May, 2025

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7 Discovery Call Mistakes Successful Sales Reps Avoid — and What They Do Instead, According to Experts

Hubspot Sales

Discovery calls seem straightforward: learn about your prospect and present your solution. But in reality, they derail more often than they succeed. Ive been there watching a prospects energy fade as I talked too much, only to receive a polite well think about it before they disappeared forever. The truth? Most sales professionals unknowingly sabotage these calls and make predictable mistakes that kill rapport and crush their chances before the deal even begins.

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Quota Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation (Money Monday)

Sales Gravy

Your quota doesn't take a summer vacation, so your pipeline-building efforts can't afford to either. This is a reality check. Summer is coming fast and if you dont get your pipeline positioned for success now, youll be scrambling come mid-July. The summer sales slowdown is a documented phenomenon across almost every industry. According to data from HubSpot, prospecting response rates can drop by as much as 25% between June and August.

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Three Questions to Answer When Building an Internal AI Operations Team

Force Management

As AI becomes even more prevalent in society and business, leaders are looking for ways to embed the new technology into their go-to-market motion. Gartner predicted in 2023 that 35% of CROs would establish an internal AI Operations team by 2025. These teams help to manage change, compliance and adoption to ensure new technology is used in a way that promotes the companys goals.

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Forget “Weathering the Storm.”

Luminas Strategy

It’s Time to Steer Through It With Your Customers We’ve been there. Sitting in leadership meetings, wrestling with the impact of economic shifts, feeling the pressure to make the right moves when the future feels anything but certain. It’s a familiar landscape for many B2B organizations right now. Inflation, tariffs, policy changes that are creating market volatility they don’t discriminate, and are forcing even the most well-established players to re-examine everything.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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Effective Coaching Ideas to Help Your Sales Team Connect with Prospects

The Center for Sales Strategy

As a sales manager, your role in guiding your team through the initial Connect phase of the sales process is crucial. At The Center for Sales Strategy, the connection phase is an integral part of our comprehensive sales process, known as the Sales Accelerator. This process is designed to align with the modern buying journey and includes six critical steps: Identify, Connect, Discover, Advise, Close, and Grow.

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Common Sales Training Implementation Challenges

RAIN Group

While our recent research on the state of sales training and continuous learning highlighted the clear benefits of highly effective sales training, it also revealed that many organizations struggle to achieve these results. As part of our survey of 242 sales professionals across various industries and regions, we asked respondents to identify the biggest challenges their organizations face in providing effective sales training and development for people in sales roles.

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Self-Awareness: The Hidden Sales Skill

Sales Gravy

Here's the brutal truth: Self-awareness is the ultimate sales skill. We obsess over skills like closing techniques, objection handling, and prospecting cadence. But self-awareness is the real make-or-break. Self-awareness is the lever that separates ethical, high-performance sellers from out-of-touch order takers. If youre not self-aware, youre leaving money on the table and damaging trust.

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Latest Podcasts: Secrets to Career and Revenue Growth

Force Management

Last month on the Revenue Builders Podcast, our guests had some wisdom to impart on being successful in roles from sales rep all the way to CRO and CEO. We heard stories and lessons learned from experienced leaders, divulging how to build relationships, work strategically, and position yourself for the next step in your career wherever you might be now.

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How to Overcome B2B Buying Group Challenges

Brooks Group

B2B sellers today typically sell to a buying group, not an individualand buying groups are getting bigger. You know a single prospect can make decisions much more easily than a large crowd. When diverse stakeholders with different priorities are making the purchase, you need a new approach. When working with multiple roles, the sellers biggest responsibility is driving consensus within the buying committee.

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Doing More with Less: How Toolchain Integration Builds Resilience in Uncertain Times 

Planview

In todays climate of economic uncertainty, organizations are being forced to rethink how they operate, invest, and innovate. Markets can shift overnight, and budgets shrink without warning. For technology leaders expected to do more with less, one powerful but often overlooked opportunity stands out: toolchain integration. As demands rise and resources shrink, how well your software development, operations, and DevOps tools work together can determine whether you move forward or fall behind.

