Category Sales

How to build a killer sales pitch

By in Sales, Self Improvement

by APRIL DUNFORD for Lenny's Newsletter I suck at selling. I bet you do too. But that’s no excuse. We saw in last week’s post how important founder-led sales is in the early days of a startup, and as we’ll see in next week’s post, it only gets more important as you grow. Thus, I’m always on the lookout for actionable advice on how to get better at sales. When I heard that April Dunford (frequent collaborator, and author of the amazing bestseller Obviously Awesome) was working on a new book about sales, I knew it would be outstanding (it is). I convinced her to write…

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The B2B Buying Process Visualized

By in Sales Tag , ,

by Jim Everhart for MarketingProfs Marketers, by now, are well-versed in the customer journey. And for good reason: being aware of the twists and turns a customer takes on the way to a sale is incredibly instructive—not to mention sobering, even humbling. Awareness of the customer journey is a constant reminder that all those prospects out there aren't waiting with bated breath for your next great announcement. Every message, social media post, product release, email, and ad is fighting for your audience's attention. But knowing the other side of the story, the buying process, is equally important for good content marketing. But wait—Isn't…

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How to measure what marketing activities are actually driving revenue

By in Marketing, Revenue Tag

by MKT1 Newsletter I can nearly guarantee your early or growth-stage B2B startup doesn’t have the right marketing analytics in place to determine what’s actually working across go-to-market. Startups either don’t know how to set up the right basic tracking and data collectioncor they over-engineer something way too complex for their stage. Both scenarios result in not having the right marketing data to operate efficiently. With the complexities of go-to-market motions, funnel mapping, and tooling, I understand why this is the case—but it’s definitely something you need to fix! Every marketer should know if the activities they are focusing on are…

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4 Differences Between Sales Coaching and Feedback

By in Sales Tag ,

by Tristen Taylor for HubSpot In the past, sales managers often saw sales coaching as a means of correcting negative behaviors by providing real-time performance feedback. This approach was characterized by comments like, “I think you're doing a great job, but...” Unfortunately, this feedback often doesn't result in significant behavior change from the sales representative. Instead, it left them with the lingering thought that their manager perceived them as a poor performer. Free Download: Sales Plan Template The problem lies in treating feedback and coaching as interchangeable, because they certainly aren‘t. In this post, we’ll define what makes these two concepts so different, and…

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The Best 10 CRM Software for Small Business

By in Business Management, Sales Tag

by Mandy Bray for HubSpot As a small business owner, you toggle between marketing, sales, operations, and customer service daily — and sometimes within the same hour. To serve your customers without dropping the ball, you need a tool to help you track and manage all of your relationships. What you need is customer relationship management (CRM) software. If you think a CRM is an expensive tool only for large businesses, think again. A CRM solution can save you time, keep your team organized, and boost sales and customer retention, no matter your size. Learn more about why HubSpot's CRM platform has…

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7 Mundane Sales Tasks You Can Skip with AI [& How to Do It]

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sales Tag

by Mandy Bray for HubSpot McKinsey Institute reports that one-fifth of sales functions could be automated with artificial intelligence (AI). Before you close this tab to panic-update your resume, wait till you hear which fifth: writing cold emails, entering call notes in your CRM, and scheduling calls. If these tasks make you groan inside (or out loud), you aren’t alone. Sales pros spend hours a day on manual and administrative tasks. These functions are important for your company to operate, but they aren’t the most important or enjoyable parts of your job. Luckily, AI is paving the way to reduce or even eliminate…

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Ecommerce marketing next year: 5 ways to set up for success

By in Marketing, Sales Tag

by Becky Simms  for Search Engine Land Q4 is almost here, along with the holiday shopping season. Rather than focus on ecommerce holiday SEO strategies and campaigns – which you should (hopefully) already have nailed down – now is a good time to start thinking ahead to next year. 1. Learn from last year Start by reviewing last year’s campaign wrap-ups to identify any missing data or insights. One big change from last year is that you’re likely now fully using Google Analytics 4. This requires rethinking or reevaluating your reporting. Revisit your past reports. Can you report on all the data you have before?…

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How to win your first 10 B2B customers

By in Sales Tag , ,

by LENNY RACHITSKY for Lenny's Newsletter How to win your first 10 B2B customers Part four of my seven-part series on kickstarting and scaling a B2B business LENNY RACHITSKY SEP 5, 2023 28 Share 👋 Hey, I’m Lenny and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.Subscribe Welcome to part four of our series on how to kickstart and scale a B2B business: Part 1: How to come up with a great B2B startup idea Part 2: How to validate your idea Part 3: How to identify…

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A Is For Authenticity

By in Business Management, Operations, Sales Tag , , ,

BY LINDSEY ANDERSON for biznology My series on the ABCs of Sales Leadership begins with Authenticity. Authenticity is one of the most important traits for a leader to embody and is critical for effective management, especially sales leadership. Sales, as a profession, is burdened with outdated archetypes like the sleazy snake oil salesmen or shifty, high-pressure car sales guy; so operating with authenticity and integrity is important in sales to counter these cliches. Authentic sales leaders are trusted advisors to their teams, peers, clients, and partners.  Why Authenticity is Critical What exactly is “Authenticity?” It means being honest, open, and willing to show your humanity…

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Relationship Now, Revenue Later

By in Finance, Revenue Tag , ,

by MATT BELL for MessageUp Hi there! Matt here, from MessageUp. I like to think that B2B sales are built on strong relationships. After all, the sales cycle is slow and usually involves many interactions between buyer and seller before a deal is consummated. Sadly, however, that’s idealized and naïve. Many B2B businesses are focused foremost on making the sale, with relationship-building a distant second. Making the quarterly and monthly numbers is more important than taking the time to understand and engage with customers. I can sense your eyeballs rolling. “Get off the soapbox, Matt,” you’re thinking. “That was true…

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