The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

We’re all guilty of throwing around the terms “thought leader” and “thought leadership.”  These days the terms are so often used that we forget what they actually mean.

In fact, Inc Magazine states that the term "thought leader" is one of the most misunderstood titles in business. Tied for first is the term "influencer." 

Is sharing content on social media considered thought leadership? Do you need 10K LinkedIn followers to reach the status of a “thought leader?”

The short answer is no. We all have the ability and opportunity to be thought leaders just by educating, improving, and adding value to our industry as a whole.

To establish the foundation for sustainable business growth, a solid sales structure must be built layer by layer. People, resources, and processes must align and work together to produce the best results for your organization.

Is your current sales structure designed for the results you want?

In Episode 26, Mike Paterson, President / General Manager at Mid-West Family Illinois, discusses how sales leaders can make an impact on their sales process through sales structure.

Tune in now to hear the Live broadcast or keep reading for a brief overview.

Recently, I sat on a panel about sales and marketing, and during the presentation, another fellow panelist said, 'Email is dead! Social media is where to reach your people!' Well... I laughed (internally, of course)... but was he right?

Surely not. 

A bucket list is an ultimate list of things you would love to have happen, or be able to do, at least once in your lifetime.

While many of us use bucket lists for personal achievements, we couldn't help but wonder what's the ultimate bucket list for a sales manager look like? Improving sales performance in your organization is critical. But how will you get there?

We invited several of our team members to help compile this list, which is certainly not a complete list, so we invite you to add to it in the comment box below.

- MOTIVATION -

"Be an example. Are you prompt? Are you professional? Are you engaged? As sales leaders, we have to set the bar high for ourselves as well as our teams.”

- Lori Richardson

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

As an effective sales professional, you can’t just close the book on clients after they’ve signed the deal, even if the bulk of the work then shifts to other departments.

How your team executes the post-sale experience has important implications for the company as a whole, as well as your relationship with the customer.

What occurs during this phase can result in the customer being even more satisfied than before (including with their experience during the sales process), or it can derail what was otherwise a well-executed marketing and sales strategy.

1-on-1 meetings play a large role on your team’s sales performance.

In this episode, Stephanie Downs, VP and Senior Consultant, discusses how sales leaders can make an impact on their sales process with 1-on-1 meetings, or what we call the IFM. Plus, she covers the fundamentals of IFMs and how you can turn this dreaded weekly task into productive meeting.

Tune in now to hear the Live broadcast or keep reading for a brief overview.

Our team spend hours a day talking about talent:

• How to recruit talent
• How to hire talent
• How to develop talent

There's no doubt that talent is the foundation for success in any path we choose! But talent alone is not enough; the fit has to be right, too.

We encourage hiring managers to consider fit as carefully as they consider talent because talent is a strength only when the fit is right.

If your job involves growing a department or organization, the only way you can do that is to grow each person on board. How do you do that? Follow this Growth Formula.

“I never lose. I either win or learn.” – Nelson Mandela

Let’s be honest, in sales you're apt to hear the word “No” more than you hear “Yes”, and over time that can be a sense of frustration and in some cases a demotivating factor.

But it doesn’t have to be!

Believe it or not, you can embrace those failures and become a stronger and better salesperson than before. The key to overcoming the negativity of rejection is resilience and it can be built and strengthened with some effort and thoughtfulness.

- MOTIVATION -

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”

-John C. Maxwell

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>