The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

New business meetings are exciting. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of closing deals, showcasing your product, and convincing prospects that you have the perfect solution. 

You want to start selling, pitching your product, and showing off your brilliant product knowledge. DON'T DO IT!

Just shut up and let your prospect talk.  

The secret to successful sales is not just about talking but also about mastering the art of listening.

Whether you think the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Wall-E or The Terminator, the reality is that AI is going to change the way that you sell.

According to Crunchbase, there are nearly 10,000 AI startups. 10,000 new AI companies in the last year are a staggering number of people focused on how AI can help your life, business, and organization. AI's impact will be a cultural shift similar to, if not greater than, the world wide web in the 90s. The rapid advancements in AI technology have changed how we approach selling, enabling us to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. 

So, the question is how can you leverage the latest advancements of AI to help you achieve your budget, increase new business development, and help your sales team be more efficient and effective.

Are you tired of watching sales managers struggle and then resorting to a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) only to see little to no improvement? 

It's time to break that cycle and set your sales leaders up for success with a Sales Leader Success Plan.

As a sales manager, you play a crucial role in driving results and maximizing the potential of your team. But managing a team is no easy task - it requires a balance of setting clear goals, providing ongoing training and support, and effectively communicating with your team.

If you're looking to up your game and take your team to the next level, here are five proven strategies to help you succeed.

I'm a planner. Whether it's a project, a vacation, or my daily routine, I LOVE putting together plans that will help me execute the operation perfectly.

As a family, we love going to Disney World. We visit the most magical place on Earth about once a year, and every time, I spend hours researching where we will stay, what parks to visit on which day, and which fabulous restaurants to dine at. I create spreadsheets, calendars, and even touring plans for our day at each park.

I'm also a process enthusiast. I know the value of having a well-thought-out plan and process in place; a solid plan helps ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. This is especially true when it comes to sales.

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking, especially in sales, where the pressure is on to deliver results from day one.

As a manager, it's your job to not only set your new hires up for success but also to ensure they are a good fit for your team and company culture.

While experience and skills are important, don't underestimate the power of raw talent — it's often the key ingredient to a successful salesperson. But once you've hired a talented newbie, how do you turn that potential into actual results?

Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods are all known for their exceptional talent and success in their respective sports. However, they also have something else in common: they all had coaches who played a significant role in their careers.

Some might argue that it was their coaches — Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Earl Woods —  who helped turn their natural talent into the greatest athletes of their sports. It's clear that even the best of the best need and value the guidance of a coach.

We call ourselves account executives and consultants, but do we behave like consultants? 

Or do we act more like salespeople who are just there to close a deal and cash a commission check?

When I started working straight out of college, I sold advertising for a local radio station. I was 22 years old, so my real-world business experience was limited. As I grew from a salesperson to a sales manager to an executive at an advertising agency, my business acumen and expertise increased. As my business acumen increased, so did my ability to help clients. I started to behave less like a "seller" and more like a consultant who was there to help my clients.

It was a game-changer for me.  

If you are like me, the idea of your sales team working remotely was beyond your imagination. Every once in a while, you might hear a rumor about a salesperson that worked from home a couple of days of the week, but they were more like myths than reality. Oh, sure, they are "working from home," and I saw "Big Foot" run across my backyard.

However, with the pandemic, the world changed seemingly overnight.  

You went from a team that worked 100% in the office to a team that worked 100% remotely, and now that COVID is "over," you have a team that works in a hybrid model. 

Have you changed your management style to match the new reality of a hybrid sales team?

Parenting small children is not easy. I recall when my daughters were toddlers and how exhausted my wife and I were at the end of the day. We fantasized about when they would be older and more independent. We imagined parenting would be a lot easier.

Well, as I prepare for my oldest daughter's wedding in two weeks, I can tell you parenting older children is different, but it's not necessarily easy. The challenges change, the decisions become more important, and our role as parents evolves.