How to Build a Longer Sales Cycle

Lisa Catto caught John’s attention with her self proclaimed title on Linkedin as the Queen of Automation. John has been saying for years that automation is turning sales reps into robots so he had to have her on to discuss where automation can help and hurt throughout the sales process. Lisa says digital selling tools can be effective as long as they are “being valuable, not being creepy.” From finding leads to engaging prospects, online outreach can save time and resources and pave the way for more meaningful personal connections. “We have lost the art of building rapport and conversation,” she says, and automating mundane tasks like scheduling and exchanging basic information allows for better person-to-person communication. The London-based consultant and business coach warns, though, that abusing automation tools on LinkedIn and Facebook can lead to being banned on the platforms. … John challenges Lisa about the “fake personalization” sometimes found in digital outreach campaigns; she responds that good salespeople don’t try to fool potential customers and notes that standardized scripts have long been part of selling.

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcatto/