There aren’t many natural born leaders. Most leaders take responsibility for training 
themselves to be effective. Whether you learn from the wisdom of others or get insights from personal experience, becoming a more effective leader is about what you do, not what know.
Dario Priolo of Richardson Sales Training & Strategy Execution has research suggesting that executive level buyers are turning toward brand influenced engines for the information
they desire.
Richardson has conducted a survey and it has been found that B2B buyers frequently search by brand name. This influences the ability of your brand to be found and influences your ability to differentiate, showing the impact and importance of brand adoption by sales reps and managers. Take a look at the following trends they have identified...[...Continue Reading...]
SOAR Selling is the best practice for reaching decision makers. Its secret is simple; its approach is based in the mechanics and psychology of call execution with a foundation of a powerful mindset shift. The authors’ research reveals that with SOAR, a salesperson can make 12 net dials and reach a combination of 10 top-level decision makers and influencers! [Details/Purchase]
Here are ten things that I wish I’d have known before I started managing a sales force.
I’ve always said that the number one skill of a Top 20% producer is his or her ability to listen. Your prospect or client has their own reasons for needing or buying your product or service, but unless you ask questions and shut up and listen, you’ll never know what they are. And in today’s economy, knowing how to keep your prospect talking is more important than ever.
A Top 20% closer is an expert at asking questions, layering those questions, questioning the red flags, etc., and at the end of a prospecting call or presentation, they call can tell you exactly where the prospect stands.
The key here is to listen by keeping your prospect talking. Here are five statements you should begin using today to help keep your prospect talking: [...Continue Reading...]
Your opening value statement plays a critical role in advancing the sales process. It is what you say after “Hello, this is …” that will determine if you will be advancing the sales call or shooed away.
There are lots of integral parts to a successful opening value statement and today we are going to focus on a few common but less obvious mistakes that may be causing your prospects to pull back rather than lean in. [...Continue Reading...]
By Steve W. Martin, Heavy Hitter Sales Blog 
It’s still hard times for salespeople and sales managers over 50 today. As companies have downsized, they find themselves five times more likely to be let go when compared to their younger counterparts. They also have a more difficult time finding new jobs because younger sales managers have five basic fears about hiring someone older than themselves. [...Continue Reading...]
By RJ Tracy, Account Executive, DOMO
Although our infographic could argue that looking the part is an investment worth making in 
the sales world, we’re here to tell you three secrets that have nothing to do with swagger and everything to do with closing deals. Here’s how to turn those tradeshow leads into closed deals and improve your sales metric.
Each year, the Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study captures and measures 
the behaviors, attributes and performance of “world-class sales organizations” – companies that outperform the rest in key sales performance metrics such as lead growth, quota achievement and average account billing. The 2013 study results were released in early April and reflect data collected from more than 1,100 sales professionals from around the world during fall 2012.
So, what are the world-class sales organizations doing that separate them from the rest? The Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study identified three common attributes that define and separate world-class sales organizations from the pack – Customer Core, Collaborative Culture and Calibrated Success.
Organizations that are deemed “world class” know precisely what makes them successful. They are consciously calibrated.
Each year, the Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study captures and measures the behaviors, attributes and performance of “world-class sales organizations” – companies that outperform the rest in key sales performance metrics such as lead growth, quota achievement and average account billing. The 2013 study results were released in early April and reflect data collected from more than 1,100 sales professionals from around the world during fall 2012.
So, what are the world-class sales organizations doing that separate them from the rest? The Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study identified three common attributes that define and separate world-class sales organizations from the pack – Customer Core, Collaborative Culture and Calibrated Success.
World-class sales organizations know that greatness is rarely achieved alone. Collaboration is their currency and what helps set them apart from the competition.
