Growth Comes From a Complex Web of Small Changes, Not a Giant Heroic Leap

I was interested recently to read this post by Matt Green on LinkedIn. In it, he points out that when organizations hand down large growth targets like, say, 20%, the tendency is for sales teams to panic. And then to invest in one big change, like hiring a lot of SDRs to bring in a lot more leads or investing in a big new ... by George Brontén

4 Steps to Generate Sales in a Slow Economy

Depending on what you sell, you may be experiencing a period of stagnation. Some of my clients are finding that their customers are delaying buy decisions, often choosing a “wait and see” approach. Why? In most instances, there is no urgency for them to invest, so their preference is to wait until some point in the future. The good news is this can create pent-up demand, which will ... by Shawn Casemore

Customers Want More Than Just a Product — Here’s How to Meet Their Expectations

These days, customers aren’t just looking for a great product or service. They want an experience that’s smooth, hassle-free and feels like it was designed just for them. If you’re not delivering that, your competitors are ready and waiting to steal them away. Salesforce’s “State of the Connected Customer” ... by Rick Cheatham

EiRS #1 | Does SWAG really generate quality leads (or do they just want a stress ball)?

ISSUE #1 " Does SWAG really generate quality leads (or do they just want a stress ball)?" For the past several years, I’ve been facilitating a workshop at ExhibitorLive and Exhibitor FastTrak/Exhibitor Education Week called “10 Strategies to Generate More Top Quality Booth Traffic.” This question was submitted ... by Robyn Davis

Consultative Sales Playbooks: The Ultimate Training Tool for Navigating Complex Deals

Pick your favorite sport and imagine the last play of a one-point game. In those scenarios, the team’s clutch player is usually trusted with the last-second shot. A coach can create the environment by drawing up the overall game plan and specific plays. But the players’ adaptability and decisiveness in the moment determines the ... by Amy Franko

Deadly Negotiation Strategies – The Bob Chronicles Part 8

Bob was more excited than I had ever heard him.  He shared that he sent out a proposal for well over $1 million and was prepared to begin negotiations.  I hate negotiations because most negotiations can be avoided if the salesperson simply conducts thorough qualification and discussion of terms up front, prior to ever ... by Dave Kurlan

The AI Advantage: How Your Existing CRM Can Make You More Competitive

In nearly every department of an organization—finance, operations, manufacturing—leaders can expect a baseline of consistency. Sales, however, is a different beast. It’s a realm of wild variance: different skills, backgrounds, mindsets and habits. And with that comes friction. Sales leaders ... by David Mattson

Nurture a Future of Trusted Advisors, Not Algorithms

These numbers should stop every B2B executive in their tracks. Our new generations are not incapable — but the business world increasingly doubts whether recent graduates are prepared to sell, compete and thrive in today’s high-stakes environment. At the same time, AI’s capabilities are surging forward faster than our human pipeline is ... by Jay Mitchell

The Ultimate Guide to Sales Leadership Development

Today’s selling environment is more demanding than ever. Budgets are tight. Buyers are more informed. And the pressure to deliver results never stops. But amid all this complexity, one truth remains: Sales leadership is the ultimate performance multiplier. Sales managers enforce targets. Sales leaders ... by Steven Rosen

The Psychology of Pain: Why It Still Matters in Sales

It makes no difference how good your research is, what AI tool you’re using, how well you’ve mapped out the opportunity, or what your LinkedIn profile connects to or could connect you to. The hard reality is, nobody wakes up in the morning dying to buy your product or service, and hoping you would reach out to them to talk about it. What gets people ... by John Rosso