Belkins

Did you know that salespeople often find themselves talking to ghosts? 👻 No, we’re not talking about a superpower. These "ghosts" are actually poor-quality leads that haunt sales teams everywhere. The risks? Low reply rates, endless spam issues, blocked email domains, unhappy prospects… and worst of all, LOW SALES! 😱 But why do these ghosts keep coming back? ➖Ready-made lead lists: These pre-packaged lists might look like a quick fix, but they often come with outdated and irrelevant data. ➖Lack of data validation: Many businesses skip the crucial step of verifying their contact information. This oversight can lead to high bounce rates and wasted time chasing down dead ends. ➖Inconsistent data management: A disorganized database is like a messy closet – it’s impossible to find what you’re looking for. When your data is in disarray, targeting the right audience becomes a nightmare. But don’t worry, there’s a way to clear the ghosts out for good! 💡 Join us for our FREE webinar, “The future of lead databases: Innovations and best practices.” We’ll provide real-world examples and practical strategies to help you build a strong, high-performing lead database and say goodbye to those ghosts forever. Meet our (ghostbuster) speakers: Michael Maximoff from Belkins will explain why lead quality is critical and reveal the hidden challenges in the research process. Brian Minick from ZeroBounce will explore how to keep your database fresh and effective, sharing the latest techniques in data validation and enrichment. Don’t let ghost leads drain your sales efforts. Register now and transform your lead generation strategy!

Who’s more important to your business — sales or marketing? [𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘵: 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩] Still, sales often view marketing as a lead factory.  While marketing perceives sales as a quota-driven machine. This misalignment is eating away the revenue growth. How can we foster a culture of collaboration and shared ownership between these two critical functions? Here are a few things from our experience: 1) Admit it’s not about “choosing your fighter,” it’s about 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 2) Let both teams 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭. Sure, there’s still can be more effort on each side depending on the task, but involve them in each other’s daily processes. 3) 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘱. Let your teams exchange insights from clients and adjust processes accordingly. 4) 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴. In the end, both teams have to convert more new leads into revenue. Even though each dept can track its own metrics. And how are you bridging that gap between your sales and marketing teams? Share your strategies 👇🏻

What’s worth celebrating on Labor Day? Labor Day isn't just a day off; it's a nod to the workers who stood up, formed unions, and demanded better working conditions. Thanks to their efforts, we now have the 8-hour workday, restrictions on child labor, unemployment insurance, Social Security, and worker safety laws—all born from union advocacy. How is labor evolving? Labor has seen some big shifts lately: 1. Remote work is on the rise: About 30.5% of Americans are working from home, either full-time or part-time. While remote jobs are still a minority in the labor market, they make up a significant 39% of all employment. The shift to remote work has given people a better work-life balance, more time with family, and boosted workplace efficiency. Plus, the hours saved from commuting can now be used for extra income—leading us to the next point. 2. Contracting over full-time employment: More people are choosing contracting over FTE roles, and here’s why: ✅Higher pay ✅Lower expectations and more flexibility ✅Fewer meetings ✅Easier to take short stints or quit if necessary ✅More control over taking (unpaid) time off ✅Higher job turnover means you can avoid roles that aren’t fully remote or come with other unnecessary hassles. Here are a few reasons why individual contractors (ICs) are set to thrive: 1. Deep Specialization: ICs can focus intensely on their area of expertise, becoming recognized experts and enjoying greater job satisfaction. 2. More Control Over Work: With no or little team to manage, ICs have more say in how they approach their tasks, leading to high-quality output and innovation. 3. Recognition and Rewards: ICs often get direct recognition for their work, leading to personal satisfaction and opportunities for bonuses, promotions, or working on exciting projects. 4. Advancement Without Management: Many companies offer career paths for ICs that don’t require moving into management, allowing them to achieve senior roles, higher pay, and tackle significant challenges while staying true to their passion. Whether it’s September 2nd, May 1st, or any day of the week, great work deserves to be celebrated, and so do the people driving us toward a brighter future. Give your colleague some Slack kudos today to show your appreciation! 🎉

🚀 We did it again! We’re excited to share that we've won the Gold Stevie Award for Employer of the Year – like the Oscars of the business world! 🏆 This isn’t just another win; it’s proof of the passion and hard work each one of our team members brings every day. Together, we have built something special, and this award shows that when we work together, we create a great environment for great people. To our clients, know that you are supported by a team that is not only committed but also truly cares about delivering the best. Every project we handle reflects our shared dedication, and we’re honored that our efforts have been recognized. A big thank you to our amazing Belkins team – this win is yours. ❤️ Here’s to more successes, more growth, and many more celebrations like this! 🎉 #StevieAwards #EmployeroftheYear #GreatEmployers

