The Center for Sales Strategy - Sales Strategy Blog

Weekly Roundup: Sales Training Games, Sales Forecasting Methods + More

Written by Amanda Meade | July 9, 2021

- MOTIVATION -

"Sales is not about selling anymore, but about building trust and educating.”

- Siva Devaki

- AROUND THE WEB -

<< If you only read one thing >>

27 Sales Training Games, Activities, & Ideas To Ramp Up Your Team – HubSpot

There are over 13 million salespeople working in the United States, and they spend weeks or even months training for success in their role.

Given the different responsibilities, industries, and team structures salespeople encounter, it’s hard to recommend a one-size-fits-all approach to sales training. Your reps need to learn and retain all of the company-specific skills and knowledge in order to succeed in their jobs.

That’s why we’ve made a list of the best sales training ideas, activities, and games. Read through the list to determine the best tactics and programs to use when training your sales team. >>> READ MORE

How To Rebuild Relationships After A Long Pause – McLeod & More

“So, how’ve you been?!”

You search for the words. Between unrelenting work chaos, managing virtual school, and the constant anxiety of dealing with a pandemic, it’s hard to know how to respond to a well-intended reach out like this.

“Uh, we’re hanging in there! Crazy time right!?” You awkwardly stammer back.

Whether it’s physically seeing your coworkers for the first time in a year, dialing into the family zoom calls you’ve been ghosting lately, or striking up a chat with the other parents on the playground, most of us we want these relationships back. We miss the joy, support, and camaraderie that came from these interactions. Yet, plugging back into social relationships that have taken a long pause can be a little awkward.

Here are four tips to help.
>>> READ MORE

8 Proven Sales Forecasting Methods for Greater Accuracy Sales Hacker

Getting an accurate sales forecast is almost as important as hitting the revenue target itself. But with so many different sales forecasting methods, how do you know which technique will give you the most accurate view?

According to CSO Insights, 60% of forecasted deals do not actually close. Unsurprisingly, the data also shows that 25% of sales managers are unhappy with their forecast accuracy. Choosing the right forecasting technique can make a huge difference in your ability to accurately predict future revenue.

This post discusses three sales forecasting methods that have proven to be effective for us at HubSpot. In fact, we’ve seen that a combination of all three has actually given us the most accurate predictions. >>> READ MORE

What's The Difference Between A Marketing Qualified Lead And A Sales Qualified Lead? – LeadG2

Ask any salesperson, and they’ll tell you that not all leads are created equal. And because salespeople believe this, they don’t always follow up with every lead that marketing sends them.

Salespeople complaining about the quality of leads and Marketing Directors complaining about the lack of lead follow-up by sales seems to be the prevailing attitude in most organizations.

The most common cause of this “finger-pointing” is the lack of clarity and understanding of the fact that there are indeed different types of leads. The two primary lead types at the top of the sales funnel are marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs). >>>READ MORE

Why Managers Are Key To Employee Engagement – Up Your Culture

$450 billion each year. That's the minimum amount of money that disengaged employees are costing U.S. companies.

Research repeatedly reflects one of the biggest ongoing challenges facing organizations is employee engagement. Though it seems obvious, it's important to recognize that engagement doesn't happen automatically and isn't a state of mind for which the employee is solely responsible.

Time and again, it's shown that managers have the most direct impact on the engagement level of their team. >>>READ MORE

...And Don't Miss An Episode of Improving Sales Performance

Don’t miss another episode of the Improving Sales Performance series where Managing Partner Matt Sunshine speaks with thought leaders, experts, and industry gurus, who share their insight, tips, and knowledge on various topics that help companies improve sales performance.

  • Click here to view the playlist from Season 1 where thought leaders, experts, and industry gurus share their insight, tips, and knowledge on various topics that help companies improve sales performance.

  • Click here to view the playlist from Season 2 which is focused on analysis of the annual Media Sales Report; unpacking the data from the surveys to help media sales teams use these insights to drive sales performance in the year ahead.

  • Click here to view the playlist from Season 3 which is focused on helping sales leaders make an IMPACT on their sales performance through insight on 4 key areas: people, process, planning, and performance.

Subscribe to our newly-refreshed YouTube channel today!

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