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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Weekly Roundup: The Perfect Remote Schedule, Building Trust Virtually + More

The Perfect Remote Schedule, Building Trust Virtually

- MOTIVATION -

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."

-Og Mandino

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

How to Build Trust & Deepen Connections With Your Buyer While Selling Virtually LinkedIn

One day we’ll look back at 2020 as a turning point in the world of sales. Trends that had been percolating for more than a decade sped up and crystallized as social distancing and stay-at-home orders uprooted some of the fundamental mechanics of selling.

But the shift to virtual selling has proven that the fundamentals of a great sale are still real relationships and customer value. And we’ve seen that you can still be present for your prospects even when you can’t physically be with them. >>> READ MORE

Topics: Wrap-up

Why Good Salespeople Leave

Why Good Salespeople Leave

According to a DePaul University study, the average turnover cost per Account Executive (AE) is $97,690 when you add up recruiting costs, training costs, and lost sales. So, if you lose five AEs in one year - you’re close to losing nearly a half a million dollars. 

Couple that with the fact that in a Glassdoor survey, only 19% of AE’s have no immediate plans leave their companies, but 68% of AE’s plan to look for a job within the next year.  

Why do sales reps leave? And what can your sales organization do to stop your top sellers from leaving?

Topics: sales process sales structure IMPACT

Improving Sales Performance | Media Sales Report | Hiring and Talent

large-ISP_MediaSalesReport_Ep__ 4_COVER

Throughout season 2 of the Improving Sales Performance Series, we’ve focused on the data and analysis of the newly released Media Sales Report.

In this episode, Beth Sunshine, VP of Talent Services, joined Matt Sunshine to discuss the Sales Department Structure section of the Media Sales Report, specifically looking at data on hiring and talent.

You can stream it now to hear their insight, advice, and initial thoughts after analyzing the data that was just published. Or keep reading for a brief overview.

Topics: hiring salespeople sales talent assessment sales talent

How to Boost Morale for Better Sales

 How to Boost Morale

How are you working to improve sales?

When it comes to sales, what do you value? If the answer to that question is hitting the numbers, then people are simply stepping stones. When you value people first, you'll watch the numbers stack up. The goal is to invest in people. The return on that investment is huge, because people account for a quality sales operation.

Topics: Sales company culture remote sales team

Customized Coaching for Sales Talents: Coaching Responsibility & Work Ethic

Customized Coaching for Sales Talents Coaching Responsibility & Work Ethic

We all have strengths, and we all have weaknesses and like fingerprints, each of our talent combinations is entirely unique.

Human nature drives us to focus on our weaknesses, so as individuals, we expend a lot of energy trying to master behaviors that will never become natural. Managers get stuck in that trap as well, wasting much of their time coaching in a way that feels like teaching a fish to climb a tree. These futile efforts greatly lower employee engagement and only result in marginal improvement (about 10%).  On the other hand, when people focus that same time and energy on their strengths, their level of engagement shoots up, and they can improve by as much as 10 TIMES!

We help managers understand their people's unique strengths so they can apply the right coaching strategies and improve their performance. That leads to a strong return on investment for both the individual and the manager!

Topics: sales talent assessment sales talent

Weekly Roundup: Sales Meetings, Remote Employee Recognition + More

Sales Meetings, Remote Employee Recognition

- MOTIVATION -

"If not us, who? If not now, when?"

-John F. Kennedy

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Do You Really Need to Hold That Meeting [Quiz + Tips]HubSpot

"This could have been an email."

Those six words can take the wind out of an office. They mean that time has been wasted, employees are frustrated, and leadership has been ever-so-slightly undermined.

Unjustified meetings are inefficient and grating. Haphazardly putting time on colleagues' calendars — only to fumble with its purpose, conduct it without direction, or spend all your time talking at attendees as opposed to collaborating with them — takes a toll on everyone involved. >>> READ MORE

Topics: Wrap-up

The 8 Essentials to a High Performing B2B Sales Organization

The 8 Essentials to a High Performing B2B Sales Organization

There's a lot to get right if you're trying to build a high performing sales organization.