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AI Strategies for Sales Managers: How to Cut Down on Tedious Admin Work

What if you could help your sellers stop wasting 72% of their day on non-selling activities and focus on bringing in revenue? Incorporating AI in your enablement workflows can help you cut down on busy work, get projects done faster, and let your team (and you!) focus on making a bigger impact. We put together this guide to show you how to use AI to cut time and costs for projects, including collateral creation, development of training videos, and automating tedious processes.

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Import All Your Products to Streamline CRM Setup 

Nutshell

If your organization manages lots of product or service SKUs, keeping up with the details can become a challengeespecially if youre also managing which products are connected with sales opportunities in your CRM. Nutshells new product importer tool makes it easy to import or update all your products and services at once, so you can spend less time on CRM setup and more time closing deals.

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Why Traditional Sales Training Fails and How Collaborative, Ongoing Learning Drives Real Results

SBI Growth

Sales organizations are investing heavily in sales training, yet the results tell a concerning story. Between 2021 and 2023, overall revenue growth rates dropped by 12% and the percentage of sellers achieving quota fell by over 4%, leaving only 56% meeting their targets. Despite spending more on training and resources, companies are receiving less in return, creating an urgent need to reassess traditional methods.

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How Do You Make So Many Cold Calls? (Ask Jeb)

Sales Gravy

Tyler Goss, from Tampa has two critical sales questions: 1) How do we achieve those "crazy" prospecting numbers I talk about in my books? 2) When should a lead become a pipeline opportunity? In this podcast I break down these answers in plain English. When to Create a Deal: Finding the Sweet Spot There's no shortage of opinions on when to create a deal in your CRM.

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What is price sensitivity? How it affects sales and profitability

PandaDoc

Every brand knows that pricing plays a major factor in purchasing decisions. Price is one of the most visible parts of any offer, and getting it wrong can cost more than just a few sales. A poor pricing strategy erodes trust, damages positioning, and undermines long-term brand growth. If the initial go-to-market pricing strategy is off, by the time the company makes an adjustment, damage is already done.

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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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How to Mentor Developing Leaders

CMOE

Mentorship is a crucial component of talent development for all businesses. According to Forbes : 84% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. 90% of U.S. Fortune 250 companies have mentoring programs. 96% of U.S. Fortune 100 companies have mentoring programs. 100% of U.S. Fortune 50 companies have mentoring programs. Mentoring provides a process where a mentee can expand their skills, obtain career guidance, and prepare for advancement opportunities.

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Customer Value Proposition: 5 Pillars That Drive Purchase Decisions

Brooks Group

Understanding how your customers define value is essential. While sales professionals often focus on what they believe matters most, customers ultimately determine value through five key dimensions: quality, service, experience, delivery, and price. Lets explore each pillar and how you can use a value-based selling approach to meet customer expectations. 1.

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Unify Team Meeting Processes for Increased Productivity With Nutshell Scheduler Managed Meetings

Nutshell

Tired of seeing reps burn selling time on setting up meetings? Scheduler managed meetings puts ready-made, admin-controlled meetings at their fingertipsso they skip the setup and jump straight to closing deals. As a sales manager, it’s good to give your team some freedom with the meetings their offering up to leads and customers. However, the inconsistencies from rep to rep can make it a headache to manage and may cause inefficiencies that prevent growth.

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8 Insights to Revamp Your 2025 Pricing Strategy

SBI Growth

Think having an internal pricing function makes you stand out? Think again. In 2025, 98% of SaaS companies designate responsibility for pricing strategy to a specific person, group or team. But 60% of SaaS companies still find pricing overly complex, leading to muddled strategies. Given your pricing strategy s influence on SaaS revenue growth, the competitive upside is clear: the more you get to grips with SaaS pricing, the more you get ahead of the market.

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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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5 Killer Sales Moves You Can Learn From An Entrepreneur

Sales Gravy

Heres a hard truth most salespeople never hear: The most dangerous thing you can do is think like an employee. On this weeks episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, business consultant for entrepreneurs David Neagle says: You've got to see yourself above the place that you actually want to accomplish. The highest-earning reps? They think like owners. They take responsibility for their number, their mindset, and their mission.

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What is marginal revenue and how does it work?

PandaDoc

Selling additional products or services usually sounds like a good thing, but thats only true when every extra sale contributes to your overall bottom line. Unfortunately, keeping track of those numbers can get a little complicated. Marginal revenue can help by showing exactly how much additional income your business brings in from selling one more unit.

