In talking with a wide number of sales pros in the last week it hit me that our profession keeps us somewhat isolated. Here are the key points: Find someone whose opinion you trust – not just a “yes man” or “yes woman” You need constructive suggestions. MORE

More Books: I completed or reread some great books by friends and colleagues I think they belong on every sales professionals bookshelves: Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sales , Paul Smith: We know how critical stories are in connecting and engaging our customers. After that foundation, he goes in to great detail in how to create powerful sales stories. Here are a few things I’m learning, reading, and watching. MORE

57 – 90% of the buying process is complete before a sales rep needs to get involved. Marketing and sales are aligned. Mike Weinberg, The New Sales Coach , Principal. If cold calling and proactively targeting ideal profile prospects is truly dead, then why are my clients having so much success creating NEW opportunities and CLOSING new deals from their personal prospecting efforts? Emails sent to me oblivious that I’m not a prospect. Cold calling is dead. MORE

What do complex sales and the radioactive decay rate of atoms have in common? What truly constitutes an ideal prospect? How can I reconcile enterprise sales cycles with my lack of time, capacity or resources? After all, you still have the name "sales" in your title. MORE

We have a very high respect for the Sales Force Effectiveness Blog over at Sales Benchmark Index. They regularly have great and highly valuable content, covering key topics and issues on the minds of sales leaders and C-level leaders around sales and leadership. MORE

If you’ve got ambitions of becoming a top inside sales rep at your company, you’re going to have to build and sharpen these critical sales skills first. Want to master today's most important sales skills? GET FREE ACCESS TO THE SALES LIBRARY NOW. Closing the sale. MORE

Newer sales reps get more leverage to speak up after they have consistently engaged prospective clients, booked meetings and closed business. The worst news can be packaged in a way that it is constructive and helpful rather than scathing complaints and condemnation. MORE

That’s Not Selling ) was greeted with many constructive comments and a surprising number of positive reactions on the part of sales folks. Many of these folks correctly guessed or figured out that I have been involved in sales myself. Engaging Prospects. MORE

Sales people have had automation for a long time but the traditional form of automation aligned with the traditional view of the sales job. But now email has become an incredibly popular sales tool (maybe too popular but that’s a discussion for a different post.) MORE

You have been promoted to sales manager. Going from a top performing sales person to a manager seems like it will be an easy transition, right? The traits that make all-star salespeople usually don’t directly translate to the skills needed to be an effective sales manager. MORE

Any advanced selling system is based on the fundamentals however you have to leverage a process and acknowledge the nurturing required for an effective sales cycle to happen in social environs over time. Dave Brock says it the best ever: Prospecting is the New Prospecting ! MORE

Here are some resources for sales professionals who are on the front lines, generating conversations, listening to prospects and customers online, and engaging with them by email, phone, video, and in person. Communities That Offer You Many Sales Ideas –. MORE