7 Management Tips to Help Create Successful Sales Teams

Every enterprise needs to make sales to stay in business, which is why they hire salespeople. Did you know that there are over 1.5 million salespeople in the US, making it one of the most common job titles in the nation?

Still, even in such a large field, finding the right talent and managing your sales team is a daunting task for many sales managers and business owners. Fortunately, with the right tips, it doesn't have to be. Here are some helpful management tips to foster a successful sales team, regardless of your industry!

It Starts With Recruiting

It's great to bring in new, eager salespeople who may not have the most experience. You may find some of the best members of your team by taking these small risks. 

One avenue is to recruit experienced sales professions. They know the ins and outs of the sales world. While you might be tempted to recruit in your industry, it is beneficial to look at diverse group experiences sellers. Each can bring a different lens to best position your product or service.

Although expeirenced sales professionals can be valuable, a lack of sales experience isn't a deal-breaker. Look for indivdiuals in various industries that show excellent communication skills. Not just talking! Listening and written communication is just as - if not more - important than looking for talking. 

Either way, you want to look for the best of the best. Always ask for references and ask previous employers about their experience and how they think they would perform in a sales role. Have a clear idea of who you want to hire before accepting applications.

Just as important, make sure that when seeking new talent, you attract the right applicants. This means posting the job highlights, offering the right incentives, and noting the salary range. This set up your sales team for short-term and long-term success.

Provide Clear Expectations

Make it clear in the hiring process what you expect from candidates. Layout realistic expectations and show how this translates to earning potential. 

Incentivize talent with a fair base compensation and on-target earnings or OTE that shows what an average performing and high-performing salesperson accomplishes. Using words such as "uncapped" turns great candidates off.

Most sales professionals realize that there is a cap on time, prospects, and energy available to meet the goals. Great sellers will not base their career decisions on what the highest possible earnings are. Rahter, they look for the a great team, strong management, and pathway for success.

Offer additional benefits that meet their needs. Some of the most popular benefits for salespeople in the field include paid time off, bonuses, and health benefits.

Offer Continuing Education

The more your sales team learns about business, sales, customer service, and related skills, the better. Therefore, offering educational training to your employees will help improve results.

This is especially important upon hiring. However, you can always offer continuing educational programs, workshops, and more to your team. This extra knowledge will translate directly to your bottom line.

Respect Differences

To clarify, we should respect differences in sales approaches to an extent. However, anything that isn't hurting your brand or offending potential clients should be considered fair game. The worst thing a sales manager can do is force everyone into a "one-size-fits-all" approach to sales.

Yes, training and guidelines are great. The more familiar your sales team is with your products, your client base, and the pitch, the better.

On the other hand, the last thing you want is for sellers to approach customers with the same script everywhere. It comes off as forced and it doesn't work. Each team member needs the freedom to adapt a pitch to their personality and style.

As a result, you should celebrate the diversity of ideas in your team. The more they learn from each other and adapt their strategies for results, the better!

Set Clear Goals

As a manager, be very direct with your sales team about your objectives. Let them know exactly what the expectations are and what goals you have as a company in the short term and long term.

We recommend sitting down with your management team and discussing clear objectives. The more specific and measurable they are, the better. You can use the SMART goal principles to achieve this.

Keep an Open Line of Communication

If you know one thing about salespeople, it's that they love to talk! As a manager, it's essential that you listen to what they have to say. The easier you can make their jobs, the better results you will see.

Remember, finding the right talent is only half of the battle. Keeping them and helping them grow is the other half. Ask your team questions and remain present for them as time passes!

Get All Hands on Deck

Until you get your dream team on your full-time staff, it's hard to set your business up for the growth that it needs to incentivize the right talent. To boost your sales, you can call in pre-vetted professionals to start selling on your company's behalf.

If you want to drive the growth your business needs, consider hiring a turnkey sales team. This is a team of dedicated sales professionals with years of sales experience who only need to adapt to your business needs. If you need to drive growth quickly, hire a full sales team today and skip the lengthy recruiting process!

Build a Successful Sales Team Today

Now that you know how to build and maintain a successful sales team, build yours today. Once you have the right talent, management becomes much easier! There's no substitute for a high-quality sales team on your staff, so don't wait.

Stay up to date with our latest tips for your business, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or for help with your strategy!

The New Rules of Lead Generation for B2B Businesses

The business-to-business market for eCommerce alone is already worth more than 7 trillion dollars - and it's just getting bigger.

If you have a B2B business, you might be wondering how to grow your own business. Lead generation is an important part of that. Do you know what to do?

We can help.

Let's get started with our guide to lead generation for B2B businesses.

What is Lead Generation for B2B Businesses?

Lead generation for B2B businesses involves identifying and building relationships with customers for a company's products or services.

