May, 2019

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Implications for B2B Selling in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Mike Kunkle

[This article was originally published as part of the Sales Education Foundation 2018 Annual Magazine , co-authored with Robert M. Peterson, Ph.D., Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Sales, Northern Illinois University Professional Sales Program ]. “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog.

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The Ultimate Guide to Pricing Strategies

Hubspot Sales

Setting prices for your products can be tough. Set prices too high, and you miss out on valuable sales. Set them too low, and you miss out on valuable revenue. Thankfully, pricing doesn’t have to be a sacrifice or a shot in the dark. There are dozens of pricing models and strategies that can help you better understand how to set the right prices for your audience and revenue goals.

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Get Out the Map: Aligning Sales Processes to the Buyer’s Path

Miller Heiman Group

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail across the ocean blue with the goal of finding riches in the East Indies. However, though he had a clear goal, he didn’t have a map, so he fell well short of his intended destination, landing in the Caribbean islands instead. (Despite what many believe, he didn’t discover continental North America or even set foot there.).

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What is a sales funnel and how is it useful?

Nutshell

A sales funnel is an indispensable tool for your sales team, and can help you figure out where and how to refine your sales processes. But with so many competing sales funnel definitions out there on the Internet, we thought we’d clear up some of the confusion. Read on to learn what a sales funnel can tell you, the difference between a sales funnel and a marketing funnel, and how to use CRM reporting tools to optimize your funnel.

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2024, The Year of the Customer

2023's struggles fueled a shift: companies are ditching wasteful strategies in favor of data and AI-powered growth. Enter 2024, the year GTC takes center stage. Discover 5 ways a customer-centric approach unlocks new revenue and delivers lasting success.

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The Top 7 Sources to Find Leads

The Center for Sales Strategy

Before choosing which prospects to target, it’s best to generate a long list of leads so you can narrow to the best leads. Using the categories you’ve identified as a good fit your business, decide which sources on this list are right for you to generate your own list of leads.

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Automation: The Secret to Personalized Customer Service

Groove HQ

The bots are coming. Yes, they’re coming from the customer service department as well. Does that mean we’re going to lose all human agents who support customers? No. But with bots becoming more intelligent and better able to respond to customer requests, it is certain that big companies will have to resort to them in […]. The post Automation: The Secret to Personalized Customer Service appeared first on Groove Blog.

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The Best 10 Appointment Scheduling Apps and Booking Software

Hubspot Sales

How much time have you spent sending emails today? Most salespeople spend 21% of their day writing emails. Unnecessary emails and coordinating can take up a lot of that time. Tools like appointment scheduling apps and booking software help automate the process of scheduling meetings with potential and existing customers. So, why should you invest in an appointment scheduling app?

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3 Proven Principles for Successfully Selling to Startups in 2019 (and Beyond)

Openview

Most B2B startups initially sell to other startups before going after more established companies. And for good reason—it’s a logical first step to pursue other companies that are like-minded and in similar situations. Plus, startups tend to be smaller, more approachable, have less bureaucracy when it comes to making purchasing decisions (meaning they’re often quicker to close ), and then more forgiving when things go wrong after they’re a paying customer.

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The ‘mom jeans’ of sales tactics: 3 old-school strategies that still work

Nutshell

I’m willing to bet you’re already confused, and images of Tina Fey in the 2003 SNL skit are dancing through your head. Or you very well could be reading this while your rib cage rests on the top of your very own pair of mom jeans. Whether your belly button is in close proximity to your pants or not, you’re most likely wondering where I’m going with this.

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The Problem is Not in the Proposal or the Sales Funnel

The Center for Sales Strategy

Frustration sets in when you look at all the pending business you have sitting in your sales funnel and realize that a good portion of it has been there for weeks! Those prospects you were sure were going to sign off on your proposal right away are instead sharing reasons why they’re not ready or telling you they need more time to think it over. You know that with every week that passes, the chances that any of them will turn into a sale diminishes greatly and you’re kicking yourself because you

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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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How to Plan Sales Meetings that Engage & Motivate Your Team

Sales Readiness Group

If you’ve ever run a sales meeting, you probably know that most salespeople aren’t thrilled to attend. Good sales reps prefer to spend their time selling, not sitting in a conference room. After all, they can’t make quota daydreaming their way through a boring meeting.

