When a sales team becomes frustrated with marketing the frustrations is most frequently rooted in poor lead quality. It is an understandable frustration, after all the job of a sales representative is literally the only job in the entire company that is expected to shoulder a fair amount of risk. Failure in another role might ... Read Post

In the 20+ years we have been working with sales managers and salespeople, a constant need is sales opportunity strategy advice. One of the main roles of a Sales Manager is to help train your salespeople on how to stay on track during a sales cycle. Each company will have unique domain, market and competitor ... Read Post

The experts are telling us that in today’s economic environment if you want to keep and build your customer base then you need to learn to add value. Value is your differentiator, value is what will make you standout from your competition. So what does that mean to “really” add value? Isn’t it enough that ... Read Post

I have noticed a recent trend in sales that, while on the surface appears beneficial and perhaps even fun, I actually think is destructive. That is the practice of “gamification” in sales forces—making games for salespeople and pitting them against each other, in which trophies and such are awarded. In my opinion, gamification is something ... Read Post

If you’re reading this on the Pipeliner CRM Blog, then it’s safe to say that you’re already using a CRM – probably Pipeliner – to help you organize your contacts. I also know that Pipeliner CRM users are all about simplicity and cybernetics to help them navigate complexity and to focus on what’s truly important. ... Read Post

You know the mantra. Your sales practice is only as good as your quiver of arrows, and your aim. It’s only as good as your attitude, your product, your leads, your proposal, and your closing skills. Is the mantra always true? How could it be? There are factors—variables—coming into play. These variables affect each stage ... Read Post

Seven questions that will change your life Problems. Issues. Stuff. You could be forgiven for thinking today’s business environment is full of all of these. Big ones, small ones. Old ones. new ones. And your sole aim in life seems to be to reduce their number, and reassure yourself that someday, when all these problems ... Read Post

It might seem odd to try and pin a ”higher meaning” on sales. Aren’t salespeople mainly in it for the money? It would sure seem that way, given how salespeople are portrayed in the media and in popular culture. But let’s take a closer look. The Search for Meaning How important is meaning to a ... Read Post