The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

- MOTIVATION -

"THE WAY TO GET STARTED IS TO QUIT TALKING AND BEGIN DOING."

-WALT DISNEY

- AROUND THE WEB -

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The 4 Components of Effectively Employing Sales Enablement — LeadG2

Sales enablement is quite the buzzword these days, but for good reason. When done effectively, it can have last impacts on a sales organization. It can shorten the sales cycle and strengthen the entire sales process. Sales enablement has the ability to increase conversion rates and drive new revenue while simultaneously saving your salespeople precious time. >>> READ MORE

Most small growing businesses know they need to continue to make strategic investments to sustain their growth. The challenge is knowing where to invest. If the obstacles to growth that you’ve identified are branding and visibility, hiring additional recruiters will not solve these problems.

As I look into my "crystal ball," I foresee a future where the transactional salesperson is an elusive and rare creature. Have they all been completely wiped out by Artificial Intelligent (AI) computer networks where all advertising buying and selling occurs? Probably not, but I do know they will be an endangered species. In the future, AI networks and computers will be placing a larger and larger percentage of ad schedules. And even for the business that is placed the "old fashioned" way, we'll have a need for fewer transactional sellers. And those sellers will probably be covering not just clusters, but states and regions for your media group.

I know that no one wants to admit it, but advertising sales are changing at an unprecedented rate. The way that companies have done business over the last five years will not exist in the next five years.

But, it's not all bad news. Media companies that want to grow revenue in a marketplace where 50-90% of their revenue is handled by computers or an endangered species transactional sales rep, will have to find people who can call on small and midsize businesses and develop new business. So, while we wait on our computer overlords to takeover transactional business, we should probably prepare for the days of direct, new business development.

Here are three tips to get you ready for our new media world order:

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 -

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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 -

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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