The Center for Sales Strategy

APRIL 29, 2024

When selling a product or service, not all outreach efforts should be directed directly at the decision maker, who has the final word on what will be bought. This is an even more vital strategy in B2B sales efforts.

B2B 107

B2B Sales 107

Upland

OCTOBER 17, 2023

And now, savvy sales leaders are using generative AI , too. All you need is the right sales enablement AI tool. Ready to dive into sales enablement AI? What is sales enablement AI? Like other forms of AI, sales enablement AI helps sales teams automate everyday tasks… tasks that take away from the actual selling.

Artificial Intelligence 195

Artificial Intelligence Sales Decision-making CRM 195

MTD Sales Training

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Sometimes do you just find it impossible to get through to the decision-maker? You call them, you write to them but they never get back to you? Well, over the years I have heard of some really creative and often radical ways to grab the attention of the decision-maker. Please have this one on me!”.

Sales Training 48

Sales Training Sales Meetings Management 48

Upland

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Buying groups have changed the world of B2B sales. Here’s how to just that when working with buying groups. What is a Buying Group in B2B Sales? A buying group is a clear indication that a business is taking a solution seriously, and it is the buying group that influences the decision of those higher up in the organization.

Decision-making 368

Decision-making Account Planning Stakeholders B2B 368

Upland

AUGUST 25, 2023

An influence map is a visual tool that helps you identify and understand the stakeholders who have a say in your project or decision. What is an Influence Map? What if you could understand who really holds the power to move a deal forward? That activity is called influence mapping. That activity is called influence mapping.

Stakeholders 195

Stakeholders Decision-making Sales Leadership 195

Mike Kunkle

APRIL 8, 2023

In this post, I’m going to share some simple concepts that I’ve seen deliver radically improved results across a sales force. The advice comes from Modern Sales Foundations , a course that was developed based on over 16+ years of top sales performer analysis, modernized for working with today’s buyers.

B2B 211

B2B Decision-making Sales Stakeholders 211

Upland

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Stakeholder mapping in sales is the process of mapping out key decision makers within the buying group of the account you are looking to do business with. Stakeholder Mapping is Important Because of Buying Groups Selling must be complicated because modern B2B sales are complicated. What are their motivations?

Stakeholders 195

Stakeholders Sales Decision-making Internet 195

The Center for Sales Strategy

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

"I spend all day making cold calls, and I'm getting very little to show for my efforts. Getting the first appointment is harder than ever. If I could just get my foot in the door." It's a common complaint from B2B sales reps nowadays. Decision makers simply don't answer unsolicited sales calls like they used to.

B2B 113

B2B Decision-making Sales Marketing 113

Upland

JUNE 30, 2023

Enterprise sales is going through a rapid evolution. One groundbreaking development on the horizon is the convergence of Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI technology and enterprise sales methodology. Personalized Customer Experiences Modern enterprise sales methodology thrives on data-driven decision-making.

Co-Creation 195

Co-Creation Sales B2B Decision-making 195

Upland

JANUARY 29, 2024

Let’s face it, B2B sales can’t happen without good leads. Winning sales teams know strong leads must be converted into successful sales transactions. If sales productivity isn’t achieved effectively—through high lead conversion rates, efficient sales cycles and low sales costs—overhead goes up, and revenue goes down.

Account Planning 195

Account Planning Sales Decision-making Shareholders 195

MTD Sales Training

AUGUST 18, 2016

By doing so, we may miss the biggest reason why the buyer should make the decision to go with you. You could call it ‘the icing on the cake’ for many deals, and it’s simply the benefits that will come to the individual who is making the decision. These are often seen as the major reasons why buyers choose to use you. Yes, you!”.

Decision-making 48

Decision-making Sales Training Profitability Meetings 48

The Center for Sales Strategy

APRIL 22, 2024

Getting the first appointment with a qualified decision-maker of a target prospect can be one of the most challenging aspects of B2B selling. The good news is that today, sales professionals have access to a plethora of tools and resources designed to streamline the appointment-setting process.

Decision-making 102

Decision-making B2B Sales 102

Upland

MAY 4, 2023

So much so that we created this sales velocity equation to get sales teams moving in the right direction. How fast you get there depends on four key levers. Sales velocity vs deal velocity – what’s the difference? Deal velocity is how long it takes a deal to get through the sales cycle.

