The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Account List Management is easy, but many don’t see it as a priority. 

I suggest you take a few minutes to “spring clean” your account list. You will find many “Aha’s” when looking at it closely.  Here’s a simple outline of how to clean up your list.  

In the travel industry, you want to be a “destination of choice,” meaning you are highly preferred or sought after by travelers for your attractions, amenities, and experiences. As an employer, you want the exact same thing.

But what does that mean for you? How can you be a destination of choice?

Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While one person might seek the rich history and cultural landmarks of London rather than the commercialization and street vendors of New York’s Times Square, another might be looking for a bustling, exciting experience and jump on a trip to New York. London and New York have very different brands.

The most common frustration I hear from B2B sales and marketing leaders is their inability to secure first appointments with qualified prospects. The common sentiment that I hear over and over again is this.

“We do really well as a sales team when we have an opportunity to tell our story. But we’re just not getting enough at-bats.”

For several years, traditional outbound prospecting methods (cold calling and email) in B2B selling have become less productive. The average cold call success rate in 2024 is 4.82%.

This statistic includes efforts to call into all sizes of companies and levels of target contacts. As you call larger companies and higher-level decision-makers, this number can plummet to less than 1%.

And email isn’t much better. Over 60% of all cold outbound emails go unopened by the target prospect.

We've all been there—feeling overwhelmed, scattered, and struggling to get things done. The traditional approach tells us to buckle down, make a to-do list, and manage our time better.

But what if the real key to productivity lies not in rigidly scheduling every minute but in learning to manage our minds?

David Kadavy's "Mind Management, Not Time Management" offers a fresh perspective and practical tips for boosting productivity by harnessing the power of your most precious resource—your attention.

An effective omnichannel strategy integrates various channels, ensuring a consistent and personalized customer journey that leads to better brand recognition, customer satisfaction, and increased conversions.

As sales cycles embrace a hybrid model, the buyer's journey now spans multiple physical and digital touchpoints before making a purchase. To optimize the omnichannel experience and foster customer retention, it's crucial to understand customer expectations, map their journey, leverage data insights, align stakeholders, and continuously enhance the post-purchase experience.

At the core of every successful workforce management practice is communication. As managers and sellers adapt to this new normal, clear communication, and scheduled talk time are more important than ever before. Talk time comes in forms such as:

• Manager to seller talk time
• Manager to key customer talk time
• Seller to key and secondary customer talk time

Email is great for communicating data and confirming details, but nothing beats a conversation. Especially when the person on the other end of the line—phone or video—has a problem and needs to tap into your problem-solving expertise.

Whether with your sales team, customers, or prospects, regular check-ins promote open communication and stop larger issues from festering, as well as allow for immediate feedback.

While marketing strategies and sales tactics are crucial, the power of building strong relationships should never be underestimated. Genuine connections forged through authentic interactions and a deep understanding of your client's needs can pave the way for sustainable business growth.

By focusing on creating valuable and meaningful bonds, you can establish a loyal customer base, foster trust, and ultimately drive long-term success for your business. Discover how to leverage the power of genuine connections to stand out in a crowded market and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Studies show that reaching out to leads within an hour of them contacting you makes you seven times likelier to have meaningful conversations, and up to 50% of sales go to the vendor who responded first.

There’s also a tenfold decrease in your odds of making contact with a lead if you wait more than five minutes to reach out after they submit a web form.

Whether from clients, management, or themselves, salespeople are under a lot of pressure to perform faster in their sales processes. We live and work in a fast-paced, “want it now” culture that can feel overwhelming at times. Sometimes, there’s only one solution to closing more deals, and that’s to SLOW DOWN!