While you’ve been busy trying kick off 2019 with a bang, we’ve been monitoring the best sales content from around the web. Here’s what’s on our reading list this week.
100 Most Prospected-to Companies of 2018 (DiscoverOrg)
None of the names on this list are likely to surprise you, but the reasons savvy sellers are pitching them just might. Keep an eye out for the kind of ideal buying conditions listed here, like new partnerships and acquisitions. Plus, if you’ve got an inside line on this kind of info, you’ll be able to beat your competitors to the punch.
LinkedIn’s 3rd Annual State of Sales Report 2018 (LinkedIn)
The Annual State of Sales Report from LinkedIn has lots of great takeaways and insights on just how much sales has changed in the last year. Our favorite nugget of info? A whopping 93 percent of decision-makers say they’re more likely to consider your product if you provide personalized communication—something you can only deliver if you have inside insight.
The Measure of a Quality Sales Call (Iannarino)
Can you articulate what makes a sales call successful? Did you glean some new insight or set up a follow-up session? Did you bore your prospects to tears by plowing through the same old pitch deck for the millionth time? This quick piece articulates exactly what makes a sales call successful, and it’s a great refresher for reps—something they probably need to get back in the swing of it after the holiday lull.
Why CRM Projects Fail and How to Make Them More Successful (Harvard Business Review)
Need a better CRM? Before you do all the legwork—scheduling demos, securing budget, coordinating trainings, and more—take a look at some of the most common pitfalls associated with implementing a new CRM. There are a variety of reasons why a third of all CRM projects fail, and getting the skinny ahead of time can help prevent you from becoming just another statistic.
State of AI in the Enterprise, 2nd Edition (Deloitte)
If you’re selling an IT solution with machine learning capabilities or integrations, this report will be music to your ears. If you’re not, you might consider it after reading this report from Deloitte. Nearly 60 percent of enterprise orgs are investing in solutions with baked-in AI.
10 Ways Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Sales (Forbes)
And speaking of AI, this piece from Forbes goes over the ways that sales teams are being affected by the new technology, which is already helping us identify which leads can be better turned into sales, and to better predict if a customer will churn. This is a very good breakdown of how those fancy new algorithms will affect your job in 2019.