This can be done through many methods. Some options include email marketing, content marketing, search engine optimization, and social media marketing.

The goal of lead generation is to activate a contact. You want them to fill out a form, ask for more information, or schedule a demo. This creates a pipeline of sales qualified leads. These can be nurtured and eventually converted into paying customers.

Experiment Often

Different lead generation strategies work for different businesses. So, don't be afraid to experiment with different things. You might just hit the jackpot! Don't be afraid to listen to your employees, either. They might have good ideas that you just haven't considered yet.

For example, your employees might think of using your existing base to bring in more customers. Encourage existing customers to refer friends and colleagues. 

Cold Calling Matters

It might seem outdated, but cold calling is actually still a good strategy for lead generation.

To improve the chances of success, salespeople often use lead generation techniques. These could involve researching potential customers and preparing a script or list of questions beforehand. It's important to be prepared, efficient, and know how to handle rejection.

Of course, there are ways you can ensure your cold calling goes as well as it possibly can.

Try Networking

Networking is important for all aspects of business, including lead generation.

Attend industry events and trade shows to network with potential clients and gather leads. Partner with other businesses or organizations to reach new audiences and generate leads.

You could even hold events of your own. Try things like trade shows, networking events, and leveraging partnerships with other businesses.

If you'd rather not spend the money on in-person events, try things out online. Create and run webinars to educate your target audience on your products or services and generate leads.

Referral Marketing

Referral marketing for B2B (business-to-business) is a strategy where a company encourages its current customers to refer new business to the company. This can be done through various incentives such as discounts, rewards, or bonuses.

Referral marketing is particularly effective in B2B. This is because businesses tend to trust recommendations from other businesses they know and trust.

B2B sales also often involve complex solutions and long sales cycles. This makes personal referrals more valuable than in B2C (business-to-consumer) sales.

Use Social Media

Use social media to connect with other businesses. Rather than immediately promoting your product or service, focus on building relationships with key stakeholders. Quality content creation identifies your target market's search desires and needs. 

Develop and publish valuable content, such as blog posts and infographics, on your website to attract and engage potential clients. This enhances your presence and lead generation.

Marketing Automation

Leverage marketing automation software to help you identify and nurture leads through the sales funnel.

Marketing automation is the use of technology to automate and streamline marketing tasks and processes. In the context of B2B lead generation, marketing automation can be used to nurture leads through the sales funnel, from initial contact to conversion.

Automating follow-up tasks such as sending thank-you emails, scheduling demos, and sending pricing information.

Marketing automation can help B2B businesses to save time, increase efficiency and improve their lead generation. You can do so by automating repetitive tasks, and by personalizing communication.

Use Email Marketing

Email marketing is a killer when it comes to lead generation for a reason. Email marketing for B2B refers to the use of email to promote products or services to other businesses or organizations.

This can include options like newsletters, automated email campaigns, and promotional emails, and s.

B2B email marketing can be effective in building relationships with potential and existing customers, as well as driving sales and website traffic. Some best practices for B2B email marketing include segmenting your email list, personalizing your emails, and consistently providing valuable content.

There are also strategies you can use to ensure your marketing is really hitting the mark. Sending targeted email campaigns to specific segments of your email list based on their behavior and engagement with your content.

Creating personalized landing pages and forms to capture lead information and segment leads based on their interests. Try using lead scoring to prioritize and qualify leads based on their engagement and likelihood to convert. 

Account-Based Marketing

Use account-based marketing (ABM) to focus on specific high-value accounts and tailor your messaging and outreach accordingly.

The goal of ABM is to build relationships with key decision-makers at targeted accounts. And, to provide them with personalized, relevant content and experiences.

This can be accomplished through a variety of tactics, such as targeted advertising, email campaigns, and events.

ABM requires a higher level of investment and resources than other lead generation strategies. But it can be highly effective in generating high-quality leads and closing deals with large, strategic accounts.

The stronger relationships you build, the more leads you'll generate. Of course, you need to start your ABM strategy out right.

Gifting

Another tool for lead generation is gifting. You can send a gift to a list of prospects. Make sure you choose gifts that are thoughtful and representative of their interests.

You can also give gifts based on participation. Gift cards are often used for this purpose.

Lead Generation for B2B Businesses: Dive In Today

There's a lot to know when it comes to lead generation for B2B businesses. That's why bringing in the professionals can help you take some of the pressure off yourself.

What are you waiting for? Sign up for a free consultation with The Selling Factory today.

Why Everyone Should Learn Basic Selling Skills

What comes to mind when you think about the top skills you need for your career? There is one skill that might surprise you: basic selling skills. Over 13 million people are working in sales and sales-related occupations in the US, but whether you want to enter this profession or not, basic selling skills are essential for your career prospects. 

