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How a Sales Rep Cut Prospecting Time in Half and Closed His Biggest Deal to Date [Case Study]

Every sales pro gets the gist of the phrase “beat your opponent to the punch.” In a competitive marketplace, getting in with a promising buyer before a rival can mean the difference between meeting and missing quota.

Being the first mover hinges on finding, understanding, and connecting with the right people, and that’s precisely what Sumo Logic – a company offering a next-generation, cloud-based IT solution – needed its sales reps to do.

Sumo Logic’s technology converts company log data into insights, supporting their clients’ operational and security functions. A fast-growing company, Sumo Logic needed a consistent source of promising prospects and an efficient way to research them. By adopting Sales Navigator, Sumo Logic was able to modernize its sales development approach to achieve lead generations goals.

From Lost Time to New Opportunities

Alex Hanhauser can directly testify to the impact of sales technology. Alex joined Sumo Logic straight out of college and, within two years, worked his way up from Sales Development Rep to Corporate Account Executive. According to Alex, Sales Navigator has been his daily go-to sales tool for the three years he’s been at Sumo Logic, and was essential in closing his biggest deal to date.

Because Sumo Logic had already deployed Sales Navigator, Alex immediately benefited from its advantages. As he explains: “Using in-depth features, like advanced search based on granular keywords, basically cuts my prospecting time in half, probably more. For example, querying for companies in the high-tech vertical with 0-to-250 employees that have used Amazon Web Services.”

Prior to Sumo Logic’s adoption of Sales Navigator, old school lead-generation tactics – such as purchasing prospect lists full out of outdated information – were hindering sales. Making matters worse was the effort required to keep up with a shifting prospect landscape. Sales Navigator put an end to those challenges.

Advanced Features Accelerate Prospecting

Other aspects of Sales Navigator help Alex make short work of prospecting. “I find it better than using a ZoomInfo or even a DiscoverOrg, anything like that, because it’s a bit more personal,” he says. “So you can really figure out what to say to a prospect and make it a bit more tailored to their specific company and what their case may be.”

In fact, Alex credits the advanced search feature for helping him find the aforementioned large deal. He says his ability to learn which technology the company was currently using in-house, and shape his insights around that knowledge, proved critical.

Continually Expanding His Network

Alex also appreciates that he can find more profiles than if he were using the free version of LinkedIn. He says his entire sales team finds further value in the fact that Sales Navigator helps surface new connections and referrals, paving the way for warm introductions. As he explains, Sumo Logic’s sales team is always growing, and as it expands, so too does every team member’s network.

Sumo Logic’s search capabilities have expanded as well. “Any sales rep who’s trained to find their target can quickly figure out through Sales Navigator what company and what person they should reach out to,” adds Alex. “It definitely makes the process easier.”

Ready to make your process easier? Read the full case study and learn how Sumo Logic achieved business growth with Sales Navigator. 

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