Sales Driven Marketing Hub

Imagine you just received an urgent message from the directors at your company. They have to make an immediate decision that will set the direction of the company for the next five years. The decision will be based primarily on the sales forecast for which you own responsibility.

The meeting is in one hour, and they need you to present an accurate sales forecast.

If this were to happen to you, would you be able to deliver an accurate forecast? If you’re not sure, consider these seven things that can help you foster accurate sales forecasting.

What is your company doing to identify and develop future sales leaders?

In a competitive and fast moving sales environment, companies are always looking for an edge. Winning companies know it begins with their people.

Here's a list of four ways to develop future sales management talent.

I've learned five important sales lessons from Zig Ziglar that helped shape my thinking.

Early in my career, I met with leaders at the Zig Ziglar Corporation to learn about their business and to understand what made them great in the sales and business training industry. I remember Zig’s son Tom, now the CEO of Ziglar, Inc. saying “We are in the business of helping people develop the correct attitude about business and life. Attitude is more important that Aptitude!"

The idea stuck with me, and I applied it while observing people throughout my career. The most successful people I’ve ever met share these five attitudes:

Sales leaders are always looking for ways to make their team better. There is a great book I have been reading, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In his book, Duhigg relays interesting findings on habit formation and the psychology and neuroscience that drives changes in behavior. This is not a self-help book with anecdotal remedies, but a focused look at the science behind habit formation and change.

As salespeople and business professionals, we all allow bad habits to creep into our daily routines. These habits have a way of diminishing our effectiveness and performance and sometimes lead to catastrophic failures. To perform at the highest level in business and sales, we need to understand the habits in our lives that deter us from accomplishing our dreams and goals and understand how to change or replace them with winning behaviors that accelerate growth and achievement.

Losing a sale can be a painful experience. You identified your potential customer. Then you spent hours, days or weeks engaging the client. Finally, you proposed a solution. All these efforts consumed time and energy you could have spent with another potential customer who would have purchased from you. It just hurts (and costs!) to lose a sale. The best way to win your next deal, is to understand why you lost the last one. Here are three of the top reasons customers don't buy...

You've probably never heard of him. His name is A.G. Lafley, the formerly retired and re-instated Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Proctor and Gamble.

Lafley first served as P&G’s President & CEO from 2000 to 2009. During that period, the Company more than doubled in sales and grew its portfolio of billion-dollar brands from 10 to 23, with a focus on consumer-driven innovation and consistent, reliable, sustainable growth. The Company’s market capitalization has made P&G among the 10 most valuable companies in the world.

Early in my career I remember waiting outside a conference room where a potential customer's team gathered to hear my presentation. At that moment, my competitor was in the conference room making their pitch. I was completely confident in my offer, because I knew I had the better product.

Fifteen minutes before my presentation, the door to the conference room opened, and out walked my competitor. He pulled me aside and offered me his condolences. He was sure that as I matured as a salesperson, I would understand how and why I had already lost the deal.