Sat.May 13, 2023 - Fri.May 19, 2023

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4 Sales Tips To Thrive — Not Just Survive — In an Economic Downturn

Salesforce

We thought selling would be easier after the pandemic. Instead, we’ve been hearing “no” more often. Customers are fearing for their jobs, tightening their belts, and “ starting to freak out.” It’s no surprise that almost 70% of reps agree that selling has gotten harder. After talking with other sellers, and using Dale Carnegie’s principle to “get them saying yes, immediately,” I’ve come up with four key sales tips that can help you land

Trust 98
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Fearing Your Client: The Importance of Candor and Courage in Sales

Iannarino

One of the most important things about the One-Up approach you find in Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative , is that it positions you as an expert and authority on the results you help your clients improve. Leaders and decision-makers don’t want to buy from a salesperson; they want to buy from a business advisor who has experience.

Clients 278
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Founders: Before You Hire a Sales Team, Consider These Options

Sales Hacker

Running a startup is easier said than done, especially when you have a tight budget and limited resources. It’s hard to know when you’re ready to hire a sales team — and the consequences can make or break your startup. Perhaps not surprisingly, about 40% of new companies go out of business because they run out of cash or fail to raise capital, reports CB Insights.

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Selling to the CFO: Prepare Sellers to Answer These 5 Questions

Force Management

The Chief Financial Officer is an influential voice in any sales conversation. If you’re looking to drive growth for your organization, your reps must be able to influence the CFO to close higher-value deals. Recently, due to economic pressure and budget constraints, many sales teams are seeing CFOs get involved in every deal, regardless of size. The ability to sell to the CFO is now a crucial skill every seller needs in order to hit revenue targets in today’s market.

Sell 148
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Smart Tools & Strong Teams: A People-First Approach to AI in Sales

Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy

AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.

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8 Mistakes That Destroy Credibility With Prospects (& How to Avoid Them)

Hubspot

The average buyer in this day and age is shrewd — naturally skeptical of salespeople and having certain standards reps have to measure up to. That makes establishing credibility central to the success of any sales effort. But maintaining that kind of trustworthiness and legitimacy over multiple sales conversations can be easier said than done — a lot of reps run into hitches, hiccups, and human errors that undermine their credibility with prospects.

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5 Keys (And a Secret) to Sales Mastery

Engage Selling

When it comes to sales training, sales coaching, and sales mastery, here are five keys (and a secret)! I’ve spent two decades studying the business habits of top salespeople and … The post 5 Keys (And a Secret) to Sales Mastery first appeared on Colleen Francis - The Sales Leader.

Sales 62

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The Best Advice Sales Managers Can Give to Help Increase Sales

Anthony Cole Training

In this blog article, we discuss the best advice sales managers can give their salespeople, and that is to "keep moving." If you want to increase sales within your organization, you must keep moving throughout the ups and downs, the missed opportunities, the clients who "ghost" you, and more.

Sales 293
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The 4 categories of AI that impact marketing: Generative AI

Martech

It’s almost impossible to ignore the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses today. The marketing industry is no exception. From ChatGPT ’s rise as the fastest-growing platform of all time to near-constant headlines on the latest AI-related product releases, we are inundated. But with all the hype, how can marketing leaders and their teams best determine how to utilize AI to benefit their work and customers?

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Easier Social Selling

Engage Selling

 Are you employing social selling? Watch this video and find out how a client of mine sold $2 million worth of equipment through social selling! The post Easier Social Selling first appeared on Colleen Francis - The Sales Leader.

Sell 62
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The Five Problems In Your Sales Pipeline

Iannarino

Sales leaders often require their sales force to fill their pipeline with several multiples of their quota. Ensuring you achieve your sales goal is a necessary goal, but this approach is a sign that the sales team isn’t working effectively. When a sales leader asks their team to create an outrageous overage of opportunities, there are big problems in the sales organization.

Pipeline 280
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How to Coach Reps on Overcoming Sales Objections with Confidence

Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Global Sales and David Phelan, Account Executive

In a world where buyers are more informed and objections are more nuanced, confidence isn't optional—it’s a competitive advantage. In high-stakes conversations, knowing how to handle pushback can make or break the deal. Join industry experts Brendan Sweeney and David Phelan for a behind-the-scenes look at how teams are transforming sales coaching with real-time feedback, objection-handling role plays, and pre-call preparation that actually sticks.

