The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Why am I obsessed with quarterly reviews?

It's quite straightforward. Clients who implement them almost always gain a clearer understanding of what each Account Executive (AE) needs to succeed. And AE’s who actively participate in them, coming prepared with a review of the last quarter’s performance and a plan for the upcoming quarter, are more engaged and prepared for success than those who don’t.

In this fast-paced environment. distractions are inevitable. Emails pile up, urgent issues arise, and salespeople often find themselves pulled in multiple directions at once. It's easy to let these distractions derail us from our most important sales activities - developing new high-potential accounts.

Many refer to these distractions "the rats in our heads." They gnaw at us constantly, invading our mental space and eating up valuable time we should spend on productive business development. The "rats" can be loud and frenzied, making it hard to stay focused.

But we can regain control. Here are some strategies to share with your sales teams to keep the rats at bay.

Top sales people work with their clients to drive organizational success. Sales Leaders should do the same with their top sellers. Treat them like you would a top/Key account, and they will want to thrive in your organization for many years to come.

Sales leaders play a pivotal role in driving success. Not only are they responsible for meeting revenue targets, but they are also charged with the task of managing, developing, and retaining top sales talent.

As a sales manager, imagine how much better your life would be if you were consistently able to:

• Forecast with better accuracy
• Improve the sales performance of your team

These elements are important, and delivering one or the other is not an option. When you have a healthy sales pipeline that is regularly monitored, both can be easy to achieve.

Sales is the backbone of any successful business, and with technological advancements, it has become even more critical to stay ahead of the curve.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized how we approach sales, providing businesses with the tools they need to improve their team's performance and boost revenue. Mastering the art of sales with AI requires a combination of best practices and strategies that can help businesses stay competitive in today's fast-paced market.

Whether you're a sales manager looking to improve your team's performance or a business owner seeking to increase your bottom line, this guide will provide you with the insights and strategies you need to master the art of sales with AI. From leveraging data analytics to improving customer engagement, let’s explore the best practices and strategies to help you take your sales game to the next level.

One of your most important jobs as a leader is to mentor and coach, but it can be one of the most difficult parts of your job if you have an underperforming seller on your team. It’s easy to think things like “they’re not working hard enough,” “they aren’t motivated,” or maybe even “it’s time to throw in the towel.”

Before you take drastic measures and place the blame on your underperformer, here are five questions to ask yourself.

• How can sales managers better communicate and express their optimistic industry outlook to engage and inspire their teams?   
• What can sales managers do to turn a less-than-ideal company culture into one that their salespeople would evangelize about? 
• What is causing such different perceptions of what the ideal hybrid model should be? 

This season on Improving Sales Performance, we’re analyzing the findings from our latest Media Sales Report. With data collected from surveys conducted in Q4 of last year, the responses from sales managers and salespeople alike will help us chart a solid path forward through the media sales landscape.  

In each episode, Matt will be joined by a rolling roster of outstanding experts from our team here at The Center for Sales Strategy.

Here, Matt is breaking down the Sales Enablement section of the Media Sales Report with VP/GM at LeadG2 by The Center for Sales Strategy, Dani Buckley, and Senior Consultant, Emily Hartzell.

Together, Dani and Emily give their take on some top questions that arise from the report, like:

• What would you tell those sellers and sales managers who feel as though their sales collateral pieces are lacking?
• What are the first features of a website that you look for in order to most easily communicate who your company is and what problems you solve?
• How would you suggest building a better bridge of communication between marketing and sales?

Click here to listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform or keep reading as we break down the conversation from this episode.