The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Netflix claims over 45 million people have watched the movie Bird Box! Wow, 45 million people!

This post-apocalyptic thriller follows the story of a woman who must find a way to guide herself and her children to safety despite the potential threat from an unseen adversary. The story is partially told via flashbacks and takes place during three time periods.

Much has been written and said about the true meaning of Bird Box. Here are some theories—it’s all about:

• The negative impact of social media.
• The inability of people to see racism.
• The careless way some people deal with mental health issues.
• Demons wreaking havoc and driving people to harm themselves.

All these theories are pretty deep, but they miss the real meaning behind the movie. You see, Bird Box is all about sales! 

Your new hire has had great success in the past, but they don’t seem able to hit the ground running.  You look at their talent assessment, and they should have tons of confidence and enthusiasm, but the reality is, they are a little unsure, hesitant, and they keep to themselves. What happened?! You may be dealing with the ghosts of managers past.

- MOTIVATION -

"MOST PEOPLE THINK 'SELLING' IS THE SAME AS 'TALKING.' BUT THE MOST EFFECTIVE SALESPEOPLE KNOW THAT LISTENING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR JOB"

-ROY BARTELL

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

22 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Aren't Seeing Inbound Marketing Results — LeadG2

No one does marketing for marketing’s sake. We want to establish our brand, build an audience, convert leads, grow a pipeline, accelerate deals through the funnel, and ultimately grow revenue. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Success or failure needs to be based on more than just a gut feel. Data doesn’t lie. What do the numbers tell you? Here are several questions that can jump-start a discussion and help you determine your best next steps toward getting your desired results and increasing your revenue from your inbound marketing efforts. >>> READ MORE

In this video, Kim Alexandre, VP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, shares tips to get more engagement and attract great candidates from your job postings on social media. 

Early on in my sales career, there was a prospect that I was determined to close. Everyone on my sales team had tried to gain access to this decision maker, and some had gotten as far a conversation, but it never evolved from there. When my manager suggested I try to approach this target prospect, I eagerly accepted the challenge. In my head, I confidently thought, “I can make this happen.” Ha!

I spent months calling, dropping by, leaving voicemails, and sending emails. I never managed to get through to anyone, but I remained persistent and didn’t give up until one day I was told not so politely to go away.

Often during my career, I have reflected on that cringe-worthy experience. I had been persistent (outright annoying), and at the time, I had truly thought that persistence alone should get me in the door. As I began to develop and grow as a salesperson, I began to see the power of not just being persistent, but being persistent with a purpose. I learned the importance of earning trust and offering value to the prospect. Unfortunately, I had to experience some tough lessons before I got to this point.

- MOTIVATION -

"NEVER PUT OFF TILL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY"

-THOMAS JEFFERSON

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Mastering Buyer Enablement in B2B Sales — LinkedIn

When buyers win, you win. That’s the fundamental mindset behind buyer enablement and it’s one that will separate the best B2B sellers going forward. >>> READ MORE

Talking about price with a new business prospect can be tricky. If you do it too soon, you might scare away a prospect. If you wait too long, the sticker shock might blow your proposal out of the water because it exceeds reality. 

Here’s a list of recommendations and things to consider about the topic of price along with three effective ways to prompt the conversation (including some easy to use ROI formulas).

- MOTIVATION -

"SETTING THE GOALS IS THE FIRST STEP IN TURNING THE INVISIBLE INTO THE VISIBLE"

-TONY ROBBINS

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Lessons in Sales Leadership from John C. Maxwell — LinkedIn

We all know that strong sales leadership is important, and that it can dramatically improve a team’s results. But what makes a great sales leader? Which attributes can we hone to improve our positive impact? How do we go about prioritizing these efforts? A new book from John C. Maxwell may offer helpful guidance. This book, Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace, calls out three chapters (and corresponding “shifts”) that are especially pertinent for today’s sales leaders and managers. >>> READ MORE