Writing an email to a stranger is easy. Writing an email to a stranger that gets a response? Not so easy. The typical professional gets so many messages on a daily basis it's a feat if they even open yours -- let alone reply.

Luckily, at HubSpot, we know a lot about effective emails. Here are our best tips for introducing yourself over email.

1. Write a compelling subject line.

Persuade your recipient to open your email with a compelling subject line. Piquing their curiosity is key; unlike a message from someone whose name they recognize, there's no guarantee they'll read yours unless it grabs their attention.

Take a look at the subject lines that have convinced HubSpotters to click. And take a look at a few of the best subject lines we've seen here:

Networking subject lines:

• "Beers on me?"
• "Can I buy you lunch?"
• "No such thing as a free lunch (until now?)"
• "Long-time [listener, reader, fan], first-time emailer"

Sales subject lines:

• "Do you have an online course for [book]?"
• "40% growth in 3 months -- wow"
• "Have you considered Twitter ads?"
• "Hello from [company]"

Job search subject lines:

• "Curious what working at [company] is like"
• "Are you looking for a [job title]?"
• "Saw [company's] hiring a [job title]"

2. Tailor your greeting to the industry and situation.

It might be one word, but the greeting you opt for makes a difference. If you're emailing someone in a conservative industry, like finance or government, go with the traditional "Dear." If you're emailing someone in a more relaxed industry, such as tech, media, travel, or fashion, use "Hi," "Hello," or even "Hey."

Picking a greeting they're familiar with shows you've done your research.

As for the second part of the salutation: Their name. I recommend referring to them by first name. These days, that's the norm across industries.

Steer clear of "[First name] [last name]", which sounds stilted and robotic, and "Mr./Mrs./Ms. [last name]", which makes you seem young.

3. Make your first line about them.

The opening line is one of the most important parts of an introduction email. Here's where you try to establish relevance. If you succeed, you give your recipient a reason to keep reading.

Even though your first instinct is probably saying something about you -- such as "My name is X and I'm reaching out because …" -- this will quickly cause their eyes to glaze over.

Here are some equally bad first sentences:

• "We've never met, but …"
• "You don't know me, but …"
• "I'm a complete stranger, but …"

Never highlight the fact you're a stranger -- it's like telling your recipient your email will probably be irrelevant.

Instead, you want to lead with something about them. After all, most people like talking about themselves more than any other topic.

HubSpotters loved these openers:

• "I noticed you manage one of the software teams at HubSpot."
• "Just saw your post at the HubSpot blog about organizing posting calendar in terms of topic clusters."
• "Have you ever thought about turning your book into an online course? Or creating an online course based on the same topic as your book?"
• "I'm inspired by the work you've done, not to mention your unique career."
• "I've never learned so much from a single piece of content."

Want more inspiration for your salutation? Check out these email opening lines and greetings that put "Hi, my name is" to shame.

4. Explain why you're reaching out.

Now that you've stimulated their interest and genuinely complimented them, it's time to connect the dots.

For example, let's say you're hoping to set up a networking meeting so you can learn more about their role (and potentially get a job referral).

If your first line is "You've done an impressive job at [company] building [X strategy] and revamping [Y program]", your second line might be, "I'm considering a career in [person's field] and would love to buy you coffee so I can learn more about it from an expert."

Or perhaps your goal is booking a sales call. Your first line might be "I see you host several campus events per year," and your second could be "I work with companies like Facebook and Google to help promote their college recruitment events."

The key is making your explanation as relevant to your recipient as possible. You want them to feel special -- not like one person on a list of 100 that you're emailing. And always make sure you're writing sales emails prospect's actually want to read using this five-step process.

5. Provide value for them.

Before you ask for anything, you need to provide value. Thanks to the principle of reciprocity, receiving value makes people want to return the favor.

In Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini describes a study in which an unknowing test subject received a can of soda from the researcher. The soda cost $0.50.

Later, the same researcher asked the participant to buy $5 worth of raffle tickets. Agreement rates were much higher than for participants who didn't get any soda.

A thoughtful, authentic compliment can definitely provide value, so if you've already said something nice in your first few lines, you don't necessarily need to do more. However, it doesn't hurt to go a little further. Here are some ideas:

• Review their book on Amazon, Goodreads, etc., and share the link
• Recommend an article they might find helpful
• Suggest a useful app or tool
• Offer to introduce them to someone who they'd benefit from knowing

6. Include a call-to-action.

The final piece of the puzzle? Your call-to-action (CTA). Remove as much friction from your ask as possible; if you want them to meet with you, for example, provide a link to your meetings tool so they can instantly see when you're both available and book a time. Or if you want them to review a post you've written, include the attachment so they can immediately read it.

Take a look at these sample lines:

• "Would you be willing to comment on the LinkedIn post I wrote? It would be great to have your unique perspective (and hopefully get some discussion going)."
• "If you're thinking about how Greener could apply the concepts in the guide, I have some ideas I'd love to share. Here's the link to my calendar: [Link]."
• "Are you open to answering a few questions about your experience working at HubSpot? Happy to chat over phone or email, whatever's more convenient."

Try to strike a balance between polite and confident. Phrases like, "I know you're busy, but …", "I'd normally never ask, however …", "You probably don't have time, so …", "It would mean the world to me …" and "I'll be forever in your debt if …" make you seem desperate -- and suggest your recipient would be massively inconveniencing themselves by saying yes.

Because you're reaching out to a stranger, your request shouldn't be that excessive or unreasonable. If it is, that's a completely separate issue. Don't hurt your chances of a "yes" by sounding insecure.

7. Say "thanks" and sign off.

No need to write anything more. The best emails are short, sweet, and concise. After all, extra information or unnecessary details lessen the probability your recipient will actually read the email -- they'll be too put off by its length. You also run the risk of distracting them from what actually matters.

With that in mind, say "thanks," "thank you," or "thanks so much" (depending on the size of your request), and add your name. Looking for more sign off ideas? Try one of these powerful email closing lines that'll intrigue your recipients and prompt responses.

8. Follow up with them.

If you send this incredible introduction email and the unthinkable happens (i.e., they don't respond) send a follow-up email they won't be able to ignore. Here are a few things to try:

1. Send them actionable advice.
2. Send a how-to guide and offer to follow up in person.
3. Share weaknesses in their business and solutions you've identified.
4. Share relevant industry articles/news.
5. Respond to a social media message, then follow up with more.
6. Reference a blog they wrote and ask a question about it.
7. Invite them to an upcoming event.
8. Bring up a pain point your buyers face and present a solution.

Want more tips on great follow up? Here's a guide to sending a follow-up email after no response.

Introduction Email Template

Now that you have all the building blocks, let's see each section in action working together as a full introduction email.

40% Growth in 3 months -- wow

Hello Elena,

I'm inspired by the work you've done in customer success, not to mention your unique career path.

I saw your recent article on managing surges in support tickets and had to reach out. I've helped companies like yours easily manage accelerated support tickets, which has contributed toward as much as 40% growth in as few as three months -- this case study illustrates how.

If you're interested in learning how to implement some of these strategies in your team, I'd love to share more. Here's a link to my calendar [insert link].

Thank you,

Caroline

How to Introduce Yourself to a Group

Maybe you just started a new job or joined a different team, and you need to introduce yourself to a group of people. Use this template to create your email introduction.

Hello enterprise sales team

Hi all,

I'm the new sales director for the enterprise sales team. I wanted to take a moment to say an official hello.

The work you've done and the numbers you've hit have been key factors in our successful year. And I'm thrilled to work with you more closely over the coming months.

In the future weeks, I'll be reaching out to everyone so I can meet you all and say hello. Should you have any questions or concerns during this time, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly -- my door's always open.

Looking forward to working with you all.

Thank you,

Katrina

"By way of introduction" is a phrase that can be used when introducing a new person. And below we'll take a look at the best way to introduce others via email.

How to Introduce Someone via Email

If you have a contact who would benefit from connecting with a friend or colleague of yours, use this template to introduce them via email. Include reasoning for the introduction and make sure the connection will be valuable for both individuals.

Introduction -- Kelly Davis and Rob Cortez

Hi Kelly,

Please meet Rob Cortez, a manager for our top-performing, mid-market sales team. He previously managed sales operations at a tech startup, [Company Name], and has insight into new sales ops technology. He's interested in our sales operations and would love to learn more.

