We make initial judgements about people in nanoseconds. We take just 50 milliseconds to decide whether to stay on or to leave a new website. It takes up to 10 good experiences with a brand to make up for a bad one.

Simply put, first impressions matter and can make or break your ability to develop a strong relationship with a prospect and close a deal.

Whenever we’re confronted with something new, we quickly decide what we think of it – which is often outside of our conscious control. And that goes for the email messages we receive as well. That’s why, as a salesperson, it’s important that the introductory message in your cold email sequence hits the right marks right out of the gate.

You won’t get a second chance to make a first impression in your introductory email, so here are five best practices to help you get it right.

#1. Keep It Short

Why It Works: Email users receive an average of 88 emails per day. Yet, despite this, click-through rates for professional services emails average just 21.2 percent. The reality is that nobody has time to read the lengthy introductory message you’ve composed – no matter how critical you believe each detail to be.

According to Lead Fuze’s Justin McGill, “If your message is a burden for your prospect to read and/or respond to, they won’t. So keep it short and simple.”

One of the best ways I’ve found to keep email length in check is with a 3-sentence formula for cold sales emails that involves:

• The introduction
• A description of what you’re selling
• Your call-to-action (also known as your “ask”

That’s it. Short, simple and sweet. That said, keeping your message to three sentences is easier said than done. Start with what you have, and try to pare it down until just these three elements remain.

Data from Boomerang suggests that “the sweet spot for email length is between 50-125 words, all of which yielded response rates above 50 percent.” Ten-word messages, according to their survey, yield lower average open rates of 36 percent, while messages longer than 2,000 words declined to average open rates of 35 percent.

Example 1:

Hi Jamillah,

Intro: My name is Jon Benjamin, and I’ll keep this quick.

Describe: I’m the founder of a software tool that saves busy executives like yourself as many as 10 hours per week.

Ask: Could I have 10 minutes of your time next week for a personalized demo that’ll make clear why entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk, Tim Ferriss, and Malcolm Gladwell love our product?

#2. Make It Personal

Why It Works: Consider personalization a “must-do” in your cold email introductory messages. Here are some studies and statistics abound detailing the significant impact personalization has on open and reply rates:

• According to Adestra, personalized subject lines have open rates nearly 23 percent higher than non-personalized subject lines.
• Aberdeen reports that personalized email messages improve click-through rates by an average of 14 percent and conversions by 10 percent.

When you consider the psychology behind personalization, these performance statistics make sense. As Tucker Max shares in the Harvard Business Review, “The opportunity to help someone is very enjoyable for a lot of people — it may even qualify as a ‘want.’ By asking for help, you are giving them the chance to feel good about themselves. But make it easy for them.”

There are a number of different ways you can personalize your introduction email, including:

• Using name, title or company merge fields in your subject line
• Using merge fields to put the recipient’s name in the greeting
• Making sure the body copy of your message targets their specific needs
• Personalizing your call to action

That said, as you add personalization to your cold email campaigns, be careful not to overdo it. Reflektion’s Matt Helmke shares insight from a webinar he conducted with Forrester Principal Analyst Brendan Witcher, which cautioned brands to “be overt with the collection of customer data, but covert about communicating what you know about them.” According to Helmke:

“The best experiences should feel natural and non-intrusive to the customer; taking into account everything you know about them.”

How do you know if your personalization is too intrusive? Test different personalization approaches, and watch your open and reply rates. You’ll find the answers you need there. For more insights on crafting compelling cold emails, explore NetHunt’s guide on writing catchy cold emails. 

Example 2:

Hi {{first name}},

I’ll keep this quick. My company, Time Saving Solutions, has helped companies like {{company name}} save up to 10 hours per week on unnecessary admin work.

I know you’d benefit, as we’re currently providing our services to your competitors, including Apple, Microsoft, and IBM.

I see that you’re speaking at the upcoming Dreamforce conference. Can we meet for 10-15 minutes so I can show you a new way to take back your time?

Opening for future follow-up: I’ll follow up in a few days, just in case this email gets lost in the shuffle.

