Motivating a sales team is one of the hardest parts of being a sales leader. You can have the right people, a solid strategy and clear goals, but getting your team to consistently go above and beyond can be a challenge. That’s where well-designed sales contests can make a real difference. At BDU, we’ve seen that thoughtfully planned and executed … Read More
Everything Happens for a Reason: A Powerful Sales Mindset for Success
In sales, your results are often determined by one critical factor: your sales mindset. No matter how strong your strategy may be, how experienced you are or how well you prepare, your ability to handle whatever comes your way in sales and maintain a positive attitude will have a direct impact on your success. Sales professionals face constant challenges, unexpected … Read More
The Importance of Pre-Call Planning: The Key to Successful Prospect Meetings
As sales professionals, we’re often juggling packed calendars, shifting priorities and important meetings. With so much going on, it’s easy to overlook the importance of pre-call planning for a prospect meeting as it can be tempting to rely on past experience and just wing it, especially when we’ve had these similar conversations before. However, even the most seasoned sales teams … Read More
Sales Prospecting Strategies: Mastering Time and Territory Management
Successful sales prospecting isn’t just about working hard. It’s about working with focus, purpose and efficiency. The most productive salespeople don’t just aim to do more. Instead, they find ways to get more out of the time, and territory, they already have. Practical sales prospecting strategies start with mastering time and territory management, a discipline that separates the average rep … Read More
Finish Strong, Start Stronger: Year-End Sales Strategies for Salespeople and Sales Leaders
As the end of the year approaches, many sales professionals start to wind down. But top performers know the truth: December is one of the most important months of the year. Not only is it your final chance to impact your current numbers but it’s also the moment where you set the tone for the new year. If you want … Read More
From Cold Calling to Warm Referrals: Referral Prospecting Strategies That Multiply Your Results
If you’ve ever been fishing with a rod, you know how it works. One hook, one line, one fish at a time. Now imagine throwing out a giant net instead. You catch an entire school of fish at once! That’s the difference between cold calling individual prospects and building strategic alliances that create warm introductions on your behalf. One’s a … Read More
Q4 Sales Strategies for Managers: How to Lead Your Team to Year-End Success
For sales managers, the fourth quarter isn’t just another three-month stretch. It’s the finish line that shows whether individuals, and the sales team as a whole, hit or missed annual goals. With fewer selling weeks, leadership watching closely and clients often distracted by year-end priorities, Q4 can feel both stressful and rewarding. This is also the quarter when leadership matters … Read More
Best of BDU: Summer Sales Leadership Tips for Success
Summer can be a tricky time for sales leaders. With team members taking vacations, prospects pushing off meetings and warmer weather tempting everyone to mentally check out, it can be tough to keep momentum going. However, summer doesn’t have to be a slow season. With summer sales leadership tips and the right approach, it could even be one of the … Read More
How to Boost Close Ratios in Sales: Stop Sending Out Proposals!
