Sales Prospecting Methods

I was asked today a very simple question, How can I #prospect better on #LinkedIn? This simple question does not have a simple answer. So I did what I always do and made my list, went to #askSSL.ai and used my” Brynne Avatar” who is already trained in my voice, with my content, and my prohibitions oand spent about 20 minutes crafting and editing the following: ⸻ How to Prospect Better on LinkedIn Without Sounding Like a Sales Pitch Prospecting on LinkedIn isn’t about sending more messages. It’s about starting the right conversations with the right people in the right way. The professionals who succeed treat LinkedIn as a relationship platform, not a cold-calling tool. Here’s how to shift from pitch-based outreach to conversation-driven social selling. 1. Transform Your Profile from a resume to a Resource If you are in a revenue-driven role, your LinkedIn profile should not be a resume. It should speak directly to the challenges and goals of your ideal buyer. Lead to your solution by offering insight and value that not just shows how you help but actually helps, earning you the right to get the conversion. 2. Engage Before You Reach Out Engagement builds visibility and credibility. Thoughtful comments on the right posts open doors. The more value you bring in public conversations, the more permission you earn to move to private messaging. 3. Reconnect with Existing Relationships Take inventory of your network. Revisit clients, prospects, and referral partners. Share something relevant. Ask a thoughtful question. Start conversations around topics that are meaningful to them. 4. Map Paths to Referrals Use LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to find mutual connections. Ask for introductions. Warm referrals often outperform any cold outreach. Most professionals want to help. You just need to ask the right way. 5. Write Like You Speak Skip the templates and formal language. Your message should feel like it belongs in a real conversation. The goal is not to sell. The goal is to earn a response. Bonus: use the native voice messaging or video messaging in the LinkedIn app to humanize the connections even more. 6. Use AI to Prepare Smarter Tools like askSSL or ChatGPT can help you write better outreach messages, create personalized content, and research your prospects. Use AI to support strategy, not replace it. Prospecting on LinkedIn is about earning the right to a conversation. That can come through valuable content, a warm referral, or thoughtful engagement. The key is to start trust-based conversations that feel helpful, not salesy. When you make them matter, you matter. How do you prospect better on LinkedIn? #sslinsights

Outbound is dead in cyber. Long live AE-owned prospecting. I will die on the hill of "outbound is dead". But it's been misunderstood when I've brought it up here. In cybersecurity, generic mass outreach is dying or it's a zombie waiting to be whacked. Targeted, value-driven prospecting led by Account Executives is thriving. SDR's have a hard time doing this not because they can't, but because the system is not setup for them to do it (i.e. comp plans, org structures, etc.) We know from research that personalized outreach based on deep account knowledge delivers 3x better engagement than templated SDR approaches. Yet we keep trying to build outbound motions with higher volume and worse conversion rates 🤮 Here's my framework for building a repeatable pipeline development program where AEs actually own the process: 👉 *The Value Hypothesis Approach* 1. Narrow the focus dramatically: Your target account list should be small enough that each account gets hours of dedicated research. 2. Make AEs accountable for contact mapping They need to identify key stakeholders and understand the organizational dynamics before any outreach begins. 3. Develop specific value hypotheses This is the game-changer. Each account gets 2 customized value proposition based on their specific situation. 4. Collaborate on hypothesis refinement The best teams involve SE/PreSales, Product Management, and Sales Leadership in critiquing and improving these hypotheses. 5. Execute with precision With this foundation, outreach becomes a targeted conversation rather than a generic pitch. 6. Close the feedback loop: Sales leaders need to document which value hypotheses resonated and which fell flat - this becomes your competitive advantage. The best-performing enterprise sales teams allocate at least 1/3 of AE time to this process. Yes, it's resource-intensive, but the results speak for themselves. 2 hours a day (minimum) every day, every AE, for 3 months. Then come back and tell me 'thank you' Unexpected benefit: When AEs spend 10+ hours weekly on strategic prospecting, your inbound and partner-led conversion rates automatically improve. Why? No AE will let warm leads slip after experiencing how much work cold prospecting takes. Pro-tip? Spend 'Training Thursdays' evaluating value hypothesis together. Double pro-tip, combine Value Hypotheiss with 'Show me You Know Me' on your messaging (follow Samantha McKenna - She crushes SMYKM content) Anyone here that calls value hypothesis something else? I used to call it my 'angle'. Need something more catchy and less scientific-sounding 😆

