Friday Phone Calls: My Secret to Booking Appointments | Sara Plowman - 1802

The Sales Evangelist

Are you dreading the thought of cold calling on a Friday afternoon? This episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" could change that.

Join me and my special guest, Sara Plowman, as we delve into the art and science of cold outreach. Click play to hear her practical cold-calling strategies that have propelled her success in the competitive world of sales development and account management.

Sara's Journey in Sales

• Sara Plowman is a seasoned professional in the sales industry, currently serving as a Senior Business Development Manager at Pareto.
• Unlike a traditional SDR, Sara is involved in the entire sales cycle—from cold outreach and booking meetings to running those meetings, closing deals, and managing accounts.
• Her love for outbound sales and the hunting aspect has been a significant driver of her success at Pareto, where she has progressively taken on more responsibilities over the years.

Cold Calling and the Summer Friday Strategy (5:09 - 8:36)

• If you go back to my episode with Vlad Oleksiienko, you know that many sales reps choose not to do cold-calling. However, Sara has found the perfect cold outreach strategy to book more appointments and win clients.
• Sara's enthusiasm for cold calling shines through as she explains her unique strategy of utilizing Summer Fridays for outreach.
• Recognizing that executives are often in good spirits and more relaxed toward the end of the week, Sara has found that Friday cold calling can lead to higher appointment-setting success rates.

The Importance of Just Doing It (9:26 - 12:50)

• Sara lives by the advice of “just do it.”She emphasizes that action, rather than over-planning, often leads to sales success.
• Sara encourages sales professionals to take the plunge, make the calls, and see what works through real-life interactions.

Sales Art: Personalized Approaches for Different Accounts (15:52 - 17:32)

• Sara elaborates on the importance of tailoring sales approaches based on the client's personality and preferences.
• She stresses that effective salespeople must be flexible and adapt their cold outreach methods to what seems most promising for each unique engagement.

"Timing is everything within sales. And I think you need to know when the time is right. And you're never gonna know unless you pick up the phone and give them a call." - Sara Plowman.

Resources

Sara Plowman on LinkedIn

Sara Plowman on Instagram

Sara Plowman on TikTok

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.