart guide to turning well-established managers into leaders of exponential success.
Bertuzzi understands that navigating management of your inside sales team while revenue and performance are stable is one thing — figuring out how to continue doing your job well when your expansion seems out of this world is another. The Sales Development Playbook will challenge you and your team to level up.
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.
He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.
In the sales world having great connections is important. That is why conferences are a powerful part of expanding any sales career. Attending sales conferences regularly can help representatives grow their career up to ten times through personal and professional development.
We’ve rounded up the top twelve conferences to consider attending in 2025. If you want to improve your sales leadership or learn about new sales technologies, there’s an event for you. You can also send your sales team to a conference to improve their training.
Ready to build a sales team that makes the most of every opportunity? Contact Peak Sales Recruiting today to find top-tier talent who are ready to grow and succeed.
Top 12 Sales Conferences to Attend in 2025
1. Outreach Unleash
Unleash is Outreach’s flagship event for sales teams looking to get the most out of modern engagement strategies and AI-powered tools. The 2025 edition promises hands-on workshops, inspiring keynotes, and practical sessions tailored to AEs, RevOps, and sales managers. If you’re using or exploring sales engagement platforms, this is a key event to attend.
Location: Hollywood, FL
Date: June 9–11, 2025
Who Should Attend: Account Executives, Sales Leaders, RevOps Teams
INBOUND is one of the most high-energy events in the sales and marketing calendar, now heading west to San Francisco in 2025. With celebrity keynotes, deep-dive workshops, and a huge community of growth-minded professionals, this event blends inspiration with strategy. It’s perfect for sales pros looking to stay ahead on customer engagement and automation trends.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: September 3–5, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales and Marketing Professionals
The Sistas in Sales Summit is the largest global gathering dedicated to women of color in sales. It’s a conferencefocused on career advancement, leadership training, and building a supportive network. With world-class speakers and hands-on workshops, this summit is a must for companies that value inclusion and sales excellence.
Unlike any other event, the Sales Success Summit is built specifically for individual contributors. Every speaker is a quota-carrying sales rep who ranks at the top of their organization. This peer-to-peer format offers practical tactics and a behind-the-scenes look at what truly drives success in competitive sales environments.
Location: Austin, TX
Date: October 13–14, 2025
Who Should Attend: All High-Performing Sales Professionals
Dreamforce is Salesforce’s annual event and one of the most well-known tech conferences in the world. At Dreamforce, sales leaders attend to explore what’s next in AI, automation, and revenue strategy. With thousands of sessions, industry speakers, and big-name entertainment, it’s a true experience for sales professionals at any level.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: October 14–16, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales, RevOps, CRM, and Tech Leaders
Surf & Sales is not your typical sales conference, and that’s exactly the point. This small-format event is designed for sales leaders and entrepreneurs who want to grow both professionally and personally, in a setting that encourages real conversations and deep learning. With surf lessons, fireside chats, and hands-on workshops, it’s equal parts leadership retreat and tactical sales development. This year, the summit heads to Portugal for five days of skill-building and connection in a stunning coastal setting.
Location: Peniche, Portugal
Date: October 5–9, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Leaders, Founders, and Revenue Executives
The National Sales Conference (NSC) is one of the UK’s most respected events for sales professionals, leaders, and enablement teams. Known for its high-impact speakers and no-nonsense approach to professional development, NSC focuses on real-world strategies that help teams grow pipeline, improve close rates, and lead with confidence. This year’s theme centers around creating a culture of resilience, clarity, and high performance in uncertain times.
Location: Birmingham, UK
Date: November 21, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Leaders, Enablement Teams, and Senior Sales Professionals
Part of the global Sales Enablement Collective series, this summit is a high-impact event for enablement leaders aiming to drive revenue through better processes, content, and coaching. The San Francisco edition brings together top minds from tech, SaaS, and enterprise sales to share insights on team performance, AI integration, and scalable enablement strategies. With expert panels and actionable case studies, it’s an ideal event for anyone looking to elevate their enablement playbook.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: November 20–21, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Enablement Professionals, Revenue Leaders, and GTM Strategists
9. International Conference on Entrepreneurial Marketing and Sales
This academic-style conference is a hidden gem for professionals who want to ground their sales strategies in data and research. Hosted by the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET), the ICEMS brings together researchers and practitioners to explore innovations in sales, buyer behavior, and entrepreneurial marketing. It’s a great fit for sales leaders who want a more analytical, research-driven perspective on market trends and consumer decision-making.
