If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.

-Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's productivity secret was to work smarter rather than work harder by simply using sharper tools to get the job done more efficiently. Inefficient tools waste your time and energy, and simply knowing what to do is never enough. It’s the matter of actually doing it that makes all the difference.

Great leaders grow themselves and their organizations by deliberately managing the present, letting go of old beliefs and behaviors, and purposefully creating a future by adopting new practices.

What image comes to mind when you hear the words “burnout?”

Burnout is defined as an individual’s response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors within the workplace. It doesn’t simply happen from being bored or from working too many hours.

Studies increasingly indicate other factors are behind this work epidemic and employee burnout has reached record levels. It’s so common that people in all industries and in all positions are susceptible to burnout.

Being able to spot employee burnout and prevent it is essential if you want to maintain a positive work environment and keep the best talent on your team.

- MOTIVATION -

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

-Mark Twain

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How can I be successful in media sales? 

How long will it take for me to make a lot of money?

How quickly can I expect to be promoted?

Whether fresh out of college or a seasoned professional seeking a career change, anyone pursuing a career in media sales (or any sales position) asks these same three questions. Everyone wants to know how they can be successful, make good money, and advance their careers. All smart things to think about!  

As a sales performance consulting company, we've helped hundreds of B2B sales organizations attract, retain, and develop the highest performing salespeople and sales managers. We've learned a thing a two about success! Here are our tips on how to be successful in your first year as a media salesperson. And, this advice is valid for all sales positions, not just media!

The Center for Sales Strategy conducted two online surveys during the second quarter of 2019 with sample groups representing sales managers and salespeople in the media industry. With the data from these surveys, our team researched, analyzed, and compiled The 2019 Media Sales Report to deliver key findings and insights from the surveys to help drive sales performance in the year ahead. This report studies the landscape over the past year, including the expectations for sales managers and the strategies employed by media sales professionals to assess their impact across five key topics: Compensation and Sales Team Size, Training and Development, Number of Appointments and Sales Process, Sales Enablement, and Culture and Industry.

Read on to check out our key findings, and download the full report for more insight from these surveys!

Did you know that 60% of job seekers report having had a poor candidate experience in their job hunt? And, even worse, according to Career Arc, 72% of them shared those bad experiences with others (often on social media)! Ouch!

Are you burning bridges with your interview process? If so, it’s time to make a change so you can protect your company culture and image.

- MOTIVATION -

"Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."

-Abraham Lincoln

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When it comes to lead generation, when does the marketing department’s role end and the sales department’s role begin? Very specifically, when should a lead be passed from marketing to sales?

As with most marketing and sales best practices, it’s not always a black and white answer.

Every organization is different, and it’s important that your organization have it's own marketing and sales agreement plan that outlines in detail how you will qualify, distribute, track, and ultimately close your marketing leads.

Senior Consultants at The Center for Sales Strategy are known for helping organizations grow their sales through training, the development of customized strategy plans, and coaching.

By facilitating digital training in many workshops, there are several conversations around Google Analytics and how it can be used to sell the results of a campaign – some are more in-depth and hands-on, while others are more introductory based on the workshop.

Keep reading for answers to the five most frequently asked questions and objections heard when discussing Google Analytics.

Do you often struggle with time management?

Do you always have way too much to do?

Do you ever feel buried in work?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, you may not be delegating as much as you should.

Delegation is one of the talents that separate the best from the rest in sales management and is crucial to developing the strengths of others, yet it’s often something leaders don’t think about on a regular basis.

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"It's not about having the right opportunities. It's about handling the opportunities right."

-Mark Hunter

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Is your sales team running the same plays as it did ten years ago? Even five years ago? If so, there’s a good chance you need to update your sales playbook.

The way businesses buy and sell has forever changed—and to stay competitive, you need to change too. Yes, certain things are still essential such as:

• Finding needs and pain points
• Presenting solutions
• Getting results

But how you interact with prospects and clients is different.

“Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Did you know that you’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down?

High-performing salespeople are intense; they typically have a long to-do list each week, and they attack that list with extreme focus. They’re dedicated, highly customer focused, competitive, and can typically accomplish more in one-week than any average Joe could in one month.

These days, life is so busy that we easily forget tasks and goals if we don’t write it down. However, writing down a to-do list is just the beginning; unless you prioritize that list, your productivity and time management is suffering.  

What does that mean?

Authenticity is a buzz word in business.

Today’s consumers are independent; they don’t want salespeople – or anyone – telling them what to do or how to think. Instead, they want a personalized experience and value a company that stays true to who they are, what they do, and who they serve.

Using not-so-catchy sales phrases and the wrong language when meeting with prospects will drastically reduce the chance of getting another meeting. Here are 10 common sales phrases to bypass if you want to seal the deal.

- MOTIVATION -

"If You Don't Stand For Something, You Will Fall For Anything."

-Gordon Eadie

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Sales enablement is a broad and powerful term that covers a lot of sales functions under one large umbrella. We define sales enablement as the strategy, content, technology, and training that empowers sales teams to sell smarter and faster. 

Sales enablement tools put the right resources and content in the salesperson's hands right when they need it. Businesses that are properly utilizing sales enablement tools quickly:

• Improve sales productivity
• Drive revenue
• Increase customer alignment

Providing sales teams with the proper tools, knowledge, and processes to maximize every sales opportunity is invaluable. Effective sales enablement tools can significantly benefit your company – here’s how.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Gen X-ers (1965-1979), and Millennials (1980-1995) have been the core generations that sales managers have long tailored incentive and engagement programs to. All have very different goals, needs, and work styles that require accommodation in order to improve sales performance, reach sales goals, inspire, and motivate.

Entering today’s workforce is the fourth generation, labeled Generation Z. Gen Z are individuals born between the late 1990s and 2010 that are starting to graduate college and join the sales world as independent adults.

We know that Boomers are incredibly loyal, Gen Xers are independent, Millennials seek reassurance and collaboration, and Gen Zers are more diverse than ever. How can you possibly motivate and manage such a multigenerational sales team?