The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

We’re so proud to be celebrating Women in Sales Month once again!

For each week in October, we have an amazing slate of women sales leaders who will be sharing their unique insights. From offering advice for sales managers new and more experienced to surveying the anticipated landscape of sales in the years ahead, when it comes to Improving Sales Performance, these ladies know how it's done.

Today, our guest is Lauren Cooley, Chief Revenue Officer at ExpertVoice. Lauren brings so many awesome points to the table, such as:

• How the pandemic challenged us and changed us for the better.
• Why you shouldn’t want a team of “you,” but, instead, a team of people who are authentically themselves.
• And, finally, how, even with the rate at which the world is changing, there’s still no substitute for spending time with your people.

Are you tired of missing out on your sales targets quarter after quarter? 

Sales forecasting involves predicting future sales patterns and identifying opportunities and risks within your market. By using proven techniques, you can gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior, optimize your sales strategies, and make informed decisions to drive growth.

From analyzing historical data and market trends to leveraging advanced forecasting tools and techniques, we will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accurate sales projections and optimize your resource allocation.

Finding and attracting top sales talent is a perpetual challenge for sales managers. With countless responsibilities already overflowing your plate, dedicating time to recruiting often falls by the wayside. However, taking a strategic approach to recruiting through inbound marketing techniques can attract qualified, eager candidates, so you spend time interviewing the right people.

Inbound marketing is proven to generate sales leads, and these same principles can be applied to enhance your employer brand and recruiting efforts. By developing engaging content and social media profiles, you position yourself as a manager invested in the success of your team.

Let's dive into how to get started with an inbound strategy to recruit the sales talent you want on your team.

It takes a lot of work to get a first meeting with a prospect.

While connecting with a prospect and getting a meeting is a series of events and second chances, that’s not the case with your needs analysis or discovery meeting. The discovery meeting is your one chance to gather information critical to creating a proposal the prospect will be interested in purchasing.

Let’s look at seven signs that you might be doing your needs analysis wrong.

You've heard the ominous predictions about the future of sales in the age of AI and automation.

Will machines replace us? Are we on the brink of becoming obsolete?

Relax, put those fears to bed. Today, we're diving into how you can not only stay relevant but thrive in this new world.

LinkedIn defines business development as "the process of identifying and pursuing new opportunities to grow a business."

Business development is essential for sales teams, as it helps to generate new leads, build relationships with potential customers, and close more deals.

The role you play as a leader in the retention of your salespeople has a huge impact on your business. The more you develop yourself as a leader, the greater influence you have on keeping the team you built in place.

This is important because when your salespeople stay, your organization has the ability to retain customers and maintain a loyal customer base, which leads to your success.

When you have effective leadership practices in place, you can create an environment that fosters a positive work environment, building strong relationships and helping to develop a customer-minded approach. With this attitude, your people will be more willing to stay and give their best every day.

The difference between success and failure is your new business!

Even the most seasoned sales veteran will experience 30% attrition every year. That means if we do not add new business in three years, your sales will dwindle to almost nothing. And if you add 30% in new business or incremental business each year, you'll basically just be treading water, not actually growing.

Implementing the right sales performance measures is crucial for success.

While there is little doubt in the minds of sales leaders that measurement is important to drive results with their salespeople, I often find the focus is too wide or shifts based on any change.

In other words, tracking everything doesn’t help you to see what is truly impactful, and improvement in performance only comes when you measure the same performance measures over time.