Kelly is a senior manager on the sales operations team and she's reviewing the tools and software the team's using for the next year.

I've copied Rob on this email so you can connect about sales operations and technology -- and I'll let you two take it from here.

Best,

Valentina

How to Introduce Yourself to a Recruiter/Hiring Manager

Sure, you might spend hours polishing your resume and cover letter for a job -- but do you give the submission email any love before hitting send?

When recruiters are sorting through applications, you want to do everything you can to stand out. The first step is sending a thoughtful introduction email. Don't write a novel, but do write a friendly and professional "Hello" note.

In the example below, I state the reason for my email, share no more than one sentence explaining why I'd be a good fit for the role, and offer to provide more information upon request. 

It's concise and gives my application a little extra shine.

Meg Whitton -- Candidate for SDR

Hello Sara,

I'm pleased to share my resume and cover letter for the position of Sales Development Representative at SpotHub. I'm confident my background as a BDR for Sales-R-Us has equipped me to succeed in this position, and I'm excited to submit my application.

If I can provide you with any further materials to illustrate my fit for this role, please don't hesitate to reach out.

I appreciate your time.

Regards,
Meg Whitton

How to Introduce Yourself to an Executive

Getting a response from a CEO or executive is tough. But your introduction can make all the difference. Remember a few things when crafting your email.

First, make your ask gentle and advice-driven. Executives are great with people and usually love helping others. Open your email with a request for information or advice, instead of a request to sell.

Another great tip: compose your email to them on your phone. Executives are busy and often check emails while they're on the go. Compose your email on the phone, to make sure you're providing them with a good reader experience.

And don't forget to put your email signature to work.

Have time for rebrand geek?

Hello Amber,

I noticed you recently unveiled a shiny, new rebrand for BlueHouse Designs. It looks fantastic, congratulations!

My name is Amy, and I'm interested in learning more about what drives executive teams to determine it's time to rebrand. Would you have time for a 15-minute phone call to walk me through your decision to rebrand?

Regards,

Amy Polish
[Company name]
[Company tagline]
[Website link]

How to Introduce Yourself to a Gatekeeper

Never underestimate the gatekeeper. Set yourself apart by offering to help them before you help yourself. In the example below, Liz provides value to the gatekeeper and explains that she wants to "earn" the introduction to Tom's boss.

Can I make your week easier?

Hi Tom,

I know you likely get a lot of email from salespeople trying to get through to your boss. I'm no different -- except that I want to earn the right to be passed along to Amber.

My name is Liz, and I help companies like yours decrease hiring time by up to 25%. So, that marketing coordinator your team is currently hiring? I can get a top candidate in that role faster.

Have I earned a few minutes with Amber? If so, feel free to book time on my calendar, here: [Insert calendar link]

If not, I've got more up my sleeve.

Regards,
Liz Prater

Introduction emails don't have to be awkward or unreliable. Follow this formula, and your introduction emails will go over like a charm. And if you're looking for more email tips, check out these less pushy alternatives to "As Soon As Possible" next.

Your sales pitch can make or break the deal, so it's a good idea to have that nailed down before meeting with your customer. It's your opening line, your verbal business card, and the first thing your customer will hear when you call or meet with them.

I've been in sales for 15 years and have heard some really great pitches and some really bad ones.For this post, I'd like to discuss the anatomy of a good sales pitch and share examples of the best sales pitches I've ever heard.

What is a sales pitch?

Sales pitches are also called "elevator pitches" because you should be able to tell the story in the time it takes you to ride an elevator with a prospect -- a maximum of 1-2 minutes.

Salespeople are past the point of giving prospects an hour-long presentation to sell products or services. Nobody has that kind of time and, to be honest, if you need an hour to relay your value proposition, you're doing it wrong.

Your sales pitch should be short and have a clear message. In your pitch you should explain your customers (e.g., what they do and who they are), the problem they're facing, a plan for how your product will help them, and what their success will look like as a result of using your product.

Storybrand's Donald Miller shows the structure of a good sales pitch in his book, Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen. He explains the elements of a pitch in a very short list:

1. Character - Who are your customers and what do they do? (i.e., accountants working in the United States and Europe)
2. Problem - What problem do they have right now? (i.e., they are always busy and Excel spreadsheets for reporting are hard to manage)
3. Plan - How does your product or service help them? (i.e., your company has designed a data visualization platform that's easy to set up and automates busywork)
4. Success - What does success look like for your customer? (i.e., they get to spend more time with their family/more time with important customers and less time working on reports)

"Short" is key when discussing sales pitches. Ideally, your pitch should be a one-liner summarizing what your company does, how they do it, and for whom. And this is not just a requirement for sales reps. Anyone in your company -- from the CEO to sales consultants needs to know your one-line sales pitch by heart.

For my company, InsideSales.com, the one-liner would be: "We help salespeople build and close more pipeline faster using artificial intelligence."

So, how should you start your sales pitch?

The Sales Pitch Framework

This is the one-line version, but if you have time to properly expand and work on a conversation, touch on points of interest. Here's a framework you can use for building your elevator pitch:

1. Problem: Start with a statement or question about the problem you solve and share eye-opening statistics. Answer the why.
2. Value Statement: Share a very clear, concise statement of value. Be action-oriented and outcome focused. Avoid using jargon. Share benefits.
3. How We Do It: Highlight unique differentiators and explain what you do.
4. Proof Points: Provide clear reference examples and list recognizable achievements. Share industry validation and awards.
5. Customer Stories: Share customer examples and successes. Tell emotional and personalized customer stories. Make it real and tangible.
6. Engaging Question: Close the pitch with an open-ended question creating a space to have a conversation.

Many companies use success stories in their pitches to ensure the sale. Name-dropping really works, so be sure to use that to your advantage. And if your product is small or light enough to keep in your pocket, you should always have one on-hand to show your prospect.

I always stress the need for a concise sales pitch. So keep it free of professional jargon, don't get into the weeds and be sure to talk more about your prospect and their problems than yourself.

Nothing's more off-putting than a bragging salesperson talking about themselves, their company, or their services. That's what I call the "me monster." The actor in your story is the customer, not you -- period.

Distribution matters

Lastly, presentation and distribution are everything. You need to deliver your sales pitch to the right person at the right time with the right tools on hand (like a demo, or free trial, or presentation).

The sale starts with your list of contacts. Define your list and personas, know their correct contact information, get an introduction, and make sure you contact them at a time of day when they're likely to respond. This is where intelligent sales technology comes in.

How can you make your sales pitch the best it can be? Here are some sales pitch ideas.

1. Tell a story.

Keep your listeners engaged by telling a brief story. The story could be either about the company or how a customer found success through your product or service.

2. Include a value proposition.

What value will you be providing for this person or their company? While your pitch should be short and sweet, the value proposition is the core of your sales pitch.

3. Personalize the sales pitch.

Who are you talking to? Make sure your sales pitch is relevant to them and piques their interest. You'll be able to customize it so it addresses the items that are most important to the person you're speaking with.

4. Switch up your pitch.

There are a variety of sales pitch types to choose from:

• The One-Word Sales Pitch
• The Question Sales Pitch
• The Rhyming Sales Pitch
• The Subject Line Sales Pitch
• The Twitter Sales Pitch
• The Pixar Sales Pitch

Depending on the potential customer and situation, change up the type of pitch you use.

5. Practice your pitch.

Practice, practice, practice. Once you've created your pitch, practice it so you feel comfortable presenting it in front of prospective clients.

5 Great Sales Pitch Examples

I promised I'd give you some examples of great sales pitches, and they've been pretty fun to collect. At the Salesforce's annual Dreamforce conference last year, I visited booths and recorded sales reps and their pitches. These are the best five sales pitches we recorded.

1. Brightfunnel

"Brightfunnel is a marketing attribution platform designed to help marketers understand the true value of their marketing touches and their impact on the revenue and buyer's journey."

This is the shortest pitch of those I heard at Dreamforce, and it was chosen by our users as the top pitch.

Data actually shows a short pitch is better. Gong.io, for example, demonstrates that talking about your company for more than two minutes kills your sale. Our contest also served as a good experiment. We had almost 7,500 votes on our sales pitch contest, and the top two were the shortest at under 35 seconds. The longer the pitch, the less votes it got.

I can't stress this enough: Help your customer understand what you do, who you do it for, and how in under two minutes.

Your customer is busy and doesn't have more than two minutes to spend with you. A short sales pitch helps you as a salesperson as well, because the faster you can disqualify people who aren't interested in your offer, the faster you can reach someone who is.

2. Conga

"We are a suite of intelligent automation solutions for Salesforce, for everything from data, documents to reporting."

This was the number two on our list and the second most popular of our contest. We had over 2,000 votes for this one. This short pitch outperformed others because it simply speaks to the user's needs. In one short sentence, I get the character (Salesforce users), the problem (dealing with too much information and too little insight, the plan (using intelligent automation solutions), and the success (deal with all of this through automation).

3. Vidyard

"We are a B2B video platform for businesses. We change the way organizations communicate their video content through onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing as well as externally through sales, marketing and customer support. We can show the ROI of your video marketing initiatives by tracking who watches your videos, and for how long, so that you can justify the spend on those videos."

Vidyard is a company that's been making waves lately -- mainly because salespeople are finding video an effective prospecting tool. They found great sales pitches are personalized, and what better way to do that than to add a human face to your message?

Their sales pitch rocks not only because they identify their prospect clearly from the first sentence (B2B companies that use video platforms for sales, marketing, or enablement), but they also focus on the competitive advantage they have from the get-go. They don't just sell this service, they "change the way you communicate," -- and that makes a difference.

The Gong.io data also showed leaving the discussion about competition too late in the conversation usually kills your sale. Vidyard knows this, which is why they make sure to include it in their pitch.

4. Xactly

"We automate and streamline the commission process for sales organizations. For a lot of companies, that means getting you off an Excel spreadsheet or a home-grown cumbersome system. The Xactly advantage is that we've been in the cloud since 2005. We have been able to anonymize all of our customer's data to allow you to leverage different data points when making your decision."

The Xactly sales pitch focuses on the problem their customer has -- an important part of a successful pitch. I discussed the "me monster" above, and you should be wary of it when creating a pitch. Xactly does this well. The trick is to address your customer's problems and concerns and highlight how your product or service solves these problems. In the case of Xactly, it's about getting people off cumbersome legacy systems and Excel spreadsheets.

5. G2Crowd

"G2Crowd is the user voice platform for people to accurately say what they think about software and not be told by analysts or people who don't use it, or get a reference from the best customer. They actually hear it directly from the user and engage with people who actually use the product."

This is an interesting way to build your pitch: Make a note of what really annoys your customer and pitch how your service can resolve this grievance. It's another way of reframing the customer need, and it works because it's a powerful way to describe the situation.

When they discuss how you're being told by analysts what to do, or people who haven't used a product, they highlight a clear disconnect in the market between what you need and what you get. The company allows verified users of products to write reviews and becomes an essential resource for their users.

Why A Short Sales Pitch is a Good Pitch

An important note to make about these sales pitches is that they are all amazingly optimized for a short conversation -- and the sales reps were extremely efficient with their time.

All the top sales pitches were under 35 seconds, while the top two winners (sales representatives from Brightfunnels and Conga) were able to explain what their company does in 19 and 9 seconds respectively.

I can't stress enough how much brevity matters for a sales pitch. Gong.io had the latest data on this, and they highlight how certain language patterns for salespeople have a negative effect on their sales pitch. Talking too much, using filler words, and talking about their company for more than two minutes are among the three conversation killers Gong identified.

They have the full data on it in an excellent article they published on SalesHacker, but I think any experienced sales representative would be able to tell you this without looking at any data whatsoever.

Talking too much and not listening enough kills your sale. So, keep your sales pitch short, clean, and simple! Your customers will thank you.

Implementing business processes can streamline the completion of any simple or complex task. Processes can also make your employees more efficient, consistent, and accurate in their roles and interactions with your customers.

The benefits of processes in business apply to your sales department as well. A sales process that complements your business, sales representatives, customers, and products or services will allow you to boost conversions, close more deals, and ensure all of your reps are providing customers with positive and consistent experiences — no matter who they're talking to.

However, building a scalable and repeatable sales process can be tough, especially because every business, sales team, and target audience is unique.

We've created this guide to help you. Below, you'll find the best tactics to create and map a sales process tailored to your business that works for both your sales team and target audience.

Let's dive in.

Before we cover the details of creating and mapping your sales process, let's review the answer to a question that may come up as you begin working on your sales process: What's the difference between a sales process and a sales methodology?

Sales Process vs. Sales Methodology

Understanding the distinction between a sales process and sales methodology is important as they're both important terms. Although they're closely related, a sales process and sales methodology are two different things.

A sales process, as we reviewed earlier, is a concrete set of actions your sales team follows to close a new customer.

A sales methodology is the framework for how your sales process is to be carried out and how it will help your business grow.

Here's a diagram to help you visualize this:

Think of your sales process as the high-level map of the steps your team takes, while your sales methodologies are the different ways your team can approach the sales process.

Sales Methodologies

Choosing a sales methodology sets the foundation for your team as they approach their work and sales process. Although it's not a necessary part of your process, your business might choose to incorporate one since they are another way to streamline your customer's buyer journey and ensure professional, impactful, and helpful interactions between those customers and your sales team occur.

Here are some of the most popular sales methodologies for your consideration.

Challenger Sales Methodology

The Challenger Sales method is an approach to sales that says the seller, or Challenger, must teach the prospect. Sellers learn about a customer's business, tailor their selling techniques to their needs and pain points, and challenge any of their preconceptions throughout the process.

Solution Selling

Solution selling requires reps to focus solely on the customer's pain points instead of the products or services they're selling. Products are framed as solutions and emphasis is placed on what a resolution for the customer's pain point would look like.

Consultative Selling

Consultative selling places emphasis on the salesperson becoming a trusted advisor to the customer, gaining authority and trust over time. Consultative selling happens when sales align with the customer's buying experience — it's defined by the customer-rep relationship.

Inbound Selling

The inbound sales approach is characterized by attracting buyers with tailored and relevant content rather than advertising irrelevant messages and hoping they'll buy.

The Inbound Sales Methodology

With so many choices in today's marketplace, it's important for sales teams to put the needs of their buyers ahead of their own. The inbound approach came from the belief that:

• Buyers can now find most of the information (online or elsewhere) they need about a company's products or services before they ever engage with a salesperson.
• Buyers have become better at blocking out cold and interruptive sales techniques (cold calls and irrelevant sales emails, for example).
• Buyers have heightened expectations around the experience of buying. They can control the experience and move through the process largely on their own timeline.

These shifts in buying trends are all examples of how buyers have seized control of the sales process from the sales reps who once held all the power. With these changes in mind, it's important for sales teams to adopt a more helpful, human approach to selling — or inbound selling.

Now that we've covered the difference between a sales process and methodology, let's review the steps of the sales process so you can begin developing one for your team.

1. Prospecting

Prospecting is the process of sourcing new, early-stage leads to begin working through the sales process with. It's a vital part of the sales process and part of most reps' daily or weekly workflow.

Prospecting might involve online research on sites like LinkedIn or Quora. It also might take place at conferences or industry events. Additionally, you can prospect by asking current clients or colleagues to refer individuals who might be interested in your product or service.

2. Connecting

The connect step of the sales process involves reps initiating contact with those early stage leads to gather information and decide whether or not they're a good-fit lead for your business and whether or not they'll likely move forward in the buyer's journey. A rep can typically determine this over a "connect" or "discovery" call (sometimes over email if not via phone).

To do this, a rep might ask:

• "Tell me about your role."
• "What do you do day-to-day?"
• "What problem are you trying to solve?"
• "Why is this a priority for your business?"

3. Researching

Next comes the research step. Learning more about your prospect and their company as they progress through the sales process can help your reps offer a more tailored and personal experience to improve the likelihood of closing a deal.

This might require a rep to speak with other people at the company in different departments to get a holistic view of the business and their objectives. Many longtime reps say a good salesperson understands the company as a whole better than the individual prospect who works there.

4. Presenting

Most salespeople, across industries, will run a formal presentation or demonstration of whatever it is they're selling for the prospect. This step is time-consuming, so it typically comes deeper in the sales process and is reserved for more serious prospects. (You don't want your reps wasting any of their valuable time if it's clearly avoidable).