What comes to your mind when you think about sales? For some people, selling skills brings to mind negative experiences, such as experiencing pressure or manipulation. But actually, selling is about being able to communicate effectively, which is something you need no matter what business you work in.

Whether you have begun your career or are looking at student jobs, this post is for you. Read on to learn the benefits of gaining basic sales skills. 

Learn How To Negotiate

The ability to negotiate will help you in your career and your everyday life. At some point in your life experience, you will have to come to an agreement through discussion, which can be challenging at times.

From negotiating your salary and reaching deals with clients to looking after children or being with a partner, negotiating is critical for effective communication. 

Directing a conversation, changing your selling trajectory, and tailoring your communication to customer needs will bring you success with negotiating. Basic selling skills help you learn how to do this.

Develop Resilience and Persistence 

From a young age, being told no and rejected can feel difficult to manage, especially if you are not equipped with the skills to navigate through it. Basic selling skills can develop your resilience levels, so you learn how to communicate instead of running away from resistance.

After all, 60% of customers say no four times before they say yes. Basic selling skills help you work with no instead of against it; recognizing rejections is common and normal.

Dealing with rejection can lead to more success in your career and general life experience. You will know how to maintain a positive attitude and perspective, even when things do not go to plan. 

With resilience also comes more persistence. You learn how to persist in the face of challenges and improve your problem-solving skills. 

Become Self-disciplined

Sales jobs often involve having to put the effort in to see results, which is invaluable no matter what profession or life path you choose. Even for college students, it can be tempting to coast through at times. However, basic selling skills are a reminder that putting in the work brings results.

You can use basic selling skills to improve your self-discipline in all areas of life, from your career to other habits you want to form. This motivation can help you pursue the career of your dreams and adapt to challenges instead of being defeated by them. 

Gain Confidence and Presenting Skills

An essential part of selling skills involves believing in what you are selling and being able to communicate to customers that you are trustworthy. Basic selling skills can give you the foundations to build your confidence. You will be practicing talking to new people and learning how to sell any product with ease.

Confidence can help in all areas of your life, such as in presentations and communicating honestly. This can help accelerate your career, academic, and personal life. You will feel more able to pursue what lights you up and believe you can achieve your dreams.

Improve Your Listening Skills

Studies have found that most people do not optimize their listening skills. For example, a study found that two months after a talk, people only remembered 25% of what was said. Listening is a skill that can change your personal and business life when used efficiently.

Most people can relate to spending their time thinking about what they will say next instead of putting their complete focus on the individual speaking. Or college students may relate to the difficulty of actively listening throughout lectures. However, it is a skill you can improve with basic selling skills.

You will not get far in sales if you do not listen to the customer. You won't be able to relate to their difficulties and find solutions for them. Instead, you will come across in a negative light and lose the sale.

Be a Better Communicator

With improved listening skills also comes better communication skills overall. Basic selling skills help you become precise and effective with how you communicate. Communication skills are essential in all areas of life, especially when it comes to teamwork and customer service.

Learn To Sell in Any Job

It can be surprising how many jobs require a level of selling, even if they are not direct sales jobs. These include real estate agents, travel agents, and food service workers.

Other jobs include being a teacher and having to persuade students why they should complete their homework! And home contractors encourage clients to commit to using their services for a dream home. You will also benefit from learning how to manage performance reviews and create strategies at college or the business where you work.

There is no limit to what jobs involve selling, but what is certain is that basic selling skills will help you navigate through even the most challenging sales. 

Become More Employable

Basic selling skills make you more employable. You can demonstrate you have taken the initiative by developing these skills to advance. You will learn how to be accountable, liaise efficiently with businesses, and be able to show high-performance results before you even enter the job market. 

Master Basic Selling Skills 

Basic selling skills can help you stand out in the job market and navigate through challenges in life. So, where can you begin honing your sales skills?

The Selling Factory offers internships for college students to learn the art of selling, which is one of the best student jobs out there! Learn from the best and get real-life experience with businesses that need your support. We offer outsourced sales teams comprised of these students for businesses. 

Do you have any questions about our internships or services? Contact us today to learn more. 

How Outsourcing Your Sales Can Help You Scale Your Business

Are you a small business owner wondering if your current sales team can keep up as you scale your business? It’s natural for many companies to feel like they need more hands on deck when faced with increasing demand. However, hiring more people can be costly and time-consuming.

Fortunately, there is another option available: outsourcing your sales. 

Outsourcing has become one of the most reliable ways for companies of all sizes to scale their operations and reap new rewards. Plus, there’s the benefit of avoiding the usual hardships of traditional expansion methods. Plus, it can help you reduce labor costs by up to 90%.

