Sales and Marketing Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Teaser: If you believe the hype around studies that say customers feel they are through 60 percent (or more) of the buying cycle before engaging a salesperson, you could be giving your salespeople the wrong content for the wrong conversation. read more'

Buying Cycle 255

Buying Cycle Face-to-face Survey Sales Cycle 255

Understanding the Sales Force

APRIL 15, 2013

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Two articles caught my attention today. OMG identifies weaknesses on its Sales Candidate Assessments that predict why someone who has all the greatest personality traits could be expected to fail. I guarantee that 74% of them will suck at sales too!

Research 291

Research Insurance Insurance Face-to-face 291

SBI Growth

NOVEMBER 9, 2013

There is one factor that is extremely limiting to sales processes worldwide. A customized sales process is an excellent tool. You can do this by incorporating dynamic personas and buying process maps. You can access the guide when you sign-up for SBI’s Sales & Marketing Research Review. Be helpful and not sales-y.

Buyer Persona 307

Buyer Persona Buyer Tools Trends 307

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 4, 2013

This blog addresses how sales reps can ensure their quota is realistic and attainable. Many sales reps are forced to accept a quota that is neither. Over 65% of Sales Goals are driven by Executive and Corporate expectations. If their projections are unrealistic, so are the sales reps’ quotas. Bottom-Up Quota Setting.

Quota 306

Quota Ideal Customer Profile Territories Demographics 306

Sales and Marketing Management

JUNE 27, 2019

This transformation is permeating all areas of the enterprise – from marketing to sales to product development and even finance and human resources. However, sales is also an area ripe for innovation when it comes to AI-powered solutions. While sales drives the bottom line, marketing helps sales find and qualify leads.

Marketing 274

Marketing Lead Rank Lead Scoring Sales Qualified Lead 274

The Pipeline

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

While the sales industry continues to improve and move the dial on “pitching” less, and asking more questions, adopting the “Don’t Ask – Don’t Sell” [link] philosophy. Sadly one contributor to this shortcoming are sales experts in my own field. Many actively tell their clients not to ask ‘Why”.

Buying Cycle 276

Buying Cycle Buyer Follow-up Motivation 276

The Pipeline

MAY 28, 2019

Time is a truly critical element of sales success, yet too many take a very passive approach to their time. To succeed in prospecting, in fact, in any element of sales, you need to own your time. Time Is The Currency Of Sales. Too many sales organizations measure lagging indicators rather than actionable leading indicators.

Buying Cycle 309

Buying Cycle Face-to-face Lead Rank Lead Scoring 309

The Pipeline

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Last week I got an e-mail from one of the traditional providers in the sales enablement business. It seems they have discovered social media, Sales 2.0, You can tell your friends and family that you are in sales, but if that’s you, you’re an order taker, end of story. and felt they had to let the world know.

Decision Maker 257

Decision Maker Oracle Buying Cycle Social Media 257

SBI Growth

DECEMBER 3, 2024

CEOs often dream of marketing as the magic bullet that can accelerate revenue growth—even in industries where the product is a complex sale with long buying cycles, sometimes spanning 6, 9, or even 12 months. This disconnect between expectation and reality can create frustration on both sides.

Buying Cycle 156

Buying Cycle Marketing Revenue Industry 156

Selling Essentials RapidLearning Center

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Shed been careful all along to align herself with Edwards buying cycle. When prospects engage with sellers to explore a purchase, they follow a relatively standard buying cycle, which leads forward toward a purchase. The typical cycle looks like this: A change in business triggers an organization to Recognize a new need.

Buying Cycle 52

Buying Cycle Customer Decision Maker Negotiation 52

Sales and Marketing Management

AUGUST 14, 2017

Long sales cycles. There are several advantages of making proactive attempts to start buying cycles: You can start at levels that have the authority to create budget. If there’s little chance of a buying decision, buyers won’t waste their (or your) time. High probabilities of “no decisions”. Low win rates.

Gatekeeper 249

Gatekeeper Buying Cycle Call-back Face-to-face 249

Sales Hacker

AUGUST 8, 2022

The post 3 Secrets to Speeding Up Your Buying Cycle (Insights from Sending 570K Proposals) appeared first on Sales Hacker. How to structure your proposal to speed up/positively influence your buyer’s decision-making process.

Buying Cycle 82

Buying Cycle Proposal Enterprise Enterprise 82

Zoominfo

DECEMBER 28, 2020

By definition, buying signals are the actions potential customers take that indicate they’re close to making a purchase. They’re customers’ verbal buying signals—the cues your sales agent homes in on when talking to a prospect. Your marketing and sales teams need both. How to spot buying signals.