Sales 356

Sales Decision-making Negotiation Organization 356

Mike Kunkle

NOVEMBER 21, 2023

In this article, I want to talk about using multi-factor analysis to maximize your sales performance improvement. The reason you’d do this is because there is rarely one right answer, or one performance lever to pull, that will deliver the maximum performance improvement with a sales force.

Acquisition 272

Acquisition Sales Decision-making Account Management 272

Mike Kunkle

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

In this post, I will offer advice about how to measure the ROI of your sales enablement program. I do have a video on this topic, from my newsletter, Sales Enablement Straight Talk , as an additional resource. This is why Buyer Acumen is the first block in the Building Blocks of Sales Enablement framework.

Sales 258

Sales Finance Decision-making Profitability 258

Upland

MAY 15, 2024

The B2B sales landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Altify and Salesforce, two titans of the CRM and sales effectiveness world, are partnering down to deliver a potent blend of AI innovation that promises to redefine how businesses close deals. If you are wondering about the future of AI, you aren’t alone.

Innovation 195

Innovation Internet B2B Software 195

SBI Growth

APRIL 11, 2014

20 years ago buyers were dependent on sales representatives. Social Selling LinkedIn Sales Rep Resources Social Prospecting' Selling in the information age can be challenging. The representative was the main source for providing product insights and education. Today buyers have the ability to access information on their own.

Sales 120

Sales 120

The Center for Sales Strategy

MAY 14, 2024

The most common frustration I hear from B2B sales and marketing leaders is their inability to secure first appointments with qualified prospects. We do really well as a sales team when we have an opportunity to tell our story. But we’re just not getting enough at-bats.” The average cold call success rate in 2024 is 4.82%.

B2B 79

B2B Marketing Sales 79

Hubspot Sales

JANUARY 7, 2024

But when an inside sales professional wants to establish their authority over the phone, they need to use their voice tone and pacing to get the point across. But when an inside sales professional wants to establish their authority over the phone, they need to use their voice tone and pacing to get the point across.

Sales 121

Sales Decision-making Onboarding Communication 121

Brooks Group

MARCH 28, 2024

As buying processes grow more complex, it’s becoming increasingly important for sales professionals to gain access to senior executives and C-level decision makers. Today’s major purchasing decisions often involve cross-functional buying committees that include executives from the C-suite.

Decision-making 70

Decision-making Logistics Supply Chain Suppliers 70

Mike Kunkle

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

“As in other studies we’ve done, this year’s enablement study found that sales process and sales methodology adoption rates above 75% resulted in above-average gains for revenue plan attainment, quota attainment, and win rates, with a big boost at adoption rates greater than 90%.” increase in revenue plan attainment 17.1%

B2B 198

B2B Sales Decision-making Negotiation 198

Mike Kunkle

OCTOBER 2, 2022

We’re all in sales, right? I think the answer depends on what you mean by that (intent) and how you define “sales.” I get the intent of the “we’re all in sales” message, generally, much like Dan Pink’s book, To Sell is Human. Well, maybe. But that’s not selling, per se.

Co-Creation 248

Co-Creation Negotiation Sales B2B 248

Brooks Group

APRIL 9, 2024

The B2B buying journey is getting longer and more complex. Bigger deals usually mean bigger committees, which present unique challenges compared to selling to an individual decision maker or even a small group. But with the right skills and tactics, sales leaders can equip their teams to overcome challenges and win these deals.

Value Proposition 93

Value Proposition Procurement Decision-making Stakeholders 93

Upland

JULY 10, 2023

Altify Insights rewrites the rules on what best-in-class looks like in B2B sales solutions. Altify Insights solves key challenges facing sellers While times may be tough, and sales leaders face a plethora of challenges on all fronts , there is still a path to victory. It’s not about the hierarchies, either.

Decision-making 195

Decision-making B2B Account Planning Software 195

Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 5, 2021

Sales development representatives and gatekeepers. If you're in sales, chances are you've encountered plenty of situations in which you're trying to reach a CEO or C-level executive to pitch your product or service. only to get stopped by a gatekeeper. How to Get Past the Gatekeeper When Cold Calling. Tarzan and Clayton.