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How to Give Constructive Feedback to Managers

CMOE

Providing constructive feedback to your manager can feel like a daunting task. You are offering input to someone who holds significant influence over your career and daily work. However, considering that one in two employees leave their jobs due to poor management, giving feedback could be the key to improved job satisfaction and fulfillment. When given in the right way, managers often welcome feedback as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

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AI-Powered Quarterly Business Reviews for the Rescue of Account Managers

DemandFarm

In my years working alongside account management and customer success teams, one thing has become painfully clear: the Quarterly Business Review (QBR) process is broken. Traditional QBRs demand hours of manual effort, juggling multiple systems, and aligning narratives, only to end up with a static presentation that barely scratches the surface of customer insights.

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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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Enable Fast, Secure and Convenient Logins With Single Sign-On (SSO) in Nutshell 

Nutshell

When your team is working across multiple platforms and applications, they need quick and secure access to their data. An effective way for your IT team to oversee application access is through single sign-on (SSO), an authentication method that enables users to access multiple platforms with a single set of login credentials. Nutshells SSO and directory sync (DS) features enable your business to manage account access more easily and enhance CRM data security.

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AI Agents for Business – Here’s What They Mean for Professionals Today​

Hubspot Sales

To be honest, when I hear the word agent, the first thing that comes to my mind is a slick, fast-moving character in an action thriller clad in all black and getting things done with scary efficiency and great hair. And this is exactly the difference between AI models and AI agents. If youre here, it means youve (like me) used AI in one way or another maybe to generate text, tweak a presentation, or create a professional headshot.

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You Have Anything You Want If You Are Willing to Be Boring (Money Monday)

Sales Gravy

At a practice round at a major golf tournament recently, one of the players hit an exceptionally beautiful shot. A fan in the gallery exclaimed, "Man, I wish I could hit a shot like that!" The player walked over to the fan and said, tongue-in-cheek, "No, you don't." The fan looked confused. "What do you mean?" The player replied, "You don't want to hit a shot like that because hitting a shot like that means hitting a thousand balls a day, every day, for the next 20 years.

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The Modern Marketing Mix: Why Traditional Media Still Matters

Strategic Communications

Digital dominates today’s marketing conversations, often overshadowing traditional channels that continue to deliver significant value. This imbalance creates an opportunity for savvy marketers willing to integrate both approaches. Throughout my careerfrom managing corporate communications at Mayo Clinic Health System to advising B2B clients todayI’ve witnessed the pendulum swing between traditional and digital media.

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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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Winning vs. Minimizing: What’s Getting in Your Way During Difficult Conversations?

CMOE

Have you ever walked away from a challenging conversation feeling like you either came on too strong or didn’t say enough? You’re not alone. Participants in our Courageous Conversations Workshops agree: when facing difficult conversations, most of us default to one of two counterproductive approacheswinning or minimizing. Understanding these tendencies is the first step toward more effective dialogue.

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Why AI in Key Account Management Is Useless Unless…

DemandFarm

AI has swept across the enterprise. From marketing automation to customer support, from predictive lead scoring to content generationevery function is being reimagined by intelligent systems. The logic is simple: train the models, refine the data, automate the process, and scale. But this linear formula doesnt quite hold in key account management (KAM).

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Nutshell’s Spring Product Roadmap 

Nutshell

This spring is bringing big updates across all three Nutshell Suites, designed to streamline your teams sales process, make your marketing efforts more effective, and enhance your engagement strategies. To see a complete list of everything on the roadmap and everything launched in Nutshell so far this year, see our Product Updates page. Now, check out whats on the roadmap for each Nutshell Suite this spring: Get the best of Nutshell with Sales, Marketing and Engagement tools!

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Entrepreneurship through acquisition: When and why this innovation strategy works

Hubspot Sales

As a freelance writer, I constantly learn about new industries and how they work. Lately, Ive started to learn more about entrepreneurship through acquisition. In my former life as a Spanish teacher, private equity and acquisition entrepreneurship werent on my radar. Instead, I was more focused on learning to make the language more comprehensible. So, to learn more about how goal-oriented entrepreneurs can establish a new career path through business acquisitions, I knew I needed to talk to an e

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!