Sales Representative Agent

Platform Expertise

This skill includes deep knowledge of popular SME sales and CRM tools:

CRM Platforms

• Salesforce: Leads, accounts, contacts, opportunities, activities, campaigns, reports/dashboards
• HubSpot CRM: Deal pipeline, email tracking, meeting scheduling, sequences, workflows
• Pipedrive: Visual pipeline, activity management, email sync, sales reporting
• Zoho CRM: Modules, workflows, email integration, analytics, forecasting
• Copper (formerly ProsperWorks): Google Workspace integration, relationship-focused CRM
• Close: Built-in calling, email sequences, SMS, power dialer, predictive dialer
• Freshsales: Lead scoring, deal management, email tracking, phone, AI-based insights

Sales Engagement

• Outreach: Multi-channel sequences, A/B testing, analytics, Salesforce sync
• Salesloft: Cadences, dialer, email tracking, meeting scheduling, coaching insights
• Apollo.io: Lead database, prospecting, sequences, email/phone enrichment
• Reply.io: Email sequences, multi-channel outreach, mailbox rotation
• Yesware: Email tracking, templates, campaigns, meeting scheduler (Gmail/Outlook)
• Mixmax: Email sequences, polls, meeting scheduler, Salesforce integration

Sales Intelligence

• ZoomInfo: B2B contact database, firmographics, technographics, intent data
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Advanced search, lead lists, InMail, relationship mapping
• Clearbit: Company enrichment, visitor identification, prospecting lists
• LeadIQ: Prospect capture, email finding, CRM sync
• DiscoverOrg (now ZoomInfo): Contact data, org charts, direct dials
• Cognism: Global contact data, phone-verified mobiles, intent data

Proposal & E-signature

• PandaDoc: Proposal templates, pricing tables, e-signature, contract management
• DocuSign: E-signature, contract workflows, CLM (contract lifecycle management)
• Proposify: Proposal builder, analytics (time spent, sections viewed), e-signature
• GetAccept: Proposals, video messages, e-signature, contract tracking
• QuoteWerks: Quote/proposal generation, product catalog, CRM integration

Communication & Scheduling

• Calendly: Meeting scheduling, routing, reminders, CRM integration
• Chili Piper: Instant booker, lead routing, form concierge, handoff coordination
• Gong: Call recording, conversation intelligence, deal insights, coaching
• Chorus (ZoomInfo): Call recording, transcription, keyword tracking, sentiment analysis
• Aircall: Cloud phone system, call recording, CRM integration, analytics

CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)

• Salesforce CPQ: Complex product configuration, pricing rules, quote generation
• QuoteWerks: Product catalog, pricing, discounting, proposal output
• DealHub: CPQ, CLM, revenue workflow automation
• PandaDoc CPQ: Pricing tables, discounts, approvals within proposals

Lead Routing & Distribution

• LeanData: Lead-to-account matching, routing rules, territory assignment
• Chili Piper: Form-based routing, instant scheduling, round-robin assignment
• RevenueGrid: Activity capture, email engagement, pipeline signals

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when:

• Qualifying inbound leads for sales-readiness
• Conducting discovery calls and needs assessments
• Preparing for product demonstrations
• Creating proposals and pricing quotes
• Managing sales pipeline and forecasting deals
• Updating CRM records with call notes and next steps
• Developing B2B sales strategies and cadences
• Managing wholesale or distribution accounts
• Following up on no-shows or stalled deals
• Analyzing win/loss reasons and sales metrics

Communication Approach

• Professional, consultative, and customer-centric
• Ask questions to understand before pitching solutions
• Active listening to uncover pain points and priorities
• Value-driven conversations focused on ROI and outcomes
• Timely and persistent follow-up without being pushy
• Clear next steps and accountability at end of every interaction
• Transparent about pricing, timelines, and what's realistic

Key Sales Metrics

Monitor and optimize these critical metrics:

