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89 Sales Tips That Are Borderline Magic

Daniel Threlfall

Want sales tips for optimizing every aspect of the funnel?

We’ve got sales tips. Lots of sales tips.

Here are 89 sales tips, backed by the vets and used by the pros, to become an absolute sales beast and turn more leads into satisfied customers. 

To make this resource a more handy reference guide, we’ve decided to organize these sales tips into 14 categories:

  1. Lead qualification sales tips
  2. Speed to lead sales tips
  3. Lead routing sales tips
  4. Lead handoff sales tips
  5. Outreach sales tips
  6. Outreach sales tips
  7. Email sales tips
  8. Meetings sales tips
  9. Product demonstration sales tips
  10. Etiquette sales tips 
  11. Personalization sales tips
  12. Post-sale sales tips
  13. Sales tips for making reps better at their job
  14. Sales tips FAQs

Sales Tips for the Qualification Phase

Identify Specific Triggers for Lead Qualification

Some examples of triggers can include looking at your pricing page, requesting a demo and filling out a contact form. 

Be sure to customize your lead qualification and routing rules in Chili Piper. Works like a charm and guaranteed to convert leads faster.

Segment Leads into MQLs and SQLs

Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) are leads toward the top of the funnel, while sales qualified leads (SQLs) are toward the bottom

Only Send SQLs to Sales Reps

Sales reps should only receive SQLs because these are ready for sales and more likely to convert. 

Nurture MQLs

As for MQLs, they will require more nurturing and should be assigned to your marketing team. 

Only Deal with Decision Makers

“In a typical firm with 100 to 500 employees, an average of seven people are involved in most buying decisions.”

Try to get your offer in front of key decision makers. Often, this is as simple as asking your point of contact, “Who is the right person to talk to about ______?”

Use a Quality CRM

64% of sales professionals now use CRMs, up from just 28% in 2017.”

A quality CRM not only helps collect and store important information, it plays an integral role in qualifying leads. 

The industry leading CRM is Salesforce, and it integrates with Chili Piper like a charm.

Speed to Lead Sales Tips 

Contact a Lead Within 5 Minutes

5 minutes is known as “the golden window” and is 21x time more effective than calling after 30 minutes. 

Be the First Company to Respond

78% of deals go to the first vendor that responds to a lead. 

If you contact them within 5 minutes, you’re in a much better position to convert them.

Speed is everything.

Use Scheduling Software

You can use scheduling software like Chili Piper to book an appointment instantly and strike while the iron is hot. 

If Five Minutes Isn’t Possible, Contact Leads Within 5 Hours Max

Although not nearly as effective as contacting a lead within 5 minutes, doing so within 5 hours is still 40% more effective than waiting 24 hours

Lead Routing Sales Tips 

Use a Lead Distribution Software to Route Leads to the Most Qualified Reps

With Chili Piper, for example, you can set rules to segment reps into meeting queues

Or, if you have a potentially game changing lead, you could send them to your top sales rep — whomever has the best chance of landing them fast.

Give Each Rep a Max of 150 Leads Per Month

150 is known as “the magic number” because it means a sales rep has enough time to contact every single lead. 

Don’t Send Top Leads to Reps Who Might Be in a Slump

Slumps happen to even the best of sales reps and is something that should be taken into account. 

When this happens, give them a chance to get back in the groove before sending them top leads. 

And, yes, Chili Piper can handle this for you.

Lead Handoff Sales Tips

Create a Streamlined Handoff Process

Make sure your marketing team provides your sales reps with key information, such as a lead’s company size, CRM, preferred communication channel, and so on. 

Add a Note

Including additional notes like what sparked a lead’s initial interest and what target persona they fall under can improve the handoff process even more. 

Leverage LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a gold mine for quickly learning about leads, so include a link to their profile. 

Check Out Their Company Website

You can also gain a lot of insight by browsing through their company website — something that should help you gain a better understanding of their needs. 

Check Out Their Social Media

Scoping their social media can be beneficial as well and provide ideas for what to talk about. 

Quickly Assign and Book Meetings

The more fluid the exchange is between marketing and sales, the better your odds are of converting.

Use a tool like Instant Booker from Chili Piper to assign and book meetings with outbound leads.

Remove Bottlenecks

Always be on the lookout for friction in the lead handoff process, and promptly address inefficiencies. 

Avoid Finger Pointing

When issues arise, don’t play the blame game. 

Instead, work on finding a solution collaboratively. 

Outreach Sales Tips 

Contact Leads Using Their Preferred Communication Channel

Here’s a breakdown of preferred communication channels, according to research from eMarketer

Telephone tops the list — in 2015. Today, email and other channels have taken the fore.

