Is the science of selling becoming more important than the art? In today’s fast paced, always-connected world, science is an increasingly important driver for sales success, yet, the value of the art of selling cannot be underestimated. You will learn: - When it comes to onboarding new hires and training seasoned sales pros, is art or science your best bet? - Which approach, sales or art, will help a sales rep respond and convert a lead most effectively? - Art and science tips to closing the deal in 2013.

1. Expert Tips from Industry Sales Leaders
ART
SCIENCE
AND
STRIKING THE
PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

2. Is science overtaking the
art of selling?
A decade ago, the question “Is science overtaking art in sales?” would have been met with
complete silence, or, at best, laughter. At the time, selling was considered almost
exclusively an art form. But the world of sales has undergone numerous transformations
during the past 10 years.
Buyers and sellers have become savvier, leveraging an array of technology tools and devices.
Today’s buyers are extremely resourceful, doing research online and completing much of
the buying process without the assistance of a sales rep. And when they do engage sales,
they expect a timely and helpful response.
As a result, sales organizations have responded with heavy adoption of Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) software and other sales tools and technologies. When leads arrive
through many different channels, the best sales teams are ready to respond rapidly, outfitted
with high-tech headsets and computers that display a staggering volume of data about
incoming leads.
But what about the art of sales? Has the intuitive, instinctive side of sales known for its focus
on finesse and nuance been taken over by science? This ebook takes a deeper look at
how both art and science impact sales and how each school of thought can complement
the other.
CRM USAGE IS PERVASIVE
$18 Billion is spent annually on CRM (Gartner)
BUYERS ARE SAVVY
57% of the buying process is complete before engaging
a sales rep (Corporate Executive Board)
$18Billion
57%
1S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

3. Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Selling in a high-velocity sales environment
requires a scalable approach #SCIENCE
Nick Hedges is a 15-year veteran of the Internet and
software as a service (SaaS) industry and has spent the
last five years helping organizations accelerate sales
performance. Nick joined Velocify in 2008 as SVP
of business development and then held various roles at the company,
including head of sales and chief revenue officer, prior to becoming
CEO in 2011. Prior to Velocify, Nick was a case team leader at Bain and
Company. Prior to Bain, he was the CEO of an online marketplace
for the global soft commodity industry, one of the few early dot-coms to
generate healthy revenue and a forerunner of SaaS technology. Earlier
in his career, Nick worked at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture)
and at Ogilvy and Mather Advertising. A Fulbright Scholar, Nick holds an
MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s
degree with first class honors from Manchester University.
An internationally recognized top sales and social
selling expert, Lori Richardson helps mid-market
companies close business faster and align marketing
with sales. She is the author of “50 Days to Build
Your Sales,” and is writing a new book, “Inside Sales Rock Star,”
which will be released in 2014.
Lori worked as a sales professional for more than a decade, closing
tens of millions of dollars in new business and now coaches and
mentors sales leaders and sellers to close millions more. A prolific
blogger, Lori contributes her expertise on top sales blogs and
shares insights on her company blog at www.ScoreMoreSales.com.
Find her on G+ and on Twitter at @scoremoresales.
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Selling in a way that feels natural, sincere and
effortless requires more than data #ART
President & CEO, Velocify CEO, Score More Sales
2
About the Authors
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

4. 3
Training
and Onboarding
3
1Chapter
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
When it comes to the onboarding of new hires and training
seasoned sales pros, what’s your best bet? Empowering
them with powerful tools and technologies capable of
bringing method to madness? Or inspiring them to achieve
the level of emotional intelligence that’s at the heart of
all great relationships?

5. Science: The central goal of almost every sales training program
is to distill the best practices of the top 20 percent and assimilate
the remaining 80 percent. Taking a scientific approach to this
challenge has proven to be more efficient, effective and repeatable
than a coaching model.
Art: The goal of onboarding for new sellers is immersion into the
vision, mission and culture of the company with specific skills
and tribal knowledge being disseminated. It is important to
recognize the differences and strengths of each seller and build
on that over time.
3
The Experts’ POV: Training and Onboarding
4
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Distill the best practices of the top 20%
and assimilate the remaining 80% #SCIENCE
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Immersion into the vision, mission and culture
of the company fuels growth #ART
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

6. Organizations that have
implemented successful
process-focused training
programs find that
their sales reps quickly
gain confidence in the
scientific approach.
Science5
Getting the bottom 80 percent of a sales team to perform like the top 20 percent requires a
data-centric approach to performance assessment.
The scientific method at its core has a proven means for distilling what high performers do
into a succinct formula or process. Once that formula or process is identified and articulated,
it can be used to create a system that will provide guidance to all sales reps – and not
just during a seminar or workshop with an inflexible start and stop time – but in the moment,
through automated workflow rules, helpful hints, scripts and more.
Organizations that have implemented successful process-focused training programs find that
their sales reps quickly gain confidence in the scientific approach. Regardless of content,
the scientific method is much more scalable than the coach/apprentice model. And in a world
where the speed of business accelerates daily, those advantages are more important
than ever.
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Training and Onboarding: Science Viewpoint
Scalable training requires
a data-centric approach

