The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

What do the most effective sales teams intentionally do early that others leave to chance?

Sales leaders often know something isn’t working in the first 90 days of a new hire, but high-performing leaders don’t start by asking what’s broken.

They start by asking a different question: What does early success look like when it’s designed on purpose?

How can sales leaders help new hires ramp faster without sacrificing quality, confidence, or retention? 

If you’ve ever hired a promising salesperson only to watch momentum stall within their first few months, you’re not alone. Many sales leaders are asking the same question: 

Why does ramp time keep stretching longer even when we’re hiring good people?

Development is one of the strongest predictors of employee engagement and one of the clearest signals of how much an organization invests in its people.

As expectations evolve, employees are seeking learning opportunities that feel personalized, energizing, and aligned with their long-term growth.

The latest Talent Magazine highlights several key facts and trends transforming development today. Below, we explore a handful of these shifts and offer actionable insights to help organizations strengthen learning experiences, boost retention, and build cultures where people thrive.

Selecting the right talent has never been more important or more complex. Candidates expect clarity, efficiency, culture alignment, and authentic human connection. That’s why our Talent Magazine highlights the most impactful facts and trends shaping today’s selection process.

Below is a breakdown of key insights, each with contextual guidance, to help leaders improve accuracy, fairness, and overall hiring outcomes.

The idea of a Wartime CEO was made famous by tech leaders like Ben Horowitz and Andy Grove. It’s the kind of leader who steps in when the business is under threat—decisive, bold, and focused on survival and growth at all costs.

This blog is about what that looks like when you’re not running a tech company—but leading a sales team.

There are times in business when you coach, collaborate, and lead with calm. That’s peacetime.

This is not that time.

If you’re a sales leader in today’s market—flat budgets, shrinking demand, fewer leads, distracted buyers—you are not in peacetime. You are in war.

And wartime leadership is a different game.

Recruiting top talent has never been more complex (or more critical) as shifting employee expectations, advancing technology, and the demand for authenticity reshape how organizations hire.

The latest edition of The Center for Sales Strategy’s Talent Magazine highlights key facts and trends defining the future of recruitment, from the growing importance of learning and development and the power of employee referrals to balancing AI efficiency with a human touch and engaging candidates early.

The takeaway? Companies that invest in growth, authenticity, and connection will be the ones that stand out (and succeed) in today’s competitive talent landscape.

The Loneliness of Sales Leadership

Let’s be honest, leadership can be lonely.

If you’re a senior sales leader, your days are filled with decisions that impact revenue, people, and strategy. You’re expected to have answers, keep morale high, and deliver results quarter after quarter. But who do you turn to for advice, perspective, or a sounding board?

Too often, sales leaders find themselves leading in isolation relying solely on their own experiences or the limited perspectives within their organization. Over time, this can quietly erode growth, confidence, and clarity.

The media sales industry is at a pivotal moment. The 6th Annual Media Sales Report reveals a story of optimism—tempered by caution. Sales managers see opportunity ahead, but many sellers remain unsure. If we want to win in the next era of media sales, we must close this gap in confidence while strengthening the culture that keeps top performers engaged.

Here’s what the data tells us about the industry outlook and company culture—and what sales leaders must do now to lead with clarity, purpose, and results.

In this episode, we’re shining a spotlight on what it means to lead like a Talent Superhero and how prioritizing people fuels consistent performance. 

Joining Matt is Allison Delagrange, a 2X Talent Superhero and Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy. 

Allison shares incredible insights, including: 

• How to be a collaborative leader, not a condescending one (Hint, hint: Instead of criticizing weaknesses, empower through strengths) 
• How it pays to communicate with your existing team exactly WHY you are recruiting 
• And, finally, how recruiting raw talent means hiring for impact: both in what they’ll bring to the team AND how you’ll help them grow

Securing appointments has always been a sales challenge, but in media sales today, it’s reached a breaking point. The  6th Annual Media Sales Report shows that booking meetings, advancing deals, and closing business require more persistence, better tools, and sharper strategies than ever before.

Here’s what the data from the Setting Appointments & Sales Process section tells us—and what sales leaders must do now to keep their pipelines full.