October, 2018

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Who Are We Fooling?

The Pipeline

By Tibor Shanto. A bit of fantasy is good for the soul; it would hard to get through days and projects if not for a little mental cheating and false illusions; it is entirely another to base your own or your company’s future on it. Stats – The Drug of Choice. One of the great things about the web, (thank you Al Gore), is the endless stats produced by the reams of data collected by everybody.

Coaching 273
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The Race for AI-Driven Sales Success Starts Now

Sales and Marketing Management

Author: Anil Kaul Co-Founder and CEO of Absolutdata Artificial intelligence — AI for short — is already changing the world in countless ways. Millions of people use devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home to find out more about products and services they need or to control their home environment. Virtually all automakers are exploring self-driving car technology.

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Let’s Keep Talking

John Barrows

The feedback from the recent “We Need to Talk” webinar was so positive that we wanted to summarize some of the key points we discussed, share the resources we’ve compiled and keep the conversation by introducing the Slack community we’re building called Sales Done Right. The focus of the webinar was about elevating the profession of Sales for everyone by having an open and honest dialogue around issues and challenges we all face in the workplace, specifically related to sales with a focus on the

Hiring 132
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Strategy Is Sexy, Execution is Boring

Steven Rosen

Business success is a function of brilliant strategies and excellent execution. How are your sales to date? Every sales leader I have spoken with could easily answer this question. I am sure you can as well. Here is a more challenging question: How well are you doing when it comes to strategy execution ? This is a much more challenging question and there is no easy answer.

Strategy 373
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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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Old-fashioned sales techniques

Sales 2.0

Sometimes it pays to do what is “out”. Social selling has become synonymous with technology. Many definitions make it all about using social media to sell. But I think social selling is about being social and actual human beings do more than just hang out on social media platforms. Some other productive people have learned that being tethered to your email is good way to get nothing done other than respond to email.

Fashion 279

More Trending

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Dancing with the Competition? Watch your Step.

Jeffrey Gitomer

How do you feel about your competitors? You say, "I have a great relationship with my competitors." Right, if you needed $50,000 or your business would fold, I guarantee your friend, the competitor, would send you a bon voyage note. Get real, man. They may talk to you, they may be civil to you, they may even appear to help you – but ask them if they wish you were dead or alive, I'm betting on the funeral home.

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Get Out Of Yourself!

The Pipeline

By Tibor Shanto. We all would agree, I hope, that actions speak louder than just talk; that success in sales comes from action or execution. So when what one says is in direct contrast to their action, how they execute, it is a concern, but also an explanation as to why despite all the advice available, many in sales are stuck in a rut, sustained only by a healthy market.

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10 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty and Trust

Sales and Marketing Management

Author: Michael Nørregaard When prospects are evaluating your company, they’re looking to ultimately maximize their return on investment. They want minimal downtime, support they can rely on and access to as much training as possible, so they can be in turn, as successful as possible with their deployment. While that may seem like an obvious statement, it’s easier than you think to overlook these important items.

Loyalty 274
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Should You Always Agree With Your Client?

MTD Sales Training

“The customer is always right”. I’m sure you’ve heard these oft-quoted words from Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of the department store that bears his name. And how often have you thought of those words and cringed when the customer you are with has said something you know is definitely the wrong side of wrong? Alexander Kjerulf is an independent writer and an expert on workplace happiness.

Airlines 274
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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24 Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

The Sales Heretic

When it comes to your sales—and pretty much everything else in your life—your brain is your most valuable asset. So it makes sense to do as much as you can to protect it. And it needs protection. The challenges of modern life mean our brains are under assault every day. The enemies of the brain [.].

Sales 272
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New Data Shows that You Can Double Revenue by Overcoming This One Sales Weakness

Understanding the Sales Force

My wife and I have been watching 24 for the last few months and we've made it to season 7. Once in a while, one or both of us falls asleep during late-night episodes but we are always saved by: PREVIOUSLY ON 24. With that in mind, I will save you if you didn't happen to read last week's article which is a pre-requisite for this one. PREVIOUSLY ON UNDERSTANDING THE SALES FORCE.

Data 267
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Post-it Note your way to achievement.

Jeffrey Gitomer

People are not afraid of achieving success, they just don't know how. Here's one element that will put you on the path. You have several goals you want to achieve, but they are not written down. They just pop up in your head every once in a while, only to be buried in a black hole of procrastination, excuses and guilt. Take heart – I found a way to beat the system.

ACT 239
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Selling Above The Crowd

The Pipeline

By Tibor Shanto. A few weeks back I wrote about the state of sales from a broader and collective perspective , spoiler alert: we have issues. As I have been working with teams and individuals readying their 2019 plans, it is clear that there are specific steps individual sales people can take to ensure that they rise above the fray and continue to consistently succeed in delivering value for both their employers and customers.

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1st, 2nd, and 3rd Party Intent Data: Which Is Right for You?

How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

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The No. 1 Skill Top Salespeople Must Master

Sales and Marketing Management

Author: Lee B. Salz At a young age, I was told that I should pursue a career in sales. I heard it in high school, again in college and, yet again, post-graduation. Perhaps, people told you that you have what it takes to be a great salesperson. Why did people tell us that we should pursue a sales career? There was one reason. We were great talkers. People not in the sales profession think that “talking” is the key to sales success.

Buyer 266
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Top 5 Ways To Gain More Repeat Business

MTD Sales Training

Don’t you just love it when one of your customers places a follow-up order? Or you get that call and the customer says they’d like a repeat of what they had from you before? The great feelings flow through you, because you realise that all your hard work was worth it, and you feel rewarded by repeat business that you didn’t have to do too much to gain.

