Modern Sales Management

Tried and true sales and marketing strategies went out the door in 2020 when teams all over the world were forced to quickly adapt to remote environments, new technologies, and savvy customers. Now that the dust has somewhat settled, executives are focused on creating sophisticated sales and marketing systems that will best prepare their teams for what lies ahead. 

I talked with Dale Miller, Global Sales Director at OK International, about building a next-generation sales and marketing system on this episode of the Modern Sales Management podcast. 

With several decades of sales and sales management experience across various industries, Dale shares exceptional insights about what it takes to succeed in our current climate. More specifically, he explains his four-part sales and marketing strategy/framework that has a proven track record of growing market share and increasing sales revenue. 

We also discuss:

How sales and marketing teams can best adapt to our new normal
How customer engagement has changed over the past year and how to embrace the newest challenges 
Why automated marketing should be a key part of your sales strategy in 2021 
Tips on delivering value quickly and efficiently in your new and improved sales process
The effect COVID-19 has had on sales teams, leaders, workloads, and closing rates
Ways to keep your sales team focused on what matters most (the projects that move the needle)
What a “true CRM” is and how you can use this tool to help your sales and marketing teams drive revenue
How to both maximize and optimize your CRM to the best of its ability
Why real time data is so important to your sales and marketing strategy
How product education/content can help you gain loyal customers
Why keeping your value proposition front and center throughout your customer’s journey is so key and how to do just that
How to use your CRM to personalize leads and provide targeted messaging throughout your sales funnel
Tips on building useful sales dashboards that highlight exactly what drives your business
How to systematize a customer acquisition technology for your unique business/industry
What the future holds for sales and marketing automation technology and how to harness its potential

Learn more about Dale’s four-pillar framework by connecting with him on LinkedIn. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Companies everywhere found themselves ill-equipped to handle 2020’s barrage of pivots, curveballs, and pitfalls. Sales enablement, the discipline of providing real-time lead intelligence, more efficient processes, and shareable content to your sales team, became a major differentiator in many industries.

Arming your sales team with the proper tools and processes to face the uncertain future is what sales enablement is all about, but this strategy can be particularly difficult for startups. We talk about the challenges and opportunities of sales enablement for startups with Amy Looper, Founder of Relativity Consulting, in this episode of the Modern Sales Management podcast. 

Amy’s company specializes in sales advisory and enablement services for innovative technology companies. She feels that utilizing the right sales content, processes, and enablement tools will be the key to your company’s success in 2021. 

Our discussion also covers:

How to focus on the right processes to make sales easier for your team
Why sales managers in the tech space need to be liaisons between the sales and technology teams
How to help your startup sales team overcome common barriers and pitfalls
Tips on setting benchmarks and focusing on the right metrics to grow sales revenue
How to seize the biggest opportunities in the startup world of sales
Why startup buying and selling cycles can be so complex and how to cut through the noise on your path to success
How to build a sales infrastructure that is designed to support your best possible outcomes
Tips on sales team evaluation and development
How to dial into your buyer and serve them continuously throughout the pre-sales and post-sales process
How to determine if your startup is ready to hire a salesperson or team
Sales forecasting tips and tricks
How to test your client’s commitment to make sure you’re focusing on your ideal customer
How to identify the benchmarks in your startup’s sales process that indicate it’s time to invest in sales leadership and development
Why aligning your sales and marketing team should be a blue chip strategy for your company in 2021

Learn more about Amy’s company by visiting its website or connecting with her on LinkedIn. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Managing a team of diverse individuals with unique strengths and varying amounts of sales experience can be overwhelming to even the most seasoned sales leaders. Especially this year, as sales teams adapted to remote selling techniques, embraced new technologies, and 40% of businesses missed their revenue targets, the role of a sales manager seems more difficult than ever before. 

Luckily, the future looks bright for adaptable and methodical sales managers in 2021 and beyond. We talk with Daisy Peña, Regional Manager at Twilio, about proven sales management strategies and best practices on this episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast. 

With over 15 years of sales and sales management experience, Daisy shares valuable insights about what it takes to survive and thrive in today’s unpredictable sales environment. 