A presentation should be tailored to meet the specific prospect's unique use case and pain points. Additionally, a rep might bring an engineer or executive to the meeting with them to demonstrate the level of service the customer will receive when doing business with your company. This also allows them to answer more technical questions the rep might not be best suited to comment on.

5. Closing

This step of the sales process refers to any late-stage activities that happen as a deal approaches closing. It varies widely from company to company and may include things like delivering a quote or proposal, negotiation, or achieving the buy-in of decision-makers.

The close step is what every salesperson works toward. It should result in a mutually-beneficial, contractual agreement between the prospect and the seller. Once a deal closes, the salesperson receives a commission on the price they negotiated with the customer, and the account usually passes to an account manager or customer success representative.

Now that we've covered the steps of the sales process, let's discuss how you can map those steps.

How to Map the Sales Process

Mapping your sales process will allow you to clearly identify and clarify each of the sales process steps (as reviewed in the above section). This way, your team will develop a sustainable strategy suitable for long-term growth.

When you map your sales process, you answer the "why" behind every decision you make in your sales process. This is critical because your sales process is the foundation of everything your team does.

1. Analyze your current sales process.

The first step in mapping your sales process involves analyzing your current process. You'll want to consider what is and isn't working for your reps and prospects to tailor your new process to better fit their needs, so more deals are closed and more customers are delighted.

Here are some ways to analyze the success of your current sales process.

Observe your reps as they work through the sales process.

Look back at the last five or 10 deals you closed. What did these deals look like from beginning to end? What were the touch points with the customer?

Consider roughly how long the entire process took and how much time elapsed between each step. The more examples you have (and the more people on your team those examples come from), the better.

Once you've identified that timeline, work backward to understand the timeline for each deal. For example, if six of those 10 deals closed in approximately six weeks, take a look at what the average steps were to get there during that time period. Working backward might look something like this:

• One week of deliberation before a signed contract (during the closing step)
• Three to five follow-up emails and phone calls (during the closing step)
• One demo (during the presenting step)
• One phone call and two to three emails (during the researching step)
• One discovery call (during the connecting step)
• Two warm emails and three phone calls to prospect (during the prospecting step)

You can also dig a bit deeper to understand the subtle motivations and pain points that drove each deal to close.

Define the prospect action that moves them to the next stage.

You'll want to have a clear understanding of what causes a prospect to move from one stage to the next to really understand your sales process. Ideally, the reason or cause will be based on the actions of the prospect, not the perception of the sales rep.

To determine the action that moves prospects to the next stage, ask the following questions:

• "While conducting warm outreach, did a rep hit on a specific pain point(s) that motivated the prospect to schedule a discovery call?"
• "During the demo, were there objections that stalled the deal or featured that moved it forward?"
• When a rep made a pitch, was the answer an immediate "yes" from the customer? If so, consider carefully why that happened. How did they build up to the pitch?

Now that you have a better understanding of your current sales process, you should look at the buyer's journey from the perspective of your target persona.

2. Lay out the buyer’s journey for your target persona.

Lay out the buyer's journey for your target audience, or your buyer personas. This will allow you to look at your sales process from the perspective of your customers. You'll be able to get a better understanding of the interactions they have with your reps, the pain points they experience, and why they need your product or service.

When you lay out the buyer's journey for your target persona you'll gain insight into how you can tailor your sales process to ensure your team has everything they need to build strong relationships with prospects and close more deals.

3. Define exit criteria for each step of the sales process.

Next, define exit criteria for each step of the sales process for your team. This means you should identify the things that need to happen for your prospects to move from one step of your sales process to the next. You can refer to the sales process steps and the steps of the buyer's journey (as mentioned above) to get started with this.

For example, if you're working through the "presenting" step, your reps might determine they need a specific type of content — such as customer testimonial videos — to share with your prospects to move them to "closing".

When determining exit criteria for each step of the sales process, consider the following questions to ensure all of your reps have the same information so they can provide all of your prospects with positive, professional, and on-brand information.

• What should reps know?
  What information should reps know about your brand, whatever it is they're selling, and your sales process steps prior to getting in contact with a prospect?
• What should your reps do?
  What actions should your reps take throughout each step of the sales process?
• What should your reps say?
  What should your reps say throughout each step of the sales process? Make sure your reps are aware of the multiple ways a conversation could potentially go and that they know how to manage all of them.
• What should your reps show?
  What specific types of content should your reps show your prospects during different steps of the sales process? This is especially important in the "presenting" step, where your reps might need to provide your prospects with videos, blogs, testimonials, or case studies to move that prospect to close.

4. Measure your sales process results.

It’s likely your sales process will evolve as your team finds ways to work more efficiently and move prospects through your pipeline faster. As you define and enhance your sales process over time, you’ll want to measure your success to ensure your sales process is successful in coordinating the efforts of your team and reaching your target audience.

For example, look at how many prospects transitioned into and out of each step of the sales process in a given time period. This way you can draw conclusions like, “In July, we started with 75 prospects in the ‘awaiting demo’ step ... at the end of the month, we had moved through 28 prospects, and added 19, leaving us with 66 prospects in the ‘awaiting demo’ step.”

Here are some other examples of metrics to consider for the different steps of your process:

• The average time prospects stay in each step
• The step (if any) that takes too long for prospects to move out of
• The percentage of prospects who close after a demo
• The percentage of prospects who request a demo after a discovery call
• The churn rate (i.e., if certain customers are churning quickly, how can you vet for this mismatched prospect early in the sales process?)

These are the basic metrics most teams find value in measuring. Give some thought to metrics specific to your business that will help you define success or the need for improvement in a particular step.

Another great way to measure your results is with the three levels of sales process success. 

3 Levels of Sales Process Success

Determining which level of success you're in will provide you with more insight into what it is you need to fine tune for your team and prospects in terms of your sales process. The three levels of success include humming, experimenting, and thrashing. 

1. Humming

Your sales process is humming when 80% or more of your reps are hitting their quota every month. This is also when all of your new hires are being ramped up quickly to target performance and your team isn't providing you with any negative feedback about the sales process.

2. Experimenting

Experimenting is when your sales process isn't quite humming, so your team is experimenting and testing different tactics within the steps of the sales process to determine what's most effective for reps.

For example, a team might be experimenting with different modes of contact, in the "connecting" step of the sales process, to get sales discussions going with prospects. They can test to see whether or not their prospects respond best to a specific email template when getting a discussion started with a rep.

3. Thrashing

Thrashing is when a team is rapidly moving from one solution to another within a specific step of the sales process. Thrashing is ineffective and something you'll want to ensure your team gets out of as quickly as possible if you're ever experiencing it.

For example, your reps might be trying different presentation techniques in the "presenting" stage making it impossible to really determine what's working for the majority of prospects.

Remember, your sales process is never perfect. It should always be evolving to fit the needs of your team, business, and prospects. Speaking of being open to analyzing and updating your sales process, let's take a look at some common mistakes businesses make when developing their sales processes as well as some tips for success.

Sales Process Common Mistakes

Review the following common mistakes and tips for success to help you develop a sales process ideal for both your team and customers.

1. Leaving your sales process steps open to interpretation.

It’s important to define specific, concrete actions that move your business's prospects from one stage to the next. If you don't identify these triggers, your sales team might come away with a less than accurate understanding of what is and isn't working for prospects, potentially causing them to mishandle part of the process.

Once you define your sales process, document it, share it, and practice it with your team. Try role-play exercises to drive home the valuable techniques they should be taking during each step.

2. Expecting just one sales methodology (if you use one) to be the "silver bullet”.

While some teams choose to stick with and follow one methodology closely, others choose to study several popular sales methodologies and combine bits and pieces they find useful from each.

Regardless of which approach you take, it’s a good idea to stay aware of what's new and changing over time. As the needs and desires of buyers and your business change, different approaches, methodologies, and ways of managing your sales process will fall into and out of favor.

On that note, it's important to remember your entire sales process is also ever changing.

3. Forgetting your sales process will always be a work in progress.

Your sales process is never complete or perfect. It should always be a work in progress. So, in addition to consistently measuring your success, you should also have check-ins with your reps, who are working through your sales process every day and communicating with prospects, on a regular basis to ensure they haven't uncovered any major issues or red flags in regards to your process.