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date: July 22–23, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Professionals, Marketing Strategists, and Academic Researchers
The LIMRA Advanced Sales Forum is built for sales professionals in the financial services space who are tackling complex client needs, estate planning, tax strategy, business succession, and more. With a speaker lineup that includes industry veterans and technical specialists, the forum offers tactical insights and peer conversations that help you stay sharp in a fast-evolving market. If you sell into affluent or business-owner segments, this event delivers the kind of focused, real-world value that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Date: August 11–13, 2025
Who Should Attend: Advanced Sales and Marketing Executives, CMOs, Sales Officers
Held in London’s ExCeL Centre, the Sales Innovation Expo is one of Europe’s largest events dedicated to modern sales techniques, tools, and technology. With 5,000+ attendees, 120+ exhibitors, and dozens of expert-led sessions, this free-to-attend event is packed with actionable insight. From AI-powered sales tools to buyer journey mapping and sales enablement strategy, the expo offers something for every level of sales professional looking to stay competitive in a fast-changing landscape.
Location: London, UK
Date: November 19–20, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Directors, Enablement Teams, and B2B Sales Professionals
The SRCC brings together early-career sales researchers and senior scholars to foster meaningful academic partnerships and mentorship opportunities. With structured networking, speed introductions, and research-focused sessions, this conference is designed to spark collaborative projects and long-term professional relationships in the field of sales.
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Date: October 23–25, 2025
Who Should Attend: Sales Researchers, Academic Faculty, Doctoral Students
*All costs stated are for informational purposes only, may be subject to change, and may differ for international purchases due to current conversion rates at the time of purchase. Please reference each conference website for the most up-to-date pricing available.
Need more tools to boost your team’s performance? Explore our Sales Training Resources for expert insights!
Check out the Peak blog for additional resources on career development or visit our career portal to kick start your new career or make a new hire.
What’s your sales team’s current RFP close rate? Whether or not it’s as high as you’d like, you may be surprised to hear that Ganesh Shankar of RFPIO states that “thecommon win rate for RFPs is less than 5%.”
Following these numbers, for every 20 proposals the average vendor sends, only one will be successful. And with many companiesinvesting 20-40 hours into each RFP response, that’s a lot of wasted time and money.
If the average size of your proposals is 25 thousand dollars and you successfully close one proposal out of 20, you’ve gained 25 thousand dollars in net new business. But you’ve also lost an average of 30 hours for each of the other 19 proposals.
At an average hourly rate of 24 dollars, that’s a loss of 13,680 dollars (before taking into account opportunity costs, overhead and other variables).
Though it’s unlikely you’ll achieve a one-hundred percent closed-won rate, reducing the number of unsuccessful proposals sent saves your company both time and money.
In this article you will find a list of suggestions and best practices to help Sales Leaders improve their sales team’s RFP close rates.
Have a “Go/No-Go” Opt-Out Point
Here’s a really simple way to improve your RFP close rate: only apply to projects you’re likely to get.
Imagine a batch of 20 RFPs. In it, maybe five will be a good fit for your company. The other 15 are either bad opportunities or projects you’d have to stretch to complete, in terms of project fit or resources required to submit an RFP.
If you apply to all 20 and win one, your close rate will be 5%.
If you weed out the 15 that aren’t a good fit and win one of the remaining five, your close rate will be 20%.
Not only have you upped your close rate, you’ve also saved all the time and money you would have wasted on inappropriate proposals.
“Not all RFPs are created equal, and you don’t have an equal shot at winning them all. Know when to say, ‘This isn’t in our wheelhouse, and is too expensive a use of time to pursue.”
For example:
If you apply to all 20 and win one: Your close rate will be 5 percent and you’ve earned 25 thousand dollars in net new business. You will have invested 600 hours (30 hours per RFP) and 14,440 dollars (24 dollars per hour). Your RFP productivity rate (total new business divided by amount of work hours) is 42 dollars per hour.
If you weed out the 15 unfit proposals, apply for five and win one: Your close rate will be 20 percent and you’ve earned 25 thousand dollars in net new business. You will have invested 150 hours and 3,600 dollars. Because you were more selective, you RFP productivity rate is now $166.67 per hour.
