July, 2012

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2 Things about Sales Success and/or Success in General

Anthony Cole Training

I am currently conducting a poll on Linkedin. I'd like to gather some data from those in sales executive positions as to "why" people fail to meet expectations. Here is the link: Linkedin Poll. The other thing I wanted to share about sales success is my informal polling over the last 20 years of conducting sales training and sales management development classes and workshops.

Sales 186
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Pipeline Movement – [Shitty Sales Management]

A Sales Guy

Yup, I said it. Shitty sales management can kill pipeline movement. As sales leaders, we spend so much of our time evaluating our teams and the individuals on them, we often forget that our s**t can stink too. We can be the reason deals are getting stuck. After all, it is our job to help keep deals moving. This is especially true with first line managers.

Pipeline 116
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Technology Is No Substitute For Thinking

Partners in Excellence

There are a lot of great technologies that can become indispensable to sales professionals. Great sites to research things going on in our markets and with our customers, CRM tools, playbooks, and all sorts of other sales aids. Each of these can help magnify our impact and effectiveness with customers. They can help make us much more productive and accomplish a lot more each day, week, month.

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Top 5 Sales Management Best Practices

Understanding the Sales Force

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan The first problem with today's title is the "5" in "Top 5.". They are not the 5 that most sales managers spend their time on, so let's begin with the sales management practices that most sales managers actually spend their time on. By the way, that's how so many "best practices" (that aren't) actually get published.

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How to Improve Email Deliverability and Optimize Each Send

Learn how to optimize email deliverability and drive greater email ROI. What lands your email in the customer’s inbox? Understanding those factors, otherwise known as email deliverability, is critical to getting the most return on your campaign investments. But the “rules” around which factors land you in the spam folder aren’t always easy to keep up with.

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The Key To Customer Loyalty

ConversionXL

If you want to double your results, you can either double the number of visitors (very expensive), double the conversion rate (possible, but increasingly harder as there’s a max limit to your conversion rate) or double repeat purchases – loyalty. Jakob Nielsen has mentioned that 2010–2020 will be the loyalty decade. Investing in loyalty is as important as investing in usability and conversion optimization.

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Improve as a Sales Professional – 3 Tips for Better Listening

Score More Sales

Last week we talked about how a focus on improving your speaking can grow your sales revenues – the same, if not more holds true with being an effective listener. Listening – and really hearing – what buyers are looking to do, what problems they are trying to solve, and what the pulse of the market is – it’s critical for success.

Retail 84

More Trending

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Sales Revenue is a One Trick Pony

A Sales Guy

Revenue, just about EVERY sales organization runs on it. Everyone has a revenue quota. Sales reps are measured on it. Sales leaders are hired or fired on their ability to make it. Sales teams are managed to it. Revenue is the king of sales metrics and thats why many sales organizations fail. Pulling the revenue lever is a big lever. It’s a big lever because revenue can come from a number of different places; increased deal sizes, more deals, conversion or win/loss ratios etc.

Quota 114
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Lean Sales And Marketing — The Role Of The Manager

Partners in Excellence

Managers play a critical role in the lean sales and marketing organization. It’s different from we think in the traditional organization. In the traditional organization, there’s the belief we work for our managers. We all know the corporate hierarchy and pyramid. In too many organizations, managers spend too little time coaching. They are busy in meetings, they are busy with paperwork, they don’t have time or the skills to work with their people.

Sales 120
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3 Types of Salespeople - Which Can Expand Your Sales?

Understanding the Sales Force

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Yesterday, we were in a small seaside village and in a nautical gift shop, I read this sailing quote: "The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails.". Translated for selling: "The pessimist complains about the prospect. The optimist expects him to buy.

Sales 101
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Which is better in B2B Lead Generation? A $1,000 inbound lead or a $1,000 outbound lead?

Pointclear

I asked this question on Focus.com a few weeks ago and got answers that surprised me. Knowing the B2B lead generation market like I do, here is what I expected to see : “The inbound lead is better because outbound is dead.” “Inbound rules. Stop interruption marketing.” I expected these types of responses because all you read these days are article after article and blog after blog saying that “70% of the buyer’s journey is done before a sales rep needs to get

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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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How to Bounce Back From Sales Rejection

Score More Sales

If there is one thing true it is this – no one likes to deal with personal rejection. Those of us who are or have been professional, long time sales representatives, business development managers, and sales evangelists have typically learned the secret to success: You don’t take rejection personally. Even athletes miss some balls – sometimes lots of balls – or they miss the net and the game is lost.