If you’re looking for one of the biggest ways to grow your sales, it’s right in front of you: your close ratio. Your close ratio is the percentage of quotes and proposals that actually turn into sales. It’s calculated by dividing the number of closed deals by the total number of proposals sent. For most B2B companies, the average close … Read More
The White Space Matrix: How to Unlock Untapped Client Revenue
If you’re like many salespeople – and companies – your clients may only be using one or two of your products or services even though you offer so much more. The problem? They don’t know about everything you have, and often you or your team isn’t asking them what they need. That’s where the white space matrix comes in. … Read More
The Smartest Way to Boost Revenue: Maximize Your Share of the Wallet
One of the most overlooked (but most powerful) ways to grow your revenue is sitting right in front of you: increasing your share of the wallet from your existing clients. It’s easier — and faster — to grow your revenue by getting more business from the clients you already have than it is to chase down brand-new ones. But are … Read More
Spring Cleaning Sales: 10 Easy Ways to Refresh, Refocus and Reignite Your Results
Spring is in the air and it’s the perfect time to do a little cleaning, and not just around your house – try spring cleaning sales! Spring cleaning sales is all about evaluating what’s working and what’s not, and refreshing your goals and strategies so you can set yourself up for continued success in the months ahead. Much like clearing … Read More
The CEO’s Guide to Better CEO Sales Leader Meetings
As a CEO or business owner, you know that your sales leader plays a key role in driving revenue and developing your sales team. But are you holding regularly scheduled meetings with your sales leader to ensure they’re maximizing their impact? Way too often, CEOs assume their sales leader has everything under control. However, without structured, strategic one-on-one CEO sales … Read More
Embracing Kaizen in the New Year: Continuous Improvement in Sales
As we begin a brand-new year, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the year that’s passed, reassess our strategies and set ourselves up for even greater success. At Business Development University (BDU), we believe in the power of Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy centered on continuous improvement. By embracing Kaizen and consistently reevaluating what’s working and what isn’t, we can … Read More
Why Sales Training Matters: Boosting Results for Your Team
In today’s business world, effective sales training isn’t just a bonus for your sales team – it’s a must-have. Frequent, high-quality sales training helps your team stay motivated, sharp and ready to tackle every challenge. If you’re a sales leader, can you recall the last time you helped your salespeople “sharpen the saw” and provided growth opportunities for them? If … Read More
You Can’t “Cookie Cutter” Sales: Why There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Success
Let’s face it – there’s no magic formula for success and you can’t “cookie cutter” sales. What works for one person might not work for someone else, and something that worked great for someone today might not work for that same person tomorrow. Whether you’re in sales or sales leadership, or have another role, success is all about finding what … Read More
Why Every Sales Team Needs a Playbook: Scoring Consistent Touchdowns and Wins
In football, every great team has a playbook. It’s a strategic guide that maps out how they’ll score touchdowns and win games. Without it, teams would be lost, running around the field with no clear direction. The same is true in sales. A sales playbook serves as your team’s game plan, ensuring everyone is on the same page, working together … Read More
Sales Team Performance: What Yard Line Are Your Salespeople On?
Sales team performance isn’t always about instant results. Sometimes your salespeople might not seem successful, but they’re closer to a breakthrough than you realize. Think of each team member as a football player on the field, each positioned at different yard lines. Some are stuck in their own zone, struggling to gain momentum, while others are on the 20-yard line, … Read More
Maximizing Sales Management Impact with Five Key Touchpoints
Sales managers have a one-line job description: to help their direct reports be as successful as possible. And sales managers play a pivotal role in that success, shaping the strategies and practices that drive performance. Maximizing sales management impact is crucial to a company’s success, and well-honed sales management techniques can significantly influence not only team performance but overall business … Read More
What is a Sales Kickoff? The Purpose and Power of Kickoff Meetings
Imagine a room filled with enthusiastic sales reps, eager to tackle the upcoming year with fresh strategies and a renewed sense of purpose. Welcome to the sales kickoff meeting! But what exactly is a sales kickoff, and why is it so crucial for sales teams? What Does Kickoff Mean in Business and Sales? In the business world, a kickoff marks … Read More
Sales Leadership Training: Building a Strong Foundation in Sales Management
In the world of sales, it’s essential to understand the difference between a sales leader and a sales manager. While a sales manager simply handles the operations day to day and ensures the sales strategy is executed effectively, a sales leader goes above and beyond by inspiring and guiding their sales team towards success. Understanding this distinction is the first … Read More
“Squeeze the Lemon” and Be Comprehensive
