Sales management has been a data- and performance-driven profession for decades, but only recently has technology caught up to the real needs of sales managers. Today, true data collection and performance analytics can become a core part of the sales management process. Thanks to powerful CRM data capture technologies and sales dashboards, sales leaders have […]

On sales calls, especially those that involve a competitor or require selling into a noisy space, one of the best ways to stand out is market differentiation. Market differentiation is a method through which a particular product or service is made to be distinguishable from others in a desirable manner so that it appears superior […]

Phone call anxiety is a real thing. In fact, research shows that 40 percent of salespeople will experience some sort of anxiety when making calls. Whether it be picking up the phone, struggling with a script, trouble booking a demo, or grappling with rejections, call anxiety can have a paralyzing effect on a rep’s sales […]

Cold calling is arguably one of the hardest sales activities, as there are so many different factors that contribute to a reps’ success or failure at it. When it comes to making successful cold calls, a solid skill set significantly contributes to success. Fortunately, anyone can acquire the skills necessary to be successful at cold […]

Four of the most common terms you will hear anywhere in sales are prospect, lead, contact, and opportunity. Sometimes they are used interchangeably, but each has their own distinct meaning that directly refers to the sales process. So what exactly is a lead, a prospect, contact, and an opportunity? What do the terms mean, how […]

The onboarding of sales development representatives (SDRs) is one of the most challenging, and sometimes underserviced parts of a business. Sales development roles are commonly treated as entry-level positions. SDRs are given as little as a week of onboarding, and are expected to get by with on-the-job learning. This, combined with steep quotas, mean the […]

In TOPO’s 2019 Sales Development Benchmark Report, 88% of respondents cited SDRs as an important channel in their outbound strategy. Combined with an increasing emphasis on the importance of live call execution and conversational skills, it’s clear that the role of a sales development rep has changed. This change necessitates a shift in the skillset […]

Scaling, or the stage that follows the growth phase of an organization, is especially hard on a sales team. At this point of growth, significant executive attention and pressure is placed on new revenue growth. Additionally, when selling a new product in an emerging market, freshly hired sellers & managers are tasked with testing messaging […]

If you’re not one of 54.3% of sales reps that meet or exceed their sales goals, you’re probably wondering how to become one. You may think it requires constant pitching, non-stop prospecting, and continuously pushing towards a close. If so, you’re wrong. Top-performing sales reps get that way by doing things very differently. They do […]

Today’s business buyers are accustomed to personalized buying experiences. We all experience the convenience and speed of consumer transactions in our personal lives, and have come to expect it in the workplace as well. Salesforce found that 80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. The […]

According to Marketo, 10.99% of sales referrals convert. The same research found that only 0.9% of regular sales prospects turn into customers. That’s a huge difference. One reason for this variance is likely due to the fact that only 3% of people consider salespeople to be trustworthy. Additionally, most buyers now research and select vendors […]

No matter how consistently you coach your reps or how well they’ve performed in the past, there are always times when sales teams struggle to hit their goals. This can be especially true at the end of a challenging quarter or year. Your reps may be giving it their all, but seem to be running […]