How do you sell in 2024?

Moved by my recent experience in Sales, I have decided to write a short summary of two different approaches to filling the pipeline with interested potential clients.

I am more of an in-person sales type, but every approach has its advantages. I would like to see if I can learn from my connections on LinkedIn.

In the ever-evolving world of sales, professionals are constantly exploring the most effective ways to connect with potential clients. Two primary approaches have dominated the scene: the direct sales approach, often associated with cold calling and online outreach, and the traditional method of meeting clients at exhibitions or conferences. Each approach comes with its own set of pros and cons, and understanding them can make all the difference in building meaningful business relationships.

Emailing, LinkedIn reach out and cold calling

Pros:

1. Efficiency and Scale: Direct sales methods, such as cold calling and LinkedIn outreach, allow for reaching a large audience in a relatively short amount of time. This scalability can be particularly advantageous when targeting a broad market.
2. Cost-Effective: Compared to the expenses associated with attending conferences or exhibitions, direct sales methods tend to be more budget-friendly. This is especially beneficial for startups or small businesses with limited resources.
3. Data-Driven Insights: With online platforms, you can leverage analytics to track engagement and gather valuable insights about your audience. This data-driven approach enables you to refine your strategies based on real-time feedback.

Cons:

1. Impersonal Interaction: One of the drawbacks of direct sales is the potential for interactions to feel impersonal. Building trust and rapport can be challenging when communication is limited to virtual channels.
2. Cold Outreach Challenges: Cold calling and unsolicited messages on LinkedIn may be met with resistance. Many professionals are inundated with such communications, making it harder to stand out and make a memorable impression.
3. Limited Relationship Building: Establishing meaningful relationships solely through online interactions can be challenging. Face-to-face connections often provide a more conducive environment for building trust and understanding.

In person contact, exhibitions or conferences.

Pros:

1. Building Trust Through Personal Interaction: Meeting potential clients in person allows for a more personal and genuine connection. This face-to-face interaction fosters trust, which is often a critical factor in successful business relationships.
2. Networking Opportunities: Conferences and exhibitions offer valuable networking opportunities. Being physically present in industry events enables you to connect with decision-makers, partners, and collaborators in a more organic and spontaneous manner.
3. Memorability: Meeting someone in person can leave a lasting impression. Personal connections at events are more likely to be remembered, increasing the chances of follow-up engagements.

Cons:

1. Resource Intensity: Attending conferences and exhibitions can be resource-intensive, involving expenses related to travel, accommodation, and event participation fees. This may pose challenges for businesses with limited budgets.
2. Limited Reach: Face-to-face interactions are inherently limited by geography and the specific events attended. This can be a disadvantage when trying to reach a broader or more diverse audience.
3. Time-Consuming: Building relationships through conferences and exhibitions takes time. The sales cycle may be longer compared to the immediacy of direct sales methods.

In conclusion, the choice between a direct sales approach and face-to-face connections depends on various factors, including the nature of your business, target audience, and available resources. When making a decision there, usually it comes down to the 80/20 rule, so I put in more effort for the bigger clients.

The use of AI is important and it helps me immensely. I use ChatGPT for generating ideas, lists or comparisons which help me focus on a particular task. Balancing the efficiency of online outreach with the authenticity of personal connections is key for me now that I am in a sales role in Aircash .

I am still looking for an AI tool that will qualify potential clients for me to reach out to, based on the filters that I need like website traffic and quality of service. Until I find it, I am enjoying the process of finding the clients "manually" =)

What are your experiences and how do you keep your pipeline full?

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