In our view, sales management is one of the most difficult and misunderstood professions in B2B enterprises. Our thoughts and opinions
Sales and Marketing alignment isn’t a new topic in the B2B world. And yet, CSO Insights research shows that while it’s a goal for many companies, the reality is that it’s rare. HubSpot indicated that just 26% of respondents operate under a marketing and sales SLA. “Only 39% of companies strongly agree/agree that such alignment […]
Aak! “I stumbled upon your profile, so I wanted to reach out and connect.” How many of you are getting these types of LinkedIn invites? Some clever “LinkedIn Guru” must have included that gem in their master class recently because it’s become the invitation du jour. Now, if you are searching for prospects just like […]
I hear quite a bit of grumbling these days from my sales coach colleagues about the dreaded LinkedIn “Pitch and Pounce” (thanks Mike Kunkle for that memorable term!). What’s driving this trend we wonder? I certainly hope this isn’t an approach that’s being taught by sales or social selling or so-called “LinkedIn experts” because it […]
I thought updating my annual B2B marketing budget blog would be a snap. Just update a few data points and done! What I have realized is that marketing is in upheaval and budget planning for 2019 will take some thought. While Gartner is predicting contraction in marketing budgets, looking more closely, I see the situation […]
When B2B companies are looking to boost revenue, they need to look not just to sales (more deals!) OR to marketing (more leads!), but sales and marketing alignment. When numbers are not being hit, it’s seldom rooted in one or the other, but stems from a lack of holistic alignment between them. In other words, […]
Why are enterprise sales so dismal? Approximately 40% of all enterprise sales reps don’t make quota! That’s right, you heard me! Only 60.9% of sales people achieve quota each year (Source: HubSpot)! Why is it that with all the modern tools and methods that fewer sales people are succeeding. Sales may think it’s because the […]
If you have more than 30 sales reps and plan to add inside sales or grow your team in the next 12 months, you need to be thinking about building out sales enablement services. If you have more than 300 reps, your ROI for implementing a formal Sales Enablement Function this year will start to […]
As the weather starts to cool and pumpkin spice aromas fill the air, that means it’s time to start thinking about 2018 marketing budgets. And that’s when this thought pops back into your mind: What’s the value of a CMO? Do I need one this year? Most small to medium sized B2B businesses and tech […]
Recently I had the honor and privilege to moderate a panel of San Diego Sales Enablement experts. Sales Enablement is a growing topic of discussion as companies look for ways to increase revenue or make sales more effective without adding headcount. However, it’s still a very new topic and most companies are at the ad […]
If you want to increase your revenue, focus on honing your sales process before you add headcount. First, let’s agree on what I mean by a sales process versus a sales method. According to a Sales Benchmark Index article by John Kenney, “a sales methodology is the ‘how’ of selling as a skill set.” A […]
I listened to the sound of a small jackhammer for the better part of this past week. Each day, I’d look out, and think, “Today, they must be done! The sidewalk isn’t that big!” And then another day I’d listen to the sound of a small jackhammer grinding away at the sidewalk for another 8 […]
Thinking about whether it’s time for Sales Enablement in your company? Don’t miss the September 14 AA-ISP San Diego meeting! Sales enablement is a fast-growing discipline: In 2013 19% of CSO Insights study participants reported having an enablement initiative or function. In 2016, 34% reported having an enablement initiative or function. Join our panel of […]
At a recent AA-ISP panel discussion among highly experienced, rock star sales reps, what was the top requirement that they had after a strong culture? Training. Yep. The already successful, “trained” sales reps want more TRAINING. Each of them wanted a couple of weeks to learn the product and a playbook to work from. And […]
How do you know what’s going to work best to help prospects evaluate and buy your SaaS solution: Trial, Demo, or Tour? Let’s start with some definitions. Free Trial – Opt-in and Opt-out In thinking about offering a free trial, the first question you need to ask yourself is – do you want or expect […]
Today when we honor the many people who have given so much for the freedoms we revere, I want to talk about a lesser-known patriot who arrived at the right time and did what needed to be done to help then General Washington save the Continental Army during the terrible winter the Army spent […]
The San Diego AA-ISP Chapter’s May meeting asked 5 successful sales reps to share their secrets on how they manage their sales career. Our panel consisted of inside and outside reps and managers at all stages of their careers, working at companies ranging from startup to a large public company. Following are highlights from the […]
Recently I have noticed startups in our area maturing to a level where they are ready to reach out to the market. Several have asked me about hiring their first sales person, and because they are startups and money is usually tight, they hope to pursue a 100% commission model. This means they want to […]
If you are like many Sales Leaders, this is the time of year when you turn your attention to the annual sales kickoff meeting. You picked a date, lined up an offsite meeting space with great food, planned a team-building activity and had travel booked for everyone. All set! Right? Not so fast. Don’t let […]
The Internet of Things is changing business. While most of the time we talk about the impact on manufacturing, logistics, and operations, what we need to realize is that IoT will have a major effect on sales and marketing processes, too. In a transparent, real-time, interconnected world, everything about business will be transformed as information […]
Sorry, sales. The buyer is in charge now. Jeffrey Lipsius uses simple storytelling in his book, Selling to the Point, to explain why the buyer is now in charge of sales. It’s a big concept that Jeff has explained through storytelling that makes it easy to grasp and relatable. That’s not to mean that sales […]
Last week cybersecurity leader FireEye released long-anticipated results that fell below market expectations. The market reacted quickly as Fireeye’s stock value fell another 15%, trading in the $15—$18 range (at one time during 2014 the stock traded as high as $80). The company announced layoffs of up to 400 employees as part of a restructuring. […]
Whether you call it inside sales, business development, or sales development, this is a critical role for revenue growth. Released just last month, I highly recommend anyone in leadership for sales or inside sales read The Sales Development Playbook by Trish Bertuzzi. Specifically, the book is written for: Executives and Executive Sponsors VPs of Sales Sales […]
Sales is changing forever because the buyer has changed. Buyers are more informed and more comfortable with digital engagement as they do more research and buy more products online, and this has extended to their business lives as well. What this means for sales is that there is a new inside sales role emerging that […]
Today I was enlightened by an article from Neil Senturia, author of “I’m There for You Baby”, an excellent set of examples and rules for doing business based on his experience. His most recent work is entitled “Lament of the CEO: I Waited Too Long”. Neil is an experienced CEO turned Investor, and a purveyor […]