Defining a Post-Pandemic Channel Strategy

Please note that this article appeared in the Harvard Business Review on April 5, 2021... Summary.  Companies have experienced a surge of online orders during the pandemic. As the crisis eases, leaders need to decide whether the dramatic shift to e-commerce is permanent — and allocate investments accordingly... While consumers sheltered in their homes during ... by Frank Cespedes

For a Healthy Sales Pipeline, Start with Strategic Prospecting

Think about the top sales performers you know. If you spend a day in their life, it’s likely you’ll recognize a common theme: They are constantly tending to the quality and quantity of opportunities in their sales pipeline... When it comes to pipeline management, two habits are central to success: balanced prospecting and daily pipeline management. Let’s first define pipeline management. It is the uncovering of opportunities in ... by Amy Franko

Loyalty Is an Inside Job, Too

Recently, I talked about customer loyalty and how it’s your job—not theirs—to create ideal conditions for them to stick with you. But what about within your organization? It matters here, too... Especially now: everyone’s scrambling to keep their best people and find new talent. And, as part of this process, I’m in many conversations with leaders on the important reasons behind that uptick in headhunting companies reaching out and poaching their best talent (you’ve seen it too ... by Colleen Francis

Would You Rather Go To The Dentist Or Call Customer Support?

OUCH! It seems that going to the dentist to get a filling or a root canal is preferred over having to call customer support. This statistic comes straight from the 2021 Achieving Customer Amazement Study we conducted this year. We surveyed more than 1,000 consumers to find out what they loved and hated about customer service. What would make them come back or terminate their relationship with ... by Shep Hyken

Stress Management is Sales Management

I’m hearing this a lot from salespeople: “I’m really tired. Feeling a little burned out.”.. This is not coming from salespeople or sales managers that are whiners or professional complainers.  They come from normally optimistic, high-energy individuals with a high bounce-back factor... The reality is 2020 was hard. It didn’t matter if your industry either benefited from the pandemic or got ... by Colleen Stanley

3 Key Questions to Determine Whether You Have a Winning Culture

With labor shortages impacting businesses across all industries, employers are grappling with how to retain and recruit people. Although benefits such as unlimited PTO and flex time are appealing, culture continues to be the differentiator for companies as they fight for top-tier talent... A strong company culture is like gravity: You can't see it, but you feel it every day in the workplace, and it keeps ... by Joe Galvin

The State of Burnout in the Sales Industry

In today’s fast-paced society, the line between work and life is fading, making mental health increasingly difficult to prioritize. Most individuals spend one-third of their adult lives at work, which can exacerbate conditions such as anxiety, burnout, and depression...The stress, depression and lack of feeling in control, that comes with burnout, are finally ... by Tiffani Bova

Don’t Let History Predict the Future

While driving in a downpour recently, I decided to take the backroads home instead of the freeway. I thought to myself, “Wow. I feel really old, avoiding the freeway.” .. I wondered why I felt that way. I can see pretty well. My reaction time is fine. I haven’t ever been in any serious car accident. But I just decided not to take a chance on the freeway... Then it dawned on me. I ... by Gretchen Gordon

Effectiveness Comes First

Effectiveness comes first. To be precise, your efficiency goals should be aligned to your effectiveness goals. Getting both right–efficiency (doing things right), and effectiveness (doing the right things)–is a challenge. Let’s approach it step by step... Think about it this way: Training sessions that make sense for marathon runners are not appropriate ... by Tamara Schenk