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We’ve had an amazing run in the staffing industry over the past 10 years, and hopefully it will continue through 2023 and beyond. But good times can make for bad selling.
If your salespeople have become more “order takers” than “order makers,” it may be time for some additional support and upskilling. Let’s take a look at four things you can do to drive your sales team’s success – and ultimately generate more business.
Add sales automation
Top-of-funnel automation
From chatbots to marketing automation tools, top-of-funnel automation aims to encourage individuals to interact with your content. It involves nurturing relationships and generating interest in the value offered by your staffing services.
During the initial stage of the funnel, you provide people with incentives to take action, such as downloading a salary guide, watching an on-demand webinar, or subscribing to an email publication. Subsequently, you automate follow-up processes to cultivate relationships, establish your firm’s positioning, and create more opportunities for your sales team.
Mid-funnel automation
At the top of the funnel, prospects are referred to as MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads). At the mid-funnel, the goal is to transition MQLs to SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads).
Mid-funnel automation focuses on fostering interest in the value of your services, specifically highlighting the tangible business problems you can solve. It entails building credibility for your company and providing a compelling reason for prospects to meet with your account managers.
Common tools in mid-funnel automation include:
- Blog posts and whitepapers (directly related to the value of your services)
- Promotional videos
- Case studies
- Testimonials and reviews
- Direct calls to action (e.g., schedule a consultation)
Try asynchronous selling
In today’s busy world, securing a spot on a busy prospect’s calendar can be a huge challenge. Instead of attempting to arrange a meeting, consider leveraging asynchronous (one-way) communication channels through video.
Through methods such as video emails and recorded presentations, asynchronous communication offers an excellent opportunity for initial outreach, introducing services, and presenting proposals. Asynchronous selling aims to streamline the buying process for staffing decision-makers, making purchasing your services quicker, simpler, and more convenient. Less friction and fewer delays in the sales process drive even better results.
Differentiate your sales outreach
In 2023 and beyond, everyone is making more cold calls. Rather than just pound the phones (like your competitors), get creative with mail, drop-offs, and video email. And focus on your company mission, vision, values, and results as a real differentiator (more on that below).
Need some ideas for differentiating your company? Download Haley Marketing’s eBook, Differentiation is Bullsh!t.
Sales training 101 (and sales support 201)
In today’s competitive landscape, staffing firms need to equip their sales teams with the right tools and training to excel as expert staffing and workforce management consultants. Here are some practical sales training ideas to support your account managers and ultimately drive sales:
Strengthen understanding of your company’s value proposition
To effectively sell staffing services, account managers must have a deep understanding of your company’s unique value proposition. Provide comprehensive training sessions covering your staffing firm’s core strengths, differentiators, and competitive advantages. Highlight how your services can solve clients’ workforce challenges and contribute to their overall success.
Develop expertise in the economic value of staffing services
Equip your sales team with the knowledge and skills to articulate the economic value of staffing services to potential clients in today’s economy and job market. Offer training sessions that delve into the quantifiable benefits such as cost savings, increased productivity, reduced turnover, mitigated risk, and improved efficiency that your staffing solutions can bring to organizations. Provide them with relevant case studies, success stories, and data-driven evidence to enhance their understanding and persuasive capabilities.
Explore effective sales methods
Introduce your sales team to proven sales methodologies that have achieved success in the staffing industry. Popular approaches like Sandler, SPIN selling, Challenger, or consultative selling can provide valuable frameworks for engaging with prospects and closing deals. Conduct dedicated training sessions to explore these methods and provide practical exercises to apply the techniques in real-world scenarios.
Leverage digital tools and collateral
Given the growing importance of remote selling, it is crucial to equip your sales team with the right digital tools and collateral to maximize their impact. Provide them with well-designed product or service landing pages on your website, featuring compelling content, testimonials, case studies, and clear calls-to-action. These landing pages can be powerful resources for account managers to share with prospects, creating a professional and informative digital presence.
Use video email for personalized engagement
As I mentioned above, video email is a powerful tool that allows sales professionals to connect with prospects in a personalized and engaging manner. Encourage your sales team to leverage video emails to introduce themselves, share relevant industry insights, and explain how your staffing services can address the specific needs of potential clients. Providing this human touch in a remote selling environment can foster stronger relationships and enhance the overall sales experience.
Foster continuous sales training and development
Sales training is an ongoing process – not an event. Organize periodic workshops, webinars, or internal training sessions to help your sales team stay up to date with the latest industry trends, best practices, and sales techniques. Encourage them to participate in industry conferences, online courses, or certification programs to further enhance their skills and knowledge.
Want more ideas to supercharge your sales team’s efforts? Download Haley Marketing’s full eBook of Top 18 Marketing Strategies & Tactics for 2023 here, or get in touch with a marketing educator today.
