The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Accountability falls under two categories: the things we do and the things we do not do. We often discuss accountability related to what’s accomplished, but do you truly take the time to hold yourself accountable for what doesn’t get done?

As a leader, accountability begins with you. You set the example. So, do you hold yourself accountable as often as you hold your team accountable?

Here are three quick tips to “up” your internal accountability game.

Are you looking to stay on top of the latest trends and strategies within the sales industry?

It’s no secret that successful businesses need a strong sales department in order to be competitive. To give your team members an edge, it pays off to follow leaders in the field who have proven themselves as thought leaders: those individuals who can share insights and advice with inspiring stories, passion, and expertise.

In this article, we’ve rounded up some of the most influential sales gurus out there today – so if you want to know how to get ahead of your competition, join us as we explore our list of must-follow sales thought leaders!

As a sales manager, you understand the benefits of sales coaching. Not only does it help your sales reps close more deals, but it also improves communication, builds confidence, and enhances teamwork.

With so many different coaching styles and techniques, how do you know what's effective in today's fast-paced, ever-evolving sales environment? Here's what effective sales coaching looks like today and how to implement it in your sales organization.

Email is a critical part of a prospecting strategy, as long as it’s used in the ways in which it’s intended for. HubSpot defines a prospecting email as an outreach email a salesperson sends to a potential customer to introduce themselves, their business, and how they can help their prospect.

Email prospecting is not for building relationships, communicating a strategy, sharing an idea, or conversation in general. Create your prospecting email the right way, integrate it into a sound prospecting plan, and then you can dramatically enhance the cold calling process by getting your first close—the appointment.

So, what is the line between persistent and pest when it comes to securing appointments? Two calls? Three calls? Six?

A national study published in the Harvard Business Review recommends at least six approaches. After six approaches are when 90% of appointments are set. So, how many salespeople make six approaches?

About 4%. Yes, 4%. The majority of salespeople give up after two. To put that into perspective, making six contacts will give you a 70% increase in new appointments.

If you're looking to grow your business, prospecting is a crucial part of the process, as it allows companies to identify potential customers and clients and generate new business opportunities. However, many companies make mistakes when prospecting that can hurt their chances of success.

Let's talk about some of the most common mistakes companies make when it comes to prospecting and how to avoid them.

Culture is defined as a way of life for a group of people. When in doubt about what to do, the members will fall back on what they have learned from their culture. They don’t even think about it—they know what their culture would tell them to do.

Business organizations all have a culture, and when you walk into a business and take an instant like or dislike to being there, you are experiencing their culture. Sometimes they don’t even have to say anything—it’s an attitude you can almost feel.

Business-to-business organizations don’t often have potential customers walk into a physical location. Often a salesperson is how the client and prospect experience your organization’s culture. What is your sales culture telling them?

Finding the right talent for your company is vital to its success. A comprehensive recruitment process is essential to attract, select and retain the best employees. However, many companies struggle to create an efficient and effective recruitment process.

But there is hope.

From creating a job description that accurately reflects the position to utilizing modern recruitment tools, these steps can help you attract and retain the best employees. With the right recruitment process in place, you can be confident you are hiring the right people for the job.

Email continues to be a very effective way to engage with prospects and clients. However, consider these facts (Source).

• In 2022 there were over 330 billion emails sent and received per day.
• That number is expected to be almost 350 billion per day in 2023
• The average person sends and receives 121 business-related emails per day. Remember, that’s an average. That amount can easily be doubled for an executive-level decision-maker.
• Just because an email is sent doesn’t mean it’s opened and read. The average open rate for businesses across all industries is just 18%.

Great job to all of you who have shifted your sales recruitment emphasis from advertising and job boards to personal networking. Networking invariably produces more quality, but only if it’s done right.

The age-old approach—I’m looking for a salesperson. Do you know of anyone who’s looking? Doesn’t work.