Are you ready to scale your operations sustainably? Keep reading to learn more about how outsourcing could boost your bottom line.

Outsourcing Your Sales Team: What Does That Mean?

Outsourcing your sales team means hiring external contractors or companies to help manage your sales efforts. This can include activities such as:

• Outbound calls
• Lead generation
• Marketing analysis
• Developing and managing customer relationships
• Other necessary steps of the sale process

You can access expertise in specific areas by outsourcing your sales department. You know, the ones that may be outside your core business strengths.

This, in turn, allows you to tailor the sales operation according to your needs and budget. Overall, outsourcing sales tasks will enable businesses of any size to maintain an efficient and effective strategic selling process.

Business Growth Benefits of Outsourcing

Does it sound nice to have a dedicated external sales department selling for you? It can be. However, outsourcing has other business benefits aside from (hopefully) increasing your bottom line. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to scale your business with outsourced sales services, read through these four excellent benefits of doing so.

Reduced Overhead Costs

By delegating some sales workloads, your business won’t need to hire as many staff or invest in additional equipment and technology. Several cost-effective solutions can help reduce overhead costs, such as:

• Short-term contracts
• Flexible service hours
• Fractional staffing

With fractional sales teams, you benefit from low-cost solutions that help you boost your bottom line. The best part? You can scale these services up and down as you experience varying levels of business growth.

Access to Unique Skills

By taking advantage of the expertise of outside consultants, you can leverage their unique insights and knowledge to create potential new opportunities and sales tactics.

These unique skills could take the form of experienced cold callers adept at cultivating relationships with prospects. Or, you might benefit from expertly trained marketers that focus on building an efficient approach to enable sales growth.

Regardless of what skills you need, outsourcing is a unique way to supplement your existing teams and foster success. After all, you can’t expect one full-time, in-house salesperson to know it all. Instead, it makes much more sense to benefit from fractional services that offer access to a diverse team of trained individuals.

More Budget for Growth

By outsourcing a portion of your business operations, you can streamline sales. Over time, this helps reduce the total cost of ownership on associated business activities. This allows you to reinvest your business budget in other areas.

For example, you might be able to invest more in marketing, which can help facilitate future business growth. Investing more money into your business can give you more opportunities to reach new markets and build customer relationships. This is essential to ensure long-term success.

Flexibility

Finally, outsourcing sales can be a flexible solution for growing businesses. This approach allows companies to quickly increase their sales force without investing in recruiting and training new full-time staff.

Furthermore, outsourcing sales allows you to quickly scale up or down according to your needs. Instead of being tied to a fixed number of employees, you can utilize flexible contract models and adjust your sales capacity depending on the market situation.

The bottom line? With flexible solutions like these outsourced sales teams, growing businesses can make better use of their resources and adapt faster when faced with changes in demand.

How to Scale Your Business With an Outsourced Sales Department

Are you ready to focus on scaling your business this year? Our team of experienced student salespeople can help. However, before you choose any outsourcing service, you want to know what to look for. Follow these steps to ensure you find the right turnkey sales team.

Perform an Internal Sales Audit

An internal sales audit is an essential first step before making any changes to your sales strategy. It allows you to understand better where things stand currently so you can make necessary changes to improve your organization’s overall success.

A qualified sales agency can help you understand your sales data, sure. However, it’s helpful to head into your consultation with some basic information ready. So, take a detailed look at the internal and external factors affecting your team’s performance and competitive landscape. This will help you know what you need out of outsourced sales services, too.

Evaluate the Agency’s Approach to Sales Automation

Automation can make the sales process more efficient these days. It helps streamline tasks such as:

• Data entry
• Lead segmentation
• Follow-up emails

However, if the approach isn’t tailored to the needs of your industry or company size, any benefits from automation might be outweighed by its complexity or lack of applicability.

Therefore it’s essential to inquire about an agency’s approach before proceeding with a sales strategy change. A good system should involve researching customer data and behavior to get the best return on your investment.

Ask About How They Qualify Leads

Finally, you’ll want to ask how this turnkey sales company qualifies leads. After all, qualified leads are more likely to convert quickly and easily. So, understanding how a potential partner assesses these prospects can tell you a lot about how those services can benefit your business growth.

Qualifying criteria might include criteria such as:

• Location
• Budget qualifications
• Industry-specific values

All of these factors help generate quality leads who are ready to buy. Asking how they qualify leads lets you understand how the agency works before making any commitments and could save you time and resources in the long run.

Work With The Selling Factory

Working with an outsourced sales team doesn’t have to mean settling for second-best. Our fractional sales teams bring the same energy and dedication as full-time employees, except they come from America’s top universities. You’ll benefit from motivated, accountable high achievers ready to help you scale your business.

Reach out for a free consultation and find out how much of a difference our team can make to your success.