That's because sales organizations are complex systems, like the nervous system. The nervous system contains a network of specialized cells called neurons. Nerve impulses have a domino effect. Each neuron receives an impulse and must pass it on to the next neuron and make sure the correct impulse continues on its path. If something goes wrong in this process, you have problems.  

In a sales organization, there's the same domino effect. If you don't get all 8 essentials right, you'll have problems.  

Topics: sales performance Sales

Improving Sales Performance | Media Sales Report | Sales Department Structure: Size and Compensation

large-ISP_MediaSalesReport_Ep__ 3_COVER

Season 2 of the Improving Sales Performance Series focuses on the data and analysis of the newly released Media Sales Report. Partner and VP Senior Consultant Stephanie Downs and VP Senior Consultant Emily Estey at The Center for Sales Strategy, joined Matt Sunshine to discuss the Sales Department Structure section of the Media Sales Report, specifically looking at data on sales department size and compensation of sellers.

You can stream it now to hear their insight, advice, and initial thoughts after analyzing the data that was just published. Or keep reading for a brief overview.

Topics: sales performance sales structure

Customized Coaching for Sales Talents: Coaching Achiever & Competition

rCoaching Achiever

Hiring decisions can be some of the most critical decisions a company makes, and it's essential to start with talent. When a new hire has the right talents for success in the role, they learn and grow quickly, more easily achieving success.

But it’s not enough to make great hires. Even the most talented people need coaching and development to maximize their strengths and reach their full potential. When a manager hires top talent and then invests in their development and engagement, both the individual and the company grows.

Topics: sales talent assessment sales talent

Hunter vs Farmer Personality, Characteristics, and More

Hunter vs Farmer Personality

You hear the terms "hunters" and "farmers" thrown around a lot in the sales world. Sales leaders are always looking for "hunters" as they should. New business is the lifeblood of any sales organization. Without salespeople that know how to "hunt" for new clients, a company can and will be in trouble.

Of course, companies must also have salespeople who are "farmers." Reps need to be able to cultivate clients by building relationships and growing accounts. Organizations must ensure that their key accounts renew and develop.

Topics: sales performance sales accelerator sales talent

Weekly Roundup:16 COVID-19 Personality Types, Interview Questions + More

16 COVID-19 Personality Types, Interview Questions

- MOTIVATION -

"Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

-George Bernard Shaw

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Research Says There Are 16 COVID-19 Personality Types. Leaders Have to Plan for Them AllInc.

The pandemic is extraordinary not just because it's a once-in-a-century event, but because it's a challenge literally every human on the planet has faced. To some degree at least, each of us has been impacted by Covid-19 this year. We are all in this together.

History tells us this is far from unprecedented, but why exactly do pandemics kick off such nastiness? And what does that mean for leaders who must manage diverse, mutually exclusive, and sometimes downright toxic responses to the pandemic? >>> READ MORE

Topics: Wrap-up

3 Ways Technology Can Increase a Salesperson's Productivity

3 Ways Technology Can Increase a Salespersons Productivity

By embracing technology such as lead intelligence, marketing automation, and effective use of a CRM, salespeople can waste less time doing data entry, understand more about their leads, and document all of this information so it's shared across the organization. 

In this post, we'll review each one of these productivity-enhancing technologies, enabling you to be one of the companies that gains a substantial advantage over competitors and develops a more productive sales team.

Topics: sales performance sales cycle

Five Things We Learned About Leadership From Tom Brady

Five Things We Learned About Leadership From Tom Brady

Tom Brady is one of those figures that draws emotional responses ranging from adoration to outright disdain, often depending on whose team has had their playoff hopes crushed by him during his long tenure in the NFL. 