#3. Focus On The Recipient

Why It Works: If you’ve ever gone on a first date or sat down for coffee with someone who spent the entire time talking about themselves and their problems, you know how important it is to focus on your recipients.

Nobody wants to open an email just to learn how their actions will benefit the sender. Instead, every part of your introductory message – from your opening line, to your description of your benefits, to your ask – needs to be focused on their pain points, not your needs.

Solid client relationships are built over time. Data gathered by Propeller suggests that the majority of all sales require five follow-ups (though it also notes that more than half of all salespeople give up after just one). Your introductory message is just the first step in this sequence. It’s to your advantage to focus on your recipients’ needs, lest they risk ending the relationship early. Discover more on this approach in NetHunt’s sales experts tips on cold emails. 

The “Before-After-Bridge” cold email template – described below – is a great one to use here, as it emphasizes the recipient’s needs in three steps:

• Before: Describe what your reader’s life is like now
• After: Help them picture how your solution makes it better
• Bridge: Show them how you’ll take them from before to after

Example #3:

Hi Juan,

Before: If you’re like most busy executives, you know how frustrating it can feel to have your time wasted.

After: Our software changes that, freeing up as many as 10 hours per week for clients like Gary Vaynerchuk, Tim Ferriss, and Malcolm Gladwell.

Bridge: If you’d be willing to give me just 10 minutes of your time, I’ll show you how you can achieve the same savings with our innovative platform.

What’s the best time next week to reach out to you for a personalized demo?

#4. Minimize The Friction Of Your Ask

Why It Works: Asking too much from an introductory email is like proposing marriage on your first date. Keep two things in mind as you decide what to ask for in your message: make it clear and make it easy to execute.

Both of these are, to some degree, self-explanatory. A clear ask is more likely to be understood and followed through on than a complicated request or multiple asks. As Heather from SalesFolk shares:

“Instead of asking your prospect to schedule an open-ended call, set a time limit for your conversation. Asking your prospects for only 10 minutes of their time is a less threatening way to ask them to engage with you. It’s easier for your prospects to say yes when they know they won’t be stuck on the phone indefinitely.”

When you minimize the friction of your ask, you’re also – on a larger scale – getting recipients into a pattern of engaging with you. The consistency principle in psychology states: “I like to keep consistent what I think, say and do, and will change to ensure this is so.” If you can get recipients to engage with you once, their desire to remain consistent may lead them to engage with you further on larger future asks.

Example 4:

Merge Fields in Subject: Subject: {{first}}, what would you do with 10 hours more each week?

Hi {{first}},

Personalized Intro: I’ll keep this quick. My company, Time Saving Solutions, has helped companies like {{company: name}} save up to 10 hours per week on unnecessary admin work.

Competitor Mentions: I know you’d benefit, as we’re currently providing our services to your competitors, including Apple, Microsoft, and IBM.

Personalized CTA: I see that you’re speaking at the upcoming Dreamforce conference. Can we meet for 10-15 minutes so I can show you a new way to take back your time?

I’ll follow up in a few days, just in case this email gets lost in the shuffle.

#5. Open Up The Lines Of Communication

Why It Works: Your introductory email shouldn’t be the only cold sales message you send. Follow-up is critical, though it’s easy to overlook.

Take it from Steli Efti of close.io:

“It’s easy to focus on the initial contact. The first meeting. The email you’ve sent to someone important. You reach out to someone and then feel good about yourself. You’ve done your job, you’ve pitched and reached out. You’ve asked for a meeting/call/etc. Now all you have to do is sit around and wait for them to respond.”

Data shared on the Salesforce blog by Fergal Glynn suggests that it takes 6-8 touches to generate a viable sales lead. Add follow-up messages to your sequence, but also use your introductory message to set the expectation that more messages will be coming. Not only does doing so leverage the principle of consistency mentioned earlier, it makes it less jarring for recipients to hear from you again.

Example 5:

Hi {{first}},

I’ll keep this quick. My company, Time Saving Solutions, has helped companies like {{company: name}} save up to 10 hours per week on unnecessary admin work.