Developing an in-house checklist or scoring system for evaluating RFP opportunities can help you determine where your opt-out point lies. Bob Lohfeld, CEO of Lohfeld Consulting Group, suggests asking the following seven questions to filter RFPs accordingly:
Do we understand the customer’s mission and the work to be performed?
Do we have a solution that will help the customer achieve its mission and contract objectives?
Do we have a relationship with this customer through meetings or prior contract performance?
Do we know who we are competing against and can we beat them?
Do we have a teaming strategy and can we get the right subcontractors?
Do we know what price we need to bid to win and can we achieve it profitably?
Do we have a compelling win strategy?
If you’re concerned about missing out on potentially-good projects, consider the advice of Sales Benchmark Index’s Principal, John Auer:
“In some cases, opting-out can actually be a more effective differentiator than participating in the RFP. For example, prospects may show their hand and confess they were looking forward to your proposal. If this is the case, you’ve just learned a valuable piece of information that could very well result in a win.”
If you don’t receive such a confession, you’ve saved time; but if you do, you’ve gained valuable insight into whether or not the RFP will be an effective time investment. It’s a win-win.
Work from a Proposal Template
As you pare down the number of RFPs you’re actually responding to, you can save even more time by developing a proposal template. This will minimize the amount of time you spend “reinventing the wheel” to develop every response.
You won’t be able to anticipate every Q&A you’ll encounter ahead of time. But developing stock copy for your executive summary and adding new Q&A responses to a central document – which you can draw from again in the future – can trim huge amounts of time off your RFP process.
For example, working from a template cuts the average time required to complete and submit a proposal from 30 hours per RFP to 10 hours. This time decrease would increase your RFP productivity rate to 500 dollars per hour (based on the metrics provided at the beginning of the article.
To calculate your RFP productivity rate, use the formula below:
Net new business amount / (number of RFPs x total hours worked)
Use a Non-Traditional Response Process
That said, just because you’re working from an RFP proposal template doesn’t mean your responses have to come across as formulaic. A non-traditional response process can minimize the burden of RFP completion on your team members, while also helping your company stand out from other applicants.
“Think George Costanza. Remember the episode when he did the opposite of everything his instinct was telling him to do and the results were off the charts? That is the approach you should use in developing your RFP strategy. Conventional wisdom is dead wrong.
So what does a non-traditional response process look like? Possible ideas include:
A highly-abbreviated executive summary section that eliminates corporate navel-gazing in favor of prioritizing value statements targeted to recipients.
Calling out requirements that are missing from the RFP (likely because they were overlooked by a procurement committee) to quickly establish expertise.
Offering extremely-detailed Q&A responses that are likely to exceed competitors’ proposals and impress companies with their comprehensive nature.
Another non-traditional RFP response option comes from Board Studios, which offers three suggestions for incorporating rich media into your RFPs:
Create a simple mini-site that shows off your USP and answers key questions.
Use infographics or professionally-designed process-flow images in your proposals.
Produce an explainer video in lieu of your executive summary.
Some industries – tech companies, for example, versus more staid banking and legal services – may be more receptive to the use of new media than others. But don’t be afraid to experiment by pushing boundaries. Standing out may be enough to get your proposal the close read it wouldn’t otherwise receive.
Think about how proposals are typically handled in your industry, and then – like George Costanza – consider doing the opposite.
Build Relationships Before RFP Responses
In most cases, you aren’t allowed to contact company representatives to make a personal appeal during the RFP process. That’s why it’s important that you continually invest in expanding your network before the process begins.
Companies need to know who you are before they receive your proposal. According to data gathered by The Seibert Group, 40 percent of your success comes down to your pre-RFP sales efforts:
“You must be actively selling to the buyer in the 12 to 18 months before the RFP is released. If they don’t know you before the RFP, your chances of winning are low.”
In practice, this means actively networking with future prospects, using both direct and indirect approaches. Cold calls and an active presence at industry events are important, but you may also find it helpful to use content marketing, social media marketing and other campaigns to build thought leadership around your company.
“The more you’re already present in prospects’ eyes because of your content, the more your company will be included on buyers’ “short lists.” In digital terms, you can think about this as a search process. When prospects are looking for answers to their questions related to your business, they’ll query Google, and if your content article shows up, then they’re more likely to read about you, and you’re more likely to be included on their short list.”
Further, Czajka argues, transforming your company into a respected thought leader through proper inbound marketing may remove the RFP from the equation entirely. “In cases where an RFP is optional, the buyer will naturally move to the subjective choice of a trusted advisor or resource.”
