The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Underperforming sales teams can significantly hinder a company's growth and success. If you're grappling with poor sales performance, now is the time to identify the root causes and implement effective solutions.

The media sales industry faces a significant challenge: securing quality appointments with prospects ready to do business.

Media salespeople excel when engaging with prospects, identifying needs, and selling solutions, but the current system forces them to spend excessive time cold calling. This inefficiency leads to only one or two quality appointments a week, hindering even the most talented sellers from achieving better results.

The process needs a fundamental change to improve outcomes.

If you’ve ever thought, "I need more meetings on my calendar," this blog is for you.

We all know that increasing your online visibility is a game-changer. But how do you do it without turning into a social media zombie?

Fear not, my friends! Here are five effective ways to boost your online profile and exposure, making those new business appointments roll in like never before.

Effective delegation goes beyond merely assigning tasks; it serves as a pivotal strategy for enhancing sales reps' skills, bolstering leadership within an organization, and fostering a culture of accountability and communication.

For sales managers, mastering delegation can lead to a more dynamic, adaptable, and successful sales team. This not only streamlines operations but also significantly contributes to each team member's personal and professional development.

Let's explore the significance of leadership and mentoring in the delegation process, the role of communication in executing tasks efficiently, and the importance of accountability in assessing the success of delegation efforts.

What is the best response when asked, “Is the price negotiable?”

Your first reaction might be to lower the price to close the deal.

• Interpreting their question as a request will result in lowering the price.
• Offering to lower the price, only to find they will continually ask for more.

A better response is to demonstrate the value of your offering.

• Work with your prospects to help them better understand the value of your services, products, and deliverables.
• Show them the great deal they are already getting when evaluated in terms of the specific value you’re bringing to their company and how doing business with you will help them meet their goals.

You have found the perfect candidate with the right blend of talents, skills, and experience. You have reviewed their assessment with a talent analyst and know what to expect.

It’s time to have them hired and jumping right in, right?

Not so fast. Now it’s the time to take those talents and create an onboarding plan customized to your new hire.

The most common reason employees give for quitting their last job is that their manager didn't care about them. 70% of top performers who leave their jobs point to a breakdown in a relationship.

Those employees aren’t your strugglers, or even your run-of-the-mill, average players. They are your top performers—those who you worked so hard to recruit, invested time in training and coaching, and who lead to the biggest growth in your organization.

Even though they may want to advance their careers, earn a living, support their families, and contribute to society – if an individual does not believe they can trust their manager to have their best interests at heart, they usually can’t keep doing the job.

Hunters and farmers are crucial for a balanced and effective sales team. Hunters actively seek out new business opportunities, while farmers nurture and grow existing client relationships.

Setting benchmarks for these two distinct roles requires a nuanced approach to recognizing their unique strengths and contributions.

Have you ever interviewed or hired someone who couldn’t stop raving about their previous company?

Maybe circumstances forced them to leave, or the company was acquired, but they see their previous team as the best.

Now think about your team. Do your Account Executives rave about the culture on the team to anyone who will listen? Do they tell their friends that they should apply for open positions because your company is the best one to work for?

What is the “secret sauce” that beloved leaders of highly successful and happy teams have that everyone else is missing? Let’s find out.

Finding the right person for a job is challenging, especially with other responsibilities on your plate. Rushing through the process and taking shortcuts can lead to costly mistakes. A poor hiring decision can be expensive and difficult to reverse. Worse, once you part ways with a mismatched hire, you’re back to square one, facing the same urgency as before.

Consider this: if you don’t have the time to do it right now, when will you find the time to do it all over again? To avoid wasted time and frustration, getting it right the first time is crucial.