By now, you probably know all about BDU’s philosophy of “squeezing the lemon” to get the most from everything you do, but are you being comprehensive to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of “juice”? “Squeezing the lemon” is not just about being purposeful; it’s also about being thorough and doing everything you can do to cover all … Read More
Fourth Quarter Incentives – It’s Time to Motivate Your Team
Sales leaders, how are you helping your direct reports hit their fourth quarter – and annual – numbers as we approach the end of the year? It’s time to motivate your team with incentives! It’s Time to Incentivize You already know that it’s better to motivate your direct reports with the carrot instead of the stick, and it is truly … Read More
One-on-One Meetings: To Have or Not to Have
Sales leaders, how often do you schedule one-on-one meetings with each of your direct reports? Are you making it a priority to have individual meetings with each of your salespeople on a regular basis? Lisa recently held a private leadership training for a group of sales managers and was surprised to hear that they don’t regularly meet one on one … Read More
Six Key Metrics for Sales Managers to Monitor
There are six key metrics all sales managers need to monitor for each of their direct reports to determine if they are thriving, where any areas of opportunity might lie and how best to put a plan of action in place to help them not only meet but exceed their goals. If you’re a sales leader, you know that you … Read More
A Lesson in Sales Success from Lisa’s Horoscope
Lisa was recently listening to a morning radio show when she heard the horoscopes for the day. While she is not one to typically listen out for her horoscope, she decided to do so that day. She listened as the show’s host went through the other zodiac signs and when they finally reached Lisa’s, she was thrilled that she had … Read More
Sales Playbook: Your Blueprint for Success
Selling without a sales playbook is akin to building a house without a blueprint. Are you setting your salespeople up for success by giving them the tools and roadmap necessary to get there? Every industry, company and individual has their own way of selling. Even the most well-established organizations will have different managers within who lead their teams in their … Read More
Squeezing the Lemon: The Power of One More
You know about BDU’s philosophy of “squeezing the lemon“, and part of what makes this philosophy so impactful is the power of doing just one more activity, no matter how small, as it can lead to big results. Lisa recently had the pleasure of conducting a training session for one of BDU’s clients on “The Power of One More.” Why … Read More
Ten Tips for Time Management
Time is our most valuable resource so it’s important that we know how to make the most of it. You know about BDU’s philosophy of squeezing the lemon to maximize every opportunity and get the most “juice” out of everything you do, but what else can you do to make sure you’re being productive each and every day? We’ve created … Read More
How Do YOU Avoid or Get Out of a Sales Slump?
Everyone who is in sales has probably experienced the dreaded sales slump. Your numbers are down, you have no great leads in the pipeline, and you feel stagnant with your progress and efforts. What do you do when it hits? How do YOU get yourself out of a sales slump and back on track, and what do you do to … Read More
Sales Leaders, Does Adding Pressure Help Your Underperformers?
It can be challenging to figure out how to best handle a direct report who is just not performing well. Our first inclination as sales leaders may be to put more pressure on the underperformers. While you may have a few salespeople who perform better this way, adding pressure might end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes underperformers have … Read More
Sales Leadership Tip: Setting Key Numbers and Getting Buy In
Want your direct reports to buy in when setting key numbers and quotas for them? It’s all about steering the conversation and allowing them get involved in the process of determining their own goals. By doing so, they’ll ultimately be more willing and committed to achieving them. As sales leaders, we know the importance of having frequent conversations with our … Read More
For 2023 Sales Success, Do You Need to do MORE or do BETTER?
If your 2022 activities didn’t yield the results you desired, it’s time to determine if you should start doing MORE or if you need to look for ways to do BETTER. It’s the beginning of a new year, and with it comes a fresh start to set yourself up for sales success. If you haven’t already, take some time to … Read More
Year-End Checklist for Sales Leaders
As the year comes to an end, it’s important as sales leaders that we do all we can to fulfill our one-line job description: to help our direct reports be as successful as possible. Here’s a handy year-end checklist you can download and use to help your team finish out the year strong and set yourselves up to hit the … Read More
“Squeezing the Lemon” for Sales Leaders
If you’re a sales leader, it’s important that you know about BDU’s philosophy of “squeezing the lemon” to be productive and get the most from all you do. As sales leaders, we’re so busy juggling so much every day – especially if we carry a bag ourselves – that we need to make sure we’re doing all we can to … Read More
How to Build a Team of Sales Superstars – “Smashing the Plateau” interview with BDU’s Lisa Peskin
Are you, or is your team, having trouble meeting and exceeding sales goals? Do you know the important ingredients to smashing the sales plateau and reaching the next level? Can you identify your triage areas, the three areas that if approved upon will have the biggest impact on your performance or the performance of your team? How do you work … Read More