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Dear SaaStr: When Searching for a Co-founder, How Do You Know You Found The Right One?

SaaStr

Dear SaaStr: When Searching for a Co-founder, How Do You Know You Found The Right One? I think it boils down to 2 key factors: Someone that is both very good at, and better than you, in several key functional areas. If you are good at coding, she is good at sales and customers. Or whatever. That together, the two of you have all the key functional areas covered decently, at least initially (Engineering, Product, Sales & Customers, Marketing).

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The Art and Science of Complex Sales Podcast

Membrain

In the latest episode of the Art and Science of Complex Sales podcast, Paul Fuller sits down with David Brock , Author of "Sales Manager Survival Guide,"​ & CEO at Partners In EXCELLENCE to chat about his problem-solving mindset and curiosity helps him understand problems and explore solutions.

Sales 138
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Stop Complaining About Price

Engage Selling

 Struggling to sell because of the price? Here’s the real reason why customers aren’t buying at your higher prices and what you can do about it. The post Stop Complaining About Price first appeared on Colleen Francis - The Sales Leader.

Price 62
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Mastering the Art of Selling Value—Strategies for B2B Salespeople

Iannarino

Many salespeople believe they are selling value when they are really selling their products and their services. This is the result of a legacy approach to selling that teaches salespeople that their company and their offerings create value. Because they believe that their solution is the value, their selling strategy is poor. You should avoid this approach to sales.

Sell 275
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Welcome to the Future of Hospitality: Smart Rooms Start Here

Speaker: Jady West, VP of Hospitality & Chris Bennett, Head of Sales & Engineering

The modern hotel room is no longer just a place to stay—it’s an experience to remember. Today’s guests expect seamless 5G connectivity, personalized comfort, and high-tech convenience. From AI-powered smart room controls to in-room entertainment and app-based services, technology is redefining hospitality from the inside out. In this new session featuring industry pros Jady West and Chris Bennett, we’ll explore how high-speed, high-bandwidth connectivity powers the innovations that are enabling

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Beyond ‘click here:’ 4 rules for better email CTAs

Martech

I’ll get straight to the point: “Submit” and “Click here” are ineffective calls to action (CTAs) for your email campaigns. (I’ll explain why a few paragraphs down.) If you need help with CTA samples you can test, language models like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard can be your best new copywriting tools. But you still need to prime the pump with a well-written prompt that recognizes the values of a good CTA.

Campaign 135
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My #1 Best Hack for VC Fundraising

SaaStr

So raising VC capital has gotten a lot harder than it was at the peak of 2021 — when it was still hard for all but the best and more privileged. But boy, it’s harder today. Everything has slowed down, the bar has gone up, and even VC funds themselves are struggling to do their own fundraising: Fundraising By VC Firms Themselves Is At a 10 Year Low.

Price 134
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Do You Say “Complex” When You Mean “Lazy”?

Membrain

Although my company explicitly serves the “complex B2B sales” market, I’ve never really liked the word “complex.” In its correct definition, “complex B2B sales” is an accurate description of a particular type of selling.

B2B 133
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Concessions vs. Negotiations: Sales Credibility at Stake

Iannarino

Many sales organizations use a terrible approach to negotiation, one that harms salespeople and their companies. Concessions are at the heart of this approach because many salespeople mistake concessions for negotiation.

Negotiate 273
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Breaking The Commerce Bottleneck: Your SAP Exit Plan Starts Now

Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar

Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.

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How to Write Sales Emails That Stand Out with Will Allred

Sales Hacker

Writing good emails is vital in sales, and every salesperson has their own email tactic. But you only get one shot at getting your sales emails opened, so it’s critical to do it right. In this episode of the Sales Hacker podcast, our host Colin Campbell welcomes Will Allred , the co-founder and COO of Lavender. They talk about the potential application of ChatGPT in sales, why frameworks are better than templates, and how to personalize your email sequence.

Sales 133
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What marketers should keep in mind when adopting AI

Martech

AI applications and generative AI tools are becoming more widely available to marketers , but are marketers ready for them? Do they have the skills needed to adopt this technology and take full advantage of its capabilities? That was the focus of a panel at The MarTech Conference , here are some of the takeaways from that discussion. AI requires human supervision As AI evolves, capabilities will expand.

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How to Use Ecommerce Invoicing to Improve Your Cash Conversion Cycle

Sales Pop!

