Understanding the Sales Force

APRIL 16, 2025

Although this article will provide a blueprint for building a strong, full, and sustainable pipeline, we begin with a hospital analogy. But I long ago committed to becoming so good at prospecting that it wouldnt take much time, it wouldnt be frustrating or demotivating, and it wouldnt be exhausting and boring. Sure its difficult.

Pipeline 188

Pipeline Follow-up Conversion Outbound 188

Understanding the Sales Force

JANUARY 24, 2022

This is not an article about COVID but I will begin by asking which COVID policy you believe is the most stupid. Like I said, this is not a COVID article because if it was, I could write a book about the data, science, policies and hypocrisies. Have you or your salespeople ever been told by a prospect that they can't:

Airlines 328

Airlines Prospecting Policies Groups 328

Hubspot Sales

APRIL 30, 2025

Most salespeople face the same persistent challenge: Their prospects lack urgency. While this technique might result in an initial sale, I advise against it because the companys margins and the reps commission bonus both take a hit. Company] is doing some really interesting things around [business area prospect is interested in].

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Prospecting Hubspot Discount Follow-up 98

Understanding the Sales Force

DECEMBER 11, 2024

If you’ve been reading this Blog for more than a couple of years, or since 2006, then you know that every December I post the best articles of the past year. Not listed among the best articles of 2024 is the page that has the top 250 articles of all-time.

Sales Leadership 156

Sales Leadership Hiring Epiphany Video 156

No More Cold Calling

JULY 29, 2021

This broken link is to blame for sales teams’ biggest closing mistakes. “My This is the frustrated lament I hear regularly from sales leaders. But not closing sales is never the real problem. The problem is that sales reps neglect important activities during earlier stages of the sales process. It’s just a symptom.

Closing 409

Closing Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring 409

SBI Growth

APRIL 13, 2020

Waking up today, there is a lot of uncertainty in your world as sales leaders. The way you are interacting with customers and even your own sales team have changed overnight. As my colleague points out in his recent post,

Prospecting 397

Prospecting Sales Customer Strategy 397

Understanding the Sales Force

JANUARY 9, 2025

In 2015, I wrote about my encounter with Chris Cagle, but that article was about how he was opening doors for the new business he had launched. Before we dive deeper into timing, please check out this article from four years ago about urgency alignment.

Airlines 173

Airlines Decision Maker Call-back Vendor 173

Anthony Cole Training

FEBRUARY 2, 2021

In this article, we cover the impact and importance of speaking your prospects "love language" when setting a meeting and engaging them further in conversation. The pandemic has caused fewer face to face meetings, and many salespeople have yet to make the pivot (successfully) to virtual relationship building.

Prospecting 241

Prospecting Face-to-face Pivotal Meeting 241

Zoominfo

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Want prospects to respond with lightning speed? It’s time to activate the triple touch sales tactic. What is the Triple Touch in Sales? The triple touch is a tactic that salespeople use to engage prospects. Here’s the thing, if you’re in sales, you know that getting B2B prospects’ attention is tough.

Prospecting 237

Prospecting Top of Funnel Decision Maker Sales Qualified Lead 237

Hubspot Sales

JULY 15, 2024

But even though having a productive LinkedIn presence is one of the bigger “no-brainers” in sales, a lot of reps struggle to leverage the platform to its full potential. Here's a look at the “clear strategy” I use to ensure I get the most out of my LinkedIn prospecting efforts. Engage your prospects by leaving active comments.

Ideal Customer Profile 111

Ideal Customer Profile LinkedIn Prospecting Face-to-face 111

Understanding the Sales Force

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

This is my third article using the Bible as an analogy to sales and I am currently reading Numbers. In my experience, most companies have KPIs in their sales organizations but the real issue is usually whether or not the KPIs they trot out actually drive revenue. Make your sales team biblical and do God’s work.

Comparison 173

Comparison Exact Follow-up Call-back 173

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 16, 2020

Face Facts: The Client Is Not Always Right, and Your Sales Pitch Is Annoying. At least, that’s what many prospects have come to believe. They hear the word sales and think of the stereotypical used-car salesman. How Your Prospects Choose Whom to Trust. How Your Prospects Choose Whom to Trust.