Decision-making 132

Decision-making Sales Stakeholders Software 132

Hubspot Sales

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Welcome to "The Pipeline" — a weekly column from HubSpot, featuring actionable advice and insight from real sales leaders. AI and the pandemic threw a wrench in the typical sales funnel that companies have now realized is too outdated to consistently bring in the profits they want to see. Clients aren’t buying like they used to.

Artificial Intelligence 103

Artificial Intelligence Decision-making Profitability Sales 103

Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Welcome to “The Pipeline” — a new weekly column from HubSpot, featuring actionable advice and insight from real sales leaders Top salespeople are successful because they sweat the details. They probe for pain, help their prospects, and run effective sales calls. Honesty should be a given in any sales conversation. To be honest.

Sales 109

Sales Value Proposition Decision-making Communication 109

The Center for Sales Strategy

AUGUST 25, 2021

Building trust virtually, finding qualified leads, getting in front of the decision-makers — these are all challenges that salespeople face. And as a sales manager, you’re finding innovative ways to address these issues. Here's what they said.

Sales Management 132

Sales Management Management Sales Innovation 132

Brooks Group

APRIL 18, 2024

Storytelling in sales is a skill. But for storytelling to be truly effective in sales, your sales professionals have to nail both the timing and the delivery. Benefits of Storytelling in Sales There are quite a few reasons why storytelling is a natural fit for sales. Stories, on the other hand, are more memorable.

Sales 95

Sales Decision-making Sales Training Communication 95

KAM With Passion

MARCH 28, 2022

This post kicks-off a new section of the KAM With Passion blog dedicated to Complex Sales. The series of posts on Complex Sales is about the bottom of the pyramid. How complex is a complex sale situation? In the world of B2B sales, the term of complex sales is a well-accepted term but what does it mean exactly?

Procurement 130

Procurement Stakeholders CRM Government 130

Sales Gravy

MARCH 9, 2024

On this fascinating episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, master sales trainer Jessica Stokes spends time with Steven Farber of Take Flight Learning discussing why it is important for salespeople and leaders to understand and adapt to different personality styles. You know it, I know it.

Decision-making 95

Decision-making Communication Sales 95

Brooks Group

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

They have knowledge about competitors’ products and services at their fingertips, which means it’s critical that your salespeople can overcome sales objections quickly and confidently. It’s your sales team’s job to bring value to a decision maker and help them make the decisions that are best for them and their company.

Decision-making 77

Decision-making Sales Suppliers Sales Training 77

Force Management

MAY 9, 2024

MEDDICC is an industry standard for determining the strength of a deal and charting the path to get the deal closed. But the power of MEDDICC for influencing deal decision-makers extends far beyond the “E” in the acronym.

Organization 74

Organization Sales 74

Sales Readiness Group

APRIL 17, 2023

In times of economic uncertainty, corporate spending garners greater scrutiny and more decision-makers. This is undoubtedly the case today, when sales organizations see buying decisions being put on hold, budgets getting canceled and deals taking longer to close.

Organization 126

Organization Management Sales 126

PandaDoc

MAY 8, 2024

Such huge numbers equate to huge revenue potential in terms of SMB sales. Read on as we cover everything you need to know about the SMB sales process, and how your sales team can crush it in the competitive landscape. What are SMB sales? Thousands of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are joining the market every week.

B2C 52

B2C Small Business Sales Decision-making 52

Hubspot Sales

APRIL 2, 2021

According to Gartner , a 2020 sales trend was that salespeople had to convince multiple stakeholders and evaluators at a company to buy their product. Some are influencers that speak to the decision-makers and convince them to go in either direction, while others hold the final say on decisions. Identifying Sales Leads.

Stakeholders 117

Stakeholders Decision-making Sales B2B 117

Account Manager Tips

JULY 13, 2022

You win some, you lose some Why do we lose sales opportunities? But, it's also why we need to keep a close eye on our sales process to identify where we might be falling short and to keep doing what works. Let's take a look at why you might be losing sales opportunities and what to do about it. Poor relationship Excessive costs.

Key Account Management 130

Key Account Management Sales Account Management B2B 130