Goals

In the ever-evolving landscape of sales, accurate forecasting is a vital component of success. It allows sales leaders to plan strategically, allocate resources efficiently, and make data-driven decisions. To prepare your sales team for a prosperous 2024, you need to harness the insights gained from the sales data of 2023. In this blog post, we will explore how to effectively use your 2023 sales data to create a robust forecast for 2024.

Sales is a dynamic and challenging field, and every salesperson knows that closing a deal is both an art and a science. While it might be tempting to rely on discounts as a quick and easy way to win a sale, this approach can have several negative consequences for your business. In this blog post, we'll explore the reasons why you should avoid leaning on discounts to win the sale and provide alternative strategies to help you succeed as a salesperson.

The holiday season is a time of merriment, celebration, and good cheer. However, for salespeople, it can also be a challenging period as businesses and clients wind down for the year. The temptation to relax, take it easy, and let your sales goals slip through the cracks can be overwhelming. But successful sales professionals know that this is the time to double down and stay motivated. In this blog post, we'll explore some strategies to keep your motivation high and reach your sales goals during the holiday season.

Sales professionals often find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to prospecting calls. The aversion to making these calls can be a significant barrier to success. However, by implementing the principles of Sandler, you can develop the skills and mindset necessary to conquer this challenge. In this blog post, we'll explore how Sandler can help salespeople overcome their aversion to prospecting calls and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.

In the competitive world of sales, the road to success is paved with challenges, rejections, and long hours. As a salesperson, staying motivated is key to achieving your goals and becoming a true sales superstar. While it's natural to experience dips in motivation, it's essential to find ways to reignite your drive and keep pushing forward. In this blog post, we will explore some effective strategies to help you find the motivation needed to conquer your sales targets and unlock your true potential.

As a salesperson, one of the most common challenges you'll face is dealing with buyer stalls. These stalls occur when potential customers hesitate or delay making a decision during the sales process. Handling stalls effectively requires finesse, empathy, and strategic communication. In this blog post, we'll explore some actionable tips to help you navigate through buyer stalls and close more deals.

In the fast-paced and competitive world of sales, many professionals find themselves struggling to achieve the level of success they desire. However, there's no secret recipe or magical formula to becoming a top-notch salesperson. Success in sales demands a combination of skills, mindset, and continuous improvement. In this blog post, we will explore some common reasons why salespeople may not be as successful as they hope, and more importantly, provide actionable strategies to help them improve their performance and achieve greatness.

In this episode, Tom Scarda, franchise coach and advisor at the Franchise Academy, shares his insights on how to succeed at owning a franchise.

Summer is a season of sunshine, relaxation, and outdoor activities, but it's also a prime time for sales professionals to shine. With a bit of strategic planning and a positive mindset, you can turn the summer months into a season of exceptional sales success. In this blog post, we'll explore some valuable tips and strategies that can help salespeople make the most out of the summer and boost their sales numbers.

ChatGPT is a large, AI language model that has been trained on a massive dataset of text. It uses machine learning algorithms to generate responses to text-based prompts. The model has been designed to understand the nuances of human language and can provide answers to a wide range of questions. So how can salespeople use ChatGPT to be more successful?

In the world of sales, gatekeepers are the people who serve as the first line of defense in organizations, filtering out unwanted or irrelevant sales pitches and providing access to decision-makers only to those who are deemed worthy. Working effectively with gatekeepers can be critical to the success of a sales campaign. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to avoid a gatekeeper. However, for many who sell to the executive level leaders, a gatekeeper is unavoidable and someone you need to talk with first to maintain rapport.

So.... when you are faced with a gatekeeper, what can you do?

LinkedIn is a powerful social networking platform that is widely used by professionals across various industries. For salespeople, LinkedIn can be an incredibly valuable tool that can help them connect with potential customers, establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries, and ultimately drive sales. In this blog post, we will discuss how salespeople can leverage LinkedIn to be more successful.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the way businesses operate in recent years. With the ability to process vast amounts of data and provide valuable insights, AI has become an essential tool for businesses to stay competitive. One area where AI has made a significant impact is in sales. AI technology can help salespeople be more efficient, effective, and ultimately, more successful. In this blog post, we’ll explore how salespeople can use AI to be better at their jobs.

