Change can be difficult. It can be painful, and we can be slow to recognize the need for it. What we cannot escape, regardless of vertical or industry, is that things do change whether we want them to or not. When that time comes, we can either adapt and grow or be left in the…
In a perfect world, we’d set aside time to reflect on seasonal spikes and dips in growth the same way we set aside time for outreach. Often, though, seasonality in sales is overlooked, and if this is a pattern in your organization, it needs to be broken — fast. Because seasonality doesn’t only exist in…
It’s no secret that when it’s time to sell to large enterprises — players big enough that they might intimidate us — we have to rethink our strategies. Naturally, we can’t approach any two deals in the exact same way, but enterprises require even more attention, more resources, and more of our focus than small-to-medium-sized…
“So, what do you do?” is more than a pleasantry; it’s an opportunity to shine. You can’t use a one-size-fits-all approach to communicating your value. Even if you craft the perfect three-sentence pitch, it’s a bad habit to try to use it in all settings or with all prospects. The hard truth is that there…
Connecting with senior leadership can be difficult. Here’s how to make it happen. Whether you’re a seasoned sales pro or a new hire in your first week on the phones, connecting with senior leadership can be tricky. They, like you, want to build and maintain deep relationships with clients and vendors, but it can be…
This is not a drill. Presenting to an executive isn’t just another sales call. By the time a meeting with a C-suite decision maker is on the calendar, you’ve likely worked your way through middle management and explained your offer to a few people on the way up. But as you prepare for your meeting…
Executives are busy. Don’t blow it. No one has to be reminded that C-level executives are pressed for time. Despite hours upon hours of organization mapping and cold calling, breaking into a decision-maker’s calendar can feel like trying to break through a brick wall. You need to be concise and respectful of their time; and…
More C-level execs, and less “See-More” execs, please. Few things are more frustrating than giving your full attention (and best pitch) to a prospect only to find out they don’t have the authority to make a buying decision. Instead of speaking to a C-level executive, you’ve just spent time and energy with a “See-More” executive…
We all understand that lead generation is vital to the success of our business, but that doesn’t mean deciding on a lead generation service or lead generation method is easy. Understandably, it’s a process we want to get right from the beginning. But with options ranging from run-of-the-mill outsourced call centers to high-end lead suppliers…
In recent years, a lot has changed about sales; we’ve seen the rise of content marketing and the addition of digital touch points, to name a few. But one thing that will never change in this business is the need for a concise, compelling elevator pitch. It’s the simplest yet most powerful tool in your…
You landed the job, you’re ready to put in the work, but how do you know which skills and habits to prioritize for success? Sales development reps are in a unique position: They often have little to no experience in sales, but they’re the ones on the front line, prospecting for reps, putting in the…
Find Out in 4 Questions Designed to Bring You Up to Speed It can happen to any of us— since we are the product of our influences, we can be drinking the kool-aid and eating up the sales dogma without even realizing it. Old fashioned approaches toward selling still runs amok with the higher-ups. Sure,…
A sales slump can happen to the best of us. If you’ve been caught up in a dry spell and can’t seem to get your groove back, I challenge you to try these 7 tips. Each of these have been know to work for my colleagues, clients, and even myself. Apply them all at once,…
Want to pull ahead of the SDR pack? It’s as simple as recognizing and properly responding to a few key triggers. You’ve heard me say that the more intel you collect, the better your chances of landing that meeting, solving your prospects’ problems, and closing the deal. But the thing is, there’s a lot of…
Your SDR’s do a great job setting the stage for your sales reps. But you and I both know you could get more out of them. I’m here to tell you that you can get double their impact – this year. But ultimately, it’s going to count on you and your training prowess as you…
Let’s start this one with a little self assessment. If I set three different qualified candidates in front of you, but you knew that only one of the three would become a real sales superstar… would you know exactly what to look for? I’m sure you know that a great company is only as great…
Is your company’s “buyer persona” broken? If so, you’re missing huge opportunities. Too often people go to market with a great offer, but they’re shooting in the dark with their audience. They haven’t taken the time to sit down and crystallize exactly who their ideal buyer is. And it shows in low sales numbers…
Cell phones are phenomenally powerful. But what if I told you that for all of their sophisticated technology and flashy qualities, their most valuable feature for a sales person is still the dial button? Today it seems that everyone bows down to social media, trying to squeeze water from a stone with new-fangled marketing…
The lazy manager looks at the “Lead Generation” line item on his company’s expense report, shrugs his shoulders, and looks away. “What difference does it make,” he says, “…as long as we’re coming out ahead.” What if I told you the loss of margin in the sales process is not always found in the…
