The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Everyone agrees that referrals are an essential part of growing a business. Furthermore, it's the most cost-effective way to build customer relationships and win new customers. Despite the sundry benefits of a referral program, how to ask for referrals has never been easy.

Acquiring a referred customer will cost you almost nothing, and they have a high degree of loyalty and retention. In fact, a referred client has a twice lifetime value compared to a non-referred customer.

Let's face it: asking is the best way to get customer referrals. But breaking the ice and asking directly for referrals can feel awkward, right? It might sound like you are desperately trying to ask for a favor.

- MOTIVATION -

"It's not about having the right opportunities. It's about handling the opportunities right."

- Mark Hunter

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Being a sales manager has always been a difficult job. But we can all agree that over the last couple of years, it’s gotten a lot harder.

In this episode of the Sales Leadership Series, Mike Searson, Vice President, Local Revenue at Corus Entertainment discusses sales and executive leadership tips. He also addresses some of the top KPIs he looks at and what sales managers should be focused on in the upcoming years.

Tune in now or keep reading for a brief overview.

As a sales manager, here’s an easy concept to get your head around: sales performance improves when sales managers set clear expectations with each salesperson.

Think about it, when sellers know what to do—and managers establish performance tracking metrics and leading indicators to monitor progress—life becomes easier for all involved.

Simply put, when life is easier for a salesperson, they perform at a higher level.

This past year has been full of changes due to the pandemic. More and more people prefer to shop and find their information online.

By now, you realize it's going to take more than just clever marketing and hard work to compete in this ever-changing landscape.

If you want to prepare for 2022, you must look at the pandemic’s impact and how the business landscape has changed. Otherwise, you’ll quickly fall behind. With so many shops competing for consumer attention, and 22% of businesses closing since the pandemic, the pressure is on.

- MOTIVATION -

"Expect the best, prepare for the worst, capitalize on what comes."

- Zig Ziglar

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For most sales reps, the benefits of employing automation tools are manifest. Who wouldn’t want to hand over humdrum tasks to digital systems so they could spend more time on activities that are fulfilling. Studies have shown sales professionals typically spend only 11% of their time actively selling, which is doubtless something many workers in the profession would like to change.

However, many of these same salespeople live in fear that reliance on automation will damage their ability to build deep and meaningful relationships with their clients.

It makes sense because often times we associate the word “automated” with the impersonal. Although it may sound counterintuitive, many of the processes facilitated by sales automation software actually make it easier for sales reps to dedicate additional resources to enhancing client relationships.

Guests Jaleigh Long, VP/GM Atlanta and Athens Radio, Cox Media Group and Katie Reid, VP/GM Jacksonville, Cox Media Group, join the livecast to help wrap up season 5 of the Improving Sales Performance Series #WomeninSales.

As female thought leaders, experts, and industry gurus, both Jaleigh and Katie share their insight, tips, and knowledge on various topics that help companies improve sales performance.

Tune in now or keep reading for a brief overview.

Your answer to the classic 'sell me this pen' exercise shows whether you're trapped in a fixed mindset or excelling in a growth mindset. 

Everyone knows that you perform better after a year in sales than a day in sales. But, what about after five years? Do your skills keep leveling up, or do you slip into repetitive routines? 

Adopting the growth mindset in sales is the way to make sure every contact your team has is memorable, the orders start pouring in, and the customers keep coming back for more. If you want your team to exceed your highest targets in 2022, it's time to learn about the growth mindset now! 

Read on for true insight on how to crush your targets with a growth mindset.

Sales meetings have always been stressful. But with the recent shift to digital, many sales professionals have had to adapt to a whole new way of closing deals.

Naturally, as with anything new, mistakes are still being made. And since sales meeting blunders can cost you business, we've created a list of the five most common ones so you can avoid them in the future.