As the end of the quarter approaches, sales teams are gearing up for a final push to meet their targets. It can be a stressful time, but with the right approach, it can also be an opportunity to showcase your skills and exceed your quarterly goals. Check out these tips for ending the quarter strong and, most importantly, setting yourself up for a successful start for the next quarter. 

As a sales leader, navigating through a recession can be a daunting task. The uncertainty of the economy, coupled with the pressure to meet sales targets, can be overwhelming. However, with the right mindset and strategies, you can not only survive but thrive during a recession. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tips for being a successful sales leader during a recession.

If you cannot answer the question, "Will my deal close?" with a confident, "Yes," after your presentation, you may be missing a few steps along the way during your sales process. There are 5 key steps to take to ensure your sales closes and crosses the finish line. 

Some salespeople don’t just survive hard times – they create new “personal best” performance levels during these down cycles. How do they do it?

Sandler has seen eight habits consistently among high performers who fall into this special category. Implement all eight, and they will see you through an industry shakeout, a spike in inflation, a recession, a global pandemic, or any other challenge that may appear on your horizon.

70% of your sales team's engagement is influenced by their leader. Yet 43% of leaders feel they do not receive effective training for their role. This is a difficult cycle to break. One of the top concerns business owners have is sales. There are 4 common reason why sales leaders fail. We'll talk about each and, most importantly, what you can do to avoid them.

In this episode, Dr. Benjamin Hardy will show you how to create the life you want by being your future self now! He'll explain why it's so important to have clarity on what you want and how to actually achieve it.

Brian Jackson, Sandler coach from San Diego, talks about productivity hacks: how to measure and manage productivity. Productivity is one of the most important aspects of any business. Productivity isn't just about quantity—it's also about quality. It can also be one of the most difficult to measure and manage.

Sandler's newest program is designed for sales leaders and anyone responsible for the success of your organization. In this series, your sales managers learn Sandler’s best practices for sales leadership, garnering the knowledge of Sandler’s empowering organizations across every industry. We empower your sales leaders with the behaviors, attitudes, and techniques needed for success, challenging them to use these strategies and tactics in real coaching sessions on real deals, ensuring real results. 

When you set goals for yourself, do you follow a clear process? Most people don’t. As a result, their ability to act on and achieve their goals is diminished.

Mike Montague, director of community engagement at Sandler, interviews Brian Moran, best-selling author, on How to Succeed at the 12 Week Year.

Mike Montague interviews Dan Truehl, Sandler trainer from Wisconsin, on How to Succeed at End of the Year Goal Setting.

Mike Montague interviews Danny Wood, Sandler trainer from New Jersey on How to Succeed at Burning Bridges. Learn how to get from where you are to where you want to be by getting committed and becoming the person you need to be to reach your goals.

Mike Montague interviews Ryan Bennett on How to Succeed at Creating an Intentional Day.

Mike Montague interviews Steve Sims on How to Succeed at Making Things Happen.

Mike Montague interviews Kevin Shulman on How to Succeed at Achieving Your Goals.

There are many articles this time of year about how to improve individual productivity, thereby accelerating company growth over the course of the year. I’ve written my fair share of these articles and, of course, they have their place. 

Mike Montague interviews his co-instructor for the online goal-setting workshop, Amy Woodall, on How to Succeed at Setting Goals.

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

Listen Time: 11 Minutes

Every plan begins with a vision of a successful outcome. We encourage salespeople to dream big and work hard toward their vision of professional success. Effective CEOs and team leaders will always have a vision of what a top performing organization looks like.

Cal Thomas, Sandler trainer, shows you how to succeed with the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful at sticking with your goals and achieving them. Get the best practices for goal setting collected from around the world.

Listen Time: 24 Minutes

As we approach Q4, it’s important to identify the strategies that will help us to make sure we are on track to hit or exceed our sales goals by the end of the year. With that goal in mind, consider the following four steps, which can help you set yourself up for a great fourth quarter.

Dave Mattson shares his thoughts about the new Leadership for Organizational Excellence training program by Sandler. Learn the structure and methodology to create real, lasting, positive change in your organization.

Karl Scheible joins Dave Mattson to talk about what happens with the competition is invited into one of your accounts. How do you deal with competitive bids or other situations where you are not the only provider?