Go ahead, admit it. You’ve dreamed of calling up a big prospect, making a compelling pitch for a meeting to discuss your offer in person, and having them invite you in with open arms. Before you know it, Mr. Prospect is signing a top-dollar contract with no hesitations, and you both live happily ever after.…
Between qualifying leads and chasing half-interested clients, hitting your sales quota is hard enough to begin with. But, when you lack inspiration to even pick up the phone, is there an approach that can keep you on track? In reality, it all comes down to commitment. If you sit around waiting for the mood…
Everyone wants to increase their sales, right? Right. Then why do most firms and sales teams spend so much time and money sourcing rather than actually selling their product or service? More often than not, the ‘intelligence’ they’re gathering only serves as a distraction from the main goal. They end up knowing more…
I personally love sweaty-palmed salespeople – or at least I love the deals I get from them. Maybe you’ve met a few. Maybe you even have a few of them on your sales team. If so, you MUST read this entire post. Sweaty Palm salespeople… they’re intimidated by their looming quotas. Of course,…
The fastest way to close more deals and increase revenue is to outsource where and when it matters most. There’s no denying this. And smart companies are doing it more and more. Whether it’s outsourcing customer service, product fulfillment, or any role in-between — the genius of outsourcing cannot be overlooked. And the sales development…
Marketing or sales. Sales or marketing. It’s one of the oldest business decisions that execs have been making for hundreds of years. Where to allocate funds? Why? And… how? These questions will make or break even the most promising ventures. But before we even ask these questions, there’s something we have to clear…
The sales development representative — or SDR — has recently come under fire by many in the sales world. Why? Because apparently, they don’t “add value” to the sales team. I want to call BS on this and highlight exactly how they deliver tremendous value, and why you need SDR’s on your team. But…
Working in sales is hard. Period. No matter how many web articles promise to share the secret formula to making big money while working minimal hours, any professional salesperson will tell you those opportunities are about as rare as a golden goose. The actual tried and true strategy to becoming successful at selling…
What is an Elevator Pitch? Derived from the heart-racing, sweaty-palmed, make-or-break scenario of being in an elevator with an executive, the “elevator pitch” is all about preparation. When you have only seconds — not minutes or hours — to make a lasting impression, life really is a game of inches, and a challenge of…
Do you aspire to master the game of sales coaching? Good! There are few better places to invest to boost your sales productivity and improve your bottom line than optimized coaching for your sales team. Before we begin, here are some sales coaching statistics that’ll motivate you to put these 4 principles into practice…
Not all leads are created equal, and neither are lead generation companies. A great lead generation service will help you zero in on the “who” and the “how” of the sales process, getting you a high volume of quality leads, all while measuring and analyzing impact. This helpful guide shows you the ins-and-outs of finding…
Fact: Everyone is in sales. From the executive suite to the cubicle, whether well known in an industry or working fully behind-the-scenes… All workers, at all levels, are salespeople. Experience does not matter, title does not matter, all of that is meaningless if we don’t recognize and value that our role is primarily to…
He’s the author of popular books “Eat That Frog,” “Earn What You’re Really Worth,” and “The Psychology of Achievement” among others. We came across some of Brian Tracy’s sales tips and thought we’d 10x them and help you put ‘em into practice. So here are 9 top sales tips, adapted from techniques championed by Tracy.…
Imagine this: give your watertight sales pitch and absolutely nail it. You had your prospect oohing, ahhing, and nodding along, agreeing with you every step of the way, and even showing true excitement about your value prop. But then. . . the weirdest thing happens. They utter those dreaded words, “I need to think about…
Did you know that you really can become the salesperson you want to be? In other words, your skill level is not at all static or “set in stone.” Rather… your sales prowess is the masterpiece of your own making. Most people want to be be able to make a good living at what they…
We see it all the time. The sales executive returns to the office after getting skunked in the field. Immediately he starts blasting the marketing team: “The leads are garbage, totally unqualified, the prospect wasn’t even a decision-maker, and they weren’t even interested. . . If only I had better leads.” Of course, the marketing…
If you don’t get S.M.A.R.T. with your sales process. . . your deals will die on the vine. I see it all the time. A sales guy sits across from a C-level executive. The exec is a qualified lead with a big title and an even bigger budget. It’s shaping up to be quite the…
Guerilla data? What’s that?! Don’t worry. . . we’ll get there. But first I want to make something clear: If you’re not scheduling meetings and closing deals, and if you’re not consistently making quota, it’s likely because you’re not digging into the data and using it intelligently to inform your sales process. So let’s fix…
Cold Calling is NOT Dead in 2018. . . and I can prove it. Gone are the days of rifling through the Yellow Pages, frantically dialing number after number in hopes of hitting your quota. 35% answer rate, 15% on appointments, 5% conversions. This used to work, but not anymore. It kills me…