Loyalty 258
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How to Boost Your Credibility at a Trade Show

The Sales Heretic

A trade show is a challenging sales environment. You don’t have the natural advantages you have when talking with a prospect on your own turf. Your competition is everywhere. And all the exhibits look so similar. How do you stand out and effectively compete? Especially against larger competitors that may be able to buy a [.].

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Salespeople With This Weakness Score 47% Worse at Reaching Decision Makers

Understanding the Sales Force

A lot of the salespeople I coach have a weakness in their Sales DNA - their need to be liked. Approximately 58% of all salespeople have this weakness and on average, salespeople score 76% in that competency. Elite salespeople have an average score of 87% and weak salespeople have an average score of 69%. What would it look like if we were to pivot this data and look only at the group who have it as a weakness?

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Salesforce’s 8th State of Marketing Report

Discover today’s biggest marketing trends in the 8th edition of Salesforce’s “State of Marketing” report. Salesforce surveyed 6,000 marketing leaders worldwide to discover how marketers are: Embracing AI to operate more efficiently Removing silos and leveraging AI to enhance the customer experience Innovating to meet evolving customer needs Preparing for the retirement of third-party cookies By submitting this form, you agree to have your contact information, including email, passed on to the sp

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A Guide to B2B Blogging Success [Infographic]

Zoominfo

In a world where content is still king, B2B businesses who blog are seeing the most success. Here’s why—consistent B2B blogging has a huge impact on lead generation, web presence, brand awareness, customer relationships, and ultimately revenue. If you’re not prioritizing your B2B blog, there’s a good chance you’re not reaching important prospects, driving traffic to your website, or communicating with your customers effectively.

B2B 243
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3 Ways to Deliver Greater Results from Your Sales Process

SBI Growth

Virtually every sales organization has invested in the creation of a sales process. The most obvious key to designing a sales process is to focus on the customer. For years, Sales Operations and Enablement leaders have heard this same message.

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Machine Learning Makes Life Easier

Sales and Marketing Management

Author: Carson Conant The use of sales and marketing technologies has become a critical piece of the puzzle for organizations looking to increase their sales productivity. Yet, chances are most organizations are missing out on a substantial opportunity to boost their sales revenue. In today’s modern marketplace, enterprises must be able to confidently quantify and convey which content and messaging should be provided to sales reps in order to drive revenue and engage buyers.

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ATTENTION: The New Sales Currency

MTD Sales Training

Years ago, when the first bartering started (thought to be in the Middle East), metals were used as symbols to represent value stored in the form of commodities. Currency became recognised as stores of value, and traded between market traders and, eventually, nations. This idea of value was built on the concept of the importance, worth or usefulness of something.

Salary 244
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Gone in 8 Seconds: Overcoming Buyers’ Shrinking Attention Spans

Speaker: Jake Miller, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Allego

Buyers are savvier, buying teams are larger, and new research shows that buyers' attention spans have dropped to just 8 seconds. This means that the old approach of blasting buyers with email-heavy, generic communications no longer works. Instead, buyers need to be surrounded with relevant communications and personalized, self-service content throughout their journey.

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Have You Asked Yourself That?

The Pipeline

By Tibor Shanto. Questions, specifically in sales, are like burgers, some are surprisingly satisfying, exceeding expectations, others leave underwhelmed, asking yourself why you bothered, again? In both, it’s down to how much strategy, planning, preparation, we do in advance; then the quality of execution, followed by review, and then over again.

SME 225
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How I Realized That Selling is Just a Bunch of Crap

Understanding the Sales Force

Those are strong words and probably quite surprising coming out of my mouth but I'll explain it all. Earlier this week I was leading another Sales Leadership Intensive and during a break it came to me. I was emphasizing how important it is to role-play as part of every coaching conversation and that's when I realized that what I was sharing was a bunch of crap.

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There are 100 billion Customer Types. Go Figure.

Jeffrey Gitomer

Selling is not about defining the type of buyer you're facing. There are a millions of types of buyers. Ever see those "four types" of buyer things? The Driver. The Amiable. The Idiot. The Big Idiot. The Big Idiot is someone who thinks there are four types of people, and you can somehow pigeon–hole them into characteristic categories that will make them buy.

Customer 224
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5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Can Boost Productivity in Sales Ops

SBI Growth

Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just a buzzword in the data world. When used correctly, it will save you time, which frees up your team to execute on strategic sales initiatives empower the sales team. AI is growing increasingly prevalent in.

Data 227
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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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15 Phrases You Should Always Avoid Communicating with Clients

Sales and Marketing Management

Author: Olivia Ryan Business communication rarely goes beyond the borders of formal speech and writing, particularly in the B2B niche. Sometimes it’s reasonable to add a slight touch of humor as an icebreaker, but most of the time you should stick to the regular business language. According to the report, over 80 percent of B2B decision makers think sales reps are unprepared.

ROI 239
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Why You Should Have A CLOSE A & A CLOSE B

MTD Sales Training

The excitement you feel when you get a positive response from your prospect is palpable. All that hard work, all that research, all that grafting and painstaking questioning and presenting has paid off and the prospect is heading towards buyers-ville. It’s all going so well. Then, when you ask the prospect for the order, they bring out another objection, or stall you for a few extra discount percentage points.

Closing 243
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Five Words That Will Make You a Better Salesperson and Leader

The Sales Heretic

Whatever your job is in your organization’s sales channel, you want to be better at it. Which means you’re always on the lookout for tips, tricks, and hacks to make you more effective and productive. Well here’s a simple yet powerful one. It’s a five-word question that can significantly increase your influence and performance. It’s: [.].

Channels 216