The opener that gets corrected wins
The best cold opener isn't the one that's right. It's the one that's easy to correct. Here's why a wrong guess gets senior buyers talking.
3 min read
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Tagged hypothesis opening
Every post tagged hypothesis opening.
Buyers20 postsIndustries38 postsLeadership37 postsMethod50 postsPipeline40 postsProduct6 postsReplies21 postsSignals57 postsWarm intros32 posts
Latest
Research before reach. The 3x3 method.
The 3x3 is three sources and up to three facts each, gathered before the first note goes out. Here's how to run it and turn it into an opener.
4 min readHypotheses for management consulting
Management consultants sell judgment. How to write a misery hypothesis that proves you have some before the buyer ever takes a meeting.
3 min readHypotheses for agencies and creative services
Agencies sell taste, and taste is hard to put in an email. How to write a misery hypothesis about the marketing problem instead of your portfolio.
3 min readHypotheses for managed services
How to write a misery hypothesis for managed services buyers, who rarely switch providers until the current one becomes hard to defend.
3 min readHypotheses for cybersecurity services
How to write a misery hypothesis when you sell cybersecurity services, without fear tactics. Where to look, what to guess and an example opener.
3 min readSelling to a CHRO
How to sell services to a CHRO. What they own, how they're judged, what they ignore, the signals that matter and an opener that gets a reply.
3 min readHypotheses for cloud services
How to write a misery hypothesis when you sell cloud services. Where to look, the four guesses that tend to land and an example opener.
3 min readSelling to media companies
How services firms sell into media companies. Who buys, the pressure on their revenue models, the signals that matter and an opener that lands.
3 min readWhen they say we tried this before
When a buyer replies that they tried this before, it's an opening, not a no. What the reply usually means and the response that keeps it going.
3 min readHypotheses for data and AI services
How to write a sharp misery hypothesis when you sell data and AI services, built on the pilot gap, the data underneath and the leader on the hook.
3 min readThe binary exit question
Why the last line of your opener should be a question a senior buyer can answer in five words, and how to write one that invites correction.
4 min readWriting for the CFO
How to write a Hypothesis Opening a CFO will read, built on their own filings and the numbers they answer for, with no ROI claims or buzzwords.
3 min readSell to the committee, not the contact
Services deals over $50K get decided by a committee. How to reach the economic buyer, champion and technical lead with a message for each seat.
3 min readThe second message is a new hypothesis
When your first opener gets no reply, the second message shouldn't repeat it. It should test a different guess about what's hurting the buyer.
3 min readFollow-ups that add something
A follow-up should give the buyer something new, a fact, a sharper guess or a new angle. Bumping the thread just reminds them they didn't reply.
3 min readOne idea per message
A first message to a senior buyer should carry one idea. Two ideas split attention and the buyer answers neither. Here's how to pick the one.
3 min readLead with a hypothesis, not a pitch
Why a specific guess about the buyer's problem beats a list of your capabilities, and how to build a four-part Hypothesis Opening.
4 min read