Welcome to the Sales Gravy blog, where salespeople and sales leaders get better every week. We publish new sales training articles and podcast episodes three times a week, covering prospecting, cold calling, objections, negotiation, and leadership, written by Jeb Blount and the Sales Gravy trainer team.
Matt from Grand Rapids says, “If I don’t make my cold calls, our pipeline will go dry.” He is juggling everything from operations to customer service escalations, all while trying to generate fresh leads
If you’ve hung around me for longer than five minutes, you’ve heard me say that sales is about talking with people. The fact is, the more people you talk with, the more you’ll sell.
You nailed the pitch. The budget was there. The decision-maker was engaged. So why did the deal go cold? The problem might not be your process. It might be you. Before a prospect buys
Caroline is dealing with a dilemma so many sales professionals face this time of year: How do you shake off a mid-winter rut and regain your momentum when it’s cold, dark, and everyone else
Everyone has been there. You’ve spent months working on a deal only to find out that you were talking to the wrong person. After conducting three discovery meetings and a demo, the stakeholders level
Three weeks ago it warmed up here in Augusta, Georgia, so I played hooky from work to take advantage of the nice weather and play a round of golf. While I was waiting for
In sales – especially in product knowledge training – we’re taught from day one how to pitch, how to present, and how to overcome objections. We rehearse our spiels, memorize talking points, and perfect
The best salespeople spend hours rehearsing sales calls, because statements, and meeting pitches so they know exactly what to say when they finally get a prospect on the line. The best know that practice,
Marcin from Warsaw, Poland, asks: What are the top sales trends shaping the future of sales? Our conversation ranged from the impact of AI to the growing importance of a consultative selling mindset in
WARNING: This Monday’s message will be one of the most powerful hacks you’ll ever integrate into your life—because it’s simple, easy to put into practice, and it works. It has the potential, over the
On the surface, you’d think that “selling” and “asking” go hand in hand. In reality, salespeople at all experience levels often hesitate, tiptoe around, or dodge direct closes because they’re afraid of rejection, worried
Elli in Galveston, Texas, faces a scenario that many young sales professionals know all too well: How do you earn respect and project confidence in selling when you’re dealing with people who are older
Do you usually feel good about your first call? Often, a salesperson’s first call with a prospect does not go as well as they hope. Here are three steps for making a great first
Make 2,500 More Cold Calls and You’ll Close More Deals Successful salespeople know that small cumulative steps, done every day, bring the most impactful results. The good news is, all it takes is one
On this Sales Gravy Podcast episode Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Anthony Iannarino (Eat Their Lunch) get down and dirty about why salespeople need to adopt a phone first approach to outbound prospecting sequences.
Prospects and customers are watching every move you make. What is important to remember is in today’s competitive world your prospects and customers are watching every move you make. Imagine how mispronouncing or forgetting a
If You Never Leave a Voicemail on Prospecting Calls, You Will Never Get a Call Back Prospecting is rarely one and done. It takes multiple touches to get prospects to engage. Therefore, leaving voicemail
Prospecting strategies, lead generation, and advice for new sales managers Andy Paul: Hello, and welcome to the show. I’m amped up to talk with my guest today, Jeb Blount, bestselling sales author, speaker,
Snail Mail Prospecting Opens Doors Snail mail prospecting works because, unlike overflowing email in-boxes, the physical mail box is empty these days. Therefore, when salespeople send snail mail, they stand out. This is exactly
Select your communication method based on what is most effective for your prospect. Too many salespeople choose the follow-up method based upon their own personal comfort levels, rather than the most effective tool for
Know When to Walk Away From Bad Deals Don’t fall victim to the Sunk Cost Fallacy and spend time with a prospect that will never buy, simply because you invested a lot of time,
Cash flow and leverage are the foundation for lasting small business success. How can you satisfy your current needs while building up opportunities for growth in the future? People ask me questions about sales
Change bad habits to create incredible results Failing to remove bad habits can lead to your own demise. Can you truly change? Can you break your bad habits? You can! It’s never easy to acknowledge
Sales teams can achieve dreamy results when they nap at work—if they do it right. Learn how the simple act of napping at work can strengthen your sales team, and how to implement it
The Shift to Selling From Home In April, “The Great Quarantine” threw sales organizations out of their bull pins and into the home office. This forced sales managers everywhere to accept working from home
Is Projecting Your Values on Buyers (Selling Like You Buy) Holding You Back? Do not sell the way you buy. Projecting your values on buyers – beliefs, assumptions, and mindset – has a detrimental
The key to consistent production is sales-specific emotional intelligence. Prioritizing human connection over technical skill in a sale will naturally force the inconsistent performer to change. A few years ago, the Carnegie Institute of
Know When to Walk Away From Bad Deals Don’t fall victim to the Sunk Cost Fallacy and spend time with a prospect that will never buy, simply because you invested a lot of time,
Sales is NOT about selling strategies, it’s about winning the internal game. Selling strategies (how to close, how to cold call, etc.) are very helpful, good, and necessary, but if you don’t understand the
5 Tactics to Create Scalable Sales Skills Ultra-high performers have sales skills that are built to scale. These skillsets are responsible for their adaptability and achievements, even during tough economic times. The following tactics
On this podcast, Jeb Blount, Founder and CEO of Sales Gravy, discusses his bestselling book Fanatical Prospecting with Gina Lynch. Gina and Jeb focus on what start-up founders and entrepreneurs must do to accelerate
The fourth quarter is prime time for sales teams. Manage Q4 well and you’ll make your number and more. Manage it poorly and you’ll pay for your mistake well into the new year. There
The problem is that most managers and other figures of authority — Directors, V.P.’s, and even Business Owners — have never been taught how to properly exercise authority and command respect as leaders. Sales
Great managers lead by example. They start off each day by making sure everybody is ready to do business. They start with a daily meeting making sure that they have a positive attitude, set
Your team wants to feel the energy and belief, as a Sales Leader work on this emotional transfer. Being a leader and having vision and communicating emotional is a Critical Success Factor in Sales
First of all, I don’t enjoy gambling; and second, I really don’t know how to read a horse racing program. When it comes to betting on a horse race, I tend to look at
Be a true leader and use these 13 rules to ensure your business not only survives, but thrives, in any economy! Adversity is just a road to success – you have to learn from
So, what is the front line sales manager’s job? Simply stated, it’s maximizing the performance of each person on their team. The only way sales managers achieve their goals and make their numbers is
In the chaos of daily priorities managers often forget their most important responsibility: Developing their people. Overlooking this core leadership imperative sub-optimizes the performance of their team. A manager’s primary job is to develop
