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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Invest in Your Top Sales Talent

Invest in Your Top Sales Talent

As a sales manager, your time is valuable, and managing your sales team tops the list of priorities. How much time and with whom you spend your time is critical to achieving sales goals.

But where to start? Most of us spend time with those we think need the most attention, those not meeting goals. Our instincts are to “fix” people. But take a minute to consider if this is a good use of your time.

What if you spent time with your top performers instead? Focusing on people development is a key to employee engagement and retention, which leads to bottom-line growth.

Topics: Sales

4 Winning Approaches for Writing a Cold Email

4 Winning Approaches for Writing a Cold EmailYou found someone's email address online. Someone you've been looking to get in touch with for a long time. Now, it's up to you to write an email that'll get opened.

A cold email can be effective depending on your target audience's communication preferences. Follow these four approaches and you'll increase your chances for success — and your open rate.

Topics: email Sales prospecting

10 Things Your Clients Won’t Say Out Loud

10 Things Your Clients Won’t Say Out Loud

Creating an environment of trust and becoming a trusted advisor is one of the most important roles of a successful sales professional.  

That requires a shift from focusing on selling your product or solution to understanding and meeting the needs of the prospect or client in the now, near, and far.

Topics: customer satisfaction setting expectations Sales

Sales Managers Can Help Salespeople Close More Deals

Sales Managers Can Help Sales People Close More Deals

I know what you’re thinking…  NO, I do not think sales managers should close deals for their salespeople. Doing that (consistently) only causes more issues, but that's not what this is about.

The reality is, while pending business is great, what we need to see is salespeople closing business.

Topics: Sales close a deal

Stop Spinning Your Wheels: Selling Techniques for Fast Closes

speed up sale

 

Stop spinning your wheels on lousy prospects!

Slow kills deals.   

Every seller knows (and loves) the feeling of a textbook sales process that goes from identify to closed-won, quickly.  The benefits of moving prospects to customers quickly through the pipeline expose several key leading indicators of the health of your sales team and sales process.

Topics: Sales

International Super Spy: Selling Techniques from a Veteran Salesperson

International Super Spy

If you have kids or watch a lot of Tik-Tok, you're familiar with the Backyardigans song 'International Super Spy'.

It's a catchy little tune that will not get out of your head. As silly as the song is, it reminds us that part of your job as a salesperson is to be a spy. No, not a real spy, but one that targets prospects and does some sleuthing to uncover inside information before your first Discover meeting.

The Discover meeting is the most important meeting you will ever have with any client, ever! If improving sales performance is important, read on!

Topics: Needs Analysis sales strategy Sales

Hold Your Applause

Hold Your Appaluse

Thank you! Thank you!  Really, Thanks. Please hold your applause until the end of the sales meeting. 

What? 

You mean that you haven’t been interrupted during your sales meeting by thunderous applause from your salespeople?  Really?

Topics: successful sales meetings Sales

The Link Between Healthy Habits and Healthy Pipelines

The Link Between Healthy Habits and Healthy Pipelines

Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Mark Cuban — all agree that one habit is a key ingredient to success.

Practicing good health habits by eating right and exercising each day is what these billionaires, and 21 others, agree helped create the foundation for their businesses and financial success. Your habits and routines determine your success and your future. In order to see the true benefits of any effort, you must be disciplined and consistent.

The same holds true when developing new business. It takes that same effort and discipline to consistently create a healthy sales pipeline.

Topics: business development Sales prospecting

5 Greatest Needs Analysis Questions You Can Ask Any Prospect. Not.

needs analysis questionsPerhaps you got excited when you read the first part of the headline.

I got excited too, wishing there was a list of “magical” questions that could be asked of any prospect with a great result. The problem is, such a list does not exist.

Sorry to burst your bubble.  

Topics: Needs Analysis Sales sales process prospecting

So You’ve Hired Some “Green” Salespeople. Now What?

So You’ve Hired Some Green Salespeople

All sales managers know that it’s important to have a full staff of salespeople in order to hit your goals. But you know how risky and ineffective it is simply to hire anyone who can fog a mirror. It’s essential to hire only the right people. 

When searching for the right talents, skills, and experience, strong sales managers recognize that talent is primary.

Topics: Sales sales training