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Account Executives have a lot on their plate. Between running demos, negotiating contracts, and hitting large quotas, they can feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to complete current pipeline tasks, let alone find time to prospect.
But here at LeadIQ, sourcing their own pipeline is part of an Account Executives’ weekly tasks. How do they find time to do it?‍
You guessed it. By using LeadIQ!‍
We’ve talked about how LeadIQ’s SDR team uses LeadIQ to book more meetings. Now, let’s take a look at how LeadIQ helps our AEs prospect efficiently, as well as share some tips on how you can start building your own pipeline.
Why outbound prospecting for AEs is more important than ever
If you ask your AEs if they prospect, most will probably say they do. And they aren’t wrong! Account Executives often engage in social selling to interact with companies and champions on social media.
But it is so important for Account Executives to go beyond just social selling. Last year, 84% of sales reps missed their quota. While it’s tempting to blame the pandemic for that stinker of a number, it isn’t that far off from what it was in 2018, when 57% of reps missed quota. The truth is that prospecting has never been harder. AEs looking to crush their quotas need more than marketing leads or SDRs to fill the pipeline.
There are a few ways to solve a quota attainment issue:
- Close a higher percentage of opportunities.
- Close opportunities faster.
- Generate more opportunities.
Most AEs default to #1 and #2. But it is actually #3 that grants AEs more control. By working with SDRs to multithread accounts and perform cold outbound prospecting, AEs can stack the odds in their favor. The effort put into prospecting is one of the few things AEs can control during the sales process.
Outbound prospecting doesn’t just fill your pipeline — it can also help close more opportunities faster. Many opportunities end up not progressing down the funnel because key stakeholders aren’t brought into the conversation. You got a hold of one buying team member, but in the end the decision is being made by a group of five to six people. Making everyone a part of the conversation is not only crucial to moving the dial, but can even unlock referrals down the road.
How our AEs use LeadIQ for outbound prospecting
Finding a balance between working current deals and building your pipeline through outbound prospecting is key. Our AEs achieve that balance thanks to the efficiency they gain using LeadIQ.
For LeadIQ AEs, prospecting starts and stops with LinkedIn Sales Navigator. “LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the most accurate database out there. It acts as our source of truth,” says Katie Bubb, Mid-Market Account Executive. LeadIQ’s chrome extension works alongside LinkedIn Sales Navigator to verify information in real-time, thus ensuring the information they capture is accurate and up-to-date.
Reps then capture and sequence prospect data directly to Salesforce and Outreach with one click, all from one screen. This makes prospecting so efficient that even busy AEs can manage it.
Our reps then use the time they saved capturing prospects to focus on outreach that gets noticed.
Getting noticed is especially important when multithreading an account with an SDR. It may not be necessary to book a separate meeting with every buying team member, but they all do need to be aware.
Outbound prospecting Tips for AEs
Whether or not you used to be an SDR, prospecting can be a nerve-wracking and intimidating task. Here are some tips on how to get started so you can generate more pipeline.
- Shadow an SDR
Shadowing an SDR is a great way to get up to speed on what works and what doesn’t. This in-house knowledge is invaluable, and sharing it makes all the bumps and bruises accumulated along the way worth it.
‍ - Upgrade your cold email template
Chances are emailing is going to be a key pillar of your prospecting. Make sure your template is optimized to get replies.
‍ - Personalize, personalize, personalize
For your ideal prospects, spend some extra time learning about them and personalizing your outreach accordingly.
‍ - Block off time in your day
It can be easy to get “tunnel vision” as an AE and focus only on the deals in your pipeline. At the beginning of your week, block off time on your calendar when you will be doing outreach. Setting a focus time for prospecting can keep it from being pushed off your to-do list.
‍ - Master LinkedIn Sales Navigator
If you or your team haven’t bought LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you should! Using this tool allows you to quickly search and filter to find the right buying team members in your target accounts.
‍ - Get a tool to find more prospects
Once you start finding who you want to prospect, then you need to find how to reach them. LeadIQ works alongside Sales Navigator to help you capture contact data verified in real-time. The best part? You can start for free.
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LeadIQ Features AEs Can’t Live Without
Selling is a lot easier when you use the tool yourself. Our AEs are experts on what makes LeadIQ unique and what brings the most value to sales teams. Here are a couple of the features they love the most!
Integrations
“Having the direct integrations to the sales tools I use is great, it’s a huge time-saver.”
Real-time Verification
“We start all our prospecting in LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It has the most up-to-date titles and companies, so using LeadIQ alongside helps me get the most accurate information.”
One-Click Update
“There’s minimal data entry. I can add new prospects or update the ones already there. It really makes my day more productive.”
Job Change Notifications
“Getting notified of when a former customer moves to one of my target accounts is great! I now have a champion I can reach out to.”
Want to Learn More on How to Get Your AEs Started?
Learn more on how LeadIQ is helping other sales teams prospect smarter. Looking to start experiencing the benefits? Get started with LeadIQ today for free!
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