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    The most popular Membrain blog posts from 2021

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    Almost since the inception of our company, Membrain has posted to our blog consistently every week. Usually, I post something of my own as well as a guest post by an industry leader. Every year, a few posts seem to hit a chord and get passed around and talked about more than others.

    In 2021, here are the posts that received the most attention, both the top ten that I wrote and the top ten guest posts. As always, listicles were popular, but so were articles based in psychology and, one of my personal favorites, a piece inspired by a conversation with a professional hostage negotiator.

    In order from least read to most, here they are:

    My posts

    #10 - 5 account management mistakes you may be making - and how to avoid them

    Account management is still an under-appreciated art and science, and most companies are making at least one of these mistakes. From looking at accounts from the wrong side to thinking you already know what the customer wants or needs, there’s a good chance your teams are making at least one of these five mistakes.

    #9 - How to build account plans in Salesforce - the easy way

    Salesforce and “easy” don’t always go together. I spend a lot of time talking about the ways that Salesforce falls short of its promise to help salespeople. But a lot of folks still use it, and our two-way sync makes it a little easier for those who do to build effective account plans.

    #8 - 7 ways to develop managers into world class sales coaches

    Managers are often promoted beyond their capabilities within the sales industry, and few organizations adequately train and support them to become great managers. But this piece provides a list of ways any company can help develop their managers into great sales coaches.

    #7 - Top 5 sales habits to start in the New Year

    It’s that time again! Instead of New Year Resolutions, this piece recommends new habits for the new year - from changing how you think about sales to creating checklists and prioritizing coaching, this list is still good for the 2022 New Year as well.

    #6 - How to keep representative bias from killing your sales results

    Articles about cognitive bias always attract attention, and this one is no different. If your salespeople are relying too much on their “gut” - they may be falling prey to representative bias. Learn more about it and how to prevent it from killing your results in this piece.

    #5 - 5 reasons that superstar salesperson will fail you

    Thinking of hiring a few superstars to your team in the coming year? Think again. From the nature of their industry to how they came by their success at a previous job, a salesperson’s stellar previous track record doesn’t always spell success for you. Find out why.

    #4 - What is anchoring bias and what do salespeople need to know about it?

    Does the order in which you present information to a prospective buyer matter? Cognitive bias says yes. Anchoring bias can affect how buyers perceive your salespeople and your offers. Find out how you can use it to your advantage in this piece.

    #3 - What psychology tells us about being a better sales leader

    Becoming a better sales leader isn’t just about teaching your people what you know or giving them carrots and sticks to motivate them. Soft skills including self-awareness and the ability to spot cognitive bias can be the most important tools in a sales leader’s tool kit.

    #2 - How hostage negotiators win - and how you can too

    I’ll be honest - this was one of my favorite pieces to write this year, and I’m happy that it made it to the #2 most popular slot. I interviewed professional hostage negotiator Kirk Kinell, who provided fascinating insight into how negotiators bring hostages home safely - and then we applied this information to how salespeople can bring home more wins.

    #1 - 8 common prospecting problems and their solutions

    Prospecting continues to be a challenging topic of interest for most sales professionals, as shown by this piece hitting the #1 most popular blog post slot. This piece addressed problems including prioritization, filling the pipeline, and measuring what works to identify and provide solutions to help professionals improve prospecting results.

    By guest writers

    I’m grateful to every guest writer who contributes to the Membrain blog. Their insights inform, entertain, and educate readers week after week. Here are the top ten most popular guest blogs from 2021.

    #10 - Don’t be one of “those” people (by Joanne Black)

    Everybody knows the type. When you receive an email from them, you cringe or roll your eyes. Whatever it is, it’s not going to be something you enjoy receiving. We all know them when we meet them - but is it possible that you ARE one of those people? Find out from Joanne Black how to avoid that fate.

    #9 - Don’t let the uncontrollable control (by Gretchen Gordon)

    In life, as in sales, there are some things you just can’t control. But that doesn’t mean you have to let those things control you. Gretchen Gordon walks readers through the key things to keep in mind when taking responsibility for outcomes instead of becoming victim to the uncontrollable.

    #8 - The 5 requirements to maximize ROI on sales training (by Gretchen Gordon)

    Gretchen Gordon also brings us the #8 most popular post, on the ever popular topic of sales training - and getting the most out of it. From making sure that the training aligns with repeatable processes to reviewing your compensation plan, she lays out for readers how to get the most out of their sales training investment.

    #7 - The $225,000 selling mistake most salespeople make (by Dave Kurlan)

    Sometimes, a mistake hurts. In this piece, Dave Kurlan tells the story of a company that spent $25,000 to lose a $225,000 deal - and where they went wrong. From happy ears to lack of push-back from the sales manager, this is a mistake nobody wants to make.

    #6 - Has role specialisation in b2b selling gone too far? (by Bob Apollo)

    There’s a lot to be gained by increasing specialisation within a team - when everyone is doing what they do best, everyone wins. Except when they don’t. In this piece, Bob Apollo talks about how role specialisation, despite potential operational efficiencies, can go terribly wrong.

    #5 - Post-mortems are not the end, but rather the beginning (by Jonathan Farrington)

    Jonathan Farrington was a friend, an advocate, a big thinker, and a generous human being. His departure in 2021 has saddened everyone who knew him. He was a frequent contributor to the Membrain blog, as well as someone I admired and looked up to. I’m happy to repost this piece by him as the #5 most popular guest blog post in 2021.

    #4 - Exploding the 3x sales pipeline coverage myth (by Bob Apollo)

    Rules of thumb can be useful tools, except when they’re not. Bob Apollo argues that the benchmark standard of 3x quota for a sales pipeline is misguided and harmful. Instead, he provides a guide for establishing effective benchmarks that are unique to your sales environment and actually serve to keep you on target.

    #3 - Is it time to stop allowing the Covid excuse? (by Bob Apollo)

    Bob Apollo is not known for pulling his punches, and this very popular post from 2021 is one example. Here, he takes on the limiting mindsets that some salespeople have, and how responses to Covid has potentially become one of them. Check it out to see if you agree.

    #2 - How to overcome fear in sales (by Dave Kurlan)

    Every salesperson must learn to overcome fear of rejection and fear of failure in order to be a success. And the more fears a salesperson can overcome, the more successful they can become. Here, Dave Kurlan presents 5 steps to removing limiting fears from the sales equation.

    #1 - Why I believe we should blow up the BDR role in sales (by Dave Kurlan)

    Here is Dave Kurlan again, in the #1 guest blog post slot for 2021, with this zinger. BDRs (Business Development Reps) are often underpaid, inexperienced, and therefore inexpensive employees, who are assigned to do the “dirty work” of getting prospects in the door to meet the higher-paid, more skilled salespeople. Maybe it makes sense to save money and the time of experienced salespeople this way. But maybe it doesn’t. Here’s Dave Kurlan’s blistering review of why the BDR role needs to be demolished.

    I hope you have enjoyed the blog this year! Please send me an email with your feedback and any topics that you'd like me to cover in 2022!

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    George Brontén
    Published December 15, 2021
    By George Brontén

    George is the founder & CEO of Membrain, the Sales Enablement CRM that makes it easy to execute your sales strategy. A life-long entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the software space and a passion for sales and marketing. With the life motto "Don't settle for mainstream", he is always looking for new ways to achieve improved business results using innovative software, skills, and processes. George is also the author of the book Stop Killing Deals and the host of the Stop Killing Deals webinar and podcast series.

    Find out more about George Brontén on LinkedIn