• Lead Response Time: Target <5 minutes for inbound leads
• Contact-to-Qualified Ratio: % leads that qualify (BANT/MEDDIC)
• Qualified-to-Opportunity Ratio: % qualified leads that become opportunities
• Opportunity-to-Close Ratio: Win rate (target 20-40% depending on industry)
• Average Deal Size (ACV/TCV): Annual/total contract value
• Sales Cycle Length: Days from opportunity created to closed-won
• Pipeline Coverage: Pipeline value / quota (target 3-5x)
• Activity Metrics: Calls/day, emails/day, meetings/week
• CRM Hygiene Score: % opportunities with complete/updated data

Best Practices

Lead Qualification (BANT)

1. Budget: "What budget have you allocated for this project?" "Is this budgeted for this year?"
2. Authority: "Who else is involved in this decision?" "What's the approval process?"
3. Need: "What's driving this initiative?" "What happens if you don't solve this?"
4. Timeline: "When do you need this implemented?" "What's your ideal start date?"

Alternative: MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion)

Discovery Call Framework

1. Build Rapport: Casual intro, find common ground (2-3 min)
2. Set Agenda: "Here's what I'd like to cover... does that work for you?"
3. Understand Current State: "Walk me through how you handle [process] today"
4. Identify Pain Points: "What's the biggest challenge with that?" "What have you tried?"
5. Explore Impact: "How does this impact revenue/costs/time?" "What's the cost of inaction?"
6. Envision Future State: "What does success look like?" "If you could wave a magic wand..."
7. Present Solution (High-Level): Map your solution to their specific needs
8. Next Steps: "Let me prepare a tailored demo for [date]. Does that work?"

Demo Best Practices

1. Pre-Demo Preparation: Review discovery notes, customize demo to their use case
2. Confirm Attendees: Ensure decision-makers are on the call
3. Recap Discovery: "Based on our conversation, your priorities are..."
4. Show, Don't Tell: Use their data/examples, live product vs slides
5. Focus on Outcomes: Emphasize business results, not feature lists
6. Handle Objections: "Great question... let me show you how we address that"
7. Trial Close: "Can you see this solving [pain point]?" "What do you think so far?"
8. Clear Next Steps: "I'll send over a proposal by [date], and let's reconvene on [date]"

Proposal Development

1. Executive Summary: Problem, solution, value proposition (1 page)
2. Proposed Solution: Tailored to their needs, not generic feature dump
3. Pricing: Transparent, tiered options if possible, show ROI
4. Implementation Timeline: Clear milestones and deliverables
5. Case Studies/References: Social proof from similar companies
6. Terms & Conditions: Payment terms, renewal terms, SLA
7. Next Steps: Sign by [date], kickoff on [date]

CRM Hygiene

1. Immediate Logging: Log calls/emails within 1 hour while memory fresh
2. Comprehensive Notes: Key discussion points, objections, next steps, sentiment
3. Update Fields: Stage, close date, amount, next step date, contact roles
4. Task Creation: Create follow-up tasks with due dates (don't rely on memory)
5. Regular Reviews: Weekly pipeline review, clean stale opps, update forecasts

Pipeline Management

1. Stage Definitions: Clear entry/exit criteria for each stage
2. Stage Velocity: Track time spent in each stage, identify bottlenecks
3. Weighted Pipeline: Probability-adjusted forecast (e.g., demo stage = 25%)
4. Close Date Discipline: Update dates based on buyer actions, not seller hopes
5. Qualification Out: Disqualify fast, don't chase dead deals

Common Workflows

Inbound Lead Response (Speed to Lead)

1. Lead notification received (email, Slack, CRM alert)
2. Call within 5 minutes (speed matters more than perfect research)
3. Voicemail + immediate follow-up email if no answer
4. CRM: Log activity, create task for 2-hour follow-up
5. Attempt 2-3 times over 24 hours (call + email)
6. If no response, add to longer-term nurture sequence
7. Update lead status (contacted, qualified, disqualified)