But, say what you want, there is plenty for all of us to learn about how to be an effective leader by observing what Tom Brady does

What he accomplished on Sunday is indeed one of the most profound successes in professional sports as he transformed a young, talented team in Tampa Bay that had been underperforming for years into world champions in one season, learning a new team and a new system all without the benefit of mini camps and preseason games. If you look beyond the hype, here is what you would see.

Topics: leadership talent

Improving Sales Performance | Media Sales Report | Effects of COVID-19 on the Media Sales Industry

Improving Sales Performance Media Sales Report 2

Season 2 of the Improving Sales Performance Series focuses on the data and analysis of the newly released Media Sales Report. Trey Morris, VP Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, joined Matt Sunshine on the second episode of the season to analyze the data around the effects of COVID-19 and its impact on the media sales industry.

You can stream it now to hear their insight, advice, and initial thoughts after analyzing the data that was just published. Or keep reading for a brief overview.

Topics: sales performance COVID19 Resources

Weekly Roundup: LinkedIn Profile Tips, Why Culture Matters + More

LinkedIn Profile Tips, Why Culture Matters

- MOTIVATION -

"Nothing will work unless you do."

-Maya Angelou

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

10+ LinkedIn Profile Tips to Stand Out in 2021Sales Hacker

Would you slide into a prospect’s DMs to land a product demo?

When it comes to social selling, LinkedIn is the most effective platform for generating leads and demand around your business. Whether you’re just starting your sales career or you’re looking to make your next move, having an up-to-date LinkedIn profile is one step you can’t afford to skip. >>> READ MORE

Topics: Wrap-up

A Better Way to Deal with Order Cancellations

how to handle order cancellations

The old saying “when it rains, it pours” seems to apply to order cancellations, and it seems like when cancellations occur, they occur in bunches. Here’s what many sellers do when they experience a bunch of order cancellations:

1. Have a negative reaction and argue with the client.

2. Panic and go after any account they can sell.

3. Look for ways to close a quick deal to make up for lost revenue—including dropping the price to close a deal.

4. Sell new prospects whatever they can sell without worrying about delivering results.

All items on this list ultimately lead to short term sales AND more cancellations in the future.

Topics: Needs Analysis Sales sales process

Improve Sales Performance with These 4 Words [VIDEO]

Often, clients come to us when their sales are not where they want to be, and the first thing they say is that they need us to come in and do sales training.

Yes, sales training will help, but alone, it won't be the only thing that helps improve sales performance. 

In this video, I discuss four words you need to remember to help your team improve sales: 

  • TRAIN
  • REHEARSE
  • COACH
  • MEASURE

Topics: sales performance sales training

Improving Sales Performance Series: Overview of the Media Sales Report

Improving Sales Performance Media Sales Report

We just launched Season 2 of the Improving Sales Performance Series, which focuses on the data and analysis of the newly-released Media Sales Report. John Henley and Jim Hopes, managing partners at CSS, joined Matt Sunshine on the first episode of the season to discuss their key takeaways from the report, how sales management and leadership can use this data, and the feelings of the future and outlook of the media sales industry.

You can stream it now to hear their insight, advice, and initial thoughts after analyzing the data that was just published. Or keep reading for a brief overview.

Topics: sales performance media sales report

The Key to Developing a Strategic Q1 Quarterly Action Plan

The Key to Developing a Strategic Q1 Quarterly Action Plan

At the beginning of a new year, it's tempting to set goals for the next 12 months. After all, you'll have your results from the prior year and can identify where you fell short and where you want your company to improve. 

However, try to resist the urge to create annual goals that are too detailed and contain too many action items. If you fall behind, it's hard to catch up. You can quickly lose momentum and focus on what you're trying to achieve.

Instead, quarterly goals make more sense when you're looking for action-driven results. At the end of each quarter, you can then set the appropriate goals for the next quarter. These can fit into some more general goals for the year but should also be aligned with the long-term strategy

Let's take a look at the steps to create a quarterly action plan, how to measure success, and how to plan for the following quarter.

Topics: sales performance increasing new business