I know you’d benefit, as we’re currently providing our services to your competitors, including Apple, Microsoft, and IBM.

Clear, easily executed ask: I see that you’re speaking at the upcoming Dreamforce conference. Can we meet for 10-15 minutes so I can show you a new way to take back your time?

I’ll follow up in a few days, just in case this email gets lost in the shuffle.

Writing a Strong Cold Email Introduction

Keep in mind that the suggestions above should be taken as starting points only. Best practices may give you an idea of what will work. It’s up to you to test which specific elements are most compelling to your recipients.

Watch your reply rates, test different variables and be willing to experiment to drive ongoing cold email success.

In today’s competitive business landscape, understanding and addressing customer needs is more critical than ever. Implementing consultative or solution-selling strategies can be a powerful way to satisfy your customer base. 

This article will cover the definition of consultative selling, its advantages, real-world examples, and recommended practices for integrating it into your sales strategy, becoming a successful consultative seller, and mastering consultative selling.

What is Consultative Selling?

Consultative selling is a sales approach that builds strong customer relationships by identifying and addressing their unique needs and pain points. 

Unlike transactional sales or traditional sales tactics, consultative selling prioritizes providing tailored solutions that address specific customer needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. By establishing themselves as a trusted advisor and not a pushy salesperson, consultative sales professionals can build stronger and more profitable customer relationships.

The Benefits of Consultative Selling

Consultative selling offers numerous benefits to businesses, including increased sales, lasting customer relationships, and repeat business. By taking a customer-centric approach, consultative sales reps can provide meaningful solutions that address specific pain points, which empowers customers to make informed purchasing decisions. This approach puts customers at ease, making the buyer journey smoother and more efficient, encouraging quicker sales, and increasing customer satisfaction.

Another benefit of consultative selling is that it can enhance customer satisfaction. By educating customers and ensuring they choose the right product for their needs, consultative selling leads to higher customer satisfaction. Customers feel more confident making informed purchasing decisions, resulting in a positive and personalized customer experience.

Moreover, consultative selling helps to build stronger brand loyalty. By prioritizing customer needs and creating a trustworthy relationship, consultative sales reps can position their brand as a valued partner, not just a product seller. This approach fosters lasting relationships, which leads to more closed-won deals and increased revenue. 

Consultative selling is an effective strategy for businesses looking to build strong customer relationships and increase sales.

Check out our article “Sales Pipeline vs. Sales Funnel: Understanding Your Sales Journey” for a comprehensive guide on the sales process.

7 Examples of Consultative Selling for B2B

Here are some examples showcasing how a salesperson can apply consultative selling in different B2B sales scenarios:

1. Referral Sales

Scenario: You’ve received a referral from a satisfied customer for a company struggling with data security breaches.

Consultative Approach: Before reaching out, do in-depth prospect research, like discovering the potential client’s industry and common security threats. Contact them, acknowledge the referral, and express interest in understanding their security challenges. Ask clarifying questions about their current security measures, past incidents (if any), and their budget for improvement. Based on this new information, propose a customized consultation or security audit to identify vulnerabilities and recommend tailored solutions that address the prospects’ needs.

2. SaaS Sales

Scenario: You sell a subscription-based data analytics platform to marketing teams in B2B companies.

Consultative Approach: Identify a potential client in the financial services industry needing help to gain insights from their customer data. Reach out with a personalized message highlighting a recent industry report on the importance of data-driven marketing strategies. During the conversation, delve into their current marketing goals, challenges in analyzing customer data, and limitations of their existing tools. Demonstrate how your data analytics platform empowers them to collect, analyze, and visualize customer data for actionable insights. Focus on how this can improve customer segmentation, personalize marketing campaigns, and ultimately drive higher ROI. You can secure a long-term SaaS subscription by positioning your software as a solution to enhance the customer’s marketing effectiveness.

3. Inside Sales

Scenario: You’re an inside sales rep selling a cloud-based project management software. You’ve identified a company with multiple teams struggling with collaboration and communication issues.