How I'd fill pipeline as an AE if I started fresh today. (Send this to your Slack group) Here is my plan: 1. Find Active Buyers The secret? Focus on prospects who posted in the last 30 days. Response rates are 2x higher from active profiles. Quick setup in Sales Nav: ↳ Create saved searches by seniority ↳  Build targeted prospect lists ↳ Update lists weekly for fresh leads Smart reps look for prospects who are active. 2. Strategic Outreach     Too many people say never do a cold dm, and tell you to sit back and wait. Please don't listen to this advice. Here's what I would do: ↳ Block 1 focused hour daily ↳ Send 20-30 targeted messages ↳ Be brief, brilliant, gone Example framework: "Reason I am reaching out [specific insight] → This matters to you because [direct benefit] → Imagine [concrete result/use ask] → CTA [simple, compelling next action]" The big fat pipeline is in the outreach. 3. Smart Engagement Don't just drop "Great post!" comments. Like real talk.. please don't do this. Start real conversations instead. The framework: ↳ Find a post ↳ Share specific insights from their content ↳ Ask one thought-provoking question Now if you did 20 messages a day check the math: 400 messages/month 10% conversion rate = 40 meetings/month There are no silver bullets. This is just an example, If you stay consistent what could happen. Stay prospecting my friends. ----- P.S. Mention someone who could benefit from this strategy. P.S.S. Which step are you going to use today?

Just closed a major enterprise deal against a competitor who pitched at 1/3 of our price. Here's the inside scoop on how we transformed what started as a "chatbot search" into a complete GTM automation win: Here's what most vendors miss: Chatbots alone are just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic happens when you connect visitor intelligence to autonomous GTM actions. Reframing the Conversation : The prospect (a well-funded services company with 400+ employees) initially came to us looking for an AI chatbot and had done their homework. During our first demo, we showed them something dramatically different: Their current flow: Visitor chats with bot Lead gets logged Sales team manually follows up (maybe) Data sits in silos What we demonstrated live: AI chatbot engages visitor Platform instantly identifies the company AI agents then automatically: Create enriched company profiles Launch tailored outbound sequences Book meetings via voice/email Update their CRM in real-time Alert relevant teams in Slack/Teams The game changer? When we were able to demonstrate to their team the ways our AI agents were already acting autonomously based on chatbot interactions from other companies in their industry - booking meetings while competitors are still manually working over chat leads. Inbound Intelligence: Knows which companies are engaging (or not engaging) with the chatbot Analyze conversation patterns for intent signals Triggers targeted workflows by interaction type Routes high-value prospects to live sales teams Outbound Automation: AI agents autonomously prospect similar companies Creates targeted account lists by patterns of engagement with the chatbot Launches multichannel outreach (voice, email, LinkedIn) Syncs all activity back to their CRM The "Aha" Moment Instead of configuring a chatbot for them, we walked them through building a complete workflow in the demo: Key Takeaway: When you can show how a "simple chatbot" can become an autonomous revenue engine--price becomes irrelevant. The discussion shifts from "Do we really need another chat tool?" to "How soon can we put this complete GTM automation out there?"

I used to sell to small businesses. Think 5-40 employee headcount. Often family owned shops or very early stage startups. Ever since I started my career in sales, I tried to do different stuff. Just consistently tried to stand out from everyone else. One morning, I told myself I was going to drive to 10 of my prospects offices. Yes, they were there. I sold to plumbers, machine shops, printing shops, startup in the co working office down the street, etc. I went into my DM (district manager’s) office and asked her if I could spend 500 dollars to book 6 meetings. She said, go for it. Here is what I did: Step 1 - Went to LinkedIn, for the ones that even had an account and found out where they went to college. Example: State College, PA For those that didn’t have a profile, I went with where their business was located or sometimes their about section on their website would say something about where they grew up etc. Example: Cary, NC. Step 2 - Wrote down all the cities and logged into Etsy. Typed in: “Downtown Cary, NC map” “Downtown East Lansing, MI map” Step 3 - Purchase and download the maps of all 10 locations. Step 4 - Head to local print shop and get the maps printed on really good paper. Step 5 - Head to Michael’s or your local store where you can find some cool picture frames. Step 6 - Put those maps in the frames. Step 7 - Take out a piece of paper and write a quick hand written note about why you want a meeting with them. Step 8 - Get in the car with your 10 addresses plugged into Waze or Google maps. Step 9 - Turn on some rap music and spend 5 hours dropping off these custom gifts, delivered by hand. Step 10 - If it’s morning, call the office and ask the receptionist what their favorite spot is for breakfast and bring in some treats. Step 11 - Tell your boss that you booked 6 meetings for the wild cost of 297 dollars. P.S. - additionally I would add a book about the importance of human capital management, which I would have dog eared pages that made since for each business with little sticky notes added. That was the extra touch 😉

Every B2B sales tool today: "We're powered by AI!" Ughh. Are you? I talk to dozens of founders every month. Most have been burned by buying "AI sales tech" That was just a basic GPT wrapper. With good marketing. 🙈 ❌ THE PROBLEM TODAY: So many "AI" sales vendors today demo well. But their actually product? It's not really AI. It's an API call. To ChatGPT... The red flags you should look for: 🚩 Template based responses 🚩 Minimal error checking 🚩 Basic API calls We've tested so many of these tools ourselves. And guess what? They failed to verify basic company data. They misunderstood qualification tasks. They sent emails with wrong context. That's because they're treating "AI" like... A fancy version of mail merge. SO... What should you look for? 2️⃣ What AI Sales infrastructure SHOULD look like Your AI sales stack needs these core components: Multi-Source Verification: - Cross-reference data across 3+ sources - Source tracking for every data point - Real-time accuracy validation - Automated fact-checking Context Management: - Industry-specific knowledge bases - Historical interaction memory - Company relationship graphs NOW... Here's where I'd focus your AI sales agents first 👇 Start with research heavy tasks. Things like: Lead Research: - Identifying expansion opportunities  - Analyzing technographic data - Mapping org structures - Finding trigger events Prospect Qualification: - Technology stack analysis - Company size verification - Recent company changes - Budget signals BEFORE YOU BUY... Look at THESE metrics 📈 "What are your accuracy rates?" Ask them for: - Research verification percentage - Data freshness metrics - Error correction stats - Learning curve data "What are your performance metrics?" - Error reduction over time - Processing speed at scale - Consistency across tasks - Adaptation to feedback THEN... Here's how I'd do a roll out 1️⃣ MONTH ONE - Audit manual research tasks - Document qualification criteria - Map current research workflow - Identify verification sources 2️⃣ MONTH TWO - Test AI on small lead segment - Measure accuracy vs humans - Document error patterns - Refine verification process 3️⃣ MONTH THREE - Scale successful processes - Build feedback loops - Train team on collaboration - Measure productivity gains -- P.S. Always ask AI vendors: "Show me your error rate metrics" If they can't, you know what you're dealing with. Have more questions? Hit me up in the comments or DM me!

I just deleted 147 cold emails without reading them. Here’s what they all got wrong: Every morning, my inbox looks the same. A flood of pitches from people trying to sell me something. Most days, I just mass delete them. But this morning, I decided to actually read through them first. Within 5 minutes, I spotted a pattern. Everyone was making the exact same mistake. They were all trying to close the deal. ALL IN THE FIRST MESSAGE 🥵 Let me show you what I mean (with two small examples): APPROACH A: "The Wall of Text" Send 100 cold emails with full pitch, calendar link, and case studies. • 3 people open • 0 responses • 0 intros This looks exactly like the 147 emails I just deleted "Hi [Name], I noticed your company is scaling fast! We help companies like yours optimize their marketing stack through our proprietary AI technology. Our clients see 300% ROI within 90 days. Here's my Calendly link to book a 15-min chat: [LINK]. Looking forward to connecting! Best, [Name]" BORING!!! APPROACH B: "Micro Conversations" Same 100 prospects, broken down into micro-convo's. Email 1: "Do you know [mutual connection]?" • Send 100 • ~40 open • ~20 respond Email 2: "They mentioned you're scaling your marketing team. I'd love to connect about [specific thing]." • Send to 20 who responded • ~15 continue engaging Email 3: "Would you mind if they made an intro?" • Ask 15 engaged prospects • ~10 intros Final score: • Approach A: No intros • Approach B: 10 intros How to Apply These Lessons (Tactical Summary): 1. Focus on Micro-Conversations: Break your cold outreach into smaller, manageable steps. Build rapport before making any asks. 2. Personalize Everything: Reference mutual connections, specific company milestones, or shared interests in every message. 3. Play the Long Game: Aim for replies in the first message.. not conversions. If you’ve been struggling with cold outreach, you might just need a new approach. Give this one a try and lmk how it goes.

A client recently said... “I find it harder to sell for myself… the stakes feel higher, and rejection hits differently.” So, let’s talk about rejection, because it’s one of the hardest things to deal with as a consultant. When you’re in a corporate role, rejection doesn’t sting as much—it’s buffered by your team, your company, or even just the market. But now? It feels personal. A “no” doesn’t feel like a rejection of your pitch—it feels like a rejection of you. Here’s the thing: Rejection isn’t about you. It’s about alignment—or the lack of it. Let’s Look at the Numbers • The average consultant faces 10–15 rejections for every client win (Source: HubSpot). • 50% of deals are closed during follow-ups, not the initial conversation (Source: Invesp). If rejection stops you in your tracks, here’s what you’re risking: • Lost Opportunities: Fear of hearing “no” keeps you from pursuing the next big client. • Damaged Confidence: Every unanswered pitch adds to your self-doubt. • Stagnation: You stop putting yourself out there, which kills your growth. Here’s How You Reframe Rejection Detach from the Outcome: Stop making “no” mean something about your worth. A rejection isn’t a failure—it’s data. Use it to refine your pitch, your approach, or even your target audience. Focus on the Bigger Picture: Every “no” gets you closer to the right client. It’s a numbers game. The more you show up, the more you win. Develop a Follow-Up System: Half of all deals close during follow-ups. Don’t let one “no” be the end of the conversation. Have a plan to check in with prospects when the timing is right. Celebrate the Effort: For every 10 rejections, celebrate what you’ve learned. Rejection isn’t just part of the process—it’s a sign you’re doing the work. Here’s the Truth If you’re not hearing “no” a lot, you’re probably not pitching enough. Every rejection is a step closer to the client that says, “Let’s do this.” Ready to reframe rejection? Download the Rejection Resilience Workbook to bounce back stronger, learn from every “no,” and turn opportunities into wins. Comment "WORKBOOK" below -or- DM me and I'll send it your way.