Remember, continually developing and improving your sales process will make the work of your reps more straightforward and improve the interactions and experiences your customers have with your reps and business as a whole.

Begin Working on Your Sales Process

Creating and mapping a sales process will help your sales team close more deals and convert more leads. This will also ensure your team provides every prospect with the same type of consistent experience, representative of your brand.

Follow these steps to create and map a sales process tailored to your business, sales team, and customers to begin boosting conversions and building lasting relationships today.

For more on sales processes, take this free on-demand sales training course or download this sales process cheat sheet.

When you've been in sales a while, it's easy to develop bad habits. You pick them up from other reps or take a shortcut during an especially busy week and, all of the sudden, you've added some skills to your repertoire that aren't helping you meet your quota.If you're not regularly examining your behavior and results, these habits can cause mistakes that end in deals falling apart, annoyed prospects, or missed numbers.

And I'm not just talking about waiting too long to update a contact's information in your CRM. Seemingly innocuous phrases like, "Sorry to bother you," sneak into our regular sales emails and phone calls and poison our relationships without us even realizing it. Here's how to stop it.

Why You Should Never Say, "I Am Sorry for Bothering You"

Ideally, sales reps would never have to write a follow up email because they would avoid the number-one follow-up mistake: Failing to set a next step before ending the call.

All it takes is one cringeworthy phrase to kill a sales follow-up email. One of my least favorite moves is asking for a prospect to respond "ASAP." But apologizing for contacting your prospect is nothing short of poisonous to deals, and should be cut from the vocabulary of every sales rep. It usually looks like this:

It's me again

Hey Mike,

Sorry to bother you again, but I wanted to make sure you received my last few emails with a great offer for our firewood package this winter.

I don’t want you to miss out on this opportunity. I know you’re busy, but I just wanted to touch base one last time.

All the best,

Annoying Allen

So, why should you avoid saying "Sorry to bother you again?”

1. It implies you've become annoying to your prospect. It also reminds the prospect they’ve reached out several times before (“again”) to no success. Even if the sales rep hasn’t annoyed the prospect yet, this is the phrase that might do it.
2. It implies you've done something wrong. In addition, people use the word “sorry" after doing something they deem wrong. When we make a mistake that negatively impacts someone, the first phrase that often comes out of our mouths is "I’m sorry." This phrase means we’ve acknowledged wrongdoing and know we need to fix it.
3. It signals desperation. Reps send “sorry to bother you again” emails in hopes of starting a conversation after not hearing back. The message is a last-ditch effort to pique the potential buyer’s interest -- on the rep’s timeline.
4. It communicates your time and energy is not as valuable as the prospect's -- which simply isn't true. Maintain authority and equal footing with your prospect by never apologizing for being in their inbox or voice mailbox.

If you find yourself using this phrase in an email -- stop writing. Instead, regroup and focus on providing value to the prospect and grabbing their attention instead of “bothering” them again.

There are a multitude of ways to provide value in a sales follow-up email. Here are a few I suggest.

Alternatives to Saying, "Sorry for Bugging You"

1. Send a customer review

A customer review provides value because modern-day buyers trust their fellow buyers to give honest feedback about a product they’ve used. Think they might not trust a written review coming directly from you?

Connect them with current and past buyers who can provide honest feedback on why working with you is great as well as some of the drawbacks. For example, you might open an email with, "Instead of sending you a pitch, I'll let a previous customer do the heavy lifting with their unvarnished (really) testimonial."

2. Include a case study

Case studies allow prospects to discover how a business in a similar position to theirs solved its problems. Send your latest and most relevant study with a note saying, "This case study made me think of your business. I know your time is valuable, and I think this is worth the few minutes it will take to read."

You've acknowledged their time is a priority for you, without discounting your own schedule and what you're offering.

3. Link to a blog post

A blog post is a way to build credibility with prospects and provide them new information about the product and company as they start to make a decision.

If you're trying to grab a prospect's attention, try sending one with an especially snappy title. You might even work with a marketer to craft a post just for them. After all, who isn't going to click the link to a post titled, "9 Reasons Julie Needs ABC Staffing Solutions Today."

4. Reference a mutual connection

Surfacing a mutual connection allows the prospect to ask their acquaintance about the sales rep and gather more information. It also signifies that if a friend works with this sales rep, the prospect might also enjoy working with the same sales rep.

And it gives you something in common to bond over. For example, "I see we have a mutual connection: Sansa Stark. Her family bought several dire wolves from me a few years ago." You've given your conversation and relationship something to build upon -- and that can be a huge help when conducting outreach.

5. Provide a suggestion

A small strategy tip can help sales reps build credibility and showcase the value of their insight to buyers.

When a salesperson’s name appears in a prospect’s inbox, the reaction shouldn’t be, “No, not this rep again!” or “Who?” but “I wonder what they’re sending me -- I better check it out.”

Send them a new industry benchmark report or a mention a recent move their company made, and offer unique insight into how your product/service could help.

For example, "I thought you might be interested in the latest benchmark report from [insert trusted industry source]. Their findings on the 25% increase in mobile app usage might be especially interesting to you and relevant to your work."

6. Drop shop-talk altogether

Want to really get their attention? Don't talk business at all. Instead, send them a casual email saying, "I watched a documentary on Colorado ski country this weekend and thought of you immediately. Have you hit the slopes yet this year?"

While your prospect might not be ready to discuss business -- most people like talking about their hobbies and out-of-office interests. Once you have them engaged again, use your best judgement to steer them back to the topic at hand: your offer.

7. Offer to walk away

If you've reached out multiple times over the course of several weeks or months and your prospect still hasn't responded, do yourself a favor and walk away.

You should be spending time on deals that actually have a chance of closing, and pleading with an unmotivated prospect to respond to your emails isn't doing either of you any good.

Simply say, "Tony, I've tried to reach you unsuccessfully a few times now. Usually when this happens, it means my offer isn't a priority for you right now. Is that safe for me to assume here? If so, you won't hear from me again."

If your prospect is still interested, this should grab their attention. If not, it gives them an easy way out. You can always leave the door open for a call or email six months down the line to see if things have changed.

8. Compliment them

If your prospect recently published a new blog post or the company unveiled a shiny, new product, let them know you're paying attention. 

Chances are, they put a lot of time and effort into their recent project, and would love for someone to notice. Send a simple note saying, "I saw your recent feature in Forbes and wanted to tell you what a great write-up it was. I especially liked your observation that AI will begin to take a stronger hold in sales." It's short, specific, and complimentary. 

Great emails build rapport and credibility. By looking for this deadly phrase before sending your emails, you can improve your odds of a response, and eventually, a relationship.

Want other ways to improve your sales emails? Check out these killer opening email lines or explore alternatives to saying, "Hope you're doing well" -- guaranteed to put your prospect to sleep before they've even read sentence two.

Nothing boosts your sales team's excitement and energy more quickly and reliably than an incentive. After all, most salespeople are born competitors -- adding a compelling reward to the mix makes them even more enthusiastic.

However, motivating your reps isn't as simple as choosing a desired outcome (like more calls or higher conversion rates) and promising a cash prize to the winner. In my years as a sales leader, I've learned the ins and outs of effective motivation. These four strategies will increase the impact of your incentives.

1. Implement Personal SPIFs

Because motivation is so specific to the individual, I use personal SPIFs in addition to team-wide contests. Let's say I notice one of my reps seems disengaged. They're still hitting their quota, but their body language and tone-of-voice suggest they're not as enthusiastic as they used to be.

Rather than trying to figure out what they'd like -- and potentially choosing the wrong thing -- I'll ask, "How can I motivate you?"

Maybe they say they'd like tickets to a specific music show. Then I'd say, "Okay, what do you have to do to get those?"

The rep will name a goal. Typically, this target will be equally (if not more) ambitious than the one I would have picked. Salespeople always feel honored by the responsibility you're giving them in choosing their own objective and reward, so they don't want to let you down by picking a slam-dunk.

Lastly, I'll ask the salesperson to set a deadline and send me an email detailing our agreement.

Because they chose a prize they truly want, they're highly incentivized to both work toward that goal and keep track of their progress. I don't have to do anything.

Of course, sales managers can't show favoritism. If you give one salesperson a personal SPIF, you may have to do it for everyone.

You should also double-check there's enough budget before you agree to anything. Nothing will destroy a rep's faith in you faster than a broken promise.

