The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

This is the first post in a four-part series on how managers can set new hires up for success.

Onboarding new employees the right way is crucial in retaining them long-term.

According to an Aberdeen Group study, 86 percent of respondents felt that a new hire’s decision to stay with a company long-term is made within the first six months of employment. So you want to ensure you provide a challenging, but rewarding, experience that first six months and get it right immediately out of the gate! There are a few things you can do before and after your new hire’s first day to set them up for success and retain them.

From small businesses to international enterprises, most companies are dependent on effective sales to thrive. This is where sales integration tools come in. 

At the core of sales integration tools is the idea of sales intelligence. The goal of these tools is to improve the efficiency and quality of sales interactions for better conversion in the long run. Sales intelligence and management tools integrate with other software to make lead information as robust and accessible to sales reps as possible.

When used correctly, sales integration tools can not only improve the quality and efficiency of sales interactions but also lead to better customer relationships and increased sales.

Getting that first appointment with a new business prospect is difficult because most sellers do not take the time to establish trust and create value in the mind of the prospect.

Unknown salespeople do not have the best reputation in the minds of new business prospects because of the less than honest actions of some sellers. An essential element to overcoming this hurdle is establishing trust and creating value—one way to do this is to think like an owner. 

- WHAT'S MOTIVATING US THIS WEEK -

"IN ORDER TO GROW BETTER, YOU NEED A CULTURE

THAT PUTS THE CUSTOMER FIRST."

-DHARMESH SHAH 
At Hubspot's Annual Conference, #INBOUND18

- WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK -

<< If you only read one thing >>

How to Respond When Prospects Ask For Customer References: 12 Strategies — Hubspot

Customer references can make the difference between a closed sale or a lost one.
But there's a time and a place to introduce your prospects to your customers. It's not in the beginning of the sales process, when many prospects ask. It might not even be in the middle of your process if you haven’t already done a good job addressing their concerns.

Measuring the results of an ad campaign or a marketing push is important. How else will you know if the effort was a success, and if the investment produced a profitable return? In the past, it was often tough to measure, causing uncertainty and frustration among both buyers and sellers.

In the digital age, I could argue that it’s gotten too easy to report campaign metrics.

My family and I love to take advantage of a weekend getaway with a fun road trip, but that also means we need to be ready to pack up and leave when the moment presents itself! So, even though I "maintain" my car by manufacturer standards on a regular basis, I still take my car in for a thorough inspection before every road trip. 

Just like I have a trusted and experienced mechanic examine my car prior to road trips, the same type of detailed inspection should be performed on your sales department and its performance. 

What came first, the chicken or the egg?
No doubt you have heard this question. No doubt the debate continues.

Here’s is the chicken-and-egg version as it relates to sales:
What leads to more cash, more appointments, or more assignments from set appointments?

- WHAT'S MOTIVATING US THIS WEEK -

"THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THINK THEY
CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ARE THE ONES WHO DO."

-STEVE JOBS

- WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK -

<< If you only read one thing >>

Four Ways to Get Video Right for Social Selling — SellingPower

When LinkedIn revealed that video posts now get three times the engagement of text posts on their platform, it sent shockwaves through the social selling community. Knowing that video provides such a significant engagement advantage means creating more video – and creating video with the best possible quality – is critical to making social selling initiatives effective.

When was the last time you asked for a referral? Go ahead and fill in the date here ______________.  If the answer is yesterday, congratulations. If you can’t remember any time recently, you should stop and figure out why you are not doing this.

Think about it. When you are looking to hire a professional what do you do? Of course, you ask people you know and trust who they would recommend, right? Well, a referral is an implied recommendation. Clients who give you the name of someone to contact feel comfortable about the expertise you bring to the table and its potential to help the business or person they are referring. So, again, how often do you ask satisfied customers for a referral? I bet you are thinking, “Not often enough.”

SCENARIO:

Your top-performing, seasoned seller just turned in their notice. You are prepared because you were diligent and have a full talent bank with well-qualified candidates. But even with all of this prep, you realize how overwhelming the task of examining the candidates in your talent bank can be.

Where do you start? The job title is the same, but the challenge is different each time.