Resources
I thought it would be helpful to create a resources page where I can share the sales tools I use day-to-day. Because maybe some of them will benefit you too. I try to test out new sales tools on a regular basis to constantly streamline my own process. As I learn more, I will be sure to add them as I go. I recommend you bookmark this page for future reference. It’s not something to forget.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. That means I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Mostly to help me pay for my website hosting. Please do not spend your money on tools you will never use. When I recommend products, it’s because I have personally used them myself and experienced very positive results. Only purchase these products if they will help you achieve your own sales goals.
MY MOST RECOMMENDED
You can basically guarantee your own sales success with these three tools. For you, latest by the end of today. If you only have time to read about one, make time to read about all three.
Google Apps for Business: For the longest time, I used the free email service that came with my domain purchase. What a waste of time. Those email clients were not designed for high volume email activity. Throughout my investment banking career, I used Microsoft Outlook. But I always preferred my personal gmail interface and management capabilities. Then I discovered Gmail can be used for business accounts too. It’s simple and easy to set up your own email with your own domain. Plus, Gmail gives you access to thousands of more business Apps to streamline your workflow.
Yesware: There are three major daily tasks that consume a modern day salesperson’s time. Lead prioritization, writing emails/making calls and logging prospect activity. I always wanted a product that addressed all three. Yesware is the best in the marketplace. Download their Gmail or Outlook extension absolutely free. If you ever want to upgrade, send me an email directly (iadams [at] yesware.com). I will see if I can help. Either way, free or upgrade, you will live a better sales career with Yesware.
Join.me: How many sales demos have to die before a conference call/screenshare software company gets it right? It’s so hard to ask prospects to schedule more time just because your technology killed your presentation. So far, Join.me has been the easiest for me to hold conference calls and share my screen without technical difficulties. There are no downloads by either party required. Which was the most important criteria for me. Highly recommended by me.
TECH SALES JOBS
: During my sales job search, hired.com presented me with 6 different opportunities at local tech startups within the first 2 weeks. They specialize in tech sales jobs within the US. How would you like for companies to give you a dollar offer up front? That’s their model. You can see exactly how much you’ll make, even before the first interview.
WEBSITE HOSTING
Bluehost: Within the past 5 years, I have built four websites from scratch. The first three were all hosted on GoDaddy. I experienced site downtime, slow customer support and compromised performance with WordPress. I couldn’t tell whether I set something up wrong or it was hosting. So, I tried Bluehost for the Senator Club, my fourth website. What a huge improvement. The price for performance is spot on. Take a look for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
WORDPRESS THEME
Pagelines.com: I use WordPress to manage the content on this website. I use Pagelines to manage the design and layout. Mostly because it allows me to customize every element on the site. Every word, image, banner, signup form. You name it. All with a simple, drag and drop framework.
EMAIL MARKETING
AWeber.com: There’s no better way to deliver your sales message to a large audience. With Aweber you can collect email addresses from your website. Then add them to your subscriber list to share the value of your product. Most major 3rd party applications have full, pre-built integration with Aweber, like OptinMonster or Eventbrite.
LEAD CAPTURE FORMS
OptinMonster: There are certain areas on the Senator Club website where I invite you to become a member of the club and subscribe to the newsletter. OptinMonster is powering those email entry forms.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM)
Salesforce.com: The 800 lb. gorilla of CRM solutions. Of course, I use Salesforce. There are many lightweight CRM solutions that will meet the needs of small businesses. But for large corporations or fast growing companies, this is the CRM of choice. It is highly customizable with the largest app store for 3rd party integrations. Unfortunately, they haven’t upgraded their user interface since the 90s.
PAYMENTS
: Get a fast and simple way to receive money or pay bills. Let’s say you do consulting work. It’s a perfect way to receive payment from your client prior to your meeting. The funds are instantly transferred and you never have to run around chasing a check.
LEGAL
: Here’s the place to go for online legal document services. Also, all legal plans for families and small businesses. You can set up your own LLC or C corp. It’s still important to do your homework and learn a little law to understand the proper way to formalize your company.
SALES BOOKS
: Using techniques from hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming, the Bible, and the greatest salespeople in history, Kevin Hogan empowers you to improve all areas of your life.
: Discover the outbound sales process that, in just a few years, helped add $100 million in recurring revenue to Salesforce.com, almost doubling their enterprise growth… with zero cold calls..
: A business classic endorsed by Dale Carnegie, How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling is for anyone whose job it is to sell. Whether you are selling houses or mutual funds, advertisements or ideas—or anything else—this book is for you.