Consultative Approach: Initiate contact by highlighting a recent industry report on the benefits of improved project management tools. Engage in a conversation about their current project management process. Ask open-ended, thoughtful questions to understand their team size, project complexity, and communication challenges. Demonstrate how your software can streamline their workflow, improve team communication, and ultimately enhance project success rates.

4. Direct Sales

Scenario: You directly sell high-quality video conferencing equipment to companies looking to improve remote communication and collaboration.

Consultative Approach: Research trends in remote work within your target market. Initiate contact with companies known for having dispersed teams or geographically diverse offices. Schedule a meeting with key decision-makers in the IT department. Instead of simply presenting features, understand their current communication challenges, limitations of existing equipment, and budget constraints. Showcase how your video conferencing solutions offer superior audio and video quality, facilitate seamless collaboration between remote teams, and integrate with their existing communication platforms. You can secure a direct sale of the equipment by solving the client’s challenges and improving remote work efficiency.

5. Indirect Sales

Scenario: You work for a manufacturer of industrial automation equipment, and your company partners with distributors to sell your products.

Consultative Approach: Train your distributor partners on consultative selling techniques. Equip them with resources to understand customers’ pain points in specific industries. When a distributor interacts with a potential client on the first sales call, they should work collaboratively to identify the client’s manufacturing bottlenecks, production goals, and budget limitations. Based on this information, the distributor recommends the most suitable equipment from your company’s portfolio, demonstrating how it addresses the prospect’s pain points and helps them achieve their goals.

6. Social Selling

Scenario: You’re a social media marketer for a company offering cybersecurity solutions. You identify a potential client, a growing tech startup, expressing concerns about data breaches on LinkedIn.

Consultative Approach: Engage with the startup’s social media posts about cybersecurity. Offer valuable resources like downloadable white papers on common security challenges startups face. Connect with relevant decision-makers in the company via private message and offer a free consultation to discuss their specific concerns. This establishes you as a thought leader and trusted authority, opening the door for potential future sales opportunities.

7. Solution Sales

Scenario: You’re a CRM sales professional targeting a growing healthcare organization struggling with disjointed patient records across hospitals.

Consultative Approach: Research their CRM usage (if any) to understand their patient data management. Meet with key stakeholders to uncover pain points (record access, security, compliance).  Offer a product demo to show how your CRM with integrated ECM creates a centralized platform for securing patient records, boosting efficiency, streamlining workflows, and ensuring HIPAA compliance. This frees up valuable time for medical personnel to focus on patient care.

Best Practices for Consultative Selling

If you want to become better at consultative selling, try incorporating these best practices into your strategy:

• Invest in Sales Training: Equip your sales team with the skills to listen, ask insightful questions, and effectively tailor solutions.
• Focus on Building Relationships: Prioritize building trust and rapport with your customers. Remember, you’re a partner in their success story.
• Become an Industry Expert: Stay up-to-date on industry trends and challenges by asking your target audience thought-provoking questions rather than generic questions. This lets you offer valuable insights and position yourself as a reliable consultant or sales leader.
• Ask for Feedback: It’s important to regularly ask for feedback from your customers to understand their needs better and improve your offering. By actively seeking feedback (whether it’s bad feedback or not), you not only show customers that you care about their experience, but you also gain valuable insights that can be used to address pain points, improve your product or service, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.

The Bottom Line

Consultative selling is more than just a sales technique; it’s a philosophy of prioritizing customer needs, building trust, and achieving sustainable success.

Check out our blog for more sales tips, advice, or examples.

Have you ever confused the terms “sales pipeline” and “sales funnel”? If so, you’re not alone. These are both essential concepts in sales, but they approach the customer journey from different perspectives. 

Understanding the difference between the two and how they work together can lead to sales success. This guide will help clear any confusion and provide insights on effectively leveraging both concepts.

What is a Sales Funnel?

Imagine a wide funnel at the top, narrowing as it goes down. That’s the sales funnel in action. It represents the buyer’s journey, visualizing how potential customers discover your brand, move through various stages of consideration, and, ideally, convert into loyal customers.

Why is a Sales Funnel Important?

