Changing markets mean changing tactics

Prior to 2015, the Sprinklr team relied on traditional sales tactics, including cold calls and emails. It was a solid approach at the time, with revenue growing 300% annually. But as the market matured, and more stakeholders got involved in the decision-making process, Sprinklr knew they needed to evolve. “The oldschool methods no longer worked,” says Brett Hoffman, Regional Sales Manager at Sprinklr. “There were too many moving parts and silos of information; it was hard to efficiently identify key buyers.”

The team also needed to connect with these stakeholders in a more meaningful way. To do so, the team needed a solution that let them gather useful information on individual targets. “We don’t want to message hundreds of people in an organization and then just wait to see who responds,” says Chris Kieff, Global Director of Security and Sales Operations. “If we focus our energy on understanding the unique challenges of each prospect, we can engage them more directly and have a better shot at getting a real conversation going.”

Results driven by Sales Navigator:

A faster way to find stakeholders

To accomplish these goals, Sprinklr implemented a social selling program using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The sales team starts by leveraging LinkedIn’s network to map out the organizational architecture of their target accounts. “We can see how accounts are organized and who reports to whom,” says Hoffman. “I call it our playbook.”

The team then uses Sales Navigator’s lead recommendations to find and track potential contacts within those accounts. “Sales Navigator proactively suggests new contacts, notifies us when leads change roles, and reminds us when there’s a contact we haven’t reached out to,” says Kieff.

The lead recommendations also bring multiple decision-makers to the table, helping the team garner greater investment from more stakeholders earlier in the process. After the initial purchase, the team then leverages these connections to expand into other opportunities within the account.

Understanding a prospect’s challenges

Sprinklr has a relatively long sales cycle, so reps need to keep in touch with prospects throughout the process to make sure they remain top-of-mind – the team also wants these interactions to be meaningful, though. “We’re very big on selling with insight,” says Dan Swift, VP, Sales. “Sales Navigator feeds us information about each prospect and their initiatives, so we can reach out with thoughtful messaging.”

By engaging in relevant and engaging conversation with contacts, sales reps gain credibility as a knowledgeable partner who can help solve prospects’ problems. “I’ve initiated conversations just by leaving thoughtful comments on prospects’ LinkedIn posts – some of which have led to meetings with Fortune 100 companies,” Hoffman says.

The sales team also uses contextual information from Sales Navigator to prioritize leads. For example, a previously low-priority account may reveal that their company hired a new CMO – one who used Sprinklr at a previous company. That lead would then become high-priority. “Without this kind of data,” says Swift, “sales reps had to prioritize based on more traditional measurements – revenue, number of employees, Fortune status. Sales Navigator helps us leverage real insight to jump on opportunities the second they become available.”

Greater efficiency, better results

Sprinklr’s sales leadership says that Sales Navigator’s greatest value lies in the efficiency it brings to the sales process. “Sales Navigator anticipates our needs and provides answers before we even ask the questions,” says Kieff. “The amount of time that gives back to our team is immeasurable.”

But the results Sprinklr has measured have been exceptional. With one sales team, for instance, Sales Navigator influenced more than 63% of total closed won revenue. The platform helped that same sales team achieve 1.2X higher win-rates and increased average deal-size by 10.4%. As a result, Sales Navigator has become an essential part of the Sprinklr sales process, giving them the efficiency and insight they need to keep their edge in a changing market.

About Sprinklr

Sprinklr is the most complete social media and customer experience management platform for the enterprise, helping the world’s largest brands listen to, reach and engage their customers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and 21 other social channels for the purposes of marketing, advertising, research, commerce, and care. With more than 1,500 employees in 20+ offices worldwide, Sprinklr gives global organizations a complete picture of their customers’ social presence, so they can provide better experiences.