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My client Alex used to be a prospecting dinosaur. His prospecting mindset involved picking a random window of time to make cold calls, and then hoping the prospects would be by their phones. Even if he got through to prospects, they had absolutely no clue who he was. For that reason, he was lucky to get past the first seven seconds of a call.

He would then follow up with a long-form e-mail that never got read, and would start the process over with each new prospect.

Not so anymore. Thanks to technology, all that has changed.

Alex has entered the future of prospecting, where he’s no longer a random stranger to prospects. Prospects know exactly who he is, and he’s on their minds right when he calls them.

No, it’s not caller ID. It’s way cooler than that. I’m talking about these three easy steps that have turned Alex into a prospecting ninja:

1. Use HubSpot Signals

Marketing software company HubSpot has developed a revolutionary piece of software called HubSpot Signals that allows you to see exactly when a recipient opens an e-mail you’ve sent. Go to www.getsignals.com and download this plugin. Once you’ve set it up, it’s time to start sending e-mails to your prospects and understanding exactly when they open the e-mail.

2. Keep Your E-Mail Short and Clear

One of the most common mistakes people make when they send prospecting e-mails is that they write too much. The problem is that your e-mail only has a few seconds to make an impression on prospects. Long, wordy e-mails will be sent right to the trash. Instead, craft a customized e-mail that’s short and to-the-point. Try to offer some value in the e-mail, in the form of information that would be appreciated by the prospect. An effective e-mail will look something like this:

Subject: Cindy told me you were out of the office

Hi Brian,

I hear that you are coordinating efforts for the NYC EXPO in June for ABC Company. I have a track record of helping clients increase trade show leads by more than 35 percent with our marketing program. I’d like to send you a white paper on how we do this.

What’s the best mailing address to send the white paper to?

Best,
Alex

This e-mail is short, simple and engaging. Most important, it is not the end of his prospecting effort since we are about to learn exactly when the prospect opens the e-mail.

3. Call Prospects as Soon as They Open Your E-Mail

HubSpot Signals will immediately alert you when a prospect has opened your e-mail. If you time your phone call correctly, your prospect will have you top-of-mind! That means they’ll know who you are, and will be much more likely to speak with you. So once you’ve received notification that your prospect has opened the e-mail, pick up your phone and start dialing.

By following these three ninja tips, the effectiveness of your e-mail prospecting efforts will dramatically increase. In a few simple tests that I’ve conducted, both personally and with clients like Alex, the dial-to-connection ratio increased by over 70 percent!