A sales cycle is defined as the course of activities and time needed to convert qualified prospects to customers.  It is comprised of a series of stages that vary by ideal customer profile, industry, or product/service, but often follow the following sequence: Prospect For leads Initiate Contact Qualify Lead Customize An Offer Clarify Objections Close The Sale To calculate sales cycle, choose a time period and determine the number of days from initial contact to close and divide by the total number of opportunities closed….Continue Reading “How an optimized sales cycle improves revenue growth” →

A Sales Discovery Call is the foundation of any sales process as it helps you and the prospect determine if synergies exist between your organizations. You need to step into the prospect’s shoes, understand their priorities, and craft a viable solution. Your potential customer must be assured that you understand their business issues and are capable of providing a professional assessment and solution. Discovery calls are crucial as prospects may be in the early education stage or ready to make the final buying decision and…Continue Reading “Essentials of Sales Discovery Calls” →

You don’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate the thrill and excitement of March Madness. According to the American Gaming Association, more than 40 million Americans fill out one or multiple tournament brackets. When filling out brackets, many will rely on luck while others will research stats and records. What are these top teams doing to ensure they win? The same question can be asked about any organization’s top salespeople. Too often others will study the actions and processes that their leaders follow…Continue Reading “5 Things Top Salespeople Don’t Do” →

According to a research study by IDC, more than one-third of weekly selling time is lost due to poor sales enablement. According to the study, inside sales representatives spend 26% of their week on administrative tasks and another 36% searching for marketing materials, prospect/customer related information, and creating sales presentations. This hints that integrating systems with applications that provide more transparency and a 360-degree view can prove powerful in improving productivity. Below are a few tips in maximizing accountability and the potential of an inside…Continue Reading “Maximizing the potential of your inside sales team” →

A sales planning guide is an action plan taking account of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to prioritize your imperatives for hitting the quota month after month. Formulating a sales plan is mandatory to keep the performance ticking of the most important function of your business: sales. The industry leaders and the best of the brands maintain it, and that helps them to earn the projected revenue and hit the revenue targets. Sales is a dynamic function which makes it difficult for teams to…Continue Reading “Sales Planning Guide 2018-eBook” →