Things you need to know from No More Cold Calling.

Oh, how quickly the “New Year” simply becomes “the year.” Now that the parties are over, many sales reps are coming to the realization that last year’s bonus means diddlysquat when staring at a quota reset to zero sales.

Sure, you’ve still got 11 months to make (or exceed) your quota, but you won’t make it unless you start filling your pipeline now. For ideas to fill that funnel and make 2015 your best sales year ever, check out what you might have missed from No More Cold Calling this month:

How to Avoid the Trash Folder

If you’re sending emails to prospects you don’t know, don’t be surprised when you get deleted. Too many companies send mass marketing messages without any idea who the recipients are or what they want. It’s not only stupid; it’s a waste of sales time. This is the age of personalization, not generalization—which is one of the reasons Amazon has become the largest online retailer in the world. It’s why social media adoption has skyrocketed. No one wants to be treated like a number or blasted with generalized marketing messages. We’re individuals, and we expect the companies we do business with to treat us that way. (Read more.)

4 Steps to Make Your Sales Life Easier

You’ve got your head down, drafting a proposal or implementing a complex solution with a client. You’re firing on all cylinders, while still trying to make time for sleep and maybe even a little exercise. Of course, even when your proposal writing is finished and your client engagement has successfully concluded, you’ve still got to make time to prospect—especially if you’ve been so busy closing deals that your sales pipeline has dried up. So how do you serve customers, close deals, and prospect at the same time? In this post, I’ll share my time-management secrets, as well as four no-sweat solutions for increasing sales productivity from LinkedIn’s Koka Sexton. (Read more.)

Big Deals and High Heels: Why Women Are Naturals at Selling

Men still outnumber women in the upper echelons of sales. But that’s changing quickly. Success in sales is about building and nurturing relationships. And women are natural networkers and conversationalists! We’re hardwired to be nurturers, connectors, and collaborators—all traits that make for great salespeople. Successful sales organizations in the 21st century will facilitate teams that leverage the strengths of both men and women. Yet, many women still lack the confidence to leverage their natural talents. And it’s time for them to get out of their own way. (Read more.)

[Message to Management]: Stop Babysitting, Start Coaching

Coach your salespeople. Are you tired of hearing that message over and over again? Maybe you don’t have coaching skills. Maybe you figure you hired top reps, so they should be able to succeed on their own. Or maybe you don’t have time to coach your team because you’re too busy solving all their problems. Well, it’s a new year—with new sales goals and quotas to meet. So why not try a new approach? Teach your sales team to put out their own fires so you can do what you were hired to do: coach and lead. (Read more.)

How to Win the Sale Before Winning the Order

Customers no longer enter the sales funnel at the top. Today’s buyers often have the information they need, so they enter the funnel halfway down—which has changed how we sell to them. The key to engaging prospects at this stage is responsiveness: What information can you provide to help them make quick and informed decisions?  In this No More Cold Calling guest post, Andy Paul—author of the new book Amp Up Your Sales: Powerful Strategies That Move Customers to Make Fast, Favorable Decisions—shares critical relationship-building tips for every step of your sales process. (Read more.)

Forget the Shiny Toys and Wondrous Bobbles

Salespeople are continually bombarded with messages about the latest productivity tools, marketing automation platforms, lead-sourcing apps, and social selling strategies. The problem is, we are not productive with the tools we already have. We’re fickle. We try out a new tool for a while and then move on to the next. It’s like we’re back in grade school and want to be the first on our block to have the hottest new toy. We are fascinated by the next bright, shiny object. We forget that technology is only a tool. Our relationships are actually what seal deals—and keep our sales pipelines full of hot leads. (Read more.)

Happy New Year—You’re the Best

I recently told a colleague that I’m not currently mentoring anyone. She immediately corrected me and said, “Joanne, we mentor everyone by the words we write.” I had never thought about it that way. But when I took the time to review all the great questions and feedback readers sent me this past year, I realized she was right! Thank you for taking the time to write to me. Hearing about the impact my words have on your success blows me away. Every time. So I’m starting this year with a great sense of gratitude and purpose because of the sales professionals I reach, and who reach out to me. Here is what a few of you have told me. (Read more.)