Lead Rank 309

Lead Rank Intent Data Closing Buyer Intent 309

The Pipeline

MARCH 7, 2019

Buying cycles have expanded more than measurably. Other sources confirm this trend in lengthening buy cycles. Many working on old timeframes and presumed related work-flows, get frustrated as the cycles stretch. On the field, that is with a prospect in Discovery, sellers need to be counter-intuitive.

Buying Cycle 244

Buying Cycle Education Commission Buyer 244

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan The single question that salespeople ask more than any other is, "When I'm with purchasing, they don't seem to have a compelling reason to buy and don't care about our value add. Why are their sales managers, VP's, Presidents and CEO's content to allow the bus rides to continue?

Buying Cycle 247

Buying Cycle Transportation Decision Maker Comparison 247

SBI Growth

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Sales Operations Leaders aren’t making data meaningful today. In fact, when asking Sales Operations Leaders what qualitative data they had gathered, here are their responses: Conducted internal win/loss debrief on large opportunities. The objective of the interview is to map a customer buying process.

Data 267

Data Analysis Sales Operations Buying Cycle 267

Score More Sales

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

Sales Tips and Strategies to Grow Revenues. 5 Tips for Lead Nurturing to Grow Your Sales Funnel. As a seller you are working hard to create a full pipeline (funnel) and now that you have all of these companies and some actual sales opportunities on your radar, how will you bring them to closure? Consulting.

Top of Funnel 284

Top of Funnel Lead Rank Lead Scoring Lead Nurturing 284

DiscoverOrg Sales

AUGUST 7, 2018

But they’re not asking for help from your sales team. 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. Unfortunately, sales does not reward second or third place. Why is predictive intent important for B2B sales? Get in front of buyers earlier in the buying process.

Intent Data 313

Intent Data Intent Data Lead Rank 313

Sales and Marketing Management

AUGUST 6, 2017

Too often potential sales leads are left to die a slow death on the showroom floor. Given the tremendous potential of tradeshows to produce high quality sales leads, let’s highlight what a day in the life of a tradeshow sales lead should look like to deliver ROI. . Clearly tradeshows are a win-win scenario.

Sales Qualified Lead 192

Sales Qualified Lead Leads Marketing Qualified Lead Lead Capture 192

The Pipeline

DECEMBER 18, 2018

When you are in the middle of it, the heat of the experience, be that a sport game or sales or selling, it is easy to assume that the others involved are prepared and as ready as you are, or they should be; especially in a sales, where the buyers seem to be willing participants. I mean look at all the information available.

Buying Cycle 247

Buying Cycle Buyer Objections Face-to-face 247

No More Cold Calling

AUGUST 16, 2018

Far too many sales reps do. Perhaps if what you’re doing isn’t working, new sales techniques are in order? McKinsey summarizes this challenge in “ The secret to making it in the digital sales world: The human touch.” The researchers write: There’s no doubt that digital is rocket fuel for sales organizations.

Fashion 219

Fashion Buying Cycle Social Media Cold Calling 219

SBI Growth

AUGUST 16, 2012

As a quota carrying sales rep, you have a number to hit. Sign up for the Tour to learn how your peers are promoting themselves and driving sales this year and next. The reality is that B2B buyers today will progress almost 60% of the way through the buying cycle before they ever engage a sales rep. Case and Point.

Social Media 290

Social Media Lead Rank Ideal Customer Profile Networking 290

SBI Growth

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Sales gets off to a fast start at the beginning of the year. Come Q4, that lead has evaporated and now sales is threatening to miss the number. Your sales leaders will frantically try every trick in the book. The victims here are your potential customers who have to deal with a barrage of sales tactics. Best Practices.

Decision Maker 320

Decision Maker Maximizer Buying Cycle Top of Funnel 320

Pointclear

OCTOBER 8, 2013

If you are using BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeframe) to define a sales-ready lead, it’s time to STOP! Truth is, many companies buy solutions that have never been budgeted. Watch today''s PowerMinute to learn how to establish a meaningful lead definition that matches today’s buy cycle. By Dan McDade.'

Lead Rank 230

Lead Rank Lead Scoring Leads Marketing Qualified Lead 230

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 28, 2012

Your sales team wants one thing from you: leads that are ready to buy. Do you have anyone dedicated to nurturing leads that aren’t “sales ready”? Does someone qualify the lead before it’s sent to a sales rep? Do you have content that targets prospects at each stage in the buying cycle?