Our discussion also covers:

What role mentorship plays in sales management
Tips for sales reps who wish to move into sales management
How to create sales management opportunities for sales reps with ambition and potential
Why a background in customer service can benefit both sales managers and their teams
How to stay open to feedback from your sales team and use their feedback to constantly improve
Why allowing your sales team to take calculated risks on the right opportunities can be a game-changer
How to leverage sales technology to get “in the door” virtually to your customers
How to balance methodology and adaptability in today’s sales climate
Why risk taking can benefit your team’s long term sales goals
How to leverage the current trends in sales management to grow revenue
Tips for teaching your sales team to think on their feet and make great mid-deal decisions 
How role playing can cultivate sales success for sales teams and managers alike
What questions to ask sales reps to keep them on track and engaged
How to create a culture of salespeople who want to contribute to their company beyond just hitting their quota
Tips on identifying and building future sales leaders
How to avoid the most common missteps sales managers make when trying to motivate their staff
Pointers on managing “up and down” and dividing your focus between these tasks appropriately

Connect with Daisy on LinkedIn or Twitter. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Harnessing the power of social media has been a cornerstone of successful sales strategies within the past few years. Especially in 2020, when millions of road warriors were grounded overnight and forced to work remotely, knowing how to access and sell to prospects virtually is a necessity for modern sales teams. 

With nearly 700 million active users and lead conversion rates 3X higher than other major ad platforms (including Google Ads), LinkedIn offers tremendous opportunities for your sales team. However, like any technology, the true value of social selling on LinkedIn can only be realized through the right sales process, training, and methodology. 

I talk about maximizing LinkedIn’s sales power with Colleen McKenna, Founder & CEO of Intero Advisory, on this week’s episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast.

Colleen’s unique method focuses on leveraging human connection and technology to reach your company’s recruiting, branding, and business development goals. 

Colleen and I also discuss:

How to sell on LinkedIn without ruining relationships and losing connections
LinkedIn as a sale tool vs. a form of social media
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile to “show up” and be a great first impression for your prospects
Why LinkedIn is a valuable TOF tool and how to leverage its power 
Tips on establishing credibility on LinkedIn
How to build an intentional sales network on LinkedIn
How to fix the gaps in your LinkedIn network in order to connect with top clients
Tips on setting up sales meetings via LinkedIn
How to create a “surround sound” system of communication for your clients with LinkedIn being one of many different channels
How to create a sales process using LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator
Why a salesperson’s LinkedIn profile should be used as a marketing tool for your company and how to do just that
How to jumpstart your network on LinkedIn
Tips on creating a LinkedIn sales strategy and how to avoid the most common mistakes sales managers make
Sales tips for former “road warriors” in 2020 and beyond
What sales teams can expect in the future and how to best prepare for these changes

Connect with Colleen on LinkedIn and learn more about her company by visiting its website. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Hitting a sales slump is a right of passage for every salesperson and team, and this year has been especially tough across various industries due to the uncertainty of Covid-19. It’s no surprise that 57% of sales reps are expected to miss their quota this year (Salesforce). 

Knowing how to increase sales revenue when it’s not where your company needs it to be is a tricky situation for executives and sales teams alike. Finding the exact areas to improve in your sales process can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but it doesn’t have to. 

“Student of Sales” Ryan Reisert shares his unique formula for sales process improvement on this episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast. 

Ryan is well-known on LinkedIn and YouTube for his numbers-driven sales strategy he calls the “math of sales.” Ryan believes that your sales process can be broken down into smaller disparate pieces in order to create benchmarks for sales rep to improve and build upon. He encourages sales leaders to use simple math to solve their fundamental sales problems. 

This week’s conversation also covers:

How to use a “bucketing system” to contact the leads that are most likely to close
How to have more conversations with the right people in order to increase sales revenue
Why optimizing your sales process is always important, even when your team is enjoying success
How math can be used to make your sales process more efficient
Why looking for quick wins always loses in the long run
How to optimize sales activities to close deals faster
How to remove waste from your sales funnel 
Why a sales manager’s target message to his reps is so important when it comes to math of sales accuracy
Tips on finding out who your best customer is and solving their pain points
How to use your math of sales to create benchmarks for your sales reps to build upon
Tips on looking for your customers in the right places and budgeting for this search
Math of sales common pitfalls
Why time is the biggest factor in creating sustainable sales revenue
What role reverse engineering plays in your sales process and how to use this as an optimization strategy
Why salespeople often give up on customers too quickly and how to avoid this
How to adopt a “process before technology” approach in your sales strategy

Learn more about Ryan by checking out the books he has co-authored, Outbound Sales, No Fluff and The Math of Sales: Market Domination. You can also subscribe to his Patreon page for exclusive access to more of his content and ideas. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.