💜 Will Allred

LavenderLand

A show where I answer real email questions with the help of some not so real friends.

Watch at https://lavender.ai/land

Host of "Ask Allred" on LavenderLand

Lavender

Lavender helps sales teams write better emails, faster.
Get started for free at Install.TryLavender.com. 
(Available in Gmail, Outlook 365, Outreach, and SalesLoft.)

Lavender is the ultimate email assistant. As a salesperson, it provides everything you need to quickly write, high quality emails.

Lavender's coaching dashboard gives revenue teams never before had insight into what's working in each reps' inbox.

Co-Founder & COO

Sorter

Sorter’s internal AI, CATIE( Creative Algorithms for Text and Image Enhancement) blends behavioral sciences with cutting edge data science and natural language processing enabling you to easily apply an objective science to the art of communication. 

We help create better content faster.

Fueling the backend of our platforms for healthcare,  marketing, sales, and HR, CATIE analyzes and determines  what distinguishes top-performing campaigns from baseline and under-performing content within your audiences.

Sorter (sorter.com): 1:Many Communications
Lavender (trylavender.com): 1:1 Communications

TopRight

TopRight is a strategic marketing firm based in Atlanta practicing Transformational Marketing. Our work puts the customer first through TopRight’s 3S Methodology. We help companies; define a Story that motivates customers to care, buy and stay, develop a Strategy that gets the right message to the right customers at the right time, and enable the Systems needed to execute on those winning Strategies.

In my time at TopRight, I have served as support and run several internal, partnership and client projects. Below, I have outlined a few highlights from my time as a Senior Associate and the head of HR at TopRight:

I currently lead all technology-focused initiatives and projects within TopRight. This includes: 
• Helping clients assess the best possible marketing systems. This includes technology sets, the people running those systems and the processes that enable them.
• Currently managing TopRight’s technology partnerships. 
• Running day-to-day execution of our clients' digital marketing needs.

I am also on a TopRight's team of three working on the launch of a client's groundbreaking ICO and future blockchain application that is set to redefine the private equity market. My role on the project is focused on the creation of the client's whitepaper, buzz-creation (aka marketing the launch), and general support. 

As a core member of TopRight’s internal marketing team, I assist in TopRight’s inbound marketing strategy execution including campaign ideation, content creation, influencer outreach, and funnel conversion strategy and tactics.

As part of a larger initiative to improve internal processes, in addition to my role as a Senior Associate, I am serving as the HR Coordinator. This role has required:
• The creation of an employee handbook to help define and shape company culture
• Improved meeting processes
• Improved recruiting processes
• An initiative to improve team dynamics through the better analytical management of skillsets, capacity, and personality.

Senior Associate

As an Associate at TopRight, I served as support and run several internal, partnership and client projects. Below, I have outlined a few highlights from my time as an Associate at TopRight:

• Led a grassroots, multi-channel campaign for a non-profit to support free speech from ideation, through research, to creation.
• Managed the relaunch of the TopRight website. 
• Helped in the brand relaunch of a Marketing Technology Operations Company in ~30 days. Our teams are also currently leading a multi-channel, co-branded campaign.
• Helped multiple clients assess the best possible marketing systems. This included technology sets, the people running those systems and the processes that enabling them.
• Assisted a multi-billion dollar Telco in establishing a partnership alliance program for the software industry.
• Currently leading an initiative to improve internal operations and efficiencies.

Associate

In my time as an Analyst at TopRight, I served as support and run several internal, partnership and client projects. Below, I have outlined a few highlights from my time as an analyst at TopRight:

• On a team of two, my team helped rebrand a supply chain management software company. With a new brand narrative and a revised corporate sales deck, the company saw three consecutive record-breaking quarters of sales growth.
• Helped multiple clients assess the best possible marketing systems. This included technology sets, the people running those systems and the processes that enabling them.
• As a core member of TopRight’s internal marketing team, I assist in TopRight’s inbound marketing strategy execution including campaign ideation, content creation, influencer outreach, and funnel conversion strategy and tactics.