Lead Generation 317

Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring 317

Zoominfo

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

You might not think that automatic sales dialers have that much to offer you. What Is A Sales Dialer? A sales dialer is pretty much what it sounds like: technology that automatically dials numbers for salespeople. You’re a sales representative. Here’s where the sales dialer comes in. You have hundreds.

Closing 264

Closing Call-back How To Outbound 264

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 29, 2012

This post will help you test a redesigned sales compensation plan to ensure cultural fit. Plus, you’ll find advice on compatibility with other sales effectiveness drivers. Let’s suppose HR is fully engaged for redesign of a 2013 Sales Compensation plan. HR even brought in an expert compensation firm. What can be done?

Compensation 253

Compensation Hiring Incentives Incentive 253

The Pipeline

JULY 6, 2021

Sales like life is cyclical in many ways, some cycles help others may present headwinds. But one thing cycles have in common is their repeating nature and their predictability. One way to help buyers and you, is to leverage cycles, while changing the buyer’s and your own habits throughout the buying cycle.

Buying Cycle 282

Buying Cycle Pipeline Buyer Quota 282

SBI Growth

JANUARY 13, 2014

A higher sales number to hit. As a sales representative these are a few of the hurdles you may face. Review notes in your CRM from the previous sales rep and support resources. Contact sales representatives who had the territory / customer before. Offer to buy them a drink at the upcoming sales kickoff meeting.

Territories 335

Territories Ideal Customer Profile Call-back Decision Maker 335

Understanding the Sales Force

APRIL 17, 2013

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Last week I posted this article in reference to an Inc. This is known throughout the selling universe but sales people still suck at this. Non-Supportive Buy Cycle (the way that salespeople buy things doesn''t support ideal sales outcomes). How come?".

Decision Maker 269

Decision Maker Consultative Selling Buying Cycle Proposal 269

SBI Growth

APRIL 26, 2013

They rely less and less on a sales rep for information. What things stimulate them to enter a buying cycle. How buying decisions are made. And share this data with the sales team. Buyer behavior has dramatically changed in the past 3-5 years. Buyers are self-educating more than ever. Author: George de los Reyes.

Customer 316

Customer Buyer Persona Survey Demand Generation 316

MTD Sales Training

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Experience: What processes does the customer go through when they are in the buying cycle? MTD Sales Training | Sales Blog | Image courtesy of Big Stock Photo. The post How To Map Out Your Buyer’s Journey Pre & Post-Sale appeared first on MTD Sales Training. Happy Selling! Sean McPheat.

How To 224

How To Buying Cycle Social Media Follow-up 224

The Sales Hunter

JULY 23, 2019

Below is a list of 20 things I have found in common with the top 1% of all sales prospectors. To be great at prospecting, you don’t have to be born with the “sales gene.” Check out my video where I talk more about what it takes to be in the top 1% of all sales prospectors: As you go through the list, don’t just read it.

Prospecting 242

Prospecting Buying Cycle Social Media Segment 242

Sales and Marketing Management

JANUARY 26, 2018

Your sales team knows this, and they spend the majority of their time nurturing the best accounts, following the classic 80/20 rule. Now, imagine if you could influence that complex internal buying journey much earlier - reaching everyone who could influence your project. Why shouldn’t marketing do the same?

Account Based Marketing 236

Account Based Marketing B2B Marketing Buying Cycle 236

Partners in Excellence

MARCH 25, 2024

We know buying cycles are getting longer. It’s easy to find excuses, to blame everyone and everything else about the lengthening sales/buying cycles. How are sellers contributing to the longer buying and sales cycles? Or we have other excuses. But perhaps we should look inwardly.

Customer 142

Customer Buying Cycle Buyer Sales Cycle 142

SBI Growth

DECEMBER 29, 2012

If you are a Sales Rep in this reality, ask yourself these two questions: Is my new quota fair? To meet my new quota, how can I find buyers ready to buy? Sales Reps with fair quotas and BANT qualified buyers blow away their numbers. This truth was reaffirmed recently when I interviewed a software sales rep named Geoff.

Quota 287

Quota Sales Qualified Lead Lead Qualification Top of Funnel 287

MTD Sales Training

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Here are 33 tips and techniques that I believe will help every salesperson to improve their overall sales figures and create more motivation and drive. If you get a sale, learn what went right so you can repeat it and improve it. If you lose a sale, learn what you can do differently, so you can improve it.

Buying Cycle 169

Buying Cycle Cold Calling Call-back Follow-up 169