2. Give Non-Monetary Rewards

I usually try to avoid purely monetary prizes. To understand why, let's suppose you give the winner of your first sales contest a $500 check. They deposit the check, maybe buys a nice dinner or a new shirt -- but the glow of winning fades relatively quickly.

Now imagine you give the winner of your second contest a flat screen TV. Every time they have people over, they'll say, "Sweet TV -- where'd you get that?"

I know first-hand the effect of a physical prize. In 1983, I won a table in a sales contest that I still have. Visitors ask me questions about it to this day.

My salespeople have won everything from slippers to treadmill desks. As long as the reward is personal and memorable, it'll be motivating.

3. Make Sure Everyone Has a Chance

Your team will quickly become frustrated if the same person wins your contests over and over again. There are a few ways to prevent this from happening.

First, you can exclude the salesperson in question from the competition. Maybe a salesperson dominates every single prospecting-related contest. Tell them they're not eligible for those anymore -- and make it up by placing them in a different bucket or giving her a separate contest.

It can also be helpful to create different "classes" of participants, so your top, middle, and lowest performers compete against their peers rather than everyone on their team. This strategy helps drive enthusiasm among reps who normally wouldn't stand a chance of winning.

Some sales leaders use head-to-head match-ups. Let's say you just started offering a new add-on service. You could hold Jeopardy-style quizzes between reps to test their knowledge of the service. The winner of the round scores a point for their team; at the end of the month, the team with the most points gets a prize.

Alternatively, switch up the rules and design of your contest so you're not rewarding the same skills or behaviors every time. If the last contest you ran rewarded the salesperson who sold the most of a specific product, maybe the next one goes to the rep who increases their demo-to-close rate by the greatest percentage.

4. Ask for Personal Preferences

I've found some salespeople are turned off by public recognition. They're embarrassed rather than proud when you stand up in front of everyone and say, "Matthew got more referrals this quarter than anyone else."

Unsurprisingly, you don't want to make your reps uncomfortable. It's a good idea to identify each salesperson's preferences when you start working with them. (Although it's never too late, so don't give yourself a free pass if you've managed a rep for a year and have never asked how they like receiving praise.)

Here are a few questions you can use during a one-on-one or coaching session:

• "Would you rather get praise or acknowledgment in front of the team or in private?"
• "If you win a contest, what's the best way to announce that?" (Email, at a team meeting, at a private check-in like this one, etc.)
• "Are you motivated by stack rankings or leaderboards?"

Motivation is an art, not a science. Although these strategies have been proven to be successful, it's worth experimenting to find the optimal sales incentives program for your team, objectives, and culture.

To learn more, check out these elements of an effective sales contest next.

Henry Ford, business magnate and founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said, "Quality means doing it right when no one is looking."

If you want to create a quality product and provide an outstanding customer experience, your business processes should be fine-tuned so every step, from manufacturing to delivery, is well-executed.

Processes can be made for just about anything. And the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process is crucial to any successful business.

Let's demystify sales and operations planning (S&OP) and learn more about the S&OP process.

So, what's the purpose of S&OP? It's to coordinate across business units, increase transparency, balance supply and demand, and to achieve profitability.

There are some key benefits to sales and operations planning (S&OP).

• Increased transparency between departments
• Informed decision making about a product's demand and supply
• Improved inventory management
• Better sales and budget forecasting
• A clear understanding of a product's lifecycle and its management
• Streamlined processes that improve the overall customer experience

The American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) created an infographic that highlights the steps to S&OP success.

Source: APICS

1. Forecasting

At this stage of the S&OP process, data is gathered about prior sales and forecasts are made for future sales. It's important to consider any internal and external factors that can impact sales (e.g., industry, customers, competition). Any trends will be identified and analyzed.

2. Demand Planning

Demand planning is when cross-functional collaboration comes into play. The forecasts are analyzed, and adjustments are made to inventory and customer service policies based on the product demand and sources of demand. The demand can be measured in either revenue or units of a product.

3. Supply Planning

During supply planning, representatives from finance, operations, and materials to evaluate capacity. They'll determine if there are any constraints on people, machinery, and suppliers. From there, a supply plan is created that will account for any capacity constraints.

4. Pre-S&OP Meeting

During this stage of the S&OP process, leaders from finance, sales, marketing, operations, materials, product management, and human resources meet to collaborate. They'll compare the forecasts to the demand and supply plans, and they'll consider the financial impact of the plans.

5. Executive S&OP Meeting

The final stage is when executives meet to analyze all the forecasts, plans, and recommendations from the pre-S&OP meeting. By the end of the executive S&OP meeting, a final sales and operations plan will be approved.

Here's a visual overview of what the S&OP process looks like.

Source: Smartsheet

S&OP Metrics

When evaluating your S&OP process, there are some key metrics you can use to gauge performance.

Demand and Supply S&OP Metrics

Demand and supply metrics will help you determine if your forecasts are accurate and the demand matches the supply.

• Demand forecast versus actual
• Production forecast versus actual
• Inventory turnover
• Capacity utilization
• On-time delivery
• Accuracy in order delivery
• Cycle times

Financial S&OP Metrics

These metrics show you how the business is performing from a financial perspective.

• Total sales in a period (e.g., month, quarter, year)
• Total sales versus forecast
• Gross margin
• Working capital versus plan

S&OP Software

Which tools should you use for your sales and operations planning? Instead of solely relying on spreadsheets, here are some software options you can use to streamline your S&OP.

1. Oracle S&OP Cloud

Oracle provides process templates you can use to make your sales and operations planning run smoother. You can monitor each stage of the process and dashboards allow you to see KPI summary graphics. It allows you to collaborate with colleagues and assign tasks. Plus, it integrates with Excel.

2. SAP Integrated Business Planning

The SAP Integrated Business Planning software makes your S&OP planning quick and agile. Key features include scenario planning, simulations, and advanced analytics so you can stay on top of forecasts and hit your financial targets.

3. Infor Sales and Operations Planning

With the Infor Sales and Operations Planning software, you can synchronize demand and supply imbalances, coordinate across business units, and analyze performance. It even includes predictive financial analysis so you can see how business decisions will impact the bottom line.

Looking for more? Learn how to create a strategic plan for business development next.

Does this sound familiar? You’ve put together a business plan, invested all your savings, and have been working your idea as a side hustle for a few months. Finally, you feel like it’s the right time to raise some real capital. That’s a big step.

Luckily, the bank isn’t your only option these days. Crowdfunding sites abound on the internet, and I’ve rounded up a few of the best. Whether you’re funding the next hottest startup, a creative endeavor, or a caused-based organization, you’ll find a crowdfunding site below that might just be perfect.

Crowdfunding your next business venture can be a fast and relatively easy way to raise money. However, you should know which type of crowdfunding is best for your business and what it requires. Here are the most common types of business crowdfunding:

1. Equity crowdfunding: The most traditional type of funding in this list is equity crowdfunding. You sell a piece of your business to an investor or groups of investors and they provide you with the funding (capital) to move your business forward.
2. Donation crowdfunding: If you're a nonprofit or local business, donation-based funding might work for you. It simply requires you to create a campaign asking for donations for your business. The money is donated, and there is nothing to repay.
3. Debt crowdfunding: Also called "marketplace" funding, debt crowdfunding is when business owners borrow money from other individuals, instead of from a bank. You borrow at a set annual percentage rate, and loans are often structured similar to those of a traditional business loan.
4. Rewards crowdfunding: This is likely the most well-known type of crowdfunding. Made popular by sites like Kickstarter, funders are offered products, services, or other gifts in exchange for a set donation amount. For example, if I'm trying to fund my dog walking business, I might offer one hour of puppy snuggles to anyone who donates $50. For those donating $100, I might offer one hour of puppy snuggles plus a free grooming session.

Best Crowdfunding Sites for Startups

1. Kickstarter

Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators connect with the resources to bring their ideas to life. Since their launch in 2009, the company has helped 15 million people pledge $3.7 billion to successfully fund more than 143,000 projects. Funding is all or nothing, so you must meet the goal you set within the allotted time or everyone gets their money back.

Price: It’s free to create a project on Kickstarter, but if it’s successfully funded, Kickstarter applies a 5% fee to collected funds. There will also be processing fees between 3-5%.