Analyst

YoVo

I was working on Yovo in the background for a while. I learned loads about entrepreneurship working on this project, but ultimately I could never get it off the ground. The idea was simple: 
- resumes are ineffective at screening 
- recruiting calls are filled with human error/bias

Using voice analytics, the plan was to help hiring mangers make smarter decisions by giving an objective look at conversations.

I was able to spin up exciting conversations in the enterprise, but eventually, I decided to focus my time and energy into Sorter.

First Founder Attempt

Healthgrades

Worked with Healthgrades as an initial member of their Elective Provider Solutions team. After building out the initial pipeline for Healthgrades direct sales model. We consulted with heads of marketing for enterprise level specialty practices to help design digital marketing solutions to best utilize Healthgrades.com. 

Tweaking and building upon market insights for our products- we were able to design action oriented campaigns for practices and their physicians. The challenge was not only to create campaigns that would succeed, but to create campaign designs that would sell in a market adverse to change. Through our work we found it was important to help providers:

 1. Make practices and providers more discoverable, 
 2. Increase new patient acquisition, 
 3. Enhance practices and providers' online reputations.

These were the three things we could do most effectively for our clients. 

At Healthgrades, there is a "healthy obsession" with driving a ROI for clients. So by working in concert with our clients, we help maximize their ROI by learning from our current marketing efforts, and making the proper adjustments as needed.

In my tenure there, I was:

•a top revenue producer on my team
•able to uncover optimization strategies not only in product design, but also sales and marketing strategy for both Healthgrades and clients
•built out entirety of the direct sales pipeline
•cultivated relationships with agencies and practices

Healthgrades is backed by Vestar Capital Partners, as is the top site for rating doctors and hospitals. Truly on the cutting edge, it is where America goes to find a doctor.

Manager: Elective Provider Solutions

As a summer sales intern, I served as CEB's first interaction with HR executives. Cold calling on a territory of 100 HR executives, based in firms with annual revenues ranging from 50-750 million dollars, I was able to effectively introduce C-suite executives to CEB's valuable advisory resources. 

As an intern team, we were tasked with helping recruiting with their outreach to prospective employee's. We designed potent marketing material driving the impactful value of one's work at CEB, and the advantages of being a member of CEB's motivated workforce. 

CEB is the leading member-based advisory company. By combining the best practices of thousands of member companies with our advanced research methodologies and human capital analytics, we equip senior leaders and their teams with insight and actionable solutions to transform operations.

CEB offers comprehensive data analysis, research and advisory services that align to executive leadership roles and empower clients to focus efforts, move quickly, and address emerging and recurring business challenges with confidence.

CEB trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CEB).

HR Leadership Council

Northwestern Mutual

After working to attain my North Carolina Life, Health, and Disability Insurance, I worked with potential clients to develop financial solutions to achieve their desired long-term success. 

This is where I learned my love of sales and marketing, as I saw the impact I was able to have by effectively showing the benefits of Northwestern's Life Insurance products. Through this valuable experience, I was able to drive many never would be customers into the sales pipeline at Northwestern.

Financial Representative

Carrboro Capital

As a summer intern, I evaluated small, rapid-growth businesses in North Carolina for acquisition. I would forecast potential risks for the companies and report a pro/con analysis to my senior managers. 

Also as a summer intern, I was tasked with analyzing financial statements for potential acquisitions. My timing when joining Carrboro Capital was especially advantageous, as I witnessed the acquisition of the local retailer Southern Season.

Private Equity Summer Analyst

Kidder Properties

Working for the four employee (including myself) start up Kidder Properties, I was able to effectively work cross-functionally with a litany of responsibilities that wouldn't have otherwise been given to a person of my age and experience. 

In my first summer with Kidder, I assisted in the analysis and acquisition of approximately 50 foreclosure homes. Comparing acquisition costs and renovation costs with the projected income from renting and ultimately selling the home, I was able to produce ROI reports. After openly discussing the tangibles and intangibles of these potential assets with my supervisor and the CEO, we would come up with a judgment for the perspective home. 

In my second summer, my focus shifted to the operational side of the business helping to reduce costs and improve the overall quality of the rental properties we provided. After analyzing the past performances of different purchased assets, I would determine if budget changes needed to be made to improve the long-term quality and therefore profitability of the home. Also in my final summer with Kidder, I helped train and coach a successor to take my place.