Sports 83
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Poll Question about Sales Success

Anthony Cole Training

The results are in for my poll question on Linkedin. The question I asked was: When you are asked about someone on your team not meeting expectations your response is? The possible answers where: They are failing to execute. They lack effort. They need more training. They are making progress. I have failed to develop them. The results in a nutshell: 50% blamed the performer, 50% took responsibility for the failure of the team member.

Sales 168
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Female Athletes. a Footnote in Olympic Promotion

A Sales Guy

I woke this morning to this story in the USA Today: Team USA Uniforms: Controversial choice? The article discussed the fact that the women’s uniform apparently had no pants and that the uniform was made in China and not the U.S. To me however, the real offense is the placement and depiction of the female athlete in the uniforms official promotional photo (above).

Promote 113
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Reading The Buyers’ Minds

Partners in Excellence

As sales people, we always are trying to get into our Buyers’ minds. We want to understand what they are thinking, what drives them, how we can position ourselves and our solutions most favorably. We constantly search for some insight about how to connect more effectively. I’m always fascinated by the machinations we go through to understand what’s going on in our Buyers’ minds.

Price 121
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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3 Types of Salespeople - Which are Best at Growing Sales?

Understanding the Sales Force

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Yesterday, we were in a small seaside village and in a nautical gift shop, I read this sailing quote: "The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails.". Translated for selling: "The pessimist complains about the prospect. The optimist expects him to buy.

Sales 98
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Quit Talking About You. Your Customer Doesn’t Care.

The Sales Hunter

Recently I was doing a training session with some very capable salespeople. We were talking about how to engage the customer in a conversation. It was a good discussion, minus one thing. Too many in the group were talking about how they share with the customer results of things they’ve been able to do for other customers. Sharing what I refer to as testimonial information with a customer can be a great approach, if it’s done right.

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2 Simple Ways to Stand Out in Sales

Score More Sales

Recently I read a rant from one of my colleagues who was tired of people not responding to e-mail. I know exactly what he means. It happens so often that it seems now to be acceptable and perhaps even fashionable to not reply to an email – even between client and company, or family members, or friends. Before you get as mad as my colleague did, (which I don’t blame him for) – if you are a seller or other business professional making a living building relationships through comm

Sales 80
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Podcast Series: Investing In Your Sales Force – Part 1 of 2

Engage Selling

Today I discuss the importance of investing in resources in order to help your sales team succeed. This includes three considerations such as investing in new ideas, training for your sales team and investing in tools such as new technology and ideas. Today I discuss the importance of investing in resources in order to help your sales team succeed. This includes three considerations such as investing in new ideas, training for your sales team and investing in tools such as new technology and ide

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1st, 2nd, and 3rd Party Intent Data: Which Is Right for You?

How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

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Why Sales Quota Must be Perceived as Achievable

A Sales Guy

Ok, I’m coming back to the quota discussion. My last post about quota focused on the importance of quota aligning with business objectives and business strategy. This post is going to tackle perception. The perception of achievability. RULE 1: Quota MUST BE perceived as attainable. RULE 2: See rule one. It’s that simple. When quotas are not perceived as achievable, sales people just give up and don’t even try.

Quota 113
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“The End Of Solutions Sales”

Partners in Excellence

In the latest issue of the Harvard Business Review, the folks at the Conference Board have declared “The End Of Solutions Sales.” Upon reading this, I immediately thought of Mark Twain’s quote, “Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” While, I suppose, it stirs up the pot to declare the end of Solutions Selling and may sell more workshops or consulting services, in the end I think it is wordsmithing and positioning.

Pitch 119
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The Unusual Case of Arturo - How He Sabotaged His Own Sales

Understanding the Sales Force

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan One of my clients owns a Mexican company that provides phone, video conferencing and surveillance equipment to integrators and end-users. During the height of the violence in Mexico, Arturo was kidnapped and held, bound and gagged, at gun point. He was released - one of the few, fortunate survivors - but the emotional scars ran deep.

