The most basic definition of success is simply achieving your goals. But it’s an interesting paradox. If you focus only on the end point, you might actually be hindering your ability to achieve those desired results—especially when it comes to your sales model. Experienced sales executives know that to transform an organization, a strategic sales review provides the foundation for success.

Understanding the differences between leads, prospects, and sales opportunities is crucial for businesses looking to optimize their sales processes and boost revenue. By effectively managing these distinct stages of the sales funnel, organizations can allocate resources efficiently, prioritize high-potential opportunities, and ultimately increase their chances of closing deals. The sales team plays a pivotal role in building business relationships with leads, prospects, and sales opportunities

People today are bombarded with messages from morning until night. We can't check email or drive to the store without seeing flashing banners, mostly aimed at selling us something. Today's consumers are experts at tuning these messages out, leaving salespeople with an important question: Do you ensure your message is seen and heard? Connecting with clients today is often about building trust. Here's where you can start.

There aren't enough hours in the day. No one is answering the phone. The dog ate my homework. Excuses abound when deadlines are tight. Life happens, and things come up. But in order to meet targets and goals, businesses have to find a way to persevere especially when it comes to sales. Luckily, there are strategies that sales teams can follow to avoid common problems and eliminate excuses altogether. Three seasoned sales experts share their tried-and-true tactics.

In this fast-paced, on-demand world we live in, the ability to communicate well with one’s clients has become a critical skill that cannot be overlooked. The world as we know it has become significantly different than in days gone by. Clients want to know that they are receiving the best from everyone they are dealing with, and they do not want to be surprised.

Sales leaders are the lever for a high-performing sales organization. One study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that 69% of sales reps who exceeded quota rated their managers highly. The same study showed that just 3% of reps who gave their leaders low ratings then turned around and gave their organization a high rating. In other words, how a rep views their leader is how they view the organization.

As I work with sales organizations across the world, I am frequently asked if the inbound sales philosophy works in an industry defined by a transactional sales process. Many salespeople find it difficult to overcome price objections, especially when their sales process is short and their product isn’t highly differentiated. However, an increasing number of salespeople are using the inbound sales philosophy in transactional industries with good results.

Selling often means speaking to people who've never heard of you. You might think of them as "cold leads," which is a bit impersonal. After all, they might very well become your best customers — in time. The problem is credibility. Without it, customers won't be receptive to your sales pitch. You can't blame their cynicism, either — the perils of overpromising in sales are well-known, even among the public.

It’s no secret that the business world runs on leads, opportunities, and sales. But sales managers, sales reps and support staff now have AI-powered CRM tools to do a lot of the heavy lifting. With so much rich information at our fingertips, businesses can confidently look to the future more accurately than ever before, confidently projecting future financial activity.

If there's one thing John Imah has learned from his decade-long career helping tech giants like Samsung, Twitch, Meta, and Snap, with business development and marketing, it's how to tell--or rather, sell--a story. "Whether it's an anecdote that humanizes the technology or a statistic that captures the market opportunity," says the serial entrepreneur, "the goal [of sales] is to leave the room with the audience not just understanding but believing in the vision.

Customer service organisations today are fighting an uphill battle. Service agents face record case volumes, and customers are frustrated by growing wait times. Often, to manage the case load, agents will simultaneously work on multiple customers’ issues at once while waiting for data from legacy systems to load.

Can you imagine trying to sell a product on a busy sidewalk? The people walking by are totally random and all have unique interests. You have to go out of your way to get their attention, and even then, there's a good chance that most people who stop to talk won't want what you're selling.

Sounds frustrating, right?

In the digital age, where remote work has become the norm, mastering the art of communication has never been more critical. The ease and convenience of emails, texts, and Slack messages come with challenges, from misunderstandings to missed cues. Joining us on the Predictable Revenue Podcast, Christina Brady from Luster.ai shares her expertise on enhancing communication in virtual teams, discusses common pitfalls, and offers actionable solutions for a more connected workspace.

What if I told you there was a secret set of people who would help you break into and expand the biggest accounts in your book? That sounds like science fiction. Except, they’re out there, no matter where you work. We call them hidden allies. And research shows top performers are already identifying them at scale and working with them to close deals.

While the subject of internal team alignment is discussed among many of today’s sales teams and its importance is universally acknowledged, few truly understand how to organize and engage their teams to become more strategic and co-create value with customers. Given the challenges of ill-defined roles, conflicting goals, compensation discrepancies, and account control issues.

Negotiation skills play a crucial role in professional sales. Expertise in negotiation is a skilled practice. While some individuals are naturally strong negotiators, the best ones learn and work hard to strengthen their knowledge and learn new techniques– and they continually practice perfecting their approach.

Losing customers without understanding why can be incredibly frustrating and damaging for a business. As much as we like to think we know our customers and have our fingers on the pulse of their needs, there are often hidden reasons behind losing customers that catch us by surprise.

You walk into your general practitioner's office. You have some pain in your knee from an old sports injury and it's starting to cause concern. When the doctor comes in, she doesn't start by asking questions about your condition. Instead, she hands you a short survey with some broad questions -- including things like, "When it comes to selecting a heart medicine, what do you look for?

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.

Reps spend only 28% of their week actually selling, according to the State of Sales Report. What’s more, 69% of sales professionals agree their jobs are harder now. And yet, they’re under enormous pressure to hit their targets. That means sales teams need to hone in on the highest quality leads to make their numbers. That’s where lead qualification comes into play. Let’s talk about what it is and how to do it right.