The following best-practices are guidelines for high performing sales professionals. Thanks to Don Henrich, VP Sales and Marketing at Vico Software for the genesis of this article.
4 min read
Differentiation vs. Competition - a Guide to Achieving it
The following is a true story extracted from a recent call in a company, possibly just like yours.
Julie, a sales rep from ABC Software, just got back from an initial meeting with a prospective client who registered interest in your products on your Website. Your inside sales team spoke with the prospect and qualified interest in a meeting to discuss ABC application usage in Acme. Julie's Sales Manager, Bob, asks "So how did the Acme meeting go?"
Topics: sales performance differentiation buyer-persona
4 min read
The Challenger Sale - Book Review
The Challenger Sale (TCS), by Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson is an important book for sales professionals and sales managers involved in complex B2B sales as it proves that a number of commonly held beliefs about sales behavior are obsolete.
Its successor, (read my book review)
The Challenger Customer - Book Review is even more valluable for marketers and sales enblement professionals as it inherits many of the concepts in this work and applies the sale level of rigor to examing how companies buy. The insights are worth ten times the price of the book.
Unlike many other "how-to-sell" books based on theories and ideas on improving sales performance, The Challenger Sale is underpinned by rich and extensive data from more than 6,000 sales professionals from more than 100 member companies, gathered over the past four years.
If you are selling complex software, enterprise hardware or services in a B2B environment and haven't read The Challenger Sale yet, then perhaps this article might convince you it's worth reading at least once...regardless of where you get your sales development services.
Unlike many other "how-to-sell" books based on theories and ideas on improving sales performance, The Challenger Sale is underpinned by rich and extensive data from more than 6,000 sales professionals from more than 100 member companies, gathered over the past four years.
You are a Prospect for Challenger Sales Training
I don't have a problem (other reviewers did have), that TCS is produced by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) and that the CEB is a member organization providing for-profit sales training for its members. They want to sell you Challenger Sales Development Services...in the same way every other author of sales performance literature wants to sell their services. It happens that we are very much aligned in our view of the sea-change that has occurred in buyer behavior and the need for new approaches in engaging buyers at the moments of truth when face-face.If you are selling complex software, enterprise hardware or services in a B2B environment and haven't read The Challenger Sale yet, then perhaps this article might convince you it's worth reading at least once...regardless of where you get your sales development services.
Topics: sales performance challenger sale B2B selling process
1 min read
Top 5 Ranked Sales and Marketing Performance Blogs for 2009
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to my friends colleagues and fellow group members.
Topics: sales performance differentiation Saas
2 min read
CSO Insights 2015 Sales Performance Optimization Survey
It's 2015 Chief Sales Officers (CSO) Insights Sales Performance Optimization survey time and this is your invitation to participate in one of the most comprehensive and useful surveys of sales behavior.
Why bother?
Why bother?
Topics: CSO Insights sales performance 3d printing SPO
1 min read
CSO Insights 2014 Sales Performance Optimization Survey
It's 2014 Chief Sales Officers (CSO) Insights Sales Performance Optimization survey time and this is your invitation to participate in one of the most comprehensive and useful surveys of sales behavior.
Why bother? For 20 minutes of your time you will receive the most comprehensive sales behavior surveys in the industry. Results from previous research studies have been referenced by publications such as Harvard Business Review, Dow Jones, Wikipedia, Selling Power Magazine, and others.
2014 is all about revenue growth. Achieve this, and shareholder value will increase. Fail to do so, miss your number, and investors will punish you!
To help companies determine the right strategies to increase sales in the coming year, CSO Insights' 20th Sales Performance Optimization study will focus on four key themes:
Topics: CSO Insights sales performance SPO
3 min read
Looking in the Wrong Place for Sales Performance?
In the past year we have generated hundreds of inbound leads using our HubSpot system and I've noticed an interesting trend that I thought I would share. I have come to realize that many sales and marketing leaders are looking in the wrong place for sales performance.
Topics: inbound marketing sales and marketing alignment sales performance whiteboarding
4 min read
Positioning Statements - Best New Sales Technique of the Year
If your sales team is cold calling, you might try this technique
I read a lot of books written by other sales training professionals and attend professional development courses every year. When I find an idea that I think will work I'll try it.
Topics: sales performance positioning statements dave kurlan
3 min read
Clarity Trumps Persuasion and Drives Sales Conversations
Clarity in Internet, marketing and sales messaging is a topic we have been writing about for the past five years as it critical in creating marketing messages for B2B technology companies that resonate with buyers and help them get found on the Internet.
Topics: marketing messaging sales performance
2 min read
Note to Sales - Execution Perfection, FC Barcelona 4 – Arsenal 1
Tonight I watched the quarter final of the UEFA European Champions League to see my favorite football (soccer) team FC Barcelona play Arsenal. I have written two prior blog posts on the way FC Barcelona goes about professional training and development of players, plays football and approaches playing and winning the game.