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Face-to-face Call-back Cold Calling Webinar Metrics 434

Understanding the Sales Force

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Team Photo of the American League Champion 1967 Boston Red Sox I frequently write about taking a consultative approach, where listening and asking questions are the keys for successful sales presentations. Salespeople must differentiate between what is important to their prospects and customers, versus what is important only to them.

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Sales Follow-up Groups Prospecting 352

Hubspot Sales

AUGUST 26, 2024

I remember it like it was yesterday — I was just starting out in SaaS sales, and I had identified a promising account I wanted to target. Sales requires a lot of skills you can only acquire from experience, but there’s one critical attribute you should start to hone on day one: persistence.

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Follow-up Lead Rank Lead Scoring Leads 122

Understanding the Sales Force

APRIL 4, 2024

Assessments Compared Data on Sales Excellence Coaching Salespeople MUST READ: Are Assessments as Evil as the Persona Movie Suggests? The Caliper vs OMG Comparison: Which Sales Candidate Assessment is More Predictive? How to Transform Your Sales Pipeline Today Can Malcom Gladwell Explain the Sales Hiring Problem?

Hiring 154

Hiring Sales Leadership Sales Forecasts Forecasting 154

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 9, 2020

million per sales manager. But I don’t think any sales manager listened, because more than half of reps are still missing quota. I blame the sales manager for having the wrong priorities. Yet, modern sales managers have their heads stuck in spreadsheets with priorities changing daily. Poor leadership will cost you $3.5

Sales Management 390

Sales Management Hiring Cold Calling Quota 390

No More Cold Calling

MAY 28, 2020

That’s my favorite quote from David Meerman Scott’s insightful article, “ The 2020s: From the Lonely Chaos of Digital to an Era of Humanity.”. I wrote that book because I was horrified when reps started telling me they didn’t need to talk to prospects and clients anymore. Please take care of yourself. “

Referrals 391

Referrals Cold Calling Social Media Social Selling 391

The Digital Sales Institute

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Outbound sales prospecting insights that will assist any salesperson to connect and engage with target prospects in their sales activity. Our outbound sales prospecting course isn’t a mere refresh of past strategies; it’s a modern take on what it takes to win new customers.

Outbound 52

Outbound Top of Funnel Prospecting Sales Qualified Lead 52

Zoominfo

JANUARY 19, 2021

Landing pages have a vital, singular purpose — encouraging visitors to begin the sales cycle with a brand. And that content is a gateway to a possible sale. After users go through with a landing page, there should be a clear path to the end — an action that brings them into your sales funnel. An example of a landing page design.

Prospecting 246

Prospecting Marketing Top of Funnel Segment 246

Zoominfo

AUGUST 8, 2024

To be successful, sales professionals need to be experts in many different areas at once: their product’s strengths and weaknesses, their prospects’ pain points and needs, and the broader economic and competitive landscapes. To give sellers a fighting chance, sales leaders need to build an effective, flexible sales enablement program.

Sales Enablement 130

Sales Enablement Strategy Scale Hiring 130

Smooth Sale

APRIL 2, 2025

Photo by Geralt via Pixabay Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Know Your Prospects Well for Sales and Business Growth Many approaches and specific strategies exist for most endeavors, including attempting to sell. Our blog offers insights on how to ‘Know your prospects well for sales and business growth.’

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Prospecting Hiring Lead Rank Decision Maker 78

Mr. Inside Sales

JULY 30, 2021

Note to my readers: Because of my heavy client load, I am reducing my blog articles to bi-weekly starting today. Wouldn’t it be convenient to have a list of 5 questions you could use to get your prospect talking, to get them to open up about how they’re feeling and what you might need to concentrate on? Happy Selling! Get Access Today.

Closing 334

Closing Gatekeeper Face-to-face Licensing 334

Hubspot Sales

JULY 22, 2024

I'm always saying, “Sound, well-structured business email templates are central to effective sales communication, initiating productive sales conversations, and sustaining relationships with prospects and customers.” Well, reader who conveniently thinks of the questions I need to answer in this article, you‘re in luck!

Ideal Customer Profile 111

Ideal Customer Profile Proposal Lead Rank Referrals 111

Smooth Sale

MARCH 27, 2025

Photo by Geralt via Pixabay Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Prospects Can Direct Us to A Better Path for Sales Long ago, salespeople were advised to generate many cold calls daily to find one or two interested parties. Upfront Bonus Steps Challenge yourself to utilize the other side of your typical sales personality.