Real Estate Acquisitions & Renovation Operations

👋 Welcome to my LinkedIn page. Struggling with email writing? 👇 See below 👇

1. Check out what we're building at Lavender: install.trylavender.com

2. Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.lavender.ai/lavender-letter

3. Since you made it this far, use promo code "LavenderLove" to 2x your free trial when you sign up for Lavender

If your AE isn't *this* locked in for end of quarter, you're probably missing quota. 

Get that "hog" of a deal across the line! 😉 

In the words of Allison Metcalfe, "for all of you who love and support us - thank you. We will be "normal" again in July. For about... a week. 🫶"

💜

I went fly fishing in the Colorado rain yesterday (a bit like prospecting in this market). John, my guide, was on the US national fly fishing team for 4 years. You get the chance to fish with a pro like that... you inevitably ask questions. 

The guy could go crazy deep on... pretty much anything I asked him when it came to fly fishing.

The things he loved to coach on?

It wasn't the gear.
It wasn't the casting technique.
It wasn't even really the flies (or the bait)

All he wanted to talk about was bugs and water.
(The guy is an entomologist when he doesn't guide)

"10% of the water holds 90% of the fish. Let's talk through how to spot the seams, vortexes and eddies they hang out in"

"I'm only seeing Caddis flies... we need another actor before we pull out the dry flies. A trout's diet is 95% under water. They're not coming to the surface for just that."

Everything... and I mean EVERY ounce of coaching was framed in the fishes' perspective.

Expertise didn't come from what he did... expertise came from understanding the fish.

The similarities to prospecting are COUNTLESS
- targeting
- messaging... hell I realized I had been casting for ~15 minutes w/ slight bit of tangled line around the fly... the metaphor for jumbled messaging causing your buyer not to take the bait was painfully corny... but also accurate.

But the biggest one? The one that I took away from working with a true pro?

Every ounce of how you should think about prospecting should be framed in the buyer's perspective.

When are they not in meetings and active in email?
How will they read the message?
What will they take away from the message?

Put yourself in their shoes.
Then work backwards.

PS. This is a brown trout. My wife, Laura, caught ~2x the amount of fish.

PPS. Might make every post this week about fly fishing... sorry in advance

I was offered a trip to Cancun yesterday if I "signed by EOQ"
That might seem wild, but the craziest part to me is the fact that I haven't talked to the company since September of last year.

Y'all...

There's a LOT of mediocre selling out there.

Frame things in why something matters to the customer.

What are they trying to accomplish?
Why should your thing be the priority in helping them accomplish that?
What is the cost to them for waiting an extra week in pulling the trigger?

That's what gets people over the line.

Beach vacations should be a bonus.

If you're looking to learn some tactical skills fast to try to hit your number today - go read through Jen Allen-Knuth & Nate Nasralla's content.

ps. I am not at the beach, but included the picture of a Cancun beach to keep ya guessing 🤣 

pps. Laura if you're reading this, sorry I didn't take the bait ☠ 

Happy end of quarter to those who celebrate! 😜

One of the best lessons I've gotten from 6 years of entrepreneurship: 

Always keep moving.

Anxiety's cure is action. Worried about something? Start a conversation, send an email, dig into it yourself. 

Just do. Action produces the highest fidelity data to make even more decisions.

Be a shark. If water isn't moving over the gills - expect to die.

"Am I off in thinking this?"
"From the outside looking in..."
"Not sure if this is your focus. But,..."
"Usually..."
"I figured this might..."
"Realize this could be totally wrong"

In an email world full of bots.
Lean into being a little more human.

Sales guru's will tell you confidence sells.
It does.

But cold email doesn't sell.
Cold email is about starting conversation.

There's 0 social pressure to reply.
We get to be keyboard warriors in the inbox.
Sometimes, it *just might* help to soften your tone.

I could be totally wrong 
(I'm not the data supports this) 

Here's a simple rule:
Confident = What you know about your stuff
Unsure = What you know about their stuff

The average reading time of an email is 9 seconds.
Most deleted in 3.

That's a quick scan saying "what is this"

Make the answer:
"a seemingly normal person trying to start a conversation about..."

and not

"SALES"

Stay tentative friends 💜

Noticing *a lot* of folks are only using a SMALL % of what their SEP (Outreach, SalesLoft, Gong etc) can do.