2. Indiegogo

Indiegogo offers both live crowdfunding campaigns and a marketplace for innovative products. It’s helped entrepreneurs raise over 1 billion dollars for more than 650,000 projects. Acquire starter capital and find out quickly whether your idea has legs with Indiegogo’s “global network of early adopters.”

And with this platform, you don’t have to stop raising money at a specific time. There are no fundraising targets or deadlines. Plus, you can apply equity, offer securities, revenue sharing, and even cryptocurrency sales.

Price: Indiegogo charges a 5% platform fee for all projects. If you’re raising money for a cause, you won’t pay a dime on Indiegogo’s sister platform, GoFundMe.

3. Crowd Supply

Crowd Supply’s mission is to “bring original, useful, respectful hardware to life.” Whether you want to bring a family recipe to market, create cutting-edge open hardware, or build electronics, Crowd Supply can help. 70% of launched projects have been successfully funded (2X more than Kickstarter for comparable projects), and the average amount raised per successful projects is $66,000 (6X more than Kickstarter for comparable projects).

Price: Crowd Supply has a variety of plans. The Standard plan is 5% of gross campaign sales, not including payment processing fees and the Custom plan is 6-15%. Features differ per plan and include campaign management, media asset creation, and even a dedicated PR team.

4. Crowdfunder

Crowdfunder is a community of 200,000 entrepreneurs and investors offering equity crowdfunding -- which allows entrepreneurs to sell shares in their company to accredited investors. Their network of 12,000 VCs and angel investors has helped startups of all kinds raise money (Over $150 million) from Pre-Seed to Series A.

Price: Crowdfunder offers Free, Starter ($299/month), and Premium ($499/month) plans -- each with a variety of services, from document storage to personalized support.

5. Experiment

Experiment is a platform funding scientific discoveries. From dinosaur fossil excavation to the historical study of medieval monasteries -- Experiment backers will fund it if it “pushes the boundaries of knowledge.” They fund project scientists themselves, so there’s no overhead like the 50-60% that comes with a university grant. Here are the guidelines for what makes a fundable experiment.

Price: It’s free to start a project, but once you receive full funding, Experiment charges an 8% platform fee plus payment processing fees between 3-5%.

6. Chuffed

If you have a social cause organization aimed at helping animals, your community, or the environment -- to name a few -- Chuffed can help. For nonprofits and cause-based organizations exclusively, their most successful campaigns raise an average of $7,000. Nearly 8,000 campaigns have successfully raised $18 million collectively.

Price: Donors pay your processing fees. For example, a donation of $100 would require a $3 fee. And all donors are encouraged to make a small donation to Chuffed on top of that.

7. Patreon

Patreon allows artists, musicians, writers, and more get paid by running a membership business for their fans. Providing a meaningful revenue stream, fans pay you a subscription amount of their choosing in exchange for exclusive experiences and behind-the-scenes content. Over $350 million has been paid to creators, and the average patron pays a monthly fee that’s more than most consumers pay for Netflix or Spotify.

Price: Patreon takes 5% of successfully processed payments. There’s also a payment processing fee each time a payment is processed (usually batched at the beginning of each month). You can also expect payout fees charged for moving funds from your creator balance to your bank or PayPal account.

8. Fundable

Create a profile, then choose whether you’d like to raise funds by selling your product, taking pre-orders, and selling merchandise or by raising funds from accredited investors. The former, their rewards program, is recommended for consumer-facing companies aiming to raise up to $50,000. The latter, their equity program, is recommended for between $50,000 and $10 million funding goals for product, service, or B2B businesses.

Price: It’s free to create a company profile then $179/month to fundraise. There are no success fees, but for rewards-based raises there is a processing fees of 3.5% + $.30 per transaction.

9. WeFunder

WeFunder allows you to raise between $50,000 and $50 million from investors. Most campaigns take between one and three months to reach their goals. From breweries and restaurants to tech startups and fashion businesses, you’ll be able to solicit funds from WeFunder’s more than 150,000 investors.

Price: It’s free to create a profile. WeFunder doesn’t charge management or transaction fees. Administrative fees are charged to investors which covers all the costs of operating WeFund.

10. SeedInvest

SeedInvest works with high-growth, professional, and early-stage companies. You can raise either preferred equity or convertible note funding. For priced rounds (preferred equity), you’ll need to provide the pre-money valuation. And for convertible notes, you’ll need to provide the valuation cap, conversion discount, interest rate, and term length.

You’ll need to create an application, make it through a screening committee, and conduct your due diligence before making a profile and closing your round. This is a platform for companies that are ready to make it big. You should expect the process to take a minimum of 60 days to complete.

Price: There’s a 7.5% placement fee charged on the total amount raised on SeedInvest, and it’s paid only on the successful completion of your offering. You can also expect a 5% warrant coverage based on the amount raised and up to $10,000 in due diligence, escrow, marketing, and legal reimbursement expenses.

11. Fundly

“Raise money for anything,” no raise requirements or startup fees involved. That’s what it says on the Fundly homepage. They fund everything from personal health needs to politics and even trips. Create a page, manage your campaign from the Fundly app, and use Fundly’s Facebook OpenGraph integration to maximize your reach.

There’s no minimum amount to raise to keep your funds, payments can be withdrawn within 48 hours of the donation, and automatic transfers can be arranged.

Price: Everyone pays a platform fee of 4.9% plus a credit card processing fee of 2.9% and $.30 per transaction (depending on your country).

12. LendingClub

LendingClub provides personal loans up to $40,000 and business loans up to $300,000. LendingClub is not a bank. They connect borrowers with investors. In exchange for solid returns, investors purchase Notes that correspond to fractions of loans. LendingClub screens borrowers and facilitates all transactions.

For business loans, get all your capital up front, one-to-five year terms, no monthly payments, and no prepayment penalties. They recommend their loan program for large, one-time expenses. LendingClub also requires you be in business for 12 months or more, have at least 50,000 in annual sales, no recent bankruptcies or tax liens, and ownership of at least 20% of the business.

Price: Expect an origination fee of between 1.99 and 8.99%, and total monthly payments per $10,000 borrowed of between $227 and $955 with total annualized rates of between 9.77% and 35.71%.

13. StartSomeGood

StartSomeGood is a cause-driven crowdfunding site. If you have an uplifting project that needs funding, StartSomeGood can help. You can be a nonprofit, for-profit, unincorporated group, or any other status -- they care about your ability to have social impact. View more of their criteria here.

Price: It’s free to submit your project, and you’ll only pay a service fee of 5% if your project reaches its funding goal. You can also expect payment processing fees.

14. Crowdcube

Crowdcube is an equity crowdfunding platform built to turn your friends, family, fans, and customers into investors. They’ll help you set realistic targets, a sensible valuation, an effective pitch, and a well-executed communication plan to unlock Crowdcube’s investor community.

You’ll launch publicly when your pitch reaches 20% of goal. The average pitch reaches their full target in just 22 days. At 75% funding, Crowdcube’s legal team will become involved to help complete your round quickly.

Price: There are no fees for listing your business on Crowdcube. You’ll be charged a success fee of 7% on the amount you successfully raise, and payment processing fees also apply.

15. Funding Circle

Expand, hire staff, or fund your next step with fast, affordable business loans. They’ve funded veterinary clinics, cosmetics brands, and more. Interest rates run between 4.99% and 26.99% per year, and you’ll repay in between six months and five years. There are no prepayment penalties, and you can borrow between $25,000 and $500,000. Simply fill out an online application, enjoy a dedicated account manager, and get a fast decision.

Price: Besides possibly steep interest rates, you’ll pay an origination fee of between 0.99% and 6.99%. There’s also a 5% charge on late payments.

Are your creative juices flowing? Get started with one of these crowdfunding sites today and turn your dreams into your day job.

 

Your sales close rate is a number you need to keep a close eye on -- out of all the deals in your pipeline, what percentage do you actually close?

Sales close rates let you know how efficient and effective you are as a sales rep. And it's a good way for managers to measure sales rep and sales team performance. The higher the close rate, the better your rep and team are at converting opportunities in the pipeline into revenue.

Check your sales close rate against your industry's benchmark average now.

While it's great to have internal metrics, it's also good to know how you compare to other sales organizations in your industry -- including your competitors'. With industry benchmarks, you can evaluate how you or your team are performing in the overall landscape, which is not only a good reality check but gives you a better understanding on whether improving your close rate is something you need to prioritize now.

