Shaye Smith, on March 9, 2020
LinkedIn is the most popular professional social networking site out there, which means if you have a B2B business or cater to other professionals in a specific industry, it could be the ideal platform for growing your business.
By now, you’ve updated your LinkedIn profile using the Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Checklist. Now you want more engagement, you want your LinkedIn posts to attract more viewers and increase shares—but where do you even start?
Shaye Smith, on February 6, 2020
From personal branding and thought leadership to prospecting, lead nurturing, and recruiting—there are many benefits to using LinkedIn as a sales professional. The problem is that sales professionals don't have time to set up or update the basics of their LinkedIn accounts to best represent them and their company.
You can't build a great building on a weak foundation, and the LinkedIn profile is just that: the foundation that could affect the success of your social efforts. Use this checklist to ensure your profile is updated and the best representation of your personal brand, the products you sell, and what you have to offer a prospect.
Shaye Smith, on January 29, 2020
Sales managers are superheroes that possess special traits that help them save the day and lead their team to improved sales performance. Here's a few traits that stand out most about these savvy business leaders (as told by GIFs).
Shaye Smith, on December 19, 2019
No doubt, the holidays are crazy. You're working hard to close out the year, planning for the next year, and trying to finish as strong as possible. Outside of work, there's a list a mile long —holiday parties, shopping, family, friends, wrapping, cooking, etc...
Shaye Smith, on November 21, 2019
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In an ever-changing sales landscape, maintaining a healthy personal brand on social media has become a necessary tool for sales professionals to build and maintain relationships with prospects. According to a Forrester Consulting study, Social Selling: A New B2B Imperative, “49% of B2B enterprises have developed a formal social selling program, and 28 percent are in the process of doing so.”
Even though using social media to sell has been widely adopted in many industries, our 2019 Media Sales Report found that only 12% of sales managers said their salespeople are using social media effectively to set appointments with prospects.
If you aren’t utilizing social selling as part of your sales strategy, you could be losing sales to more social-savvy salespeople.
Shaye Smith, on September 24, 2019
Just like an athlete, you can go it alone and get some occasional wins. To win a gold medal requires a clear plan, consistent discipline, and constant improvement.
At The Center for Sales Strategy (CSS), we take delivering client results seriously. We are here to help take your sales strategy from occasional wins to gold medals. Our proven strategies help clients improve their company’s sales performance and increase their sales revenue by providing tailored solutions for their needs.
We've taken some time to dig into last year's numbers so we can analyze and improve in the coming year. Here's what 2018 looked like, and we'll be sharing 2019 soon after the New Year.
Shaye Smith, on September 20, 2019
-BOB BURG
Great teams are not defined by simply having the best players. They are defined by depth, balance, and cohesion. Whether in business, sports, music, or otherwise, the highest-performing teams tend to include a diverse range of skills. Together, the team becomes a well-rounded whole greater than the sum of its parts.
This is especially true In the complex world of modern selling. It would be tough to find any single sales pro who embodies every element of an ideal skill set for the job today. But with the right skills represented in your team, you can work toward a well-rounded squad that checks every box. >>> READ MORE
Shaye Smith, on September 13, 2019
-PATRICIA FRIPP
What is a normal experience on social media like for you? I’m not talking about using it for business — I’m talking about a simple leisurely scroll. But the ultimate point I’ll make is that maybe there shouldn’t be much of a difference.
When I hop onto LinkedIn or another social media network, my usual routine is to check out the feed, press “Like” on a few posts that catch my eye, and leave a comment or two. When there’s a prompt, maybe I’ll message an acquaintance directly. It’s an easy way to stay in the loop and maintain relationships. These activities represent the fundamental purpose of social media, and that’s why the channel can be so effective as a business tool.
The thing is, social media might be most effective as a business tool — and specifically as an avenue for lead generation — when we’re not treating it as one. >>> READ MORE
Shaye Smith, on September 6, 2019
-JIM CATHCART
With a new NFL season set to get underway this week, I’m thinking about teamwork and complementary parts. A quarterback wouldn’t be too effective with no receivers to throw to. A running back is going nowhere without a line to run behind. And the entire defense would be lost without a coordinator and coaching staff in place to scout opponents, draw up schemes, and oversee execution on gameday.
Sales teams are similarly interdependent. To be successful, we need to work with one another and across departments (especially marketing). Not only this, but the most effective selling units are increasingly reliant on sales enablement tools and tactics. >>> READ MORE
Shaye Smith, on August 30, 2019
-FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Prospect calling: love it or hate it, this practice will likely always be part of the job. Our methods for communicating with potential customers are now more varied than ever, but there’s still something distinctly connective about getting on the phone and hearing someone’s voice.
With that said, there’s a difference between prospect calling and cold calling. You may be familiar with these tactics, but if you’re still aching to pick up the phone, here’s a quick list of four things you can do instead. >>> READ MORE
