In the competitive landscape of B2B sales, effectively qualifying prospects is paramount. It involves assessing the fit and readiness of potential leads based on various criteria. These include their needs, budget, timeline, and decision-making authority, among others. This makes qualification essential to drive revenue growth, optimize resource allocation, and foster long-term customer relationships. However, many B2B sales teams struggle with inefficient qualification processes. In fact, two statistics cited in Spotio are eye opening: 46% of B2B sales reps list lead quantity and quality as ..read more

A pillar of success for any sales organization is an effective business development strategy. However, merely having a strategy isn’t enough. Its effectiveness is crucial for sustained growth and competitiveness. And this requires ongoing evaluation. Of course, changes in the sales landscape and marketplace have a profound effect on your business development strategy. For example, McKinsey’s Future of B2B sales: The big reframe lists the following: More hybrid sales roles with a focus on business development in outperforming organizations Customer preference, including remote human interactio ..read more

In sales, a business development strategy is central to understanding and engaging with your customers. Among the myriad of tools and strategies available, one aspect stands out: buyer personas. Crafting detailed buyer personas allows organizations to humanize their target audience. This gains insights into their needs and preferences. Thus, they can tailor their marketing and sales efforts accordingly. Recently, we hosted the webinar Turbocharging Business Development Strategies. There, we introduced the importance of buyer personas. Here, we’ll go a step further and show how to utilize them ..read more

In B2B sales, success is often the result of strategic planning, deep customer understanding, and execution. While these factors are crucial, there exists another, less tangible, yet equally influential element: the Pygmalion Effect. A self-fulfilling prophecy, it refers to the phenomenon where higher expectations lead to increased performance. Its opposite is the Golem Effect, in which lower expectations result in decreased performance. The term has since become synonymous with unrecognized potential. As such, it’s influential in psychology and business. Here, we’ll examine the intricacies of ..read more

Sales executives and sales managers would agree that their sales teams need ongoing training, coaching and support to get to the top of the game and stay there. Even the most experienced, driven and efficient sales professionals should constantly upgrade their skills and keep abreast of new sales trends and emerging technologies. In a fiercely-competitive market, your sales reps should challenge themselves to learn more, achieve greater results and embrace new strategies. Those who appreciate the value of education stand a better chance of maximizing their potential and optimizing results. Eff ..read more

Effectively onboarding new salespeople can be a daunting task. Many companies tend to underestimate the importance of guidance, training, and support for their new hires, and that tends to be detrimental. Many sales professionals often don’t receive the crucial tools needed for success right away. This may end up contributing to a lack of direction and belonging many sales professionals experience, and ultimately may negatively impact performance. You can avoid such a scenario by developing an onboarding strategy that effectively enables new employees to adjust faster. Many sales managers oper ..read more

Sales training is one of the most significant investments an organization can make in their sales team. In fact, research cited by taskdrive.com shows sales training has an average return on investment of 353 percent. In 2023, on average, Janek clients realized a 1188 percent return on their training investment. From this, the benefits are clear. However, with so many programs in a wide range of prices, choosing one can be daunting task. As difficult as this decision can be, there are some essentials. When choosing a sales training partner, start small and work your way up. Incorporate only th ..read more

Once dominated by a homogeneous group, the selling profession is recognizing the value of diversity and inclusion (D&I). These concepts foster environments where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive. Further, these not only help shape the culture of sales teams but also the outcomes they achieve. In a LinkedIn/Forrester study, 60 percent said their sales team’s diversity contributed to their success. And organizations in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25 percent more likely to perform better. For ethnic diversity, this number jumps to 36 percent. However, Gartner research ..read more

Business development is a central component of selling. It allows sales organizations to outpace the competition, boost new business, and grow existing accounts. It is also instrumental in helping sellers hit quota and achieve better sales results. Today, the changing sales environment presents many challenges in how organizations develop new business. Top concerns include improving lead generation, conversion rates, and market awareness. In addition, organizations must better align sales and marketing, build stronger relationships, and maximize technology, including AI. Recently, Janek Perfor ..read more

From sales rep to managers to the C-suite, leaders embrace responsibility. Just as sales reps are responsible for their accounts, sales leaders assume all responsibility for their organizations. Leadership may start at the top, but it extends through your people and their processes. This includes forecasting, KPIs, and the bottom line. Our recent blog Sales Trends to Watch in 2024 examined what sales organizations should prepare for. Now, let’s explore how sales leaders can best enable their people and processes this year: AI and Data-Driven Decision Making For decision making, sales leaders h ..read more