The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

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.

As I’ve mentioned before in previous blog posts, I’m a long-suffering fan of the Cleveland Browns. My team loses more games than they win. The Browns are also infamous for something else: the team has started 28 different quarterbacks since 1999! Many of these poor souls were drafted by the Browns and then thrown into the fire before they were adequately prepared, only to fail. 

- WHAT'S MOTIVATING US THIS WEEK -

"DIFFICULTIES BREAK SOME MEN BUT MAKE OTHERS"

-NELSON MANDELA

- DON'T MISS THIS -

<< FREE LIVE WEBINAR AUGUST 29TH>>

How Inbound Can Turbo Charge Your Outbound Sales Efforts — LEADG2

- WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK -

<< If you only read one thing >>

If You Abandoned this Sales Tactic, You've Been Misled — Inc

Don't stop selling solutions -- just change the way you do it. Customers still need help solving problems, but they won't waste time with salespeople who don't understand the bigger picture or haven't done their homework.

In this post, Matt Sunshine, Managing Partner at The Center for Sales Strategy, shares how to approach this stage of the sales process.

When onboarding new hires, managers have a lot of things to think about. What is the onboarding plan? Will there be pre-boarding? Who will train them? Who do they need to meet and who will show them around and introduce them to the office, co-workers, etc.?

But just as important, what is your new hire’s onboarding plan? If they walk in and have no plan and no goals, chances are they will struggle to find success in their new role. Some new hires will start day one with a clear plan or will have a plan and goals set within a few weeks, but some will need help and guidance in this area.

The Best New Hire Gift: Clear Expectations + Realistic Goals

When a problem comes along, you must whip it.
When something's going wrong, you must whip it.
Now whip it into shape… shape it up, get straight, go forward, move ahead.
Try to detect it… it's not too late to whip it!
Whip it good!
-Devo, "Whip It"