7. Art 6
Training is an excellent
venue for addressing
the skill gaps that exist
with individual sellers.
It’s hard to argue with science. That’s why I believe sales tools developed in accordance
with the scientific method are fantastic resources, but they’re not successful without the
human foundation upon which the sales world is built. This foundation begins with effective
onboarding that assures your new hires they’ve chosen to join the right organization.
It’s your opportunity to showcase proof of success so that the new sellers can quickly gain
the confidence and motivation they need to grow into successful representatives of
your organization.
Equally important, training is an excellent time to ensure everyone on the team understands
your tools, processes and methodologies, taking individual style into consideration. Finally,
a word about coaching: it is the best way to reinforce what was learned in training in a way
that’s personal, highly contextual and tailored to help the individual receiving it excel to
the greatest extent possible.
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Effective sales onboarding begins with assuring new hires
they’ve chosen to join the right organization #ART
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Training and Onboarding: Art Viewpoint
Building an artistic and
intuitive foundation

8. 3
Lead Response
7S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
2Chapter
Today, leads are generated via a multitude of sources and
methods. Leads arrive via web forms, instant chats and
numerous social media channels. Not surprisingly, the way
reps respond to leads can make the difference between
a sale and a lost opportunity.

9. 38
Science: The area of sales in which science is most clearly becoming
more important than art is lead response. How a sales rep engages
with a prospect from the very beginning is what matters most,
and when a prospect isn’t engaged in a meaningful dialogue at the
right time and in the right way, no amount of art can come to
the rescue.
Art: Lead response is in fact an art unto itself. While it’s easy to get
swept up in the increased prevalence of technology, it is important
to remember that each lead is unique and requires a tailored
approach – not one prescribed by formulas. Even though today’s
leads arrive via highly automated channels, highly scripted,
formulaic responses are usually deal breakers.
The Experts’ POV: Lead Response
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
When a prospect isn’t engaged, no amount
of art can come to the rescue #SCIENCE
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Each lead is unique and requires a tailored
approach – not one prescribed by formulas #ART
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

10. Science9
When it comes to lead
engagement, getting
it right is pure science.
The first rule is that speed matters. In today’s fast-paced marketplace,
leads don’t linger around waiting to hear back. They’re perishable.
That means there are tiny windows of time in which the choices facing
the seller are simple: engage or lose. In fact, research shows there
is a 391 percent better success rate with leads that are responded to
within one minute.
The second golden rule of engagement is to be persistent,
but appropriately so. More than half of all leads that convert are not
contacted on the first call attempt. Yet most salespeople give up
after just one call.
And the third golden rule is to create a choreographed contact strategy
that includes a mix of communications channels based on the
lead’s preference – including phone, email and even text messaging.
1
2
3
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Leads responded to within 1 min have a 391% greater
chance of being converted #SCIENCE
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Lead Response: Science Viewpoint
Lead engagement is
pure science

11. 1 0
At the end of the day,
people buy from
people, not companies.
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Tools alone don’t make people more effective – it takes
grit, style, commitment, follow-through and other
human characteristics #ART
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Selling in a way that feels natural, sincere and effortless requires more than data – it requires
emotional intelligence and the ability to approach every potential client as a unique individual.
Certainly technology can help increase productivity and drive higher contact rates through
formulaic processes, but if the automation feels too robotic, it can leave the wrong impression
on the prospect.
When it comes to lead response, a blended approach is required. Data and technology alone
are just not enough to guide the tailored approach required by many clients. At the end of
the day, people want to talk to other people, not pre-recorded voicemails, sellers rattling off
scripts or deferring to Q&A-style answers on cue. Prospects want to be seen as unique, with a
specific problem they need solved. A lead response strategy that is personalized to the
prospect will go a long way in earning loyalty points.
Art
Lead Response: Art Viewpoint
Personalized lead response
earns loyalty

12. 3
Closing the Deal
11
3Chapter
There’s a certain Hollywood quality to closing the deal.
Nerves run high until the moment the signatures are
signed and the sales bell rings out in celebration. It’s the
one area where the old-fashioned, romantic allure of
sales lives on in its full glory. But what’s behind all the
bold bravado? Art or science?
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

13. 312
Science: The science of closing a deal acknowledges that closing
is actually an art. While we cannot boil verbal conversations down
to a science, science can be used to dramatically improve the
odds of success – matching opportunities with the right sales reps,
employing guided selling based on industry best practices,
and incentivizing through gamification.
Art: People still prefer to buy from someone who is a good listener
and offers the best perceived solution and value. Regardless of
the industry, people buy emotionally and then they rationalize their
decision. In the world of sales, technology has yet to replace
people, and until it does, the art of selling will remain of paramount
importance when a deal comes to closure.
The Experts’ POV: Closing the Deal
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Science can be used to dramatically
improve the odds of success in sales #SCIENCE
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
Science can’t replace confidence,
emotional intelligence #ART
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

