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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

What Social Media Will Look Like in 2013

the future of social media?This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first text message. Sent on December 3, 1992, the first text went from a PC to a mobile device over Vodafone's U.K. network and read, "Merry Christmas."

Topics: Social Media Video Digital

Sales Management Secrets (Part 2): Coaching the Talent of Discipline

Secrets to Coaching 2 of 8Most managers agree that it is a true pleasure to manage salespeople who have strong Discipline because they don’t need to babysit them, check up on them, or clean up their messes.  A seller with this innate talent is buttoned-up and organized — and best of all, they have a system for everything which means they tend to have terrific follow-thru.  They also manage their time well, so they are never late and they are able to fill their free moments with productive work to ensure that everything gets done.  

Topics: developing strengths Sales

Leadership Development: The root word of business is BUSY

leadership developmentIn their trend forecast for 2013, Trendwatching.com shares an observation called “Mobile Moments.”  The idea is that people are now making use of every available moment, since they can hold their news sources, entertainment, telephone and social network in the palm of their hand.   

Topics: setting expectations sales strategy Sales

Help Me Santa! 10 Things I Want to Improve My Sales Performance!

10 Things Every Salesperson Wishes Santa Would Bring
Topics: Needs Analysis sales performance Inbound Marketing Sales

An Approach Less Ordinary to Improve Your Sales Performance!

An approach less ordinaryIs your telephone approach to new prospects sounding a little “ordinary” these days? The purpose of your call may be to “find out more about the prospect's current needs,” but the prospect has heard it all before. 

Topics: Needs Analysis Sales

Want to Hear Something Awesome?! The Edge Podcast has arrived

describe the imageThe guiding principle of Inbound Marketing is that by producing quality content you can attract and educate prospective clients about your service offerings, and generate qualified leads.  While most inbound marketing efforts focus solely on written blogs, many content marketers are turning to alternative means of publishing including video and audio podcasts.

One of the reasons why podcasting has become so popular with content marketers is that it’s easier than ever to create and distribute podcasts, and reach a large number of listeners.  Utilizing show notes or recaps from the podcasts, content marketers can also benefit from the effect that these show notes can have on search engine results.

Topics: content strategy Digital

What do you MEAN he’s not here? We had an appointment!

missed appointmentWe’ve all had the experience of showing up for a meeting to learn the prospect (or client) is not there.  It’s easy to take this kind of a no-show as an insult… and assume the other party simply has no respect for your time.

Topics: Sales

Plans are Worthless, but Planning is Everything

plans are worthless but planning is everythingHandling an Account List is much like running a small business whose performance is the result of the owner’s initiative, resourcefulness and choices.  As a business person it is important to identify which opportunities are subject to your influence…and then determine what actions to take to ensure that your influence will have effect.

Topics: sales performance Sales

Email Marketing: When Is the Right Time to Send?

Emails Scheduling for primetimeA study of 21 million email messages sent in 2012 found that email opens and click-throughs have two “primetimes” per day—the first between 8 and 9 a.m., and the second between 3 and 4 p.m.

Topics: email Sales

Is Your Needs Analysis Going Nowhere?

Improving Sales PerformanceOkay, so you're sitting down face-to-face with your prospect and you are ready to begin what you hope will be a productive conversation about their specific needs and challenges.

Topics: Needs Analysis Sales

Are you really interested in revenue development?

heart hunger head

Topics: developing strengths Sales

Improving Sales Performance: The Fear of the Unknown

What buyers fear most...describe the image  It is a difficult objection to express, because the buyer doesn’t even know what it is they’re afraid of.  

Topics: sales performance Sales

Sales Management Secrets (Part 1): Coaching the Talent of Work Intensity

The first in an 8-part talent development series!

12 1212 Secrets to Coaching the Talent of Work Intensity
Topics: developing strengths Sales

Improving your sales performance! Is your message smart enough?

My question for you:  Is your message important enough and smart enough to sit among the many other priorities on this person’s smartphone?  

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Topics: customer satisfaction email Sales

STOP Searching for Customers and START Searching for Customer Needs!

customer needsIf you want to be more successful in your prospecting efforts, you may first need to make a paradigm shift—rather than searching for new clients, focus on a client you already have, and then search for that customer’s true needs. 

Topics: Sales

What "The Voice" Has Taught Me about Recruiting and Creating Sales Superstars

The VoiceEach week as I settle in to watch my favorite vocalists compete on "The Voice," I am amazed at the transformations I’m witnessing. Just weeks ago, during the blind auditions, the contestants were a voice among many with raw potential, now they are emerging pop stars. Each week their great voices are more polished—and accompanied by great looks and emerging brands that lure us to cast our votes and purchase their music.

Topics: developing strengths Sales

Do You Delight Your Customers?

customer satisfactionThere’s a hotel that I return to every time I visit Portland, Oregon because each time I go, I’m delighted.

Topics: customer satisfaction Sales

Improving Sales Performance Tip: Who Do You Know?

sphere of influenceThe best salespeople understand the value of relationships in these four areas:

Topics: Sales

Ding, dong, the witch is dead!

positive economic newsLast weekend, our family was sitting around the living room, talking… and in the background, The Wizard of Oz happened to be playing on TV. We happened to turn it on just after Dorothy’s house-turned-aircraft made a crash landing on the Wicked Witch of the West. The munchkins, of course, broke out in a celebratory dance and song. We should sing that song, too.  TODAY.

Topics: Sales