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Sales Strategy: What’s Most Effective? A Great Message! (Updated May 2019)

Corporate Visions

The post Sales Strategy: What’s Most Effective? A Great Message! (Updated May 2019) by Corporate Visions appeared first on Corporate Visions. When you think about it, an effective sales strategy is all about making sure that your reps hit their quota, right? Consider the following insights: Research performed by SiriusDecisions shows that the number-one inhibitor to sales achieving quota is “inability to communicate value message.” In other words, if your sales force cannot com

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The Best Sales Management Software of 2019

Hubspot Sales

I love taking trips to new places, but finding my way there can be a challenge. Whenever I need directions somewhere new, I always pull out my smartphone, open Google Maps app, and enter my desired location. Within seconds, I have a clear route and set of directions. Not only does the app save me time, but I also know the information is accurate and I can trust it.

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Here’s What You Need to Sell your SaaS Product to Enterprise Customers

Openview

For SaaS companies, the allure of the enterprise customer is pretty strong. The prestige of a big logo alone can boost your brand’s credibility and provide powerful social proof. And because enterprise customers typically stick around longer, they lower your overall churn risk. Plus, enterprise customers usually spend more—on support, seats, usage, integrations, etc.

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1st, 2nd, and 3rd Party Intent Data: Which Is Right for You?

How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

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How to Be More Productive: 12 Key Drivers of Extreme Productivity

RAIN Group

There's abundant advice on how to be more productive. Endless hacks, tips, motivational quotes, trainings , apps, and tools all promising to increase your productivity. It's enough to make your head spin. It definitely made our heads spin over the years as we tried to help our clients increase execution and accountability after training programs. So, we asked the question, "What actually helps people be more productive?".

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How to become a sales manager: Making the jump from seller to leader

Nutshell

Do you dream of leaving your sales associate desk behind and stepping up to a sales management position? There are some significant perks to becoming the boss: less travel, more money, maybe a private office. The arrangements may vary from company to company, but in general, most sales professionals would jump at the chance to assume a leadership role.

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Three Keys to Effective Sales Coaching

Engage Selling

Effective sales coaching can be elusive. Often, it can be done with little to no structure, on an impromptu basis, or only conducted when a seller is in a slump.

Sales 101
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Why You Need to Know “The Need behind The Need”

Miller Heiman Group

Business buyers in today’s complex market are short on time and long on information. Chances are, they’ve already leveraged their own tools and technology to research and identify what they believe is their desired solution before they ever directly engage a seller. These buyers are like the patient who has self-diagnosed before entering the doctor’s office: they think they’ve singlehandedly solved their medical mystery, thanks to some Google searches and a few optimistic pharmaceutical ads.

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How to Leverage Intent Data for Better Outcomes

Speaker: Susan Spencer, Principal of Spencer Communications

Intent signal data can go a long way toward shortening sales cycles and closing more deals. The challenge is deciding which is the best type of intent data to help your company meet its sales and marketing goals. In this webinar, Susan Spencer, fractional CMO and principal of Spencer Communications, will unpack the differences between contact-level and company-level intent signals.

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The 19 Best Group Scheduling Tools in 2019

Hubspot Sales

Who thinks they have enough time in a day? If you're in sales or marketing, I'm willing to bet you answered 'no' to that question. Most of us are constantly pulled in many different directions and, as a result, are forced to multitask all day long. Finding time in a packed schedule can be challenging, especially when you're trying to find free time in your own schedule as well as ten other peoples'.

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Data-Driven Sales Enablement (In 4 Easy Steps)

Openview

Effective sales enablement in the Digital Age blends the traditional practice of aligning business needs to training with the (far trickier) task of finding new and innovative ways to make training as targeted as possible to the needs of the learner. Achieving this “recipe for success” poses quite a challenge—especially for those in the highly competitive IT industry, where a rapidly changing industry and strategic change further complicate the ability for sales executives to meet customer needs

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Checklist: Creating a Winning Customer Service Experience for E-commerce Businesses

Groove HQ

We live in an era where shoppers are more knowledgeable, more deeply connected and more demanding than ever before The reality is that merchants must deliver a great customer experience in order to survive. With this checklist, we give you a step by step guide on how to create winning experiences for your online buyers […]. The post Checklist: Creating a Winning Customer Service Experience for E-commerce Businesses appeared first on Groove Blog.

