Stephanie Stoll, on May 10, 2022
Most salespeople will claim to have many happy customers, but can they prove it?
Renewals and repeat customers are one thing, but many buyers can live with being content with their seller and stick with who they know because nothing is broken, but what evidence is there of your raving fans?
Most companies spend countless hours working on strategy, sales and growth plans, financial plans, and 5-year forecasts, also known as HIP (High-Involvement Planning™). They have numerous spreadsheets, presentations, and market data to support their plan. They bring in macro and micro-financial gurus to validate their information. The board approves the plan, and everything is ready to go.
Wait a minute. The company forgot to answer the most important question. Who will be responsible/accountable for making sure this gets accomplished? Do we have enough capable and available leaders to grow the top and bottom line 10%? Who is going to open and manage the new locations or the acquisition? Who is going to lead the new product launch?
Good question/s. >>> READ MORE
Matt Sunshine, on May 5, 2022
I know what you’re thinking… NO, I do not think sales managers should close deals for their salespeople. Doing that (consistently) only causes more issues, but that's not what this is about.
The reality is, while pending business is great, what we need to see is salespeople closing business.
Susan McCullin, on May 4, 2022
Let's cut to the chase — it's important to quickly identify and address your sales team's challenges.
It's also important to note that no business or team is exempt from sales challenges. The differentiating factor is the ability to overcome those challenges. Below you'll find four of the most common challenges among struggling sales teams and how to address them.
Stop spinning your wheels on lousy prospects!
Slow kills deals.
Every seller knows (and loves) the feeling of a textbook sales process that goes from identify to closed-won, quickly. The benefits of moving prospects to customers quickly through the pipeline expose several key leading indicators of the health of your sales team and sales process.
Susan McCullin, on May 2, 2022
Did you know that there are 397,900 sales managers in the United States?
It's expected that this number will jump by 7% each year, which is the average amount of growth in the U.S. for a profession.
As a manager, you need to ensure that your team is successful and happy. Keep reading, and we'll guide you through the fatal sales leadership practices you should avoid.
Amanda Meade, on April 29, 2022
Have you found yourself talking about inflation or labor issues lately?
They were discussing these issues long before you or I started having dinner conversations about them.
However, ITR Economics' perspective isn’t the doom and gloom one might expect. The firm is adamantly teaching its clients how to prosper in what it has coined “the Age of Decline.”
But before we jump into a few of ITR's recommendations on what to do now to prepare for the future, let’s address the elephant in the room. >>> READ MORE
Trey Morris, on April 28, 2022
If you have kids or watch a lot of Tik-Tok, you're familiar with the Backyardigans song 'International Super Spy'.
It's a catchy little tune that will not get out of your head. As silly as the song is, it reminds us that part of your job as a salesperson is to be a spy. No, not a real spy, but one that targets prospects and does some sleuthing to uncover inside information before your first Discover meeting.
The Discover meeting is the most important meeting you will ever have with any client, ever! If improving sales performance is important, read on!
Matt Sunshine, on April 27, 2022
One global pandemic, multiple lockdowns, and never-ending strains have reshaped the world — the way we live, the way we socialize, and the way business is done. COVID-19 was indeed the biggest disruption to work as well as life in decades.
Productivity prior to the pandemic was a well-defined metric across companies. Some measured productivity by time, some by deliverables, some by revenue, and most by a combination of the three.
Susan McCullin, on April 26, 2022
The higher the close ratio of your sales team, the more sales you are making.
It can benefit your team and your company if you know what your close ratio is and how to increase it. Knowing where you stand and what your obstacles are is helpful when it comes to having a goal in mind.
Below are some questions that could help your team members (and you as manager) on the road to higher sales.
