10 of the Simplest Sales Plays You Can Start Using Tomorrow

What's the first thing you should do when a new prospect engages with you?

Should you really send your prospect a handwritten note after you've LOST the deal?

How should you respond when a lead says "no thanks" (or "F*&$ off")?

Last week I sat down with my BSFF (Best Sales Friend Forever) Samantha McKenna to discuss ten of her favorite 'sales plays' that any B2B seller can use to increase their chances of booking more revenue this year. It was such a refreshing conversation because every tip that she offered was simple. Simple to understand. Simple to do. Simple to repeat.

Below is a summary of three of these Sam's Sales Plays that really struck a chord with me, and I suspect you'll find great value in. To dive further into these, and to discover 7 more of Sam's favorite sales plays, check out the on-demand recording of our 30-minute discussion linked at the end of this newsletter (free to watch, no sign up required).

PLAY 1: Closed-Lost? Send a handwritten thank-you letter

Losing a deal can be a tough pill to swallow. You may want to curse out your prospect or try to convince them that they've made a huge mistake. But clearly that's no way to build good karma. Or future pipeline.

Instead, try sending them a handwritten thank-you letter.

Seriously? Seriously.

Politely ask for their address if you don't already have it, and spend a few minutes writing them a thank-you letter. Thank them for the opportunity to win their business, and for being a great champion for your solution even if things didn't work out. Reference a fun fact you uncovered during the deal cycle, or an inside joke that came to life during the evaluation. Send it off via good ol' snail mail and maybe even include a parting gift that you know will resonate with them. Why?

Because not all deals end up going through (thanks Legal!), and you want to be the first person they call if that happens.

Because the solution they deploy may not live up to the hype, and you want to be the first person they call next year when they decide not to renew.

Because that champion will change jobs at some point in the future, and will need to deploy a new solution at a new company, and you want to be the first one they call.

Leave a lasting impression and set yourself up for future success, whether that be the following month or years down the line. You'll thank yourself later.

PLAY 2: Delayed Response to "I'll get back to you tomorrow"

Ever have a prospect send you a message saying "I'll get back to you tomorrow"? It may be to answer a question, to provide some more details, or to sign that important contract! Instead of replying back immediately saying "Thanks!" try this simple hack:

Set a reminder for the following day to respond back to this prospect. It's called the intentionally delayed response. On that next day, respond to the original email saying something like "Thanks so much! Look forward to your feedback, let me know if you need anything clarified in the meantime."

This simple trick transforms your follow-up email from a useless piece of digital trash into a subtle reminder that they committed to getting back to you TODAY. Rather than deleting it, it may spark an urgency to get you that response in order to live up to their promise. Simple, but effective.

PLAY 3: Got Ghosted? Send a Video Message ????

Everything seemed to be going sooooo well, then *poof* they're gone! No responses to your emails or voicemails. They may have even no-showed for a meeting (GASP!). What's a simple play to increase your chances of getting a response from those ghosters?

Send a short video message.

Use a tool like Vidyard to record a quick video using your webcam. Put on that big smile, be yourself, and deliver an honest and personal message:

"Hey Tammy, Tyler at Acme here! I know we haven't been able to connect over the last few weeks so I wanted to share a quick update from my side. [Insert quick update here]. I'd love to reconnect this week to understand where you're at, even if it's to let me know that you're not interested in moving forward at this time."

It's the type of message you could send in an email, but when your face literally shows up in their inbox, smiling and waving at them, it's a subtle reminder that you're a real person with feelings and emotions and everything! And that you're willing to take the time to make them a custom video. Guilt, and the law of reciprocity, are powerful motivators, and you just might get that response you've been dying for these last few weeks.

7 More Sam's Sales Plays Await!!

To discover the rest of Sam's 10 favorite sales plays that any seller can use today, check out the on-demand recording of our discussion from the recent Fast Forward virtual event. No sign up required, just click play and soak it all in:

And I highly recommend following Sam on LinkedIn, she's one of the good ones.

Now go out and buy those Thank You cards and a nice fountain pen (or if you're like me, find someone who has half-decent handwriting). Sell on, sellers!