The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Authenticity is having a moment, and that’s a good thing, right? Depending on how you define it, authenticity champions transparency, being genuine, keeping it real. It asks us to be vulnerable, to bring our whole selves to work. It also encourages us to speak up, to challenge authority for a purpose, and to behave and act in ways that support an inclusive, diverse environment.

The problem comes down to this. The gap between the concept of authenticity and practicing it is wide and confusing. It’s why so many C-level clients ask: How do you actually do this? As one leader put it: “It feels like a trap. Show too much authenticity, you’re unprofessional or oversharing. Not enough authenticity, you’re seen as hard to read or lacking transparency.” No wonder many leaders feel they are navigating a tricky high wire act when it comes to showing up authentically.

So, how do you actually practice authenticity? For senior leaders, here are a few tips. >>> READ MORE

Most B2B brands have a presence on at least one social network. But far too many B2B companies don’t tap into the full power of social media. The reason? They may assume social media caters to B2C companies and are less of a priority for B2B.

According to recent statistics, an estimated 3.6 billion people use social media, with that number likely to grow to  4.4 billion by 2025. That means nearly half of the world’s population uses social media. By following five best practices, you can use social media to reach new audiences, tell their brand stories, and build relationships with prospects and customers. >>> READ MORE

Do me a favor, complete this sentence: my sales software is so _____.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that phrases like 'helpful, 'fast,' and 'easy to use' didn't immediately come to mind. Most likely, your reaction was a little less positive than that.

After all, it only takes a quick look at Google's predictive search feature to get a sense of how sales people really feel about their software. And it isn't a pretty sight. >>> READ MORE

“Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.”

Brian Tracy, a motivational speaker who often speaks on goals as they relate to business success, once said this.

While true, setting meaningful and realistic sales goals can often be a challenge. Not sure where to start? We polled more than 30 sales professionals and asked them to share tips and real sales goal examples that use the SMART framework to help. Let’s dive in. >>> READ MORE