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 […]
How do the best sales coaches speak? With questions! The best coaches don’t ever tell. They ask. By using the right questions, a sales manager can help a rep to self-discover big breakthroughs. And, this is the most effective way for a rep to take ownership of their activity and results. Here is a 3-step […]
Call coaching has been ranked as sales managers’ #1 worst skill, according to the Sales Executive Council. Surprised? Me neither. Harsh, but fair. According to data from Objective Management Group, only 7% of sales managers are capable of coaching their team. This is especially disappointing when you keep in mind that coaching salespeople at least […]
I’d like to tell you a story about a journey. OK, it’s my journey. The story is about self-doubt, envy, leadership, and a growing business. It takes place within a community that meets annually like friends at a Homecoming assembly where we are all slowly and subtly outgrowing the bleachers. Here’s how it starts: In […]
Inside sales managers notoriously have too much to do, and not enough time to do it. With so much time spent managing reps and reporting to directors, unfortunately little time is allotted for honing skills and time saving tactics to actually solve the issues at hand that are chewing up hours every day. It’s a […]
We are so proud to announce that Factor 8’s new online training platform The Sales Bar has been selected by the prestigious American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) to be featured in their Inside Sales Academy. Why Now? This is in response to a massive need in our community – a cost-effective and timely […]
There are millions of inside sales reps in the world. Reps know this, and want to be the one-in-a-million rep that impresses their managers. Managers, on the other hand, should be honing each rep’s skills to mold a team of one-in-a-million reps. That’s a tall order, right? It’s not as hard as you might […]