In today’s competitive ecommerce landscape, optimizing your cash conversion cycle (CCC) is critical to the success of your business. One effective way to improve your CCC is through effective invoicing. By streamlining your invoicing process and improving your payment terms, you can accelerate your cash flow and reduce your financing costs. In this article, we’ll provide you with eight tips on how to use ecommerce invoicing to improve your cash conversion cycle.

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The Best Cold Call Script You'll Ever Need

Iannarino

My first job, which I started at age 12, was delivering newspapers. Making money meant knocking on every door in three apartment complexes and asking the person that answered to subscribe to the paper. Knocking on doors is a real cold call.

Cold Call 264
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New Research-Backed Strategies to Empower Managers as Culture & Engagement Leaders

Speaker: Beth Sunshine, SVP, Up Your Culture

When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.

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Only 7% of You Have Really Gotten Outsourced SDRs to Work

SaaStr

So a recent SaaS survey confirmed what I’ve experienced over the year: outsourced SDRs are tough to make work. It would be so great if we could all outsource sales, sales development, sales operations, and more. It really would be great. It’s just hard in practice to outsource something you don’t already know well yourself. Personally, I’ve seen it sort of work a few times — and that’s why I added “sort” as an option, and 26% of you also said it

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Becoming The “Topic Authority”

Partners in Excellence

Most of our marketing and selling efforts focus on becoming the “product/solution authority.” “We have the leading CRM solution on the market…… Our manufacturing technologies are the best solutions available… We are the leading provider of financial services solutions… ” Our content and our selling efforts focus on demonstrating the superiority of our solutions. “We have the best references, we have more features/functions, we are cheaperR

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Keyword difficulty in SEO guide: Everything you need to know

Search Engine Land

Keyword difficulty isn’t one of SEO’s hottest topics or latest trends. But it is a powerful metric when you understand its potential. It can help you to make educated decisions about your prospects of ranking for specific terms, allowing you to make tactical choices that underpin your SEO strategy. Here’s what keyword difficulty means for SEO, how the score is measured and tips for using it to get better results.

Gambling 117
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The Mistake of Pursuing Easy-to-Win but Undesirable Clients in Sales

Iannarino

One mistake weak salespeople make is pursuing clients that are easy to win but difficult to service after the deal is closed. These easy-to-win clients desperately need a salesperson to agree to take their business because better salespeople refuse it. Once an unsuspecting salesperson wins these undesirable clients, the client’s constraints become the salesperson’s company’s problems.

Clients 259
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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook for Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.

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10 Tips to Fundraising in The Tumultuous Times of 2023

SaaStr

So 2023 is a unique time in venture fundraising. We’re coming off a stretch in 2021 where VC capital hit crazy, record highs… and now is coming into multi-year lows. It’s a time when SaaS and Cloud spend are also at record highs , and many Cloud leaders are still growing at strong rates … yet many startups have stopped growing at all. And really worst of all is multiples.

Gaming 120
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Digital ad spend growth drops to 7.8% this year

Martech

U.S. digital ad spend is only expected to increase 7.8% in 2023, dropping below 10% for the first time in 14 years, according to a new forecast from eMarketer. It is projected to rebound to 11.2% growth in 2024, the forecast said. Yearly increases in digital ad spending are predicted to hover around 10% through 2027. Digital ad spend saw a dramatic rebound in 2021 following the initial wave of the COVID pandemic — when it saw growth of 37.6%.

Growth 117
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BHAGs And Radical Simplification

Partners in Excellence

BHAGs are “Big Hairy Audacious Goals.” The term was, apparently, developed by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. I first became familiar with it from TJ Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor. What I find fascinating about BHAGs is to achieve them, you are forced to rethink everything you do. Doing more of what you currently do, or even doing better at what you currently do is, usually, insufficient.

Quota 114
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Un-Gating your Content in the Age of Content Saturation

Heinz Marketing

By Sarah Threet , Marketing Consultant at Heinz Marketing You’ve spent months developing a content strategy and weeks laboring over a piece of content that you have deemed “high value”. Conventional inbound marketing tells you that you need to create a landing page for this content and gate that content behind a form that leads will need to fill to view and download your content.

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Get Higher-Quality B2B Leads That Convert!

B2B marketers face a number of challenges, including: continuously generating great leads converting leads to active sales prospects finding vendors that deliver real results Aggregage has proven content syndication, webinar, online advertising and intent signal marketing programs that deliver higher-quality leads. More than 700 companies have already benefited from our programs.