Stephanie Stoll, on July 20, 2020
You hear it every day, “these challenging times,” “the new normal,” “the pandemic.” It’s no surprise that we are all facing adversity and uncertainty, but it doesn’t mean all doom and gloom. In fact, you can crush adversity and come out on the other side stronger, successful, and more skilled than ever. What is the secret to weathering the storm? Start with your sales culture as your foundation and proactively instill and foster resilience.
Amanda Meade, on July 17, 2020
-Charles R. Swindoll
Today, sales tactics and consumer behavior have changed. What worked in 1995 would be very inefficient now. Entrepreneurs and business owners should be paying attention to current sales trends so that they can meet the needs of their consumers and turn a profit.
Here are some of the top sales trends you should be paying attention to in 2020.>>>READ MORE
Matt Sunshine, on July 16, 2020
The market's uncertainty has left many companies with an uncomfortable and frustrating bloated feeling in their sales pipeline.
Even before the pandemic, you could have easily convinced me that compensation plans changed radically and that people in sales were getting paid based on pending business. Every time I asked a salesperson how they were doing, I received the same response: "I’ve got a lot pending!”
Pre-pandemic, I reviewed over 500 proposals from various B2B sales organizations over the course of six months. These were all legitimate proposals, actually presented to a prospect or client. Based on those proposals, and the bloated pipeline many of you are experiencing today, here's some valuable insight on how to close more business.
Trey Morris, on July 15, 2020
Last week, we discussed why the sales industry needed a Henry Ford assembly line. We determined that while the technology that we use has changed over time, our sales structure’s foundation has not.
Before Ford's assembly line, auto manufacturers built cars one-at-a-time. They hired a skilled artisan who would build the vehicle from the ground up, which meant that Ford had to hire people who knew every aspect of the vehicle. From connecting an engine to a frame, steering to the chassis, installing seats, builders had to know how to do it all.
It’s what we expect salespeople to do with radio and television stations. Don't we still expect salespeople to also do it all?
Amanda Meade, on July 10, 2020
-Helen Keller
Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11, businesses have had to reckon with its economic impact for over a full quarter.
Now that businesses have closed the books on Q2, HubSpot took a step back and assessed where their customers are, four months later. How does the state of business compare today to where it was in March? How have teams changed their behavior to adapt to the new economic climate? What's worked, and what hasn't? And what changes are here to stay?>>>READ MORE
Amanda Meade, on July 8, 2020
How fast does your team move when a lead comes in? A lead response study of 2,241 US companies showed that the average first response time of B2B companies to their leads was 42 hours.
A quality lead degrades over time. Every aspect, from the channel you select to the amount of time you take to respond, impacts your prospect’s decision. Whether you conduct your sales outreach by phone, email, or social media, timing is crucial — and here’s the data to back it up.
Trey Morris, on July 7, 2020
History is fascinating! You can learn so much from the past. The History channel offers some amazing documentaries that can enlightening for those of us that want to learn from the past to improve our future. One of the most popular series on History is the "The Men Who Built America". These epic documentaries tell the story of how great men and women shaped our country through their entrepreneurial spirits and built companies and brands that built America.
The latest series, "The Cars that Built America," obviously highlight stories of American auto manufacturers. And, you can’t talk about automobile history without telling Henry Ford's story. As a visionary, Ford was an entrepreneur that developed many of the best practices that companies still use today. The most famous of his designs was the assembly line.
Deborah Fulghum, on July 6, 2020
Have you ever participated in a trust building exercise? They have been the craze for years. There have been a few fun ones, like Escape Rooms, but there have also been a few you wish to forget, like “trust fall.” Seriously, who enjoys blindly falling backwards hoping someone will catch us?!
Team building exercises are a great way to form relationships and build reciprocity. But developing trust takes time—much longer than one afternoon—and activities alone are not how a foundation of trust is established. Building an effective team starts by asking thoughtful questions. Those questions spark conversation, providing team members an opportunity to share bits of information about themselves, and over time, leading to more trust and engagement—improving team productivity along the way.
Amanda Meade, on July 3, 2020
-Albert Camus
Sales organizations adapted quickly to the new reality brought by COVID-19. LinkedIn research showed that salespeople, suddenly working remotely, embraced virtual selling almost immediately:
With conferences and other opportunities for face-to-face meetings sidelined in the current environment, LinkedIn’s new State of Sales Report 2020 found that COVID-19 is having more than a short-term impact. Our research indicates that seven long-term sales trends that were already in motion are accelerating in today’s economic conditions. Read on for a closer look at these seven enduring trends.>>>READ MORE
Matt Sunshine, on July 2, 2020
In every industry, there are people or businesses we think of as being thought leaders. These people and organizations are the ones that you check on regularly with regard to innovation, market challenges, and new initiatives.
Being considered a thought leader in your industry is certainly an advantageous position to have, as it helps with lead generation, sales, recruitment and retention, new business opportunities, and more.
