On occasion, I’m asked how I come up with topics to write about for my blog or magazines. If you don’t do a lot of writing but thinking about it to give your personal brand a lift, it is a fair question. My suggestion is to write what you know about and/or watch for everyday events to inspire you. That is what leads me to today’s post. Anyone who has known me 5-minutes … [Read more...] about Stop Practicing Random Acts of Lead Generation
Balancing the Diversity Scales in Sales
When I started out as an inside sales rep for a distributor selling hardware and software computer solutions, I noticed that I was one of just a few women on the sales team. At first, I didn’t think much about the gender imbalance. I was hired for the role by the VP of Sales who was a woman. My first front-line sales manager in that company was a woman too. Later, I simply … [Read more...] about Balancing the Diversity Scales in Sales
Does Your Sales Experience Deserve a Star Rating?
Creating differentiated, personalized customer experiences is a top business initiative for most organizations. Executives know that when exceptional experiences are delivered, they distance themselves from their competitors. The reverse is also true. When things don’t go well, the negative brand impact on your company has greater potential for damage that goes far beyond … [Read more...] about Does Your Sales Experience Deserve a Star Rating?
Inside Sales + Rapid Growth = Leadership Challenges
Inside sales is a popular high-growth sales model used by companies in a variety of industries. In 2017, the Harvard Business Revenue reported that 46% of high-growth tech companies are growing through inside sales versus 21% using outside sales teams. The reasons for rapid growth of SDR/BDR sales teams vary but one thing is clear, buyers are fine with alternatives to … [Read more...] about Inside Sales + Rapid Growth = Leadership Challenges
Ladies - You are the Architect of Your Sales Success
The many sales challenges faced by men and women in sales roles are largely the same. Difficulty getting through to buyers. Not enough qualified opportunities in the pipeline. Too much admin work and not enough selling time. Trying to keep competitors at bay. Keeping sales skills sharp. The rapid pace of change. And more. I’ve written about the business case for women in … [Read more...] about Ladies - You are the Architect of Your Sales Success
Why Your People Keep Missing Quota and What You Can Do About It
Everyone has goals, big and small. Some we meet, some… not so much. In the sales profession, alas, goals are more often missed than attained. And if you’re leading a sales team, the odds are high that at least some of the people you’re responsible for are missing their targets at least some of the time. There’s nothing wrong with setting goals. In fact, it’s … [Read more...] about Why Your People Keep Missing Quota and What You Can Do About It
Are You Following a Funnel Formula to Crush Quota?
Let's talk about your plan to CRUSH QUOTA using a simple funnel formula to help you build pipeline and revenue. If you prefer to listen rather than read, listen to the audio clip below. Why do you need a formula? Reps are almost always too optimistic about the ratio of their activity to opportunities on their path to close. Take matters into your own hands … [Read more...] about Are You Following a Funnel Formula to Crush Quota?
Does Your Attitude Get You Iced Out?
Recently, a salesperson wrote a post talking about the cold call/sales spam messaging being discussed online. She took issue with people publicly posting the “negative” examples of sales spam they receive. The poster only wants us to share "positive" sales messages that work. And, yes, I'm rolling my eyes as I type those words. Seeing the bad and the good is how the point about … [Read more...] about Does Your Attitude Get You Iced Out?
Status Quo is Your Biggest Competitor
When CEB reported that 57% of the buyer’s journey was happening without the engagement of sales, it led to the mistaken assumption that sales had no role in the early part of the buying decision. Similarly, when SiriusDecisions reported that 67% of the buyer’s decision-making journey happens digitally, once again the assumption was that sales had no role in the process. Yes, … [Read more...] about Status Quo is Your Biggest Competitor
Getting on First with Buyers
In the iconic movie classic, Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella hears a voice that insists that “If you build it, he will come.” Acting on instinct, Ray builds a baseball field in his backyard Iowa cornfield. As we find out much later in the movie, the calling Ray felt had bigger implications than just the appearance of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago White Sox who … [Read more...] about Getting on First with Buyers