Simply put, if a buyer needs a vendor but decides not to proceed with the RFP process, the thought leadership you’ve built around your brand will make you a natural candidate to fill the spot.
Monitor Your RFP Success Rate
Regardless of which of the above strategies you choose to implement, one of the best things your sales team can do is monitor the metrics surrounding your RFP process.
Specific variables to track include:
Amount of RFPs received
Number of RFPs responded to vs. opted-out of
Number of RFPs closed
Value of closed RFPs vs. value of unsuccessful RFPs
Average amount of time required to complete RFPs
The data you gather here can play a role in improving your close rate, if you use it effectively.
Suppose you notice that from Q1 to Q2, your number of closed-won projects fell from 30 to 20. If, at the same time, you’ve tracked the total number of hours invested into each proposal and found that it too decreased from 20 hours per RFP to 10 hours, this is a signal that you need to invest more time into your proposal process.
Proposal analytics programs may be useful in identifying these types of trends. But even choosing to run your calculations by hand will put you ahead of competitors who aren’t as invested in monitoring their RFP metrics.
Be Smart About RFPs to Boost Your Close Rate
Success with RFPs comes down to approaching the process more thoughtfully than your competitors.
Use the data at hand to your advantage as you experiment with non-traditional RFP strategies and ongoing networking. Your 5% or less close rate will quickly become a thing of the past.
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The SaaS Sales Process: Finding the Right Cycle and Model for Your Startup Company
In the B2B SaaS sector, sales cycles are getting longer and it’s harder to reach decision makers. It is no surprise that SaaS sales are highly competitive. But it doesn’t have to be!
Salespeople and managers can use online training platforms to stand out from competitors. On average, companies who invest one dollar on sales training receive about$4.53 back in revenue.To boost revenue and sales performance, it’s crucial to use SaaS sales training programs and courses.
→ Want to deepen your understanding of SaaS Sales? You can find more information on SaaS Sales and the SaaS Sales Process on our website.
What is the Importance of a SaaS Sales Training Program?
SaaS sales training programs are helpful. Selling software, especially cloud-based solutions, is different from selling traditional products or services. The SaaS sale is intangible in nature and the subscription-based pricing model is unique.
A well-designed SaaS Sales training program is instrumental in equipping sales professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the competitive SaaS market. Improving performance can help a SaaS company succeed by increasing sales and satisfying customers.
Who Can Benefit from a SaaS Sales Training Program?
SaaS sales training programs are versatile and can be tailored to suit the needs of various individuals involved in the SaaS ecosystem. The goal of a SaaS sales training program is to enhance the understanding of SaaS products, sales processes, and customer engagement to drive business growth and success. There are other business professionals who could benefit from SaaS sales training, not just sales reps and managers. These individuals are:
Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders
Investors and Venture Capitalists
Consultants and Advisors
Marketing Teams
Customer Success and Support Teams
Product Managers and Developers
Human Resources
In today’s interconnected business environment, where cross-functional collaboration and a customer-centric approach are highly valued, SaaS sales training can be a valuable investment for a wide range of employees. It helps create a more informed, aligned, and effective workforce, contributing to the success of the SaaS company as a whole.
What to Look For in a SaaS Sales Training Program?
Say you decide to pursue one of the SaaS sales training listed in this article. Or maybe you find a new training program all together. When choosing SaaS sales training programs, consider these important factors to find the right one. Here’s a checklist of what to look for:
→ SuperiorContent Quality: Assess the quality of the training content. Look for programs that offer up-to-date materials, such as real-life examples and hands-on activities.
→ Instructors’ Expertise: Find out who the instructors or facilitators are. Instructors should have expertise in SaaS sales or related fields. They should also have experience teaching or coaching sales.
→ Options for Customization: Find out if the program can be adjusted to meet your specific or organizational needs. Customization allows for a more targeted learning experience.
→ Ongoing Support: Determine if the program offers post-training support or resources. Ongoing support can be valuable for reinforcing learning and addressing specific challenges.
→ Industry Focus: Consider whether the program is tailored to the SaaS industry, as the sales dynamics in SaaS can be unique compared to other sectors. Industry-specific knowledge is beneficial.
→ Integration of Technology and Tools: Check if the program uses modern sales technologies and tools like CRM systems and sales analytics platforms. They can improve the learning experience.
