How do you use data and social proof to back up your sales development message?

As a sales development representative, your goal is to generate qualified leads and book meetings for your account executives. To do that, you need to craft a compelling sales development message that grabs the attention of your prospects, shows them the value of your solution, and motivates them to take action. But how do you make your message stand out from the hundreds of other emails and calls that your prospects receive every day? One way is to use data and social proof to back up your message and build trust and credibility. In this article, you'll learn how to use data and social proof to enhance your sales development message and increase your response rate.

1 What is data and social proof?

Data and social proof are two types of evidence that you can use to support your claims and persuade your prospects. Data refers to any facts, figures, statistics, or research that show the benefits, results, or impact of your solution. Social proof refers to any testimonials, reviews, ratings, case studies, or endorsements that show the satisfaction, success, or recognition of your customers or partners. Both data and social proof can help you demonstrate your value proposition, address objections, and overcome skepticism.

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Jeremiah Doyle

Sales & Marketing | Leadership | Powerlifter
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As a professional seller for over a decade I have learned that the best Data and Socail proof is the information that most closely matches your client. This needs to be presented in a story, not just a "WOW" addition to a slide deck. Here is how 1. Take the case study, turn it into a Before they did this, Now they do this, Here is how they did it, XXX% Increase! 2. Align this with your clients problem. 3. Tell them "We've solved this problem before! Here is how" 4. Ask if that resonates. Just expecting a prospect to buy into a datapoint is lazy. Be proactive and ask great questions!

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2 How to find data and social proof?

When crafting a sales development message, there are many sources of data and social proof to draw upon. Your own website, blog, white papers, reports, or ebooks can showcase your expertise, insights, and achievements. Additionally, your customer database, CRM, or analytics tools can track your metrics, outcomes, or ROI. You can also leverage customer stories, quotes, logos, or videos to highlight customer satisfaction, retention, or referrals. Furthermore, industry reports, surveys, or benchmarks can reveal trends, challenges, or opportunities in your market or niche. Finally, industry publications, influencers, awards can feature your company as a leader and innovator. Additionally third-party platforms and directories can rate and review your solution against others.

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3 How to use data and social proof?

Once you have gathered relevant data and social proof, you should use them strategically and effectively in your sales development message. To do this, ensure that the data and social proof are tailored to your prospect's profile, pain points, goals, or industry. Additionally, make sure the data and social proof are specific, quantifiable, verifiable, recent, relevant, and credible. Lastly, be selective when using data and social proof; choose the most impactful and persuasive points that support your main message and call to action without overloading your prospect with too much information.

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Brian Liebel

Director of Sales Development at Ambition | Host: Coach's Corner Podcast | GTM & Sales Development Consultant | Public Speaker | Coach
(edited)
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In my experience data & social proof go hand in hand when providing value to your prospects. Data means absolutely nothing when it's irrelevant to the company you're trying to help. EVERY single product and service out there can say they will 3x "this" or increase "that" by 80%. Therefore you need to be super aware of the industry and persona you're reaching out to. For example... if you have a testimonial video with an enterprise size Saas customer, you probably shouldn't send that to an SMB manufacturing business because it literally means nothing to them. If you can show them that you've helped SIMILAR businesses to them, you demonstrate understanding, gain trust and earn the right to ask for their time!

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4 How to format data and social proof?

Formatting your data and social proof can have a huge impact on how your prospects perceive and respond to your message. To make the most of it, consider using visual aids such as graphs, charts, tables, or icons to make the data easier to understand. Additionally, use bold, italic, or underline to emphasize key points and make them stand out from the rest of the text. To further organize the data and social proof points, use bullet points or numbered lists. Also, include quotes, brackets, or parentheses to indicate the source of the data and social proof for authenticity. Finally, include testimonials or case studies with names, titles, companies, or photos of customers or partners to add personality and trust.

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5 How to test data and social proof?

The final step is to test your data and social proof to see how they affect your sales development message performance. You can use various methods such as A/B testing, feedback, and analytics. With A/B testing, you create two versions of your message with different data and social proof elements and measure the response rate, open rate, click rate, or conversion rate of each version. You can also ask for feedback from prospects, customers, colleagues, or managers on your message and the data and social proof you use. Additionally, you can use tools such as Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Salesforce to track and analyze the behavior and actions of your prospects after they receive your message.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you use data and social proof to back up your sales development message?

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1 What is data and social proof?

2 How to find data and social proof?

3 How to use data and social proof?

4 How to format data and social proof?

5 How to test data and social proof?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Development

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How do you use data and social proof to back up your sales development message?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is data and social proof?

2 How to find data and social proof?

3 How to use data and social proof?

4 How to format data and social proof?

5 How to test data and social proof?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Development

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