🚀 "Normal" is safe, but it rarely shakes things up. As Matthew Pollard puts it, "If you fit into the spectrum of normal, you tend to do normal things." But our Belkins Podcast guests are anything but ordinary—they have taken daring leaps to disrupt the status quo, leaving an undeniable mark on the world. In part 2 of our "Best Of" series, we’re bringing leaders who’ve redefined sales, championed mental health, and led with a vision that challenges the norm. Their stories will push you to step out of the ordinary and redefine what’s possible. What’s inside this episode? 🌟 Revolutionizing sales: Unconventional strategies that make you stand out and win big. 🧠 Mental health in leadership: Why it matters more than ever. 🚀 Vision and values: Leading with purpose in a changing world. 💡 Personal growth: Living a life full of meaning, no matter the obstacles. You’ll hear from: Jim Cathcart - Mentor and author Chris Walker - CEO Passetto, chairman Refine Labs 🏄♂️ Scott Leese - CEO & founder Surf and Sales, founder Milos Ventures Dolores Hirschmann, FRACTIONAL CMO - CCO Masters in Clarity Andy Paul - Author, founder The Sales House Jared Robin ⏭ - Founder RevGenius Mita Mallick - Author, writer, Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta Anthony Iannarino - Sales leader, writer, author, speaker John Barrows - CEO JB Sales, advisory board member at CloudTask Matthew Pollard - Founder Rapid Growth This is an episode you can’t afford to miss, and the best is yet to come. Who should we feature next? Drop your boldest suggestions in the comments! 💬 https://lnkd.in/e7qyrqwP

Which lead gen channels make the cut in 2025? 🔮 The truth? 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘅. That’s why, we dropped a video recently where we break down the dream team of lead gen channels for you! → 𝘛𝘰𝘱 3 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘴 that work especially well together → 2 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘴 to spice up your marketing strategy And, of course, even more tips in the full video 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g3Be7_ax

The best sales are about building real connections. Not selling. As our own Brian Hicks says: “𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦: 𝘉𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘉𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭. 𝘋𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧.” We wanted to share this philosophy with more people. That’s why we teamed up with our friends and outreach nerds: ◾ 🇺🇦 Vlad Oleksiienko, VP of Growth at Reply ◾ Guillaume Odier, Co-founder and CEO of Captain Data ◾ Bethany Stachenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO of Sendspark ◾ 🇺🇦 Ilya Azovtsev - I help with SaaS Growth, Co-founder of GrowthBand ◾ Ian Naylor, Co-founder of Hyperise ◾ and, of course, our Margot Lee (Kashuba), CMO at Belkins and created a course on 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵! This course isn’t just about a set of fancy tactics. It’s about building genuine connections that turn “cold leads” into real relationships. Want to learn how to build trust with prospects in a way that feels good for both of you? Dive in and let’s make those cold leads hot! 🔥

Can you believe it? Reply.io is turning 10! 🥳 And what’s a celebration without gifts? To mark this incredible milestone, Reply has partnered with us and some of their favorite allies to bring you special treats! 🎁 We at Belkins are joining in alongside: Revit Hyperise Sendspark Captain Data Dealfront Mailreef LeadWave You’ll also find something special from us, just for you! Join the fun - head over to their website, play the game, and claim your exclusive deals. Here’s to Reply - congratulations on an amazing decade! We’re thrilled to be part of your journey and can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring. 🎉

Remember us saying we got x3 conversions after switching to omnichannel? Take an example: Our client had too many competitors (they're in the finance market). With a million rules and regulations to follow and everyone else fighting for the same clients, it was a nightmare. We knew traditional methods wouldn’t cut it, so we tried something new: a mix of email, Linkedin, and intent cold calling. In just one month, we had 30 meetings and kept going. Long story short, we brought them 𝟭𝟳𝟴 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟵 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 = 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟵 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. Normally, in this industry, you’re lucky to get 5–10 meetings a month. To us, it was another proof that omnichannel is a new must. Not in some distant future, but right away. How do you think, why did it work out?

“𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. {𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳_𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯} 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥.” Are they, indeed? Maybe a little true, but let’s be real: relying on one way to reach clients is like trying to build a house with one tool. Just won’t get you far. Dreamdata found that 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝟲𝟮 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟯 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀. Plus, the average sales cycle is 192 days, and you’re usually dealing with around 6 people who have a say. So, you can’t just sit in one spot and expect clients to come to you. You’ve got to be where they are and remind them you exist. That’s where omnichannel comes in. ❌ Omnichannel isn’t about spamming people on every platform. ✅ It’s about creating a smooth experience for your clients, no matter where they are. Imagine this: You see a fridge you like in a store, check reviews online, receive an email with promotion, compare features and prices, buy it online, confirm your order via call, and then pick it up. In omnichannel done right, every touchpoint should connect. Your clients should be able to chat with you on any platform without repeating themselves. When we finally got this, our sales meetings started bringing in 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Want to discuss a tailored omnichannel strategy for your business? Leave a + in comments 👇🏻