Consider these factors. They will help you choose a SaaS sales training program that aligns with your goals. Ultimately, a training program will enhance your sales skills and contribute to your success in the SaaS industry.
The 3 Best Virtual SaaS Sales Training Programs & Courses
Before enrolling in any program, it’s essential to research each one to ensure it aligns with your specific goals and needs. Check for reviews, testimonials, and recent course offerings to determine their relevance and reputation. Here are 3 virtual training courses Peak deems to be beneficial.
1. Sandler
Sandler is one of the leading platforms for sales training in the world. The Sandler team has 50+ years of experience. They offer comprehensive material to elevate your sales. Sandler offers a combination of online sessions, self-guided materials, and support tools to elevate your sales results and relationships. These materials are typically delivered in the following formats:
Webinars
White Papers
Articles/Books
Podcast
Events
E-books
Personal Advisors
One of the unique features of the Sandler+ online training platform is the ability to choose your delivery method. Select your content from a variety of different virtual materials to ensure you gain the most of your training.
Sandler’s top priority is personalized learning. This ensures all users get the training they need to improve sales. This customized approach differentiates Sandler from other online training programs. Because of this personalization, Sandler is a great place for non-sales people such as marketing professionals or entrepreneurs to learn about SaaS sales.
Despite its personalization and accessibility for all job types, Sandler is the gold star for sales training. Whether you’re a sales professional starting out, or a seasoned pro, ensure you take the time to train online with Sandler. Having a Sandler training certification on your resume is standard for many hiring managers.
The cost to attend Sandler training ranges and so does the time commitment. Some of Sandler’s quicker certifications can take a mere 12 hours while other courses can be a year long. The cost often reflects the length of the course and can range from $1,000-$5,000 or more. If the cost of attending a full online course is too expensive consider downloading some of their white papers or e-books. For a lower cost you will be able to access some of the unique expertise Sandler has to offer. Visit their website to learn more.
2. Sales Hacker (GTMnow)
Sales Hacker is known for its virtual sales training programs, including those focused on SaaS sales. Their platform primarily includes an online blog and virtual community of sales professions to promote education and career acceleration. They also host webinars and virtual events. Sales Hacker was acquired by the number one sales engagement platform, GTMnow, in 2023. Sales Hacker has become one of the leading destinations for sales professionals to stay up-to-date on the latest sales trends.
One of Sales Hacker’s focuses is the creation of an online sales community. Their extensive network of over 166,000 sales professionals and 500 contributing authors provides a trusted space for sales professions to learn and grow together. In addition to their educational resources and events, Sales Hacker also provides a place for community engagement. These community engagement features include discussion threads, direct messaging, and personalized channels.
Since Sales Hacker has such a large network of contributors and educators you can find information on highly specialized topics, in addition to more general inquiries. Subscribing to the Sales Hacker newsletter is free and allows users to stay up to date with sales trends. Some webinars and virtual events offered through Sales Hacker come at an additional cost. These costs vary depending on the program offered.
Due to the low to no price point on Sales Hackers material, it is a no brainer for sales representatives everywhere to subscribe. The Sales Hacker platform is also a great way for individuals in other professions (marketing, HR, support teams) to learn about the nuances of SaaS sales without spending money.
3. SaaS Sales Academy
The SaaS Sales Academyspecializes in SaaS sales training. They offer virtual programs designed to enhance the skills of sales professionals in the SaaS industry. SaaS Sales Academy targets founders of SaaS sales startups specifically, however, there is still value in their content for sales representatives. SaaS founders who use the services of the SaaS Sales Academy are likely to see a 206% revenue increase in the first 6 months.
SaaS Sales academy delivers their content through growth playbooks and online programs. SaaS sales founders and professionals can perfect their craft using these playbooks. Playbooks come in different formats like videos, templates, and articles. Some of the resources on SaaS Sales Academy are free while others charge a small fee per material downloaded. A free growth session is offered to all new users. This free growth session is a great way to test if the SaaS Sales Academy and platform is right for you.
The SaaS Sales Academy was founded by a highly trained team of SaaS company founders. These individuals have founded and successfully exited multiple companies. With the combination of strong SaaS sales expertise from their team, and easy to use growth playbooks, any SaaS founder or sales rep can find immense value in the SaaS Sales Academy.
A benefit of training with the SaaS Sales Academy is the lower price point. Compared to other SaaS sales training platforms, the SaaS Sales Academy can be more cost effective sitting around $1,200 for a 7 week program. This price point can be beneficial for SaaS founders with a smaller budget for training.
