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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

How to Win Against the Competition + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

1How to Win Against the Competition — HubSpot

Salespeople and prospects rarely want to talk about the same things. You want to talk about the buyer’s budget, timeline, and role in the decision making process, while the buyer wants to talk about pricing and the nuts and bolts of the product. This conflict is especially clear when your prospect brings up the competition. It would be great to keep the focus elsewhere, but if you say too little (or nothing at all), you’ll miss an opportunity to differentiate. Say too much, and you typically come across as insecure or desperate. To walk this line and ultimately win the deal, follow these six guidelines.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

8 New Ways to Rethink Failure + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

18 New Ways to Rethink Failure — HubSpot

If you want to be great at sales, you need to get comfortable with failure. Selling requires you to constantly put yourself on the line: From requesting referrals and calling new prospects to pursuing a whale or entering a highly competitive situation. The more chances you take, the likelier you are to occasionally fall flat on your face. These eight perspectives will help you see your failure in a positive light.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

10 Time Management Hacks for Sales Reps + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

110 Time Management Hacks for Sales Reps — HubSpot

We’ve all heard the saying “time is money.” This is especially true for salespeople. Time management is one of the most challenging disciplines for salespeople to master. Reps always have several important tasks competing for their attention at once. Short of adding more hours to the day, a few solid time management hacks can help reps boost productivity. Here are 10 that you may not be using yet.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

5 Highly Effective Ways to Respond to Pricing Questions + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

15 Highly Effective Ways to Respond to Pricing Questions — HubSpot

You’re meeting with a hot prospect for the first time when they hit you with the dreaded price question. How you respond could make or break the rest of the conversation. Here's how to nail that response.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

Offline & Organic: The Two Rivers That Feed Modern Local SEO + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

1Offline & Organic: The Two Rivers That Feed Modern Local SEO — Moz

Local companies that lack a basic understanding of how customer service works in the offline world won’t be fully equipped to consult with clients who may need as much help defining the USP of their business as they do managing its local promotion. This post shows how the two work together and howt o maximize them both.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

How to Craft Meetings People Love (Really) + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

1How to Craft Meetings People Love (Really) — strategy + business

At their worst, meetings are like short prison sentences that have you counting the minutes until your release. Yet there are meetings that are useful and productive, and even invigorating and enjoyable. This article looks at three types of meetings that exemplify variations on best practices and are worth emulating.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

The #1 Way to Respond to Any Question from a Prospect + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

1The #1 Way to Respond to Any Question from a Prospect— HubSpot

How do you respond to prospect questions? The most effective type of response isn’t an immediate one. Implement this technique, and you’ll stand out from your selling competition.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

5 Tactics Smart Reps Use to Get Stalling Deals Over the Finish Line + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

15 Tactics Smart Reps Use to Get Stalling Deals Over the Finish Line — HubSpot

It’s the end of the month or quarter, and you’re running out of time to hit quota. A deal you were counting on to close is stalling. What do you do? Pressuring your prospect to buy before they’re ready is never wise, unless you want to lose their trust and potentially their business. But there are several non-manipulative ways to increase the buyer’s urgency, like these five ideas.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

The Online Ad Industry Is Undergoing Self-Reflection + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

1The Online Ad Industry Is Undergoing Self-Reflection. That’s Good News. — The New York Times

Traditional and digital media haven't always connected, but the future of the ad industry is a combination of both. Making the leap from traditional to digital doesn't have to be a difficult one, but the online ad industry is also going to have to learn how to work with traditional media. The New York Times explains how both industries are going to have to learn that they need each other, and the best way to build those relationships (and skills).

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up

3 Effective Ways Sales Managers Can Optimize Their Time + More

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We hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

13 Effective Ways Sales Managers Can Optimize Their Time HubSpot

The typical sales manager arrives at the office at 8 a.m. with a prioritized list of tasks for the day. By 8:05 a.m., she’s checked her email and seen two urgent requests from salespeople, a message from the marketing department asking her to attend a 9 a.m. meeting, a note from the engineering team asking for feedback from customers, and a question from Sales Ops about the new incentive plan. The following three techniques will allow you to redirect your time toward the most productive tasks. 

Topics: Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up