The role of sales outreach for lead generation has evolved significantly since I first entered the high-tech industry as a selling and marketing professional. Now, as a seasoned consultant with a strategic perspective focused on driving quality sales pipeline, I see that there is no denying the effect of disruptive change. Read on to learn how the pandemic has accelerated the trend of using remote selling teams to develop leads and sales opportunities and why salespeople need to embrace the art of live selling.

Sales, particularly in the B2B space, is a long and meticulous process. Based on your product or service, deal size, and target market, a normal selling cycle will vary from a few weeks to more than a year. That said, any selling initiative, whatever the strategy you have, begins with the same process — prospecting.

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Do you know what the term "sales engagement" means? Many people, even in the sales world, aren’t sure what it means and often confuse it with "sales enablement." Read on to learn the definition of both terms along with tips on how to improve your sales engagement processes.

"No one's picking up the phone during COVID-19."

“People aren’t answering numbers they don’t recognize.”

“What kind of idiot makes a cold call during a pandemic?”

Sound familiar? I see these statements every day on LinkedIn and our sales reps hear them every day in conversations with B2B companies. Read on to learn why a pandemic actually IS the right time to make cold calls and create new business opportunities.

As a sales manager, you need to work with, train, and be a coach for your sales team, including your inside sales reps (ISRs), sales development reps (SDRs), and business development reps (BDRs). Sure, the best scenario would be to work with them in person by sitting in their cube and being on calls with them, but that’s not always doable, especially now with most employees working from home. Read on to learn how you can coach your team from wherever you are, even in real-time, and how to trust your team to work from home.

You can’t turn on the news, or even scroll through Twitter or LinkedIn, without hearing about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is more commonly known as “Coronavirus”. Conferences are being cancelled or turned into virtual events; companies are making sure their employees have the technology and capability to work from home in the event of a quarantine; and recruiters and others are pondering what they should do instead of shaking hands.

Look at the texts on your phone. Do you see a lot of texts from businesses? As I scroll down, I see texts from CVS MinuteClinic confirming a visit (which showed my son had the flu); different software companies sending two-factor authorization verification codes; a car dealership; movie theaters sending along my tickets to see “Underwater” and “Birds of Prey” (both great films); and many more. I don’t even think twice about getting those business to consumer (B2C) texts these days along with texts from friends and family.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard the word “chatbot” or “bot” recently. Sound familiar? If not, I want you to think about the last time you were on a software company’s website. As you scrolled down or went to the pricing page for information, did a little box pop up in the lower right-hand corner saying “hi” and asking how it can help you? That, dear reader, is a chatbot.

Have you ever had a day where you felt like you were spending your day at work wisely, you had the golden touch when it came to connecting with your B2B sales prospects, and you left the office that day thinking you had the most productive day ever? If a day like that isn’t your norm, shouldn’t it be? Read on to learn how to make most (if not all) of your days productive and successful, and see a timeline for a productive sales day.

Since you clicked on this, you’re no doubt wondering what the right way is to reach your B2B sales prospects. Is it through email? Cold calls? Carrier pigeon? (Yes, I’m kidding with that last one, but hey, if you try that as a unique form of direct mail and it works for you, let me know.) Read on to learn THE way to connect with your buyers or prospects.