14. Science13
For the ability to win,
we are all indebted to
the transparency
provided by science.
Let me be clear: closing the deal is what the artistically talented do best. In fact, research
has found that being talented at the “art of the close” is the one characteristic that
differentiates high performers from the rest. At the same time, the most artful of deal
closers will fail without a strong support system. For this particular point, I’d like to use an
analogy. Actors, whether they’re on film or on stage, are the force that draws us into
a story. It’s their performance we see, and it’s their performance we remember. But imagine
for just a moment your favorite performer without the makeup artist, the stage director,
the set designer, the vocal coach, the soundtrack, the lighting and several other factors
that are mostly invisible to the untrained eye. Without the support of dozens and sometimes
hundreds of people with highly technical skills and abilities, chances are good your favorite
performer wouldn’t be your favorite for long.
Science can make three vital contributions to the closing of the deal. The first is that
technology can manage complex data and automate the matching of opportunities with the
reps most qualified to handle them, resulting in a close rate improvement of 111 percent.
The second is that it can enable the creation and implementation of guided selling,
which automates an idealized contact and follow-up strategy. The third contribution is that
science can enable the creation of competition through transparency. If you’re passionate
about sales, you know that winning is the most powerful incentive, and for the ability
to win, we are all indebted to science.
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Matching opportunities with the reps most likely to close
them results in a close rate improvement of 111% #SCIENCE
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Closing the Deal: Science Viewpoint
The most artful of deal closers
will fail without strong support

15. Lead Response: Art Viewpoint
Emotional intelligence
is required to earn a
buyer’s business
14
In the final analysis,
we need emotional
intelligence to make
judgements and decisions
that lead to sales success.
Lori Richardson @ScoreMoreSales
People buy from people. We connect and form relationships
based on powerful emotional connections that defy
formulas #ART
So much can be guided and informed by technology, but in the final analysis, emotional
intelligence is required to make the kinds of judgments and decisions that lead to
sales success.
People buy from people. We connect. We form relationships, and the best of those
relationships are sometimes based on powerful connections that defy formulas.
In addition, there are a number of fundamental skills, abilities and talents required to
successfully earn a prospects’ loyalty and trust and eventually win their business, none of
which can be manufactured. For starters, it’s important for the seller to be confident in
the solution being presented. If the person selling doesn’t have confidence, why should the
buyer? The seller needs to be able to make judgments guided largely by input and reactions
to what’s being said by the prospect. The seller needs to understand, at a human level,
how to change course based on those judgments and reactions, without missing a beat.
The seller needs to be able to skillfully interpret the prospect’s tone of voice and body
language. What’s the message? Is she ready to buy or is she annoyed or preoccupied?
Science doesn’t translate signs and signals at that level, and that level is where the most
critical part of the sales process takes place.
ArtS A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

16. 315
Nick Hedges @Nick_Hedges
Science can’t exist without the art at every stage. If you
don’t have art pushing the boundaries, your scientific
process will become stale #RevUpSales
Lori Richardson @ScoreMediaSales
More heavily biased toward art or science?
You may be losing deals! Consider broadening your approach
#RevUpSales
Art and science:
Together in perfect harmony
We live in a buyer’s market, where the control and power increasingly live with the
customer. Today’s buyers have many choices and high expectations for the speed
and quality of service at every turn.
In today’s fast-paced, buyer-driven market, sellers have and continue to implement
technology solutions to keep up with the demands of today’s buyer. They need to
be available 24/7, listening via social media, leveraging data to infer insights amongst
all the noise, connecting with their buyer at the right time and with the right rep,
and so much more. But if sales leaders go too far down the science path, they risk
losing the emotional connection with the buyer.
Science can help sellers connect with more prospects at the right time and with the
right sales reps, but art is equally important to drive emotional connections with
customers. These emotional connections ultimately earn the trust, loyalty and business
of the buyer. Sales leaders that recognize the importance of both science and art
in this high-velocity selling environment will soar.
S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S

17. 316S A L E S P E R F O R M A N C E I N S I G H T S
Get a Demo Today
LIKE THIS EBOOK? WHY NOT SHARE:
Call: 888-843-1777
Email: sales@velocify.com
Web: velocify.com
Blog: velocify.com/blog
Are you striking the right
balance between art
and science? Learn how
smart sales technology
can enable your sales
reps to once again focus
on the art of selling.

18. velocify.comVelocify is a market-leading provider of cloud-based intelligent sales software, designed for high-velocity sales environments. Velocify helps
sales teams keep pace with the speed of opportunity and improve conversion rates by driving rapid lead response, increased selling
discipline, improved productivity, and actionable selling insights. The company has helped more than 1,500 companies across a variety of
industries improve customer acquisition practices and sales performance. Velocify was recently recognized as one of the fastest growing
companies in North America by Deloitte and a Best Place to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal. For more information, please visit
Velocify.com or follow the company on Twitter @Velocify.