The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

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"If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.”

-Sam Walton

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Increasing sales productivity and performance is a top challenge for any sales leader. One study even found that it surpasses the obstacles of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding.

Data suggests that salespeople spend as little as 23% of their time actually selling. In conjunction, the 2020 Media Sales Report found that nearly 1 out of every 3 (31%) of salespeople spend 20-25% of their time in discovery meetings.

Sales managers try various things to hit their targets: hiring more reps, reassigning territories, changing compensation plans… and more. Yet there’s one thing that most organizations have not tried, and when done correctly, you’ll see the growth and revenue performance you desire.

Only two jobs? Most sales managers will meet that headline with an eye-roll but stay with us.

Great sales leaders individualize their coaching while they manage a standardized sales process. The first job of a sales leader is relatively easy - the second takes more discipline. The two jobs sales managers have related to sales process are:

• Install a process that everyone on your team uses
• Keep the team focused on the process at all times

30% of job seekers have left a job within 90 days of starting.

Staffing and HR experts say onboarding new hires at an organization should be a strategic process that lasts at least one year because how employers handle the first few days and months of a new employee's experience is crucial to ensuring high retention.

Beyond the basics, what else does a new hire need?

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"Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching.”

-George Van Valkenburg

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The Media Sales Report tells us that the hardest job in sales is getting an appointment with a new prospect.

As a sales manager, it's fairly easy to speak up in the sales meeting and tell your salespeople that they need to do a better job prospecting, or that they need to just commit more time and energy to getting appointments. But they already know those things, and they're facing huge hurdles that their counterparts of a few years ago didn't face.

What are some best practices for running a successful virtual meeting? How should leaders go about unifying a remote team? 

These questions and more are answered in this Improving Sales Performance episode with Chad Littlefield, Co-Founder of We and Me, Inc.

As he shares his insight on running effective sales meetings in a work-from-home environment, he also touches on how to build a culture of trust and connection. Tune in now to hear the Live broadcast or keep reading for a brief overview.

- MOTIVATION -

"What you focus on is what you get."

-Bob Burg

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Regardless of the industry you work in; every company ultimately has the same goal: to increase revenue and grow business.

To set your organization up for long-term success, you need more than just a goal. You need a strategic plan, and that’s where target drives come in.

In this episode of Improving Sales Performance, Alina McComas, VP / Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, shares her insight on implementing target drives that help improve revenue performance. Keep reading for a brief overview or tune in now.

When you start a new sales job, there’s always a transition that includes many different learning curves. You learn how to embrace a new culture, learn to meet the expectations of new leadership, take on new functions within a sales job, and then there's the social pressure.

One of the best ways to ease the pain of transition is to offer new sales hires training—training in areas that help introduce skills needed or training for existing salespeople to enhance skills they may have already developed but can always improve. 

Sapling has found that “Without powerful onboarding, it takes around 8 to 12 months for new employees to reach their full productivity levels.”

By taking the time upfront to onboard people in a meaningful way, they’ll be able to begin contributing at higher levels quicker and make a more immediate impact on the organization.

Onboarding is a prime opportunity for employers to win the hearts of new employees. Don't waste it, experts say.

- MOTIVATION -

"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."

-Sam Levenson

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Vertical targeting is one of the most effective ways to capture a focused, intent-driven audience. You can use specific messaging tailored for that segment and curate the content to cater to your target market’s unique needs and interests.

In this episode of Improving Sales Performance, John Matthews, President and CEO of Gray Cat Enterprises, Inc., shares his insight on targeting a vertical market to improve an organization's sales performance.

Scientists say music changes mood, motivation, cognitive processing, and the ability to retain information. Additionally, music just makes work more fun and time fly!  

Setting appointments is a common problem — in fact, the 2020 Media Sales Report found that 80% of sales managers find it harder today than just 5 years ago. Listening to music is just one small motivator that will help get the job done.

Effective sales prospecting is one of the most challenging — and most important —parts of the sales process. Getting it wrong means wasted time and frustration. Getting it right means a healthier pipeline and better performance.

This article was originally published on Entrepreneur.com.

What’s the worst thing that can happen if you buy weak leads from a questionable source? New York City real estate broker Nathan Horne almost found out.

Like the thousands of professionals in his industry who collectively spent $10.5 billion on advertising in 2017, his employer, The Corcoran Group, focused on branding instead of strategic lead generation. So, when Horne called someone he thought was a hot lead, he got the surprise of his life. Instead of a potential buyer, the police detective who answered the phone made a veiled threat about having a gun and being willing to use it.

You mean well. You want to do it better this year. But, somehow every year, it gets away from you. 

We all have good intentions each year to do a better job planning, selling, and tracking all of the major sales opportunities for our organization. This is why you really need to start planning using a sales calendar.

- MOTIVATION -

"Quality performance starts with a positive attitude."

-Jeffery Gitomer

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What are some common obstacles that stand in the way of a successful sales culture? And how should sales organizations use social media to help drive revenue?

These questions and more were answered in Episode 17 of the Improving Sales Performance series. In case you missed the Live broadcast, here’s a breakdown of Elissa Nauful’s, Digital Media, Marketing and Social Advisor, insights for executive leaders who want to build a successful sales culture.