Superior sales leadership is the driving force behind superior sales results. But what drives the efforts of superior sales leaders? If you ask the Certified Sales Leader facilitators of Sales Xceleration, these are the five key areas essential to leading sales performance and success: Foundations for Sales Success Effective sales leaders might keep their eyes…
For some businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a struggle. Others are barely hanging on by a thread. The sudden, unforeseen lack of demand for their products or services forced many businesses to pivot their models and rely on sales contingency plans to adjust their sales processes to digital, contactless environments. Businesses that were too focused on one…
Just as there are seasons in each year, there are also seasons in a person’s life. Spring might relate to infancy and growth, for example. Active youth and the nurturing of experience can be associated with summer. Maturity and influence bring color to the autumn of a person’s life, while winter is often a time…
A crisis can take many forms for a small to mid-sized business, but it is normally an economic crisis that threatens not only the business’s success, but its very survival. And when an economic crisis occurs quickly and without forecast – such as when the COVID-19 pandemic struck – business owners are left reeling. They…
Few sales principles have reached the near-universal adoption of SMART goals. Almost everyone understands the wisdom of establishing and pursuing goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. But do these performance-driven characteristics go far enough? If your goals are merely SMART, it’s possible you are leaving competitive advantages on the table. Let’s take…
Wouldn’t it have been nice if you could have had a success formula to guide you throughout your sales career? One that would have helped you make all the right moves and avoid the inevitable pitfalls and missteps? Maybe, but then again, those pitfalls and missteps were probably essential to your professional development as a…
Just what is a Sales Strategy? More importantly, how can your company build an effective Sales Strategy to increase sales and boost market share? Let’s start with the basics by defining “Sales Strategy”: Sales Strategy Definition For top sales performance and results, your Sales Strategy should be… …a well-defined, goal-focused, clearly communicated, and mission-oriented plan…
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:
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?
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: