Author: Katie Coalson

Why You Should Still Invest in Sales Conferences

Conferences are hubs for learning the value of sales training; these platforms provide attendees with opportunities for continuing education and a chance to interact with other experts in their field. These conferences are also a way for executives to update their skills and interact with their counterparts in other companies.

Even during the new normal, sales and marketing conferences are still a good way of gathering professionals in a particular industry. Conferences like the Adobe Summit 2020, for instance, were to be held in Las Vegas this year. Rather than being canceled completely, though, the organizers opted to move it to an online platform. The conference still had keynote speakers and breakout sessions, but in a digital format.

Despite the quick rollout of materials needed for a migration like this, companies like Adobe and Google are willing to be agile and migrate. This is because they recognize the benefits that attending these conferences have on their core audience.

A space for evaluating the latest technology

Innovations and technology are at the forefront of many companies’ marketing and sales strategies today. To be competitive, a business should know how to leverage new technology so they can position themselves well in their industry. With conferences—even digital ones—you can keep track of developments in your field. 

On a related note, the senior management in a company can demonstrate their commitment to flexibility and innovation when they attend sales conferences online. This really shows that they can walk the talk, especially with regard to goals and objectives for the company.

Conferences are a good resource

Conventions give industry leaders a way to conduct lectures, offer practical advice, and provide in-depth case studies. Listening to experts is one of the reasons why a sales representative attends these events, and it is still a valuable resource for sales training. A conference, whether online or in-person, is a chance for sales and marketing professionals to learn new techniques or ways of thinking about their profession.

Normally, an in-person conference would require a participant to choose among sessions. In a digital conference, viewers can watch their priority sessions live and watch additional ones on-demand. This even gives them time to make thoughtful questions to send the lecturers through e-mail or later in the conference.

Gatherings make it easier to do business

One of the biggest advantages of meeting with colleagues during live events is the ease of doing business in person. When attending offline conferences, startup founders looking for investors can better explain their pitch, sales professionals can sit through smoother interviews, and potential business partners can reduce the friction caused by unstable Internet connections.

Remote work arrangements and distributed teams, however, prove that the 100 percent online model is viable for most office-based businesses. A virtual conference is a way for companies to test out this mode of delivery; it has all the components of a typical business day.

Conclusion

Even with the advent of rapid technological changes, some things about doing business remain the same. Sales and marketing professionals, whose job it is to persuade people, work best when interacting with their peers and customers. Whether online or in-person, it benefits them to attend conferences that help develop these skills.

One more way of providing marketing and sales professionals with on-demand, personalized professional development is by giving them access to online courses. 

At MasterMessaging, we offer training services with proven sales techniques that can help elevate value and increase your revenue. If you have trouble closing deals successfully, especially during these trying times, get in touch with us today to learn more about what we do and how it can help you.

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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.

How to Help Your Sales Team Adapt to New Technology

Implementing new technology in an organization leads to higher levels of productivity, which helps make transactions and procedures more effective. Companies that are efficient are easier to work with, which can translate into more deals and higher revenue. All of these are good reasons for changing your company’s processes, however, it can be difficult getting sales representatives to adopt new technology. 

Some salespeople have well-ingrained routines and are protective of these, especially when they can develop effective sales conversations and build sizable networks without the help of technology. A sales representative might see the new application as an extra step, a cumbersome addition to a system that already works well for them. If you are trying to get your team to use new technology in the office, here are three ways you can make the transition smoother: 

  1. Help them understand the shift

Persuading a team to use new technology will not be successful if they don’t know how it can benefit their work. Demonstrate the advantages your team will have from adopting this platform and show them the value added to their team and the organization as a whole. When they know the benefits of this new technology, they will make the necessary adjustments.

Perhaps the new technology can help them meet their quotas or make them more productive during the work week. Talk to your employees about why these changes are being made, and they will embrace these as signs of progressiveness in the company rather than things that should be done only because management wants them to.

  1. Show that the executives approve

Active engagement and support from the leaders will convince your sales representatives to use the platform. Before you rolled out the new technology, there was an executive that endorsed the purchase. 

Ensure that the team sees this sponsor using the technology and actively campaigning for it in the company. They should define the goals and explain the advantages of using this new system. Treating the transition as a sales training goal will legitimize it for the employees.

Teams with related functions like marketing, customer success, and sales enablement should also be in the loop. Since they are working toward securing and retaining prospects for the company, these teams should be in alignment with everything from their annual objectives to the workflow platforms they use. Support from higher-ups will get different teams on board.

  1. Fit the training program to their team

Sellers will have varying degrees of interest and capabilities when adopting new technology. Thus, you’ll need to customize training. Familiarity with and interest in new technology will vary widely. For example, employees aged 20 to 39 years old are part of the Millennial and Generation Z cohorts. They are either digital natives or highly adept at figuring out how to work on SaaS platforms. 

Meanwhile, people from the Baby Boomer or Generation X cohorts might need some time adapting to new technologies. Of course, these are broad generalizations, and people can behave differently from their cohort, but always make sure to adapt programs based on individual needs.

You can provide training through a digital adoption program, to help employees fit their training into their work schedule. According to a 2018 report by LinkedIn Learning, 58 percent of workers prefer self-directed training. 49 percent even choose to learn at the point of need.

Conclusion

Rolling out new software or equipment is challenging no matter the size of a company. Help your teams quickly adopt these technologies by giving them the support they need.