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Are all Sales Prospects Worth Your Time?

The Sales Hunter

You’ve been chasing a sales prospect you think will turn into a great customer, but for one reason or another, the trail has gone cold. The prospect hasn’t provided you with any indication such as proprietary information or sense of time to lead you to believe they may buy from you. The question now becomes,”What do I do next?” There are two strategies you can use.

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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3 Steps to a Solid Sales Opportunity

Score More Sales

You know that feeling when you have a sales opportunity in your pipeline and all is going so smoothly that you wonder if it is too good to be true? Often it is not a solid deal – meaning it is not qualified, or in other words, your buyer is either not really ready to move forward or they will not be moving forward with you. You or one of your sales colleagues may have one of these (or more) on the report that you turn in whenever the boss wants to know what deals are pending that you thin

Niche 80
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Sales Quiz – What Counts More?

Engage Selling

Many elements must come together for a successful sales strategy but not all are created equal! Which factors count most in your success? Take our sales quiz and find out!

Sales 75
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Pipeline Movement [Increase Sales with a Good Sales Process]

A Sales Guy

This is my 4th post in a series on pipeline movement. I didn’t set out to do a series, but it seemed like the thing to do. Getting deals or opportunities to move through the pipeline is absolutely critical to increasing sales. Therefore, I thought it made sense to break down each of the areas that keep deals stuck and languishing in the pipeline.

Pipeline 113
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Managing Complexity

Partners in Excellence

It should come as no surprise to anyone that has been semi-conscious over the past decade, that our worlds are becoming increasingly complex. Our jobs, and those of our customers are more complex and difficult. Fewer people doing more. The rate of change is accelerating. We have too little time to accomplish even our “A” priorities. In a recent IBM CMO Study , 79% of the respondents expect high/very high level of complexity over the next 5 years, yet only 48% felt prepared to de

Contract 117
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How to Leverage Intent Data for Better Outcomes

Speaker: Susan Spencer, Principal of Spencer Communications

Intent signal data can go a long way toward shortening sales cycles and closing more deals. The challenge is deciding which is the best type of intent data to help your company meet its sales and marketing goals. In this webinar, Susan Spencer, fractional CMO and principal of Spencer Communications, will unpack the differences between contact-level and company-level intent signals.

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When Should You Use a Telemarketing Firm to Schedule Sales Calls?

Understanding the Sales Force

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan If you have no desire to find a lot of new business from new accounts, you don't need telemarketing (and you can stop reading this article). If you would like to establish new accounts and generate a significant increase in revenue, there are several things you can do: You can hire hunters - salespeople who will find and close those new accounts.

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Why Do Salespeople Talk Too Much?

The Sales Hunter

Yes, there is a punch line to this question. Why do salespeople talk too much? Because as long as they’re talking, the customer can’t tell them “no.” I hate to say it, but there is a lot more truth in that statement than a lot of people will want to admit. This is also why the number one part left out of a sales presentation is the close.

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3 Activities to Fill Your Sales Pipeline

Score More Sales

Some time ago we talked about the 3 parts of the sales pipeline: front , middle , and end from a sellers point of view. Today let’s talk from a marketer’s point of view. (Disclosure: since I represent sales, not marketing, this is my interpretation of what a marketer would say.) Actually anyone in professional selling has some marketing characteristics – there is no longer separate ground, but lots of interwoven strategies between marketing and sales to work with the new buyer.

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Question from our State of the Sales National Update

Engage Selling

We hosted our first State of the Sales National call yesterday ensure that our community is armed with cutting-edge sales strategies proven to work in this tough economy. I plan on running them each quarter. If you missed the call you can register for the replay here. During each session, we’ll zoom in on a particular topic and review what you need to know right now to put it to work.

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5 Inspiring B2B Marketing Campaigns to Take Yours to the Next Level

Your next big B2B marketing idea starts here. Get inspired with these five successful B2B marketing campaigns. Ready to generate more leads, interest, and revenue with your B2B marketing? In this comprehensive eBook, you’ll get: In-depth studies of five successful B2B marketing campaigns spanning a wide range of industries Key takeaways and lessons from each story to implement in your own strategy Resources to help your own B2B marketing thrive By submitting this form, you agree to have your con