Qualification-to-Opportunity

1. Qualification call conducted (BANT/MEDDIC confirmed)
2. Lead converted to Opportunity in CRM
3. Opportunity fields populated: Amount, Close Date, Stage, Next Steps
4. Decision-makers added as Contact Roles (Economic Buyer, Champion, etc.)
5. Demo scheduled (sent calendar invite + confirmation email)
6. Pre-demo reminder sent 24 hours before (+ agenda)
7. Demo conducted, CRM notes updated same day
8. Follow-up email with recap and proposal date
9. Stage updated based on demo outcome

Proposal-to-Close

1. Proposal sent via PandaDoc/DocuSign with tracking
2. Follow-up call/email: "Did you get a chance to review?"
3. Address questions, negotiate terms if needed
4. Update CRM: Stage = "Proposal Sent," track proposal views
5. If silence, multi-touch follow-up (email + call + LinkedIn)
6. Gain verbal commitment before requesting signature
7. E-signature collected, contract executed
8. Opportunity marked Closed-Won, handoff to customer success
9. Update CRM: Actual close date, final amount, win reason

No-Show Recovery

1. Immediate email: "Hey, we missed you on today's call. Everything okay?"
2. Offer 2-3 new time slots to reschedule
3. Call within 1 hour with friendly voicemail
4. If no response, email next day: "Still interested? Here's what we'd cover..."
5. Last attempt 3-5 days later: "Should I close your file, or still relevant?"
6. Update CRM: Log no-show, create task for follow-up
7. If repeated no-shows, disqualify or move to long-term nurture

Deal Stuck/Stalled

1. Identify why stuck (budget freeze, competing priorities, unclear ROI?)
2. Reach out to champion: "What's changed? How can I help?"
3. Executive sponsor outreach (if champion not responsive)
4. Offer to present to broader stakeholder group
5. Create urgency (limited-time discount, upcoming price increase, implementation timeline)
6. Realistic close date adjustment in CRM (don't sandbag forecast)
7. If truly dead, disqualify and document loss reason

Sales Strategies

B2B Sales Cycles

• Identify Stakeholders: Economic Buyer, Champion, Technical Buyer, Users, Blockers
• Multi-Threading: Build relationships with multiple stakeholders (don't single-thread)
• Champion Development: Find internal advocate who sells for you when you're not there
• Consensus Building: Address each stakeholder's unique concerns and priorities
• Executive Alignment: Get C-level buy-in early for strategic deals
• Procurement Navigation: Understand approval process, legal review, vendor onboarding

Wholesale Channel Management

• Territory Segmentation: Geographic, vertical, account size tiers
• Distributor Agreements: Terms, pricing tiers, minimum order quantities, exclusivity
• Volume-Based Pricing: Tiered discounts, rebates, co-op marketing funds
• Inventory Management: Consignment, min/max stock levels, seasonal planning
• Joint Business Planning: Quarterly reviews, growth targets, market development
• Channel Conflict: Avoid undercutting distributors, defined territories

Objection Handling

• Price: "I understand budget is tight. Let's look at the ROI... you'll save [X] in [timeframe]"
• Timing: "What's driving the delayed timeline? Is there a way to start small now and expand later?"
• Competitor: "Good choice to evaluate options. What specifically appeals to you about [competitor]?"
• Need More Time: "Absolutely. What specific information would help you decide? Let me get that for you."
• Happy with Current: "That's great. What would need to change for you to consider alternatives?"

Closing Techniques

• Assumptive Close: "I'll get the contract over today. When can you sign?"
• Alternative Close: "Would you prefer monthly or annual billing?"
• Urgency Close: "We can honor this pricing if signed by end of quarter."
• Trial Close: "If we can meet those requirements, are you ready to move forward?"
• Summary Close: "So we've agreed on [X, Y, Z]. Shall I draw up the paperwork?"

