New AI tools allow us to spam everyone’s email inboxes with auto-generated content and folks are, understandably, being penalized for this. This makes successful cold outbounding harder, but there are still ways to make it work. A multi-channel approach remains effective, including using LinkedIn, phone calls, and emails in tandem to reach potential customers.
“Cold outbound is a lot harder for us as well, but it still works when you stick to the basics. Don't rush in based on advice you see on social media. Hit the right channels and mix it up.” - Chara Venkataraghavan
Jump to clip to learn why Chara says not to take the doom and gloom of LinkedIn too seriously.
Healthy pipelines follow the reverse Anna Karenina Principle: every healthy pipeline is unique, and every unhealthy pipeline shares common characteristics. Instead of relying solely on industry benchmarks, they advised that companies should analyze their own data to define what a healthy pipeline looks like for their specific context.
Consider these questions:
Unhealthy pipelines can also develop from deeper problems. Take a look at your people organization. Is your executive team setting realistic expectations for close rates? Are AEs unwilling to accept certain leads from BDRs? You might need to re-evaluate your approach.
“Make sure you’re on the same page. Create a data dictionary and see if your definition of ARR and churn is the same as the Salesforce definition and finance’s definition.” - Jacki Leahy
Jump to clip to hear the panel discuss the best formula for calculating win rates.
Prioritize accuracy over an optimistic forecast that aims to meet targets but lacks precision. RevOps professionals should ask tough, probing questions during forecast calls to avoid the common pitfall of “happy ears”—where optimism clouds judgment. If you’re only hearing your rep's opinions, without metrics to make them up, don’t put the deal in your forecast.
Here are some questions to ask your sellers during forecast calls:
“As founders, we learned the hard way that it’s very easy to be confident that, if somebody is talking to us, they’re going to buy, right? But talk to your sales folks, get uncomfortable with questions because happy ears are the worst thing you want to have.” - Chara Venkataraghavan
Jump to clip to find out what causes forecasting surprises.
Coaching sessions and deal reviews should be independent of forecasting calls, allowing the latter to focus purely on accuracy. The point of coaching is to provide guidance on deals. This should be built into your day-to-day and week-to-week process. If coaching revolves around your monthly or quarterly forecast call, that’s too infrequent. All it does is create a high-pressure environment where people are focused on hitting their number, not forecast accuracy.
“Sometimes sales reps feel like they're fighting for their lives to defend a deal. It’s not a recipe for stability. Don’t manage or coach to the forecast. The goal of the forecast should be accuracy, not hitting quotas.” - Jacki Leahy
Jump to clip for expert advice on how to provide coaching outside of forecast calls.
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