You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and it is. But here, it takes on an entirely new meaning. To ensure sales success, you should always start your day with B.A.G.E.L.S.

Dean Lindsay, author of How to Achieve Big PHAT Goals, joins Mike Montague to talk about making big things happen this year. Dean is a keynote speaker and author of other books. He can be found at  deanlindsay.com

I never thought of the late, great baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra as much of an expert on sales and sales management. Then I came across this memorable quote attributed to the legendary Yankee catcher and manager: “If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else.”

In this special audio blog episode, Dave Mattson shares his thoughts for sales leaders. He discusses the importance of translating corporate goals into meaningful, personal ones for yourself and your team.

A few years ago, we published a blog detailing how to maintain progress towards your new year’s resolutions. With the start of 2018 upon us, it’s a good time to revisit these tips and see how else we can help drive you to success.In the blog post, Dave shared the importance of holding yourself accountable, partnering up for solidarity, turning your goals into a competition, finding a mentor to support you, and effectively executing your sales process.
While all of these tips are important, I want to share a few other insights that I’ve gained over my years as a Sandler trainer.

To be a successful salesperson, one needs to be aggressive and goal-oriented. While important, these competitive traits can lead to a one-track mind and give sellers tunnel vision. If this goes unchecked, salespeople will ignore the pursuits of their team members and their organization. The sooner salespeople realize that fostering an environment of mutual success is the most advantageous approach, the better.

As a salesperson, it’s easy to get wrapped up in your clients’ work and forget to save time for your own planning. How do you ensure that you end the current year on a perfect note? It’s important to finish strong and finalize your business plan before the calendar turns. Below are three ways to seal a successful year and begin 2018 with a bang.

The end of the sales year is a time for reflecting, preparing, and, in some cases, a bit of rushing. As you race to meet or exceed the lofty goals you set for the year, a skill that ties into all three of these areas is overcoming objections. As you follow up with prospects and clients leading into the new year, it’s important to be prepared for their excuses and challenges, and ready to respond to them. Below are four ways to prepare for objections that you can put into practice today.

With the year winding down, perhaps it’s a good time to take stock of what you have accomplished so far this year, file away the lessons of your successes and failures, and begin thinking about what you’d like to accomplish in the coming year. 

We just finished watching the first total eclipse of the sun since 1979. It got dark, it got cool, and it looked fascinating through the eclipse glasses. Which got me thinking, an eclipse is a blockage. It doesn’t let the sun come through to the earth.

There’s an adage that rings true for sales careers, “if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” Proficient salespeople have some of the highest job satisfaction across all industries and can have very rewarding and lucrative careers. On the other side of the coin, selling — especially commission based selling — isn’t for everyone. Inexperienced or ineffective salespeople may have a hard time breaking into the profession.

Developing a championship caliber sales team should be the goal of any sales leader. All champions, whether it is the Cubs, Patriots or newly crowned, Tarheels, are focused on doing their individual roles as well as possible, committed to the on-going improvement of themselves and the team, the culture sets high expectations, and the teams win. As difficult as this may be to accomplish for your sales team, it is not as hard as you think if you can implement these four championship elements.

It’s not uncommon for a new hire to start out strong.  But after the initial excitement and enthusiasm for the new job fades, the behavior, performance, and “numbers” follow suit.

You’ve closed the deal – but your job isn’t done quite yet. Managing client expectations can help you make the most of your new relationship and ensure you are striking the right balance. By working together to outline goals, define success, and clearly communicating your progress and milestones, you can increase transparency to build the long lasting relationship with your new client.

Strong relationships with customers can make a positive difference to a company’s sales growth. There is a tendency, however, for some salespeople to focus way too much on the “softer side” of selling and neglect the strategic activities that lead to measurable results.
They may have warm relationships with prospects who will never actually buy anything from them. They may spend too much time with customers who like them, but only fall into the smallest customer category.

Successfully selling complex products or technologies requires a scarce and unique skills combination. Business-to-business sales management is an especially challenging discipline because there are so few people with strong relationship-selling skills combined with technical-analytical abilities needed in complex, multifaceted business situations.

Check out our next free session on this topic: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finding-sales-people-and-hiring-right-tickets-21677282335