The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

A person needs many skills and qualities to be successful at business, including good organization, communication, leadership, and negation.

Business acumen is another necessary skill for those who are driven to succeed. But what is it? And how can you develop it?

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about business acumen.

Nobody likes to feel used.

This is probably not a news flash, but salespeople don’t like to feel as though they're being used by their sales manager to hit their budget or bonus.

During an industry conference, I happened to be sitting next to two sales managers discussing their second-quarter budgets and how difficult it was going to be to hit them.

The manager doing most of the talking said to the other, “I just don’t know what I am going to do. Maybe I just need to get more bodies in here and get them out selling and hitting the streets. The folks I have in here right now just aren’t getting it done for me, and I don’t want to miss hitting my bonus in Q2.”

All sales managers know that it’s important to have a full staff of salespeople in order to hit your goals. But you know how risky and ineffective it is simply to hire anyone who can fog a mirror. It’s essential to hire only the right people. 

When searching for the right talents, skills, and experience, strong sales managers recognize that talent is primary.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on Salesandmarketing.com.

If you’re a sales manager, you know this to be true: Having that tough conversation with a salesperson who isn’t meeting goals is never fun. Telling people they’re not meeting expectations and inspiring them to turn things around isn’t easy. In fact, most of the time, it’s downright uncomfortable. Alas, it is absolutely essential.

What does it take to transform this dreaded responsibility into a positive, fulfilling part of your day? It’s all about dialing down “telling” and ramping up “showing.”

No matter how good a product is, nobody will buy it if they have not heard about it. On top of that, sometimes it takes a skilled and informed presentation of a product for people to realize how much value it can bring to them. That is the job of the more than 13 million people who are employed in sales just in the United States!

Of course, the world of sales comes with its own challenges. One of the most common challenges that sales leaders work with is time management. Learning to manage this one area can greatly increase success and productivity.

But there is a reason that time management is one of the most common sales leaders' challenges. It can be difficult to figure out how to make it work for you. Read on to learn all about the time management techniques that can help you tackle this sales challenge!

Stressed? Anxious? Unmotivated?

Everyone requires motivation. And, your sales team is no exception as they strive to keep up performance, reach goals, and deliver results. The constant pressure (combined with adversity and uncertainty) is physically and mentally draining.

Motivation is crucial for performance. The real purpose of a motivational speech is to get the recipient, to do something differently, because the speaker has got you to think differently. Browse through our list of 20 motivational videos, watch a few, and share the list with your team.

Working in sales isn't getting any easier. In 2020, the majority of sales reps weren't expected to meet their sales quotas.

As the leader of your sales team, it's up to you to motivate your team to reach their targets and more. But that's easier said than done.

We've created a guide with 7 sales team motivation strategies that you can use to overcome the sales leaders' challenges you encounter as the face of your team, whether you're new to the position or on your way to becoming an expert.

This article was originally published on Sales & Marketing Management.

Sales leaders are responsible for more than closing deals. Teams depend on them to see the big picture, measure current strategies, and evaluate new opportunities. Sales diagnostics help leaders see their operations from all sides so they can identify bottlenecks and keep revenue climbing.

Sales organizations have evolved over the years, and the old hierarchical structure just won’t do anymore.

A successful sales organization structure allows you to maximize your profit. This article will help you get started.

Promoting someone to a manager doesn't make them a leader.

While managers have power, they too often lack the skills to use that power effectively. What you want is a strong sales leader, but how do you get there?

That question is why we've written this guide to people management and leadership development. We'll review the core difference between a manager and a true leader and how to train managers to get there.