The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

We are now a few months into the new year. Often, at the end of the prior year, I spend time talking about the year ahead. I ask the sellers that I coach what they want to accomplish. Where do they want to be at the end of this year? We discuss their professional sales goals, and then we begin to make a plan together to help them achieve those goals.

I encourage them to make sure they understand the importance of high priority prospects or what we call target accounts. Ensuring sales teams understand how to identify, develop, and close (or walk away) is a critical part of sellers achieving their objectives throughout the year.

- MOTIVATION -

"THE MOST UNPROFITABLE ITEM EVER MANUFACTURED IS AN EXCUSE"

-JOHN MASON

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Three New Selling Skills You Need to Win with Buyers — Selling Power

Effective sales professionals are recognizing that the skills needed today look different from conventional selling capabilities. Uptiering, asserting, and aligning are all part of the new playbook. >>> READ MORE

We always talk to our salespeople about having better business acumen, and we teach them to speak like a business owner. This gives sellers leverage and credibility when talking with prospects and customers.

Growing up, my dad always told me that if you just read the front page of The Wall Street Journal, you'd be more informed than 95% of the business people out there that you'd be talking to.

I can't get enough of Marie Kondo. Unless you are completely removed from social media or Netflix, you know her to be the spiritual guide to decluttering your living space on her Netlfix original series, "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo."  I am a believer and often ask myself, "Does this spark joy?" and after my recent one-on-one coaching calls with salespeople from all over the country, many seem to feel as if their Account Lists are cluttered and could use some of Marie's guidance!  

Luckily, The Center For Sales Strategy's Account List Management Strategy can help you declutter and tidy up your account list!  There are 4 categories of accounts that are likely to "spark joy" for any salesperson: key accounts, secondary accounts, target accounts, and leads.

January is history, and some sellers are already singing the blues because their year is off to a cold start. That’s the bad news… here’s the good news; it is not too late to make some changes to accelerate revenue and improve sales performance.

Here’s a list of five things to get 2019 back on track and heat up sales revenue!

- MOTIVATION -

"THE MOST UNPROFITABLE ITEM EVER MANUFACTURED IS AN EXCUSE"

-JOHN MASON

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Why Business Acumen is Key to Sales Success (And How to Get It) — Hubspot

What sets sales leaders apart from everyday reps? Why are some salespeople more effective at closing deals? And how do some reps skyrocket their career growth? The answer is simple: Business acumen. It's a term often thrown around boardrooms and blog posts, but today, I'm breaking down exactly what it is, why it's important, and how you can develop it. >>> READ MORE

They don’t know you.
They don’t trust you.
They won’t respond to your emails.
They won’t engage in a conversation with you.
They won’t meet with you!

These are some of the challenges we face from new business prospects when it is early in the sales process. Each is a hurdle we have to overcome to connect and move the sales process to the next step. When you boil it down, the problem is linked to a lack of trust and value. Simply put, you are not valued or trusted in the eyes of new business prospects.

Ouch! How can this be when you have some much going for you?

- MOTIVATION -

"YOU WIN THE GAME ONE PLAY AT A TIME."

-FRANK TARKENTON

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

One Simple Way to Improve Your Sales Process with Content (VIDEO) — LeadG2

Are you using content in the sales process? How do you use content in the sales process? Likely, your marketing team has created a large amount of great content that's not only beneficial for lead generation, but is also helpful for lead nurturing. This content could range from informational blog posts to ebooks, checklists, or industry guides. In this video, Dani Buckley, GM at LeadG2 shares one important way to utilize content in the sales process that many salespeople overlook. This one, simple tip can help improve a salesperson's sales performance. >>> READ MORE