Connect with Your Current Clients at Trade Shows
For clients who are also attendees, start by including them in your pre-show marketing efforts. In the time leading up to the event, send them a tailored version of the e-mails, physical mailers, and
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.
For clients who are also attendees, start by including them in your pre-show marketing efforts. In the time leading up to the event, send them a tailored version of the e-mails, physical mailers, and
Last week I spoke at the first Los Angeles chapter meeting of the AA-ISP (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals), and it was great. What I especially liked about it was that it gave
Mental Side of Sales I read a quote once supposedly by Jack Nicklaus: “Golf is 80% above the shoulders.” And as a bogey golfer I have come to totally appreciate that comment and admittedly
Yes, there are many differences between writing articles to promote your business and writing a media release to garner free publicity. And it may seem obvious, but sometimes I just have to say it…the
Many sales training programs miss the mark since it’s all about the company, their products and services and cookie cutter sales methodologies are taught without considering the specific sales environment. Is it a long
When times are tough and prospects seem to be holding on to every dollar, your job as a sales manager is more important than ever before. Now is the time to roll out a
Have you noticed that when a sports team wins a championship game, both the players and the coaches talk in terms of a “team victory” and appear to truly enjoy sharing the accomplishment? While
You finally connect with a prospect and the end of your conversation goes something like this, “I’ll get that information to you by tomorrow and I’ll call you early next week to discuss
The process is that thoughts become actions and actions produce results. So the equation starts with the thoughts. So the key to success is to start with and control the thoughts that we have.
The fact is, top 20% producers still find ways to make their quotas in summer, and they also find ways to set up the end of the year so they exceed their revenue goals,
Are you the type of individual who values sincere feedback and welcomes constructive criticism from customers, associates, and family members? Sometimes getting feedback can be an unpleasant experience, especially when it hasn’t been
If you’re reading this and you’re a salesperson, here is some very simple advice. Contrary to what you believe will happen, you will never make up in long-term profit what you’re about to give
Can’t stomach cold calling? Steal Jeb Blount’s 13 proven alternatives to picking up the phone that build real pipeline and actually work.
When should you ask questions on a cold call? Questions come after you’ve earned the right, when you’re gathering information and qualifying, and they lead the conversation only when the prospect contacted you first.
To prospect for new clients, stop making random touches and run a consistent five-step system. Work this system every day and you gain control of your pipeline, along with the peace of mind that
Salespeople fail at cold calling for five common reasons. Fix them and the phone starts producing appointments again.
Email response rates are collapsing because decision maker inboxes are stuffed with automated, AI-written slop. This is exactly why the phone is more powerful today than it was ten years ago.
Quick Summary Cold calling anxiety is not a symptom of weakness. It’s human and natural to feel fear when you cold call. You are interrupting a stranger who was not expecting you, and everything
Fear of the phone is quietly draining sales pipelines, and the reps who win are the ones willing to stop hiding behind email and LinkedIn and simply make the call.
Salespeople seek a magic window that makes cold calling easy. When prospects answer happy, say yes without a fight, and book the meeting themselves. So, is there a best time to call?
Short Answer Yes, you can make cold calling fun, and it is worth doing, because the reps who enjoy the phone are the ones who stay on it. Fun is not a personality trait
The most pressing issues facing sales professionals and sales leaders are, Prospecting, Pipeline, and Productivity. In this exclusive re-broadcast of VSKO17, four of the world’s most cutting edge thought leaders, shatter modern day sales
People buy on emotion and justify with logic. In fact, human emotions have a massive impact on buying behavior. On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount discusses why ultra-high performing sales professionals are astute students
Learn to say “No” thoughtfully and respectfully with the focus on creating a high-performance sales culture. Are you limiting your sales team and the ability to increase sales by not ever saying “No”? Sometimes,
Bullying behavior creates a hostile work environment. Eventually, word will spread about you being the bully boss. With technology, the spread of bullying in schools continues to make front-page news. Schools, corporations, and parents
Salespeople know what to do, however, when they hear a ‘buying signal’ they get excited and emotions start running the meeting, not consultative selling skills. You have all probably been a victim of this
Negotiations can be a dreaded and often high-stakes match with no clear winner. Use these four tips to guide your next negotiation and shift your mindset for a more positive collaboration. Negotiations are a
The way you pose the question is hampering you and preventing any likelihood of finding the right answer. It’s time to reframe your thinking. Selling isn’t easy. Every seller has that one problem or
Every business needs to put a plan in place for updating hardware and software as well as staying abreast as to new technology trends when it comes to local marketing through mobile technology. How
It is imperative that all employees understand how they are profit centers and how all these profit centers connect to the bottom line. Certain paradigms exist within each business culture. These paradigms are philosophical
The best way to measure sales productivity is with leading indicators—the KPIs and metrics that predict future revenue and let you fix problems before sales dry up.
Most sales team meetings fail because they aren’t actually about selling. Mike Weinberg says the fix is simple: stop running status updates and start running meetings that make your team more aligned, more energized,
Jumping in to save a rep’s deal feels like leadership, but it trains your team to call you instead of solving problems themselves. Real sales leadership means coaching the rep, not closing the deal
If you want to know how to scale a sales team, document your sales process and prove your close rate before you add headcount, then decide whether your next hire is a leader or
Most sales forecasts fail for a reason no CRM can fix. Sellers stop telling their leaders the truth the moment honesty starts costing them something.
Summary The most effective sales compensation strategy for getting a small team focused on high-value complex deals is to layer a significantly higher reward on those deals without reducing incentives on transactional ones. Pair
Summary When the market shifts, your salespeople are not going to figure it out on their own. That’s your job. As a sales leader, your responsibility is to see the change coming, get ahead
Summary: Most sales managers confuse empathy with sympathy and pay for it in team performance. Jeb Blount breaks down the real difference, why listening first is the most powerful coaching move you have, and
Summary: Q1 is feedback, not failure. Top-performing sales teams use a Q1 sales strategy review to assess whether they have an execution problem or a focus problem, then make targeted adjustments heading into Q2.