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5 Steps to Writing a Business Plan Cover Letter [+ Templates!]

Every business plan needs a cover letter. Also known as an introduction, executive summary, or overview, your cover letter is your first impression.

It sets the stage for the rest of the document and tells the reader what to expect. Most importantly, it compels the reader to spend the time it will take to review the plan in full.

But how do you write a cover letter? What should it say?

There will be no guesswork here. We’re covering all of the essential deets to include. Plus, we’ve got templates to make your life easier.

Tough Year? Here's How Pro Sellers are Prepping for 2024

Sometimes ho ho ho feels more like whoa whoa whoa. As in…How can I close a couple more deals before everyone disappears? And how can I make our solution a priority for my leads come January?

Maybe you’ve had a tough year and gotten a lot more “Nos” than you’re used to. Or maybe your year was okay, but with the slowness of the holiday season settling in, you’re starting to worry about further economic downturns.

When the sales environment is tough, it can be challenging to stay upbeat and confident. But stay upbeat and confident you must.

During our holiday episode of the Closing Show Live, called Sleigh Your Targets, we chatted with four sales experts to help us buck up for the final push of Q4 and the year ahead: Tyler Lessard from Vidyard, Amy Volas from Avenue Talent Partners, sales trainer James Buckley, and sales development director Jesse Gittler.

Watch the full live event for their best tactics or keep reading for our favorite takeaways.

Sell Like You: Own Your Unique Sales Style to Unlock Growth

Do you put more trust in “the experts” than yourself?

Are you always searching for the next best framework?

These are signs that you’re struggling with mediocrity. Not because you are mediocre, but because you haven’t yet tapped into your unique style and personality as a salesperson.

When you’re out of alignment, your results will be so-so.

Jeff Bajorek, the creator of the #SellLikeYou movement, says that helping sellers believe in themselves is worth more than skill training. He laid down some piping-hot motivation on our recent episode of the Closing Show Live. And in this case, a video is worth a million words.

Catch the full episode here for his walkthrough of how to get yourself aligned with who you truly are. Or, keep reading for his step-by-step process to hone your unique selling style and transform your potential.

“You’re the secret ingredient to your own success.” - Jeff Bajorek, Sales Trainer

How to Write a Sales Proposal Designed to Close [+ Templates]

If you’re working on a sales proposal, there are probably two things you care about:

1. That the proposal will close.

2. That you won’t have to spend hours creating it.

You shouldn’t have to guess what to write, wrangle obnoxious software, or pretend to be a graphic designer.

Our actionable guide to creating a sales proposal will help you cover all the necessary details to win over your prospect—all while saving hours of time.

Plus, we’ve got examples and templates from a variety of industries, from consulting to construction.

8 Pro Tips for Asking Better Sales Discovery Questions

You can ask discovery questions that impress your buyer and show them that you’re the right person to help them. Or…you could totally blow it and bore them with the same basic questions they’ve heard on every other sales call throughout their entire career.

So, how do you make sure your discovery questions set you up for success?

We chatted with Hannah Ajikawo, CTM consultant for Skaled and a top voice in sales on LinkedIn, to learn how we ask better questions and improve the buying experience.

Click here to watch the full interview, or keep reading for Hannah’s best advice.

Dropbox Sign (Formerly Hellosign) VS. DocuSign Comparison

Are you wondering how Hellosign compares with DocuSign?

Well…Dropbox recently acquired Hellosign, so the platform is actually now called Dropbox Sign.

In this guide, we’re comparing Dropbox Sign versus DocuSign to help you choose the ultimate e-signature platform.

Which one is right for you? It depends—do you want to get the cheapest option that covers your basic needs? Or are you willing to pay more for advanced analytics, team collaboration, and security?

No matter your e-signature needs, all of the answers are about to be crystal clear.

Ramp Up Your Revenue with Customer Success Expansions

When customers sign up, they’re putting you to the test. Most accounts don’t give you all of their business right away. They give you a taste and see how you can handle it.

Customer success holds the keys to limitless revenue potential.

We sat down with our very own Jasper Goodwin, Customer Success Team Manager at Proposify, and Nick Brown, Senior CSM, to get all of the details on how they grow accounts from dozens of users to hundreds.

Keep reading for all of their truth bombs on customer success expansions or catch the full interview in this episode of the Closing Show Live.

A Sales Pro Shares 7 Tips for Better Discovery Calls

For an account executive, discovery calls are the only phase of the sales process that will happen 100% of the time. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll make it to the next step.

So you need to deliver every chance you’ve got.

Your discovery calls have a massive impact on your closing rates, your deal sizes, and how short your sales cycle is. They matter that much.

During the most recent episode of the Closing Show Live, we sat down with Daniel Hebert, Director of Sales at Q4, to learn how he approaches discovery calls and how he trains the reps on his team.

Click here to watch the full interview, or keep reading for Daniel’s best tips.

How to Write a Proposal in 10 Easy Steps [Templates Included]

You’re tasked with writing a proposal, and a lot is at stake.

Now is not the time to guess. What should you write? How can you appeal to the client’s deepest desires? How do you satisfy client expectations for your specific industry?

Now is the time to follow a proven process. We’ve analyzed millions of proposals sent with our software to see which tips and tricks actually have an impact on closing rates.

We’re covering all that and more.

Keep reading for our step-by-step guide that shows you exactly how to write a proposal simply by customizing the sections in one of our proposal templates. The right template will show you exactly what to include while helping you save hours on design and formatting.

Expert Advice to Guide Your Sales Career Path

It’s a common trajectory: do one to two years as an SDR and then become an AE. But what if your career path in sales looks a little different?

In our latest episode of The Closing Show Live, we sat down with Kristen Twining, the SVP of Global Sales for Illusive, an enterprise cybersecurity solution for preventing ransomware and other cyber attacks.

Kristen's had an uncommon career trajectory, transitioning straight out of college into a field sales role, and then going somewhat backward to work as an SDR before becoming an inside sales director and ultimately a senior vice president.

We asked her what makes a great AE, how to get a job as an AE, and how to transition into senior management.

Kristen loves being mentored and mentoring others. Keep reading for her hard-earned advice, or watch the full interview here.