July 2020

IndyCar Racing on Track

How Your Sales Leadership Track Record Can Help You Set New Track Records as a Consultant

How Your Sales Leadership Track Record Can Help You Set New Track Records as a Consultant
If you’ve ever followed qualifications for the Indianapolis 500, you know that IndyCar drivers try not only to “make the race” but also to “set the pace” and win the pole position for race day. You know that they typically make dozens of practice runs in the days and weeks leading up to qualifications, taking lap times and making small adjustments, fine-tuning their machine in search of excellence and that all-important goal: being the best when it counts – during qualifications and during the race.
And, if you’ve followed the history of qualifications for the Indy 500, you probably know about legendary broadcaster and Indianapolis Motor Speedway track announcer Tom Carnegie. In his six decades as the “Voice of the Speedway,” Carnegie became famous for two signature phrases: “Heeeeee’s on it!” and “It’s a new track record!” What do these phrases have to do with sales leadership consulting? Read on:

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Business consultant conversation

Post-Pandemic Sales Consulting Opportunities are Here and Now (and Here to Stay)

Post-Pandemic Sales Consulting Opportunities are Here and Now (and Here to Stay)

You’ve probably heard the motivational saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Often attributed to football coaches in the early 1950s, it has entered the American lexicon not only as a pep talk in sports but in business, too. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the going is most certainly tough. Beyond the critical health crisis, economic hardship is also widespread.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned at Sales Xceleration, it’s this: Opportunity is always present – if you know where to look and take the steps necessary to pursue it. That’s what we are seeing as the pandemic plays out; and it’s a situation we believe will continue to exist in the “new normal” of the post-pandemic sales environment.
So, just what is this opportunity? And what is it about tough economic conditions that makes it so appealing?

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Sales team brainstorming around a table about what their value proposition is.

Selling Value: If You Don’t Have a Value Proposition Your Sales Can Suffer

Selling Value: If You Don’t Have a Value Proposition, Your Sales Can Suffer

Does your sales team know what they are selling? Are all your sales reps articulating your product or service’s value in a similar manner? Is the value shared important to your customer base? And perhaps most importantly, do your prospects understand what solutions your company offers (and why those solutions should matter to them)? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you probably need to fine-tune your Value Proposition. Here’s what a Value Proposition is, why such a crystal-clear statement of value matters, and how to build a value-based positioning statement that can help boost sales and customer engagement:

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Developing a Comp Plan

How to Develop a Sales Compensation Plan

How to Develop a Sales Compensation Plan

Description: Not sure how to create a proper sales compensation plan for your small business? Here are some suggestions to get you started.
One of the keys to running a successful small business is developing a sales compensation plan — specifically one that’s good and fair. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t know how to develop a sales compensation plan.

In this post, we’ll set out to solve that problem. We’ll also delve into critical sales compensation plan details, such as setting goals, measuring performance, finding a balance between pay and incentives, and updating the plan to align with current market conditions.

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Sales professional in a meeting with investors showing documents and sharing information about the company.

Score – 5 Ways to Make Your Sales Infrastructure More Attractive to Investors

Most business investors share a simple goal: They want to find the quickest, easiest return on investment. They aren’t looking for a fixer-upper. They want to purchase a well-oiled machine that requires little to no hands-on involvement.
Savvy investors leave no stone unturned when assessing businesses. They look at your people and your processes — and they especially want to see a strong, well-nurtured sales pipeline. 

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