The key is to just ask your leads — hey, how do you want to communicate — and meet them on their preferred turf.

Identify a Lead’s Pain Points Before Contacting Them

Use the information gathered through lead forms and website browsing behavior to figure out which issues a lead is facing.

Use a Basic Sales Script

Conversion rates can double by using the right script. 

But Don’t Sound Robotic

Leads want to speak with a real person, so it’s okay to go off script at times to address their unique needs. 

Call from a Local Number

The chances of a lead answering a call increases by 300% when they recognize the area code. 

Ask Plenty of Questions, But Don’t Interrogate

I find that it’s best to create a list of key questions and draw from that. 

However, you want to keep the discussion conversational and not make a lead feel like they’re being interrogated. 

The sweet spot is between 11 and 14 questions

Ask Open Ended Questions 

It’s important to get a lead to go beyond a “yes” or “no” response, as this sets the stage for deeper conversations. 

Identify Common Objections

Leads will inevitably have objections, which can include:

  • Having too small of a budget
  • Needing to talk it over with other team members
  • Having had a negative experience with similar products in the past

Be Prepared to Address Common Objections

Have your sales reps prepared and equipped with a standby response to overcome objections. 

Handle Complaints Head On

Let a lead know what you’ll do to fix the situation and make it right. 

Know What Primary Competitors are Offering

This will help you fine-tune your UVP and improve your offerings. 

Know How to Get Past Low Cost Competitors

One of the biggest challenges is competing with low cost rivals.

Therefore, you should have a clearly defined UVP that showcases why your product is the better choice. 

Use Pauses Throughout the Conversation

This gives a lead time to digest information so they don’t become overwhelmed.

Let a Lead Know What’s In It for Them

At the end of the day, the focus of the conversation should be on how the product will make their life easier. 

Show Leads How Your Product Can Help Them Succeed

Genuinely caring about their success creates a positive experience for 45% of leads.

Provide a Range of Options

If possible, give a lead multiple options that extend beyond your initial offer. 

This creates a positive experience for 49% of leads

But Don’t Overwhelm Leads

That said, you should keep your offerings simple, and don’t throw too much at them at once. 

Avoid Using Deal Breaking Words

Research has found that certain sales words reduce the odds of closing a deal.

Some of the worst ones are:

  • Show you how
  • We provide
  • Contract

Use Collaborative Words

Saying “we” rather than “I” increases the sales closure rate by 35%

Be Prepared to Discuss Pricing on the First Call

Nearly 60% of leads want to talk about pricing during the first call. 

Make Trust Building a Top Priority 

99% of sales professionals believe that trust is integral for winning new business, and 40% say it’s essential for closing a deal. 

So this should always be in the back of a rep’s mind when interacting with leads. 

Let Your Passion Show

Leads tend to be much more receptive to sales reps who have genuine passion. 

Learn Something Personal About Each Lead

This allows reps to know about a lead on a deeper level, and the information can be used during future interactions.  

Create a Sense of Urgency

At the end of the conversation, let a lead know why it’s important to take action right away. 

Let a Lead Know Which Steps to Take Afterward

Be clear about what they need to do next to prevent confusion.

Send a Follow-Up Email After Outreach

This helps recap the points a sales rep makes and can build stronger rapport.

This brings me to my next series of sales tips.  

Email Sales Tips

Send Emails on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

These are the best times to send emails based on data across multiple studies.

Send Emails Around 10am

Those same studies concluded that 10am was the optimal time to send emails. 

Create a Winning Subject Line

Here are some examples of good and bad subject lines

Use Between 75 and 100 Words

Research has found these emails receive a 51% response rate

Write at a Third Grade Reading Level

These emails get a 53% response rate, as compared to only 39% for a college reading level. 

Avoid Using All Caps

These emails are 30% less likely to get a response. 

Ask Questions in Emails

Those with questions receive a 50% higher response rate than those without. 

Personalize Your Emails

The click-through rate increases by 14%

This video from Really Good Emails explains the fundamentals of email personalization.

Use Between 6 – 10 Words in the Subject Line

Emails with this length have the highest open rate of 21%.

Use Emojis in the Subject Line on Occasion

These emails have a 56% higher open rate than those without. 

Meetings Sales Tips 

Give Leads Flexibility When Scheduling a Meeting

For instance, with Chili Piper, leads can select from multiple days and times to best fit their schedule.

Automatically Schedule Meetings in a Rep’s Calendar

Chili Piper does this as well using the Concierge feature

Send a Reminder to Prevent No-Shows

Giving each lead a friendly reminder before the meeting helps refresh their memory and reduces the chance of a no-show. 

