Sales Training

Every sales manager runs sales training to help the sales team develop the skills and techniques to implement their sales strategies. These posts can help.

12 sales training tips from best-in-class companies

by Michele McGovern

Everyone is confident the deal will close. Then it doesn’t – and the win rate drops.

It hurts to chalk up a forecasted sale to the “lost” opportunity or “no decision” column.

Every sales professional wants more wins. But they aren’t getting them.

Win rates have been stagnate – at 47% – for about five years, while losses to the competition increased and losses due to no decision decreased slightly, according to the CSO Insights 2019 Sales Performance Report.

“Without a doubt, the one metric that we have tracked over the years that causes the most heartburn for CSOs, CFOs and CEOs is the outcome of forecast deals,” the researchers said.

Put the antacids away. Here are nine ways to increase your win rate.

What makes sales meetings suck – and how to make sure yours don’t

by Michele McGovern

Sales meetings suck!

So says anyone who’s ever suffered through one – or many – that aren’t executed well.

Almost 60% of salespeople say they’re less motivated after a meeting! In many cases, sales meetings are the cause – not the cure – for low morale and inefficiency.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Sales leaders and salespeople can do a better job on both sides of the meeting – planning and participating – to make them valuable. (If you’re worried meetings with clients could use some help, check out this.)

Best practices for top-notch sales training

by Michele McGovern

Know this about stales training: It’s not an event.

Sales training is an ongoing process.

Leaders can always teach something new. Professionals in any sales role – account executive, sales development, customer success, service, etc. – can always learn something new.

33 things salespeople should never say

by Michele McGovern

Conversation can thrust a sale forward or stop it dead in the tracks.

The words you choose often determine the direction you’ll go.

Some words and phrases will build bridges. Others will build walls.

Here are 33 to avoid, why they’re conversation-killers and better things to say.

17 ways to bust out of a sales slump

by Michele McGovern

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.

21 unique ways to motivate your sales team

by Michele McGovern

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

14 ways to tweak sales presentations and close more

by Michele McGovern

The prospect finally agreed to meet. Once you present, the sale is practically a given …

… until it’s not. Because your presentation is just as lifeless as the next one.

If you made the buyer’s calendar, you got their interest. But it’s tough to keep their interest with a pocketful of tchotchkes and a mediocre slide deck – which is the depth of way-too-many presentations.

Presentations are a crucial turning point in successful sales. If yours stands out and above, you’ll win. If yours is the same-old, same-old, you’ll lose. Plain and simple.

Here are 14 sales presentation tweaks that help you win more sales.

Your ultimate guide to writing kick-butt sales proposals

by Michele McGovern

Sales proposals are essentially paperwork. And next-to-no-one likes paperwork.

But sales proposals must be. Terms, numbers, promises, guarantees, specs and all the other details need to be spelled out and agreed upon – especially in big or complex deals.

So if salespeople must do the proposal, they might as well kick butt doing it.

The best way: Approach sales proposals as a strategic tool to close the sale faster, instead of a don’t think of a final administrative task to get to the sale.

Let’s get down to what a sales proposal should be and how to make it more effective at convincing prospects to sign.

Top 41 motivational speakers who can energize any sales team

by Michele McGovern

In a slump? Feeling rejected? Need a kickstart?

This could be the cure.

We’ve sat through countless hours of live presentations and Youtube videos and scoured dozens of reviews on motivational speakers. Then we asked sales practitioners and our panel of sales experts and looked for speakers with messages that resonate with sales professionals, plus wisdom and enthusiasm that helps you do your work even better.

Like any list of “the best,” ours is based on criteria we think is important. In this case, we wanted energetic speakers with unique outlooks, research-backed ideas and compelling messages who are accessible to organizations of all sizes.

So here’s our list of the top 41 motivational speakers, listed in alphabetical order, along with details on what they do so well.

Body language: 6 moves that turn customers away

by Michele McGovern

Body language speaks louder than actual words. When you or colleagues meet with customers, what your body says may be hurting business.

The wrong hand gestures, stance and fidgets can kill credibility, create awkwardness and make customers suspicious. Meanwhile, making the right moves can create comfortable and productive meetings with customers, says business expert Laurie Hayes.

The biggest problem with certain body language: Customers interpret it differently than its meant to be. In fact, most of the time people don’t mean anything when they strike a pose or use a gesture, but it’s mistaken to have some kind of hidden meaning.

Sales Training

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