Other Noteworthy SaaS Sales Training Programs
Salesforce Trailhead
HubSpot Academy
LinkedIn Learning
Sales Institute
Sales Enablement Society
SaaS Mastermind
Looking to hire your next SaaS sales professional? Peak has an extensive network of top-performing SaaS leaders ready to make meaningful contributions to your organization. Contact us today to get started.
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Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.
Cold calling remains a powerful sales technique, even in today’s digital age. Nothing beats the human connection that happens when you hear a friendly voice on the other end of a call.
Every week, our team connects with thousands of sales professionals who make cold calls daily. They’re sharing with us firsthand what’s working, what’s not, and what new challenges sales professionals face as we look ahead into 2025 and beyond. We’ve compiled a list of the most exciting, research-backed, key cold-calling statistics that shed light on the current sales landscape. These statistics can help you plan your new year accordingly.
The statistics we have to share with you today reveal:
Why buyers love to connect over the phone
How your social media presence could impact your cold calling efficiency
The best time of the week and day to make cold calls
The power of AI to boost cold calling success
Looking to build a sales team that excels in cold calling and drives real results? Contact Peak Sales Recruiting today to find the right talent for your team.
Understand Your Clients Preferences With These Cold Calling Statistics
Buyers love to connect. Let’s kick off our cold calling statistics list with some of the most promising insights about it’s effectiveness.
1. On average, 49% of buyers prefer that initial contact be made via cold call (Zippia). This means prospects may be more receptive than you imagine to cold calls.
2. This statistic increases to 50% for buyers in professional services and 54% for technology buyers (Zippia).
3. 57% of C-level executives and VPs list cold calling as their preferred method of being contacted. (RAIN Group).
4. This is compared to 51% of directors and 47% of managers (RAIN Group).
Powerful Cold Calling Statistics to Leverage for Success
These statistics are important when considering the impact of your cold-calling process on your company.
5. It takes an average of 8 cold calls to reach a prospect and book a meeting (Outplay). That means most calls aren’t answered and might be seen as ‘unsuccessful calls’. However, the results of individual calls can’t measure success in a cold-calling strategy; it’s a long game! Cold calling requires commitment and comfort with delayed gratification from your sales representatives.
6. Overall, cold calling has an average 2% conversion rate (Zippia, Kently). This is totally normal and in some cases considered a success.
Before we discuss how to improve your sales reps’ cold calling, let’s discuss effective marketing strategies.
7. 82% of buyers believe a company is more trustworthy if it’s active on social media (BrandFog). It’s less work for a buyer to confirm your trustworthiness through this social proof than to call you back and try to discern firsthand. Start considering your social media strategy as part of your sales process.
8. Additionally, 77% of buyers are more likely to buy from a company if the CEO is active on social media (BrandFog), so get your leaders involved, too!
Stats to Help Improve Your Cold Calling Results
Following industry best practices are a great start to successful sales prospecting calls. These cold calling statistics reveal ways to get more answered calls, callbacks, and closed sales.
10. Customers who are referred are about 24% more profitable than other customers (Wharton School of Business). Are your sales reps making referrals a part of their cold-calling sales strategy?
11. When it comes to timing cold calls, the best time of day to call is between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm in the prospect’s time zone. This time has 71% more conversions than the second best time, which is between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm (Outplay).
12. The worst time to make a cold call is around 1:00 pm (Revenue.io).
13. Wednesdays are the best day of the week to make cold calls, followed by Thursdays (InsideSales.com). In addition, we always recommend avoiding Monday mornings and Friday afternoons when professionals are busy starting or wrapping up their work week.
14. Successful cold calls include 65% more “we” statements (Gong). What’s the power of we? This language is used in sales to make the sales rep and prospect feel like partners. It also signals that the rep is speaking on behalf of your organization.
Statistics That Reveal Your Cold Calling Mistakes
Many easy-to-fix mistakes prohibit sales representatives from closing successful sales prospecting calls daily. Let’s cover what those are, as well as a few tips on addressing them with your team.
15. On average, salespeople don’t follow up on half of marketing leads (Dreamforce). The solution to this mistake is clear: make more follow-up phone calls. However, there are complex reasons why your sales professionals might make this mistake. For instance…
16. 44% of sales representatives stop the sale after receiving negative feedback from their first call (SmallBiz Genius). Review your sales statistics to see if your sales reps are following up on all marketing leads. Next, consider ways to train, empower, coach, or offer incentives for better follow-up.
