Our Top 5 Blogs of 2021
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In sales, thought leadership is a crucial component of success. It’s part of an organization’s sales enablement strategy that primes reps to believe in and sell their products and services to the best of their ability. More importantly, content, such as blogs, white papers, and case studies, helps buyers see sales reps and their organizations as trustful advisors at the forefront of their industry. At Janek, we pride ourselves on consistently producing high-quality thought leadership for sellers across our industry. In fact, this year alone, we published more than 110 blogs. As we close out 2021, here are our top five blogs of the year:
How to Sell Virtually
Of course, 2021 was an unprecedented year that brought endless changes to all industry. One of the biggest changes for sellers was the shift into virtual selling. More than merely switching to video, selling virtually required a whole new set of practices to make the most of the medium. In this blog from January, Janek Managing Partner Justin Zappulla outlined ten top tips and tricks to succeed in the new sales landscape, including:
- Choosing the Best Video Conferencing Tool
- Following an Established Sales Process
- Engaging Your Audience
- Keeping Sales Educational for Prospects
- Using Storytelling in Your Sales Approach
- Being an Active Listener
- Sending Follow-Ups
- Tracking Metrics
- Being Flexible
- Adapting and Refining Methods
With an increased dependence on virtual and the rise of hybrid models of sales engagement, this topic is as essential today as it was at the start the year. To take a look, click here.
A Comprehensive Guide to Lead Generation
Without question, lead generation is a sales topic as comprehensive as it is fundamental. The need to attract new prospects and convert them into new business is essential to the success and growth of an organization. In this blog from March, we took a deep dive into the nuances of successful lead generation, including:
- Differentiating Marketing-Qualified Leads vs. Sales-Qualified Leads
- Identifying Multiple Types of Lead Generation
- Prioritizing Lead Generation Strategies
- Detailing How Sales Teams Can Improve Lead Generation
- Taking Lead Generation to the Next Level With Sales Enablement
As lead generation is a foundational aspect of increasing sales and growing your organization, this is a timeless and essential topic for all sellers to refresh throughout the year. Have a look now by following this link.
The Pros and Cons of Different Sales Compensation Plans
Sellers are often a competitive breed, pushing themselves to achieve and exceed their quotas. As such, top sales organizations know their talent is only as good as their compensation plans. Beyond numbers comparable to your competition, the best plans should motivate and inspire reps to be their best. In this blog from June, Janek Managing Partner Nick Kane took a detailed look into the top-six sales compensation plans, including:
- Salary Only
- Commission Only
- Base Salary Plus Commission
- Absolute Commission
- Team-Based Plans
- Gross-Margin or Profit-Based Plans
As there is no one-size-fits-all-approach to selling, there is also no definitive best comp plan. Instead, sellers and organizations should periodically review their plans to ensure they are competitive, encourage winning behavior, and drive success, for both the individual seller and their organization. To see for yourself, just click here.
Sales Lessons From Nick Saban
Legendary college football coach Nick Saban is a name associated with winning. His impressive resume includes stints as head coach at Toledo, Michigan State, Louisiana State and, of course, Alabama. It also includes seven National Championships and a stop in the NFL. In this blog from September, Janek took a page from Saban’s own book to reveal the X’s and O’s behind the coach’s unique philosophy, including:
- Breaking down complex processes into manageable parts
- Creating a culture of achievement by focusing on process over outcome
- Handling the inevitable disruptions that challenge both football and sales teams
For Saban, there is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. The best players and sellers must learn the better they manage the pain of discipline, the less they will suffer the pain of disappointment. Read it now with one click here.
How to Conduct a Pipeline Review
More than a mere status update, the best sales leaders know that a pipeline review is an opportunity. In addition to individual deal coaching and forecasting, a pipeline review offers managers a chance to challenge their reps and gauge their readiness to move stubborn deals through the pipeline. As illustrated in HubSpot, companies that spent at least three hours a week talking about pipeline saw 11-percent growth, and companies that trained managers on pipeline management saw nine-percent growth. In this blog from October, we examined several ways to conduct effective pipeline reviews, including:
- Setting a Routine
- Understanding Deals
- Achieving Better Outcomes
- Establishing a Plan
- Analyzing the Metrics
Of all the assessments required of high-performing sales organizations, a pipeline review is the easiest to overlook. Perhaps this is due to managers merely updating complacent reps on where they stand in the moment. Instead, managers who use pipeline reviews to share, collaborate, and coach how to guide slow-moving or stalled deals to close will see far greater success. Check it out here.
In sales, even the most skill, talent, and experience cannot guarantee a positive outcome. However, when these combine with a repeatable process, sellers have the best chance for consistent success. While Janek, thrives to produce content that informs, educates, and inspires sales reps across all industries to achieve more, we feel we have exceeded our own expectations in 2021. We hope you enjoyed all our content over this last, challenging year. It is our intent to help sellers do and achieve more in 2022. From all of us at Janek Performance Group, here’s to a successful 2021 and best wishes for 2022.
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