If you're a sales professional, prospecting is a skill you need to perfect—and with the start of a new year and a brand-new quota, that comes into sharp focus. With a low percentage of sales reps consistently hitting quota, according to several surveys, it’s time to pay close attention to prospecting and avoid these common mistakes.

A sales process is consultative when the stages and actions align with the customer’s buying experience and are defined in terms of the customer relationship. It's only successful when sales leadership and the sales force execute with dedication and competence. That's why a true consultative sales framework has both a process component and a human component. Let's dig into each.

B2B selling involves a myriad of choices about how to engage with customers. Sales organizations and salespeople spend an enormous amount of time planning which customers and prospects to spend time with and what messages to focus on. Typically, a high-level annual plan anchors more detailed quarterly plans which get broken down into even more granular periods.