Prospecting 78

Prospecting Hiring Lead Rank Lead Scoring 78

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

I found it challenging to write this article. Imagine my surprise when the first video described hacking operations as businesses with outbound prospecting operations whose goal is to convert their emails, texts and calls into paying customers.

Insurance 327

Insurance Insurance Outbound Video 327

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 23, 2020

Successful sales execution requires more than sales technology. Companies today purchase the latest and greatest sales technology, provide minimal training, and then wonder why it’s not adopted across the board. Because it doesn’t actually help with sales execution. Because it doesn’t actually help with sales execution.

Guarantee 329

Guarantee Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Cold Calling 329

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Message to cold callers: Pestering strangers is NOT the way to prospect. Cold calling is a duplicitous, disingenuous sales tactic. If you make 100 calls, you’ll talk to about 20 people, schedule 10 sales appointments, and if you’re lucky, close one new deal. Why would you bother with a sales system that gets such dismal results?

Cold Calling 365

Cold Calling Social Media Telemarketing Referrals 365

SBI Growth

MAY 21, 2020

Whether you are about to go on a first date or preparing for a discovery call with a prospect – first impressions matter. Regardless if it is from their initial website visit to their first discovery call, the prospects’ experience.

Inside Sales 418

Inside Sales Customer Prospecting Sales 418

Sales and Marketing Management

JANUARY 20, 2020

Or worse, could you lose your sales job altogether? You could be vulnerable if you’re not sharpening your sales skills and honing the tactics that will help you succeed in 2020. Forrester analyst Andy Hoar didn’t mince words when he spoke at the 2015 Forrester Sales Enablement Forum. Adapt to the Digital Business Environment.

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Sales Goal Meeting Trade Show Ideal Customer Profile 312

Zoominfo

AUGUST 16, 2021

The sales and marketing landscape has changed dramatically over the last year. At least 25% of you are reading this article from your smartphone—on the go or from your home office. ZoomInfo’s Mobile App for sales professionals puts the convenience of instantaneous access to actionable, high-quality B2B data in your back pocket.

Buyer Intent 49

Buyer Intent Call-back B2B SalesForce 49

Smooth Sale

APRIL 7, 2025

Photo via Geralt via Pixabay Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Do You Play Games with Prospects for Business Growth? Our blog question is, Do you play games with prospects for business growth? An upfront step in the sales cycle is to learn what caught the persons attention to meet with us.

Prospecting 78

Prospecting Film Influencer Hiring 78

Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 20, 2024

Although this is an article about sales process, the first two paragraphs have more to do with religion than sales. I’m sure by now you’re thinking, but Dave, what the heck does that have to do with sales process? Similarly, many prospects are also non-believers in your product or service.

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Sales Process Sales Methodology Decision Maker Pipeline 341

Understanding the Sales Force

JULY 21, 2021

In an article last week we discussed how data can help you hire the ideal salespeople. In that article I shared a top/bottom analysis where the top performers were 100% more effective reaching decision makers than the bottoms. In this episode, Barry and Erica, the two oldest children, accused each other of being posers.

Decision Maker 314

Decision Maker Hiring Analysis Data 314

Mr. Inside Sales

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

Question for you: How often do you take notes while you’re on Mute and your prospect is revealing their buying motives? If not, start using it today: search my blog to read articles on how to do that.). Make a much better connection with your prospect or client because they will feel listened to and heard. You don’t take notes?

Motivation 332

Motivation Face-to-face Gatekeeper Licensing 332

Anthony Cole Training

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Typically, when a salesperson doesn't win an account it's due to a few different factors; the prospect didn't have a compelling reason to make a change, the salesperson didn't do enough to uncover their capacity to invest, or the incumbent wasn't properly eliminated from the running.

Objections 296

Objections Account Prospecting Sales Process 296

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 17, 2019

Your prospects will be confused about how your solution is different from the next guy’s. The key to differentiation is getting in early—ideally before your prospects even know they have a need. Bob Apollo shares his take on the 57 percent stat in his recent article, “ When your customers DO want to speak to a sales person.”

Competition 318

Competition Referrals Cold Calling Study 318

SalesFuel

APRIL 7, 2025

Despite its importance, salespeople dont spend a lot of time doing prospect research. Why do prospect research? Youll find that trust and credibility follow when youve learned about a prospect and demonstrated that knowledge. Doing prospect research can also save you time.

Research 52

Research Prospecting Social Media Hiring 52