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A Partner Strategy Without Sales Operations Alignment Is Destined for Trouble

SBI Growth

Are Your Sales Operations Chaotic? It is a story told time and time again. As a Sales Operations leader in your organization, every day feels like an uphill battle. You have KPI’s to hit and leadership is looking for results.

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The 2023 Supply Chain Crystal Ball: Challenges and Solutions

Speaker: Olivia Montgomery, Associate Principal Supply Chain Analyst

Curious to know how your peers are navigating ongoing disruption? The supply chain management techniques that dominated the last 30 years are no longer supporting consumer behavior or logistics and manufacturing capabilities. So what’s working now? What should your plans for 2023 include? By researching the supply chain challenges and solutions that businesses – especially small and midsize businesses – are currently experiencing, we’ve learned what’s working and what’s not.

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5 Fool-Proof Ways to Improve Your Sales Pitch for a Buyer-Driven World

Drift

Selling isn’t easy, especially given the changes happening in the space. As sales become more conversational and relationship-driven, it’s important to make sure that your sales pitch is designed with the actual customer in mind. A good sales pitch isn’t about pressuring someone into buying a product. Nor is it about being the fast-talking, slickest rep in the game.

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Three Strategies to Build a Great Relationship with Your Internal Coach

Miller Heiman Group

As a sales professional, you need a game plan—a method for prioritizing your time and focusing your efforts on the deals that are most likely to close. But you also need a coach—someone who wants to see you win, because when you win, they win too. While you may be thinking of a coach in the traditional sense—as a personal mentor—you also need a different type of coach to build your book of business.

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The Best 10 Web Chat Tools in 2019

Hubspot Sales

Did you know this? HubSpot Research found that 82% of consumers rate an "immediate" response as important or very important when they have a marketing or sales question. And 90% of consumers rate an "immediate" response as important or very important when they have a customer service question. Speed is everything for today's buyers and customers. Web chat tools can be used at almost every stage of the customer lifecycle.

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Time for Enablement or Training? Three Metrics Your Company Should be Tracking Today

Openview

Bringing in outside training and/or building a sales enablement function is an expensive investment, yet it’s critical to the success of your sales organization. But when do you do it? Well as in life, timing is everything. Too early and your team won’t have the proper baseline or pipeline to measure the results of these efforts. Too late and they are locked into bad habits and poor practices that impact your scalability.

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The Truth About Sales Agility: Separating Fact From Fiction

Speaker: Michelle Vazzana

Every sales organization wants their sales force to be agile. Why? Because the world is rapidly changing, becoming more complex, and making the salesperson’s job harder. Organizational leaders are unsure of the best way to equip sellers to succeed in this new reality. Should they change their sales methodology? Should they adopt better technology tools?

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6 B2B Sales Statistics You Want to Pay Attention To

The Center for Sales Strategy

It’s the sales leader’s job is to pay attention to both what is working and what is not working in the sales department and to make the appropriate adjustments so that the sales force has the best possible chance for success. To do that, the sales leader must pay attention to several things including sales process, sales activity, sales analytics (KPI’s), and of course, the customer.

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Understanding Your Customer’s Story with Listening Paths

SBI Growth

Messaging Pipelines. When I was younger, I would often play “The Telephone Game” with my friends. You whisper a phrase to one person, who whispers it to another, and so on until the last person in the line repeats the message.

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How To Build Relationships With Customers And Clients

MTD Sales Training

Most buyers we speak to don’t have much time for salespeople. The reason is they still think of them as being slick-talking, time-draining, pressure-inducing parasites who are trying to rip buyers off and get as much profit as possible. We all know this is a hackneyed, superficial oversimplification, based on ages-old templates that were forged from the old snake-oil salespeople of the wild-west.

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Move the Deal Episode 1: The New Era of CRMs

Miller Heiman Group

Our Move the Deal podcast has officially launched! Hosted by sales leader Greg Moore, our first episode features the CEO of Miller Heiman Group, Byron Matthews. The two discuss the evolution and new era of CRMs, and how it has resulted in a sales shift. Today, many organizations struggle to get sellers to use their CRM. Matthews states, No seller has ever said, “My CRM helped me close that deal.

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Negotiate Larger Deals More Quickly

What if there was a better method of changing the conversation with your customer from delivering pricing to delivering value solutions? A method that would help keep you in control, manage the uncertainty, and close larger deals more quickly for you and your company? There is.