Welcome friends to a new decade! One we so humbly term, The Decade of Sales Funny that this calendar turn has happened a bit under the radar. I mean, remember the turn from 1999 to 2000 and the point where we all realized that it was actually no big deal? Living near the west coast […]
*This position has now been filled* Factor 8 is seeking a sharp, experienced virtual executive assistant to support our President and Founder. Factor 8 is a 12-year old, well-respected sales training company. Our mission is to help people at all levels increase confidence and success at sales. Our focus is on delivering results, changing lives, […]
Want to increase close rates? Redefine what “closed” means! The idea here is that every call CAN be closed – just not for the sale. Indulge me in a sports metaphor (and prepare for me to mix it up halfway through): Football. When we load up our BDR and outbound acquisition teams with lead lists […]
Are you an “A” player? If you like challenges, are passionate about learning how to sell and willing to work hard, keep reading. Factor 8 is currently looking for hard-working, coachable, intelligent, and hungry star players to add to our team. We offer unparalleled career growth opportunity and a fast-paced environment where the only limit […]
Congratulations! The decision to develop your sales reps and managers is a sound one. If you don’t already have battle wounds from our industry’s war for talent, the fight may be coming your direction as our hiring pool shrinks and the demand for digital sellers grows (at a rate of 10-14x traditional sales). For most […]
One of my go-to “truisims” when speaking about inside sales is that frontline sales management is THE busiest job in the world. I find myself saying this over and over because “Give it to the Sales Managers” seems to be a go-to phrase in leadership, but sadly is oh-so-wrong. Why? Managing a team of 10-15 […]
This week I did a live mangers-only “Happy Hour” on The Sales Bar. What a treat. Working with newly-promoted managers may be my very favorite thing. Maybe that’s because the pain I remember in their position is still a bit fresh (albeit over 20 years old…) The transition from rep to manager is tough. It’s […]
Fifteen years ago we had two kinds of reps: inside and outside. Thanks to awesome technology like WebEx and Zoom, fifteen years from today we’ll have one: rep. Focusing on the last five years, we’ve seen a trend in role specialization. And it’s a good one. If you’re growing or starting up a team, you’re […]
First and foremost, kudos to you for investigating solutions to train your teams. More and more studies show us that reps and leaders want development and career opportunities more than nearly anything else! This is especially true in inside sales where we hire more millennials and experience higher turnover. Now, how do we make sure […]
If you’re thinking about investing in training your sales staff, you’re on the right track. 85% of best-in-class companies use a professional sales trainer or curriculum (Aberdeen). To get the most out of your investment, there are 5 actions we recommend you do first. Tip: If you don’t do #3 you should probably not even […]
Has anyone else noticed that our new reps aren’t staying as long as they used to? Five years ago the average lifespan of a sales rep was close to two years. The concept of the BDR / SDR on the front edge of sales was also brand new. Today the latest report by The Bridge […]
Is call coaching getting you the results you need? Most sales leaders will admit that coaching on call is definitely an area for improvement. And let’s be honest, do we really set up our sales managers for success in this area? Most are managing more than 12 people, running custom reports, talking to customers, and […]
You may have heard us talk about our SWIIFTSM Intro before, and if you haven’t, it’s an acronym we use for our sales scripts that means — So What’s In It For Them? The idea behind the SWIIFTSM Intro is to focus on the buyer and add value to your sales script so your prospects […]
After reading the title, you may find yourself wondering “what even is a SWIIFT pitch?” A SWIIFT pitch is a modern day phone sales version of an “elevator pitch.” This pitch allows potential customers to visualize what it would be like to work with you. SWIIFT stands for: So What’s In It For Them? So […]
By now you’ve heard that sales reps’ onboarding experience is a major factor in how they ramp to quota, and ultimately affects how they feel about your company. There are about 3 million moving parts in an onboarding program since it happens across so many departments, mostly outside of sales. Because of this, it’s easy […]