The sales funnel is your window into the customer’s mind. It reveals:

• Awareness: How many potential customers know about your brand?
• Engagement: How many show interest and move further down the funnel?
• Conversion Rates: Where are potential customers dropping off?

By understanding these metrics, you can refine your marketing efforts to attract more leads, nurture them effectively, and ultimately boost sales.

Read “9 Sales KPIs Every Rep Should Track for Success” to stay ahead of the competition.

What is a Sales Pipeline?

Now, switch to the seller’s side. The sales pipeline focuses on your sales team’s specific actions to convert leads into customers. It’s a structured roadmap, typically divided into stages like lead qualification, proposal, and closing.

Why is a Sales Pipeline Important?

The sales pipeline keeps your sales team on track. It helps them:

• Stay Organized: Track the progress of each deal and manage workload efficiently.
• Forecast Revenue: Estimate future sales based on the pipeline’s value and stage distribution.
• Identify Bottlenecks: Pinpoint stages where deals get stuck, allowing you to improve your sales process.

Sales Pipeline vs Funnel: Key Differences

Sales pipeline and sales funnel are commonly used terms in the sales world. Although they may seem similar, they are two distinct concepts, and sales professionals need to understand their differences.

The sales pipeline refers to the different stages a sales representative goes through to turn a potential customer into an actual customer. On the other hand, the sales funnel refers to the stages a prospective customer goes through before making a purchase. Both these concepts are critical for managing and optimizing the sales process.

The funnel tracks the buyer’s journey, while the pipeline tracks the seller’s actions. The funnel provides a broad view of the sales journey, while the pipeline is a detailed, stage-by-stage process. The funnel measures conversion rates, while the pipeline tracks deal value and activity.

In short, the funnel tells you who is moving through your sales journey, while the pipeline tells you how your sales team converts them.

Want to close more deals? Read our article “10 Types of Sales Calls: From Cold to Closed-Won.”

The 6 Stages of a Sales Pipeline

Below are six standard stages of a typical sales pipeline:

1. Lead Generation: Identifying and attracting potential customers.
2. Qualification: Assessing if a lead is a good fit for your product or service.
3. Needs Assessment: Understanding the lead’s specific needs and challenges.
4. Proposal: Presenting your solution and its value proposition.
5. Negotiation: Discussing terms and pricing.
6. Closing: Securing the sale and converting the lead into a customer.

The 5 Stages of a Sales Funnel

Here are five common stages of a typical sales funnel:

1. Awareness: Potential customers become aware of your brand and its offerings.
2. Interest: They show interest in learning more about your product or service.
3. Decision: They evaluate your options and compare you to competitors.
4. Action: They make the purchase decision.
5. Retention: You develop a long-term relationship with the customer to encourage repeat business.

The Bottom Line

By understanding how sales funnels and pipelines work together, you can attract more leads, convert them into customers, and maximize revenue. This knowledge will help you craft targeted marketing campaigns, refine your sales process, and optimize your team’s efforts to achieve your business goals.

Need help recruiting new sales team leaders? Let us assist you; learn more here.

Sales is an exciting and challenging profession that can feel like a rollercoaster ride. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Check out our collection of 25 hilarious, relatable sales memes guaranteed to make your day. They’re perfect for bonding with fellow salespeople and lifting your spirits before your next call.

1. Cold calling? No thanks

2. Sweet Victory

3. Hello, you.

4. Look over here!

5. Just one more task

6. Draw 25

7. Perfect harmony

8. Sales can be scary

9. Sticker shock

10. My email will find you

11. The joy of a new lead!

12. Bye 👋

13. Please, no pressure…

14. The grass is greener

15. The hustle is real

16. Please, please, please

17. Still waiting…

18. Spot the difference

19. Trust issues

20. Another hoodie? Thank you!

21. All that work and what did it get me?

22. Please, let me show you the way

23. It’s hard, OK

24. The waiting game

25. Tick, tock ⌚

Want more relatable sales content? Check out “32 Motivational and Funny Sales Quotes To Brighten Your Workday.”