For example, you can configure Chili Piper to automatically send an email reminder one hour before a demo, which helps keep no-show rates under 2%

Product Demonstration Sales Tips

Have an Agenda

Know what specific objectives you have with your product demo.

Create a Timeline

Here’s an example:

  • Use the first five minutes to make an introduction
  • Spend the next five minutes covering product features
  • Spend the next fives minutes answering questions
  • And so on
     

Use Videos to Help Leads Connect the Dots

Videos should be a max of two minutes long. But ideally, they’ll be under a minute. 

Use a Webcam

Closed deals involve using webcams 41% more often than lost deals.”

This helps create deeper rapport and make a quicker connection. 

Show Key Benefits

Understanding the features is important, but knowing the specific benefits is even more critical. 

Highlight Case Studies

One of the best ways to get a lead on board is to show them how your product has worked for other customers. 

You can use these case studies from Chili Piper for inspiration. 

Use Social Proof

92% of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid recommendations than any other type of advertising.”

Be an Expert

Any hesitation or uncertainty in a rep’s response decreases their odds of closing.

Therefore, they need to know the product inside and out and how it applies within the context of each individual lead. 

Have Reps Continually Learn About Your Product and Industry

Products evolve and industries change, so reps need to stay up-to-date. 

Etiquette Sales Tips

Engage in Active Listening

69% of buyers say salespeople can improve their performance by listening to consumers’ needs.”

Never Disrespect Your Competitors

This can be a huge turnoff for leads and can harm your brand reputation. 

Be Transparent

Be straightforward about pricing and contract terms. 

Avoid Manipulative Techniques

This is a huge turnoff and will send many leads running. 

Have Empathy

Leads want to be heard and understood. So, always have sales reps put themselves in their shoes. 

Don’t Be Pushy 

According to 61% of buyers, not being pushy is critical to improving the sales experience.

Don’t Overpromise

Promising a lead the world may result in a sale. But it can come back to haunt you later on.  

Know When to Stop Talking

Avoid the presentation turning into a one-sided monologue.

Focus on Relationship Building 

Making this your overarching goal rather than just going for the immediate sale lays the foundation for trust and long-term success. 

Personalization Sales Tips 

Use Personalization When Interacting With Leads

Leads are 80% more likely to buy when they receive personalized experiences.

Supply Leads with Personalized Content

“Lack of content relevancy generates 83% lower response rates.”

Do This By Leveraging Prior Insights

For instance, if a lead looked at the Events Manager feature of Chili Piper, we would want to make event meeting automation the crux of the conversation. 

Post-Sale Sales Tips 

Follow Up After the Sale

Don’t think of the sales process as being over once a customer has made a purchase.  

Instead, reach out to see how they’re doing and what you can do to create an even better experience moving forward. 

Over Deliver

See how you can go the extra mile to blow a customer’s expectations out of the water. 

Look for Referral Opportunities

Satisfied customers are often willing to refer your product to others. 

Always be on the lookout for these opportunities. 

Sales Tips for Making Reps Better at Their Job

Set Concrete Goals

Be super specific so they’ll be able to objectively analyze their performance. 

Go Back and Listen to Your Calls

This is one of the quickest ways to spot a rep’s strengths and weaknesses, which sets the stage for positive change. 

Avoid Burnout By Following Ultradian Rhythms

Working for 90 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of rest should help keep reps energized and achieve better focus. 

Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep 

This will help reps stay at the top of their game and approach each sales opportunity with maximum energy and zeal. 

Keep Emotions in Check 

There’s a natural ebb and flow to sales, so it’s important to not get too high or too low. 

Sales Tips FAQs

What’s the ideal timeframe to reach out to leads?

5 minutes. This is known as “the golden window.

How can I realistically reach out to leads this quickly?

Use scheduling software like Chili Piper to schedule meetings. 

How many leads should each sales rep receive each month?

150 max. 

How can you create a better customer experience?

  • Truly listen 
  • Don’t be pushy
  • Provide relevant information
  • Respond quickly 

Turning Your Funnel Into Lean, Mean Conversion Machine

Closing more deals is all about creating a winning formula based on proven data.

The sales tips I’ve outlined here address all the major areas of the sales process, which can help your company make more conversions and build lasting relationships. 

Want to learn how to book better meetings and close more deals? Get a Chili Piper demo today. 

About the author
Daniel Threlfall

I help SaaS and online businesses drive viral organic website traffic to double their organic traffic and revenue in 6-12 months.

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