17. After reaching a prospect, salespeople must make an average of 5 additional follow-up calls to close the deal (SmallBiz Genius). Setting your sales team up for success may also mean adjusting their expectations and increasing the number of follow-ups they see as standard in the sales process.
18. If sales reps fail to discuss follow-up steps on their first call, the close rate will drop by 71% (Gong.io). A resilient sales mindset not only serves your company but also your clients. Prospects want to know when and how your team will follow up. Being clear about your process begins to build trust early on.
19. If your sales reps kick off a call by asking, “Is now a bad time?” they decrease their chance of booking a meeting with the prospect by 40% (Gong.io). Ask your reps to consider more confident and engaging ways to kick off their cold calls.
20. The success rate of a cold call drops by 61% if the call exceeds 5 minutes in length (Zipdo). Brevity is critical when connecting with a new prospect since your rep hasn’t earned much trust with their prospect yet. Keep calls short to qualify leads and follow up!
21. Sales representatives who talk for over 55% of a cold call are less likely to close a deal (Zippia). When you listen (almost) as much as you talk, prospects feel like their problems matter. This is a powerful way to make a positive first impression.
Stats That Expose Cold Calling Challenges
While B2B cold calling statistics might look dismal at times, it’s all a numbers game you can get the ‘upper hand’ in. Let’s consider how many cold calls go to voicemail. Your sales representatives can increase callbacks with one simple step.
22. 92% of people believe calls from an unknown number are a scam and, therefore, won’t answer (Market Splash). This makes cold calling particularly challenging since so many calls need to be made before making contact is actually possible.
23. Since so many sales calls are ignored, 80% of cold calls go to voicemail (Market Splash). A voicemail script can help your sales professionals leave voice messages that pack a punch. However, how many of those voicemails are listened to?
24. Only 15% of customers listen to voicemails left from a cold call (Market Splash). But, there are two simple things your sales professionals can do to increase their chances of a reply — other than just calling back.
25. Using local area codes can increase the likelihood of a callback by 57% (Zipdo).
26. And while 90% of buyers won’t return a cold call if the sales rep only leaves a voicemail (Smith.ai), a follow-up email, or, in some industries, a text message sent immediately after a voicemail can encourage a reply. This creates multiple touchpoints and opportunities for the client to recognize who you are — and call back or reply.
27. A sales rep’s chance of getting that reply increases when other forms of communication are used because 80% of prospects would rather talk to a salesperson over email than over the phone (Salesmate).
Getting just anyone at a company to answer your cold calls won’t always cut it. Another cold-calling challenge is getting the right person — a top decision-maker or makers— on the phone.
28. If your sales representatives are calling offices with 50-100 people in them, there will be, on average, seven people involved in that office’s purchasing decisions (Selling Signals). So, even if your rep contacts someone in the office, they may have to leverage their contact as their internal champion or quickly build rapport so that the person contacted will make the necessary introduction(s).
29. There’s also the issue of the ‘right person’ being difficult to pin down in the first place. In one year, 30% of people change jobs, 66% change job titles or functions, 43% change their work number, and 37% change their email address (ZoomInfo Study). With prospect contact information becoming so quickly dated, thorough research is essential. There may be value in employing AI in your data collection as well.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Revealed by Cold Calling Statistics
30. High-performing sales teams are 4.9 times more likely to be using AI than underperforming teams (Salesforce).
31. Sales professionals who have adopted AI have increased leads and appointments by 50% (McKinsey).
32. By 2025, 75% of B2B companies will use AI to elevate traditional cold calls (Airgram), so there’s never been a better time to start with AI to get ahead of the crowd.
33. 70% of sales professionals say using AI helps them save time (Airgram).
34. Using AI to automate manual tasks has allowed sales reps to have 2-3x more daily conversations (Koncert). And, of course, the more calls, the more chances your sales reps have to close a sale.
35. AI can even be employed to phone-verify numbers so that sales reps aren’t calling incorrect numbers. This process can ensure about 98% accuracy (Outplay).
As you prepare your sales team for the end of 2023 and the start of the new year, we’d love to help. Our network of professionals is full of cold-calling experts who could be just the fit for your team. Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs and learn how Peak Sales can help you meet your sales goals.
