Oh, the potential of a sales lead!
It could become the best client. The multi-million-dollar sale. The most loyal customer. The ultimate referral.
Or it could be nothing more than a name on a list.
But knowledge is power, especially in the uncertain world of sales leads. The more you know, the more equipped you’ll be to find and manage quality sales leads.
So let’s take an in-depth look at the important research and data on sales leads.
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to hiring sales professionals.
Turnover in sales positions is almost 30%, researchers found. Entire teams are cycled through – from hire to train to sell to quit – every four years.
It’s tough to find, recruit and keep good sales professionals. Half of sales leaders say they need to be better at hiring sales professionals, the CSO Insights study found.
This ultimate guide will help.
Referrals make selling easier.
So why is getting and managing them so difficult?
This perplexing research may be the answer: 83% of customers are willing to give referrals. But just 29% of customers do it, a Texas Tech study found.
Apparently many salespeople don’t ask, don’t follow up when they ask or don’t know how to handle the referral.
But, “the referral mindset starts before a sale is made,” says Michael Tracy, Founder of Sales Journey. “See every prospect as a potential referral source. It’s about beginning the relationship with the end in mind.
Sales forecasting never gets easier.
You’d think after doing it for a dozen quarters or a dozen years, you’d have it down to a science – whether you’re a rep trying to hit goal, a manager forecasting business, a director anticipating revenue or the VP forecasting.
But there’s the problem: Sales forecasting is as much art as it is science.
Social selling could be the most feared and revered sales practice these days.
Many salespeople use social media throughout the sales cycle – 72% of those using social media outperform peers who don’t use it, the Social Media and Sales Quota Survey found. Revered!
Yet, sales professionals don’t exactly know what makes social a powerful selling tool. About 70% admit they aren’t proficient in social selling and are mostly self-taught, a study by Feedback Systems and Sales For Life found. Feared!
Selling through social channels has changed how entire sales organizations operate and salespeople function. And it’s happened so quickly, it might be difficult to make sense of it all.
To help, let’s look at 36 statistics that show the state of social selling:
Every salesperson falls into a slump at some point. How you dig out determines your greatness.
Sales slumps often start as one big loss. Then it slowly feels like you haven’t heard the word “yes” since grade school. Soon, it looks like your sales funnel is pinched tight at the bottom. Everything is lost, and you won’t ever hit quota again.
Talk about an awful, sinking feeling.
Salespeople can – and must – overcome it.
These 17 proven strategies will help. And remember: It didn’t take one thing to fall into the sales slump. It probably won’t take just one strategy to climb out.
Mention sales productivity and nearly everyone in sales has the same thought: Let’s increase it!
But that’s clearly a struggle: Nearly half of sales executives say boosting sales productivity is a top challenge, according to ongoing research from The Bridge Group. Sales pros constantly want to maximize sales results while keeping tabs on cost, time and effort.
The challenge is real. Consider all the things that can – and do – get in the way of salespeople actually selling:
There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. – Oscar Wilde
Same goes for sales.
Salespeople want buzz around them, their products, service and company.
Customer testimonials are one of the most effective tools to create buzz. Two out of three organizations use testimonials and referrals in their strategies to attract and impress customers, according to the Koyne State of Customer Marketing Benchmark Report.
Stories and honest words from your customers can turn more prospects into buyers.
Difficult customers create even more difficult situations for salespeople.
It’s critical to be nice. But all the while you’re thinking, Why is this customer being mean?
So what can you do when a customer is downright mean? Or a prospect is disrespectful?
Money talks. But all that talk won’t buy you a motivated sales team.
Motivation runs deeper than numbers.
Sales leaders need ways to ignite salespeople’s inner desires to win, have fun, do better and be praised.
Salespeople like money, so you must compensate fairly, with understandable structure and predictable frequency. Beyond money, use frequently changing, motivational tactics tailored to salespeople.
These 21 ideas will deliver