At MasterMessaging, we offer proven sales techniques that can help elevate value and increase your revenue. If you have trouble closing deals successfully, especially during these trying times, get in touch with our consultants today to learn more about what we do and how it can help you.

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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.

The Key Qualities of Effective Sales Leaders

Not all sales leaders are created equal. Sometimes, even though someone has the title of a leader or manager, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they help propel their respective teams to success. A great sales leader is one that manages to guide their team to exceed their annual quota and has the capacity to motivate their teams to achieve their goals. 

When it comes to being a great sales leader, there are certain characteristics and attributes that are vital. Listed below are some of those traits:

1 –  Great Sales Leaders are Target-Driven

The best sales leaders are usually those who are fixated on achieving goals and targets. According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, top sales managers scored 19% higher in the self-discipline facet, 20% higher in the success-driven facet, and 27% higher in the priority-focused facet compared to underperforming sales managers. This proves that these people have the natural disposition to steer their teams in the direction of achieving their goals above all else. They know how to eliminate distractions and compartmentalize negative news that may cause the team to stray away from their targets. They keep the team focused and working with a sense of urgency in mind, regardless of the circumstances. 

2 – Great Sales Leaders are Strategic

In addition to helping the team meet their targets, a great sales manager is also one who is strategic-minded and makes an effort in finding ways to take their company to new heights. This may mean that they continuously finetune and optimize automation, sales tools, and procedures. They take advantage of technology and develop their sales management process to facilitate growth. They also incorporate new metrics and incentive systems to motivate their teams. 

3 – Great Sales Leaders Understand People

Great sales leaders are not robots who only know how to make sales and hit targets—they also understand how to work with people. They are good at hiring and ensure that only the people who fit the culture join the team. They recognize positive traits in their sales teams and offer to coach those who need help. They provide feedback, evaluate, and reframe goals of the people they work with to help them be better at their jobs. When there’s a crisis, they also know how to give advice according to the circumstances. They use their extensive experience and apply their sales intuition to address the matter at hand. Sales management is not just about selling—it’s also about working efficiently with people and bringing out their strengths so they can be more productive and motivated.

4 – Great Sales Leaders Make Decisions Based on Data

An excellent sales leader uses their innate sales intuition and combines it with substantial evidence to make smarter business decisions. They know how to look for the numbers behind any success or failure, and analyze them to figure out how those numbers can change. They also know how to justify the reasoning behind every decision with important data.

Overall, being an effective sales leader is about thinking long-term, being focused on the end goal, and motivating their team.

At MasterMessaging, we offer proven sales techniques that can help elevate value and increase your revenue. If you have trouble closing deals successfully, especially during these trying times, get in touch with our consultants today to learn more about what we do and how it can help you.

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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.

How to Help Your Sales Team Weather the COVID-19 Crisis

Experiencing highs and lows is normal for every sales team, but it’s nothing compared to the situation the world is facing at the moment. The COVID-19 outbreak has upended businesses, big and small, across varying industries. Small businesses feel the impact the most, as 75 percent of small business owners in the US have reported fewer sales since the crisis struck. There’s no doubt about it—the global pandemic has adversely affected everyone, not just you.

If you want your business to stay afloat, you might need to change your approach to sales. The responsibility is put on the manager not to induce panic within the team but also devising ways to generate revenue. To ensure the steady flow of sales while instilling positivity and confidence within your team at the same time, here are some tips you may want to consider.

Stay calm and don’t induce panic

Given the situation, converting sales may seem impossible right now, but trying is better than giving up right away. It’s important to stay calm and get your head on straight instead of giving in to feelings of panic. If you have team members feeling extra anxious, try your best to alleviate their worries and concerns. Should you find that they’re constantly nudging you for assistance, now’s the time to exercise patience. Do your best to listen to them and provide support where necessary. You should all be in this together. 

Keep your team motivated and engaged

Since we’re about to experience yet another recession, it’s crucial to motivate your sales team even more. Don’t let negativity cloud your judgment and steer you away from your goals. Even if everyone in your group is unable to meet prospects and are finding difficulty in closing sales over calls and teleconferences, it’s important that you motivate them now more than ever. 

Encourage them with empowering words and make yourself more available so that they know they have someone to rely on should they encounter any more trouble. Conduct frequent check-ins and one-on-one meetings. Remind them of their exceptional skills and capabilities, and use creative approaches to help them deal with current sales challenges. 

Avoid lowering your standards

Despite the pandemic, it’s still vital that you reach your sales goals. Then again, you should set realistic targets that people in your team can actually meet given the situation. Since mostly everyone is at home, encourage them to introduce more sales activities into their schedules like ramping up the calling and following up on prospects. It would also help to track their performance to ensure that they’re putting in 100 percent of their efforts into reaching the goals. If you find gaps in their performance, discuss it with them. 

Encourage collaboration

Instead of pursuing individualistic pursuits, encourage your team to work as one unified body so that you can all achieve your sales goals together. There is strength in unity, and collaborating and brainstorming together allows everyone to perform better. 

This situation is not ideal for any business, but as long as you stay resilient and don’t veer off your goals, there is a high chance that you can come out of this pandemic stronger than ever.

We offer proven sales techniques that can help elevate value and increase your revenue. If you’re having trouble closing deals successfully, get in touch with us today to learn more!

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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.