The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Every year, a major Greek Festival attracts around 20,000 food and culture enthusiasts. The festival team diligently works with nearly 100 vendors to ensure the event runs smoothly. While all vendors are eager for business, many fail to fully understand the event's needs or follow up on the results.

Post-festival, the organizing team conducts a thorough review of all purchases to determine which investments were worthwhile and which could be eliminated. This evaluation process largely determines vendor renewals for the following year.

Vendors who demonstrated a clear understanding of the festival's requirements and offered suggestions for improvement are not only likely to be renewed but may also see increased business.

As sales leaders, we've all noticed a shift in buyer behavior over the past few years. At The Center for Sales Strategy, we've been tracking this trend closely, and it's clear that the landscape has changed dramatically.

Recent studies, including one from HubSpot, suggest it takes anywhere from 12 to 15 touches before a prospect is ready to meet with sales.

This might sound alarming, but it's our new reality. The question is: how do we adapt our strategies to meet this challenge head-on?

Teams that intentionally track performance measures and leading indicators also tend to reach their goals faster and more consistently, especially those who study the data and communicate expectations to their teams.

While I have seen teams track this data in many ways, a CRM is a critical component to effectively tracking sales performance. Without it, sales leaders often make educated guesses about how their sales team is performing.

If that’s you, you owe it to yourself and your organization to use one of the dozens of good CRMs that work best for your organization.

Ever feel like you're giving a killer sales pitch, but your prospect just keeps staring at the wall?

The truth is a one-size-fits-all sales approach rarely works. Prospects have unique personalities, and understanding these differences can be the key to unlocking sales success.

But how can you possibly tailor your approach to every single person?

The answer is to adapt your sales style to match your prospect's personality type. By doing so, you'll build stronger rapport, improve communication, and ultimately close more deals.

Underperforming sales teams can significantly hinder a company's growth and success. If you're grappling with poor sales performance, now is the time to identify the root causes and implement effective solutions.

The media sales industry faces a significant challenge: securing quality appointments with prospects ready to do business.

Media salespeople excel when engaging with prospects, identifying needs, and selling solutions, but the current system forces them to spend excessive time cold calling. This inefficiency leads to only one or two quality appointments a week, hindering even the most talented sellers from achieving better results.

The process needs a fundamental change to improve outcomes.

If you’ve ever thought, "I need more meetings on my calendar," this blog is for you.

We all know that increasing your online visibility is a game-changer. But how do you do it without turning into a social media zombie?

Fear not, my friends! Here are five effective ways to boost your online profile and exposure, making those new business appointments roll in like never before.

Effective delegation goes beyond merely assigning tasks; it serves as a pivotal strategy for enhancing sales reps' skills, bolstering leadership within an organization, and fostering a culture of accountability and communication.

For sales managers, mastering delegation can lead to a more dynamic, adaptable, and successful sales team. This not only streamlines operations but also significantly contributes to each team member's personal and professional development.

Let's explore the significance of leadership and mentoring in the delegation process, the role of communication in executing tasks efficiently, and the importance of accountability in assessing the success of delegation efforts.

What is the best response when asked, “Is the price negotiable?”

Your first reaction might be to lower the price to close the deal.

• Interpreting their question as a request will result in lowering the price.
• Offering to lower the price, only to find they will continually ask for more.

A better response is to demonstrate the value of your offering.

• Work with your prospects to help them better understand the value of your services, products, and deliverables.
• Show them the great deal they are already getting when evaluated in terms of the specific value you’re bringing to their company and how doing business with you will help them meet their goals.

You have found the perfect candidate with the right blend of talents, skills, and experience. You have reviewed their assessment with a talent analyst and know what to expect.

It’s time to have them hired and jumping right in, right?

Not so fast. Now it’s the time to take those talents and create an onboarding plan customized to your new hire.