The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

With the holidays looming ahead and the new year not far behind, there’s no better time to start looking for gifts for your sales team that will show they’re appreciated. 

However, when considering gifts for your salespeople, some level of personalization can go a long way. Ditch the printed pens that are half broken and lanyards that can’t hold anything heavier than a single house key. Instead, consider these top gifts for salespeople that go the extra mile in showing you’re thinking about them.

Considering that Millennials make up the largest percentage of the workforce, it's likely you will be hiring one. If not now, in the near future.

Understanding what makes a Millennial happy in the workplace gives you clues about the best way to recruit one.

I wanted to title this blog "Top performers WANT to be measured, but poor or average performers NEED to be measured," but I was told that isn't a very strong title for click-throughs.

Nevertheless, I will continue with this blog despite my disappointment. 

As you know, your best salespeople want to be better!

• They want/need feedback.
• They want to know the score.
• They want to know how they compare to others.
• And they want to be measured so they can see how good they are compared to the rest of the team. 

If you’re in sales, you spend a lot of your time asking other people to buy what you sell. What about the last time you purchased something? Coffee on the way to work, an app on your phone, or maybe a new home appliance?

Why did you buy it now, instead of later? I find my tipping point is often based on my experience during the purchase process.

As a sales manager, your time is valuable, and managing your sales team tops the list of priorities. How much time and with whom you spend your time is critical to achieving sales goals.

But where to start? Most of us spend time with those we think need the most attention, those not meeting goals. Our instincts are to “fix” people. But take a minute to consider if this is a good use of your time.

What if you spent time with your top performers instead? Focusing on people development is a key to employee engagement and retention, which leads to bottom-line growth.

Creating an environment of trust and becoming a trusted advisor is one of the most important roles of a successful sales professional.  

That requires a shift from focusing on selling your product or solution to understanding and meeting the needs of the prospect or client in the now, near, and far.