Close Ratio

The close ratio is a measure of a salesperson's efficiency. It's calculated by dividing the number of closed deals by the number of prospects the salesperson worked with.

Let's say a salesperson closed 10 deals out of the 40 they were working. The close ratio in this case is 25%.

Once you've calculated your close ratio, you can compare it to industry benchmarks and targets.

Sales Close Rate by Industry

To help you figure out where you stand, we analyzed the close rates of over 8,900 companies' sales organizations across 28 industries and multiple sizes to put together a set of sales close rate benchmarks.

Here are a few sales close rates by industry:

1. Biotechnology Industry Close Rate: 15%
2. Business & Industrial Industry Close Rate: 27%
3. Computer Software Industry Close Rate: 22%
4. Computers & Electronics Industry Close Rate: 23%
5. Finance Industry Close Rate: 19%

You can see how you compare using our form-free Sales Close Rate Industry Benchmark tool here.

Check out our Sales Metrics Calculator below, too.

 

A 2017 survey by the National Association of Realtors® reported 51% of buyers found their homes on the internet, 30% found homes through an agent, and a dwindling 7% discovered their eventual home through a yard sign or open house. This should tell you one thing: if you’re selling a house in 2018, you don’t just need to be on the internet, you need to be on the right real estate websites.

So, exactly what are those websites? I’m so glad you asked because I’ve got a list of favorites below.

Best Real Estate Agent Websites

1. Zillow

• Best for: Buyers, renters, sellers, finding agents, finding mortgage lenders
• About: Whether you’re buying, selling, or browsing Zillow has something for you. If you’re listing a home on Zillow yourself, you’ll receive access to a sales proceeds calculator, your home’s “zestimated” value, a local news feed, and tools to help you price your home accurately.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

2. Realtor.com

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, renters, finding agents, finding mortgage lenders
• About: Sellers can calculate what their home’s worth, discover how to start the home-selling process, and learn how to select just the right agent for their needs. And, Realtor.com is licensed from the National Association of REALTORS®, so you can trust the content you find here.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

3. Redfin

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding agents
• About: Redfin helps you sell your home for as low as a 1% listing fee. In this entry package, you’ll receive the help of a local Redfin Agent, professional photos and a 3D walkthrough, premium placement on Redfin.com, a yard sign, and open houses. Willing to pay a little more? Their 2% Listing Fee service includes everything in the 1% plan, plus, a custom home improvement plan, vetted service providers, and cost coverage for project management, deep cleaning, professional staging, and decluttering.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

4. Trulia

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding an agent
• About: Trulia goes beyond static listings. They source insights from the people who live in your neighborhood to offer buyers neighborhood map overlays that provide deeper understanding of the community they’re buying into. See the prices of recently sold homes in your neighborhood and home values in your community. And, get advice from local real estate agents, brokers and others on Trulia Voices, their namesake real estate community.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

5. MLS

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, realtors
• About: MLS.com is a free Multiple Listing Service search for real estate MLS listings from licensed Realtors® and other real estate professionals that are members of their local MLS. List home for sale, new homes, resale homes, new construction, acreage, lots, land, commercial property, and investment property here.
• Mobile App: N/A

6. CENTURY 21 Real Estate

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding an agent
• About: Did you know the typical home sale today involves more than 20 steps after the initial contract is accepted? CENTURY 21® agents walk you through each step to move toward a quick-and-easy close. Together, you’ll create a marketing plan, add value to your home before selling, set the right price, and show your home at its best. With CENTURY 21, you can expect a traditional, full-service approach to real estate.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

7. RE/MAX

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding an agent
• About: Whether you’re looking to sell your home locally or expand your real estate globally, commercially, or into the luxury realm -- RE/MAX can help. And with franchises and agents available in all 50 states, you’re sure to find one that specializes in your city and specific needs.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

8. Coldwell Banker Realtors

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding an agent
• About: CBx is new Coldwell Banker technology giving their agents an edge. It provides more accurate pricing, uses big data to locate the right buyers for your home, and strategically markets your property by focusing on only the most qualified prospective buyers. Request an estimate on Coldwell Banker’s website to get started.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

9. HomeFinder

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, renters
• About: HomeFinder is purely a listing tool. For $39 per month, you’ll be able to upload as many photos of your home as you’d like, easily share your listing on social media, and receive priority sorting, which means your listing will appear ahead of basic properties. HomeFinder also gives you the option of allowing home buyers or renters to email or call you directly.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

10. Craigslist

• Best for: Adventurous buyers, sellers, renters
• About: Oh yes, it’s possible to sell or at least advertise your home on Craigslist. And with 50 billion pageviews every month, it’s easy to see why so many people choose Craigslist as a real estate hub. Simply create a new post, click “housing offered,” and optimize your ad with a killer headline, great photos, and descriptive copy. Obviously, you’ll want to beware scammers and unwanted investors -- but if you favor an avant-garde approach to life, listing your house on Craigslist might give you a thrill.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

11. Facebook

• Best for: Sellers
• About: Want to sell your home, fast? Find a Facebook-friendly real estate agent and start running ads. Ensure your agent is up to date on the latest in this social media giant’s algorithm changes, because you’ll want to know whether to create videos, static images, or text forward posts to get the most bang for your buck. Facebook’s targeting abilities allow you and your agent to get your home’s ad in front of the people who will find it most relevant, and a link back to your realtor’s site or the MLS listing will funnel leads directly to your doorstep.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

12. Homes.com

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, finding an agent
• About: Let Homes.com know what matter most to you in a home and they’ll match you with properties that meet your demands -- plus, they’ll give you a unique match rating so you know just how much of a match each home is. See a home you like? Snap a picture and Homes.com will help you source a few similar option. Like a dating site for your house, Homes.com promises to find the perfect buyer or home for you.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

13. PropertyRecord.com

• Best for: Sellers
• About: Current property value, land value, number of bathrooms, and government property records are just a few of the details you’ll learn from this information aggregator. It might not be fancy, but it uses an advanced algorithm and real reviews to give you a high-quality report on any home you’d like to sell.
• Mobile App: N/A

14. Movato

• Best for: Buyers, sellers, agents
• About: Movato taps into the MLS to provide up-to-date listings you can peruse with confidence. Find your dream home? They'll connect you within minutes to one of their local agents. And you'll get access to their cutting-edge communication tools, AI, and data scientists for a real estate experience that is truly modern.
• Mobile App: iOS | Android

15. Open Listing

• Best for: Buyers
• About: Feeling brave? Buy your home online. Open Listing makes it possible to search homes on the market, book tours with agents who won't pressure you to buy, submit your offer online with the help of a locally based agent, and get a 50% commission refund when you close. 
• Mobile App: iOS

Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. Don’t choose the wrong website or agent. Start with this list and find the right fit for your needs. Are you a realtor hoping to grow your business? Check out these tips for starting a real estate business, a list of top real estate blogs, and these motivational, relatable and just plain funny real estate quotes.

The structure of a sales force has significant bearing on its success. For example, a rep used to selling to a given region might flounder when asked to concentrate on just one industry nationwide. If each of your company's products require deep and specific technical knowledge, it might not make sense to have reps sell all products by territory.

It's simply not true that sales talent translates into all situations. Take a software representative who sells exclusively to manufacturing companies, and ask them to start selling hardware across all verticals. They're probably not going to be as good at one of these assignments as the other. Salespeople who excel get very good at excelling in a particular environment, and organizational structure is the bedrock of that environment.

In his book Aligning Strategy and Sales, Frank V. Cespedes, senior lecturer of business administration at Harvard Business School, explains in depth how organizational design impacts selling effectiveness, and emphasizes the importance of choosing a structure carefully. In the chart below, he lays out the pros and cons of four commonly used structures. Accounts and opportunities can be divided by:

• Geography/territory
• Product/service line
• Customer/account size
• Industry/vertical segment

Source: Table 8-1 from "Aligning Strategy and Sales" by Frank V. Cespedes. Reprinted here with permission.

Sales Organization Chart

Here's an example sales organization chart. This can be modified depending on which organizational structure you choose (i.e., by geography/territory, product/service line, customer/account size, or industry/vertical segment).

Source: Lucidchart

Looking for more? Check out the difference between sales and business development next.