I Tested ChatGPT for Cold Emails—Here’s How I Tripled Replies. 💜 Will GPT GPT, Founder at Lavender, is regarded as the top email strategist. So, I had my assistant copy and paste more than 100 articles he’s written on cold emails. I asked 3 LLM’s (Chat GPT/Claude/Jasper) to assess the data and provide me with the top cold emails prompt. I received 3 slightly different versions. For the past 4 months, I beta tested each version and I’ll share the prompt I’d recommend to help create memorable and effective cold email scripts based on the principles from the attachment: Prompt: Write a concise, personalized cold email targeting [specific audience, e.g., med tech sales leaders]. The email should: 1. Start with a compelling subject line that grabs attention and feels internal or intriguing (e.g., ‘[Topic] Problem Solved’). 2. Open with a personalized and specific observation, showcasing research about the recipient’s challenges or priorities. 3. Highlight a value proposition or insight that ties directly to the recipient’s pain points or opportunities. 4. Include social proof or a mini success story that demonstrates credibility. 5. Use simple, skimmable language with short sentences and a friendly tone. 6. End with an open-ended, low-pressure call to action (e.g., ‘Worth a chat?’). Keep the email under 100 words and ensure it has a readability grade of 5 or lower for maximum clarity and engagement. - - - For example, using this cold email formula, I sent this (text) email: Subject Line: Triple Surgeon Consultations "Hi [First Name], What if your sales team could 3x their consultations with busy surgeons by using a strategy that gets noticed 76% of the time? For the past four years, Virtual Sales Rx has trained over 20,000 med tech professionals—including teams at Medtronic, J&J, and Depuy—on using 1-minute personalized videos to stand out. The combined result? Averaged a 76% engagement rate, even with the busiest surgeons. I’d be happy to share how this method could apply to your team. Let me know if it’s worth a conversation." - - - The template isn't complicated: Notice something specific. Connect it to value. Offer a next step. But here's what matters: It's not the template that works. It's the intention behind it.

4 reasons why I always double (or triple tap) to start an outreach sequence. *The only double tap I no longer do is cold-calling a prospect twice in a row. I already have enough anxiety. I don't need to make other people feel anxious by making them worry if a loved one is in trouble and trying to reach them.* Otherwise, double-tapping is a KEY strategy I use when building sequences for myself and my clients. 👉 Here's why: 1. Enhanced Recall The first touchpoint in an outreach sequence might not always stick with your prospect. They’re busy, their inbox is flooded, and your message could easily get overlooked. That’s why a quick follow-up is crucial. By doubling down with a second touchpoint shortly after the first, you’re making sure your message isn’t forgotten. Rapid repetition helps solidify your presence in their mind, making it more likely that they’ll remember you—and take action. 2. Persistence without Pressure No one likes to be hounded, but showing a little persistence can pay off. The double tap strikes a balance between being attentive and respectful. W hen you follow up soon after your initial outreach, it signals to your prospect that you’re serious, but not overly aggressive. This approach can increase the likelihood of a response without making them feel pressured. 3. Multi-Channel Engagement Using different channels for each tap can make your outreach even more effective. Maybe you start with an email, then follow up with a LinkedIn message or a phone call. This multi-channel approach engages your prospects in different ways, making it harder for them to ignore you. Each channel reinforces the other, keeping your outreach fresh and top of mind. 4. Creating a Sense of Urgency Timing is everything. When you follow up quickly, you create a subtle sense of urgency that can nudge your prospect to respond sooner rather than later. In a competitive market, this can make all the difference. A well-timed double tap shows that you’re on the ball and that connecting with this prospect is important to you—encouraging them to prioritize your outreach as well. -- Enjoyed this post? Click here 👉lnkd.in/emVkCrf3 to hit follow & ring my 🔔 for more #SalesSequences #OutboundSales #ColdOutreach #SalesConsultant P.S. why do I look so sweaty in this video? I must have really been getting worked up about outbound sales.