Who is doing a good job of creating content here? I want to shine a light on the more complicated plays these people are building in these systems.

The "Pareto Rule" of prospecting: 20% of your accounts will get you to +100% of your outbound pipeline goal. This used to be an idea or "goal" for sellers. Now.. it's the reality. A little cold outbound history / futurism...

Territories & accounts used to be segmented by exographics:
- Size
- Revenue
- Industry

Then we added tools like 6Sense: intent data
Are they on my site? 
Are they searching the web for me, my categories, the problems we solve?

If so, top tier account.
A loose definition of "inbound" emerges

Alongside the rise of tools like Copy ai and Clay (AI Agents) - we've seen a cambrian explosion of "signals"

Signals are intent signals just like 6Sense.
A UserGems job change
an AI scraped job posting
etc.

The best sellers always had signals. It was just good outbound research. 

Are they hiring? What do they sell? Who do they sell it to? What does the job posting say? What's in their financials? 

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Now, if it repeats, you can automate it w/ AI.
So, we collect them all. 

But, the best teams are doing more than collecting. 
They're correlating.

The more signals that correlate to "close won" - the higher the account should be prioritized.

But - AI still isn't great at contextualizing these signals off the shelf.
Which signal is most important?
How do I write a message that correctly captures each signal?
Are their non-signals that can be paired in well? (ex. someone's background)
etc.

This requires human judgement. And it *should*
These are the accounts that will generate a *majority* of your pipeline.

Folks just running Clay and Spray are running into a simple problem. A pop & fade in results. You captured demand... you didn't create it, and now you're left w/ the remaining TAM that thinks you're spam.

The people with fewer signals will be easier to create AI-based automations from. This isn't bad. It's a maturation of how we're using Cadence/Sequence/Flows today.

More manual steps for top accounts (now assisted by ai)
More automated steps for not top accounts (now driven by ai)

So, if Lavender isn't an AI SDR, what's Lavender's role? 

1) We're the only folks that can objectively tell you why any of the email's you're sending work. Ashleigh Bergh Duggan ✨sent a content report to a 2 time customer today that was CRAZY in depth with do's and don'ts. 
2) We can help guide the content creation of the at-scale plays
3) We're the tool you're going to use to send your most important emails

I'm okay to guide the scale.
But, I know the most important place for us is on the emails that matter most.
The emails to the accounts getting you to your pipeline goals.
💜 

PS. If you send emails from this house, 60% of the time you get a reply every time.

Cofounder @ Lavender | Write better sales emails faster with our in-inbox coach.

"90% of the fish are in 10% of the water" - my fly fishing guide in Colorado this week. The 10% can teach you a lot about prospecting. (and why folks are obsessed with signal based prospecting)

You see. Fish burn a lot of energy swimming. So they need to do two things:
- maximize food
- minimize swim

-----
💡 Your buyer does a similar balancing act in their inbox. Maximizing the use of their mental calories. The mental spam filter = 3 seconds to decide if they'll delete or not 💡
-----

So, they hang out in the transitions. The places where slow water meets fast water.

They look up stream and wait to see what's coming down the food conveyor belt that is the water.

On the surface this looks like a "seam" in the water.
Or a vortex (where the water reverses direction)

These "signals" on the surface tell you where to cast.

(do you see where I'm going here?)

As you think about prospecting - you know that if you have the right signals... you know where to cast.

That signal could be a literal "transition" in the water aka a job change (shout out UserGems) or a product launch, etc.

But it could also be a "seam" you've seen fish swimming in before aka a combination of signals that match back to how you found a customer before.

----

While the seams and vortexes might be a great place to cast, you still need to:
- use the right fly
- present the fly correctly

I spent way too long w/ a tangled fly because I was whipping my cast around like an idiot. That was a lot of wasted time not catching fish.

^ if you can't tell... I've got plenty more fly fishing to cold email analogies for you.

On a demo today: "our customers don't have a big digital footprint"

Me: You sure about that?

Sellers only want one thing and it's disgusting.

(Disgustingly effective at driving pipeline 😘 )

Taplio

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