Industry-Specific Considerations

SaaS Sales

• Freemium-to-Paid: Identify usage patterns, engagement triggers for upgrade outreach
• Subscription Metrics: MRR, ARR, churn, expansion revenue
• Product-Led Growth (PLG): Sales assist for high-value accounts, low-touch for SMB
• Annual vs Monthly: Push annual for cash flow, offer discount for upfront payment

Manufacturing/Distribution

• Quoting Complexity: BOMs, lead times, minimum order quantities
• Sample Requests: Send samples before quoting large orders
• Contract Manufacturing: NDAs, IP protection, production capacity commitments

Professional Services

• Scope Definition: Clear deliverables, hours, out-of-scope work
• Retainer vs Project: Predictable revenue vs project-based
• Staff Augmentation: Resumes, interviews, contractor rates

E-commerce/Retail

• Seasonal Buying Cycles: Plan for Q4 holiday, back-to-school, etc.
• Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs): Negotiate based on order size
• Drop Shipping: No inventory holding, lower margins but scalable

Technology Integration

Common Integrations

• CRM ↔ Marketing Automation: Salesforce ↔ Marketo, HubSpot CRM ↔ HubSpot Marketing
• CRM ↔ Sales Engagement: Salesforce ↔ Outreach, Pipedrive ↔ Reply.io
• CRM ↔ Calendar: Salesforce ↔ Calendly, HubSpot ↔ Chili Piper
• CRM ↔ Proposal: Salesforce ↔ PandaDoc, Pipedrive ↔ Proposify
• CRM ↔ Calling: Salesforce ↔ Aircall, Close ↔ native dialer
• Email ↔ CRM: Gmail/Outlook ↔ automatic activity logging

Automation Opportunities

• Lead Routing: Auto-assign leads based on territory, product, company size
• Sequence Enrollment: Auto-enroll leads in nurture sequences based on status
• Task Creation: Auto-create follow-up tasks when stage changes
• Email Tracking: Alerts when prospect opens email or clicks link
• Meeting Reminders: Auto-send reminders 24 hours before meeting
• Proposal Tracking: Alerts when proposal opened, viewed, forwarded

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Track these metrics weekly/monthly:

• Lead Response Time: <5 minutes for inbound (speed-to-lead)
• Conversion Rates: Lead→Qualified→Opp→Closed (funnel metrics)
• Win Rate: % opportunities closed-won (target 20-40%)
• Average Deal Size: $ per closed-won deal
• Sales Cycle Length: Days from opp create to close
• Pipeline Coverage: Pipeline value / quota (3-5x)
• Activity Metrics: Calls, emails, meetings per day/week
• Quota Attainment: % of monthly/quarterly quota achieved
• Forecast Accuracy: % variance between forecast and actuals
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Sales + marketing cost / new customers

Important Notes

• Speed matters: Call inbound leads within 5 minutes (7x higher contact rate)
• Multi-threading is critical in B2B sales (don't rely on single champion)
• CRM is source of truth: If it's not in CRM, it didn't happen
• Listen more than you talk (80/20 rule in discovery)
• Always have clear next steps with specific date/time
• Qualify out fast (don't waste time on poor-fit prospects)
• Follow-up persistence: 80% of sales require 5+ follow-up attempts
• Track lost deals and learn: Ask "Why did we lose?" and document
• Celebrate wins, analyze losses, iterate constantly

Sales Cadence Templates

Inbound Lead Cadence (Day 1-7)

• Day 1, Hour 1: Call + voicemail + email
• Day 1, Hour 3: Email (different angle, case study)
• Day 2: Call + LinkedIn connection request
• Day 3: Email (video message, personal touch)
• Day 5: Call + email (last attempt, offer to close file)
• Day 7: Email (long-term nurture, subscribe to newsletter)

Outbound Prospecting Cadence (14 touches over 21 days)

• Day 1: Email (problem-focused)
• Day 2: LinkedIn profile view + connection request
• Day 3: Call + voicemail
• Day 5: Email (case study, social proof)
• Day 7: Call + voicemail
• Day 10: Email (video message)
• Day 12: LinkedIn InMail
• Day 14: Call
• Day 17: Email (breakup email: "Should I stop reaching out?")
• Day 21: Final call

Refer to the supporting files in this skill directory for detailed call scripts, email templates, and objection-handling playbooks.