If you were too busy chasing leads to catch up on the latest sales news, we’ve got your back.
Top Stories This Week
Benefits No Longer Sell. But This Will (Salesforce)
Even people who aren’t in sales know the mantra “Always Be Closing,” if only for a certain 1992 Oscar-nominated film. But perhaps it’s time to rethink what the ABCs of sales should be in the 21st century. Today’s best way to close, according to this piece, is to always “contribute relevant value,” and if always curious about information and always connecting your solution with buyers’ pain points, you’re well on your way to success.
Private Equity is on a Spending Blitz in Cloud Software (CNBC)
Less than two months into the year and already there’s lots of money going into cloud software. Thoma Bravo’s $3.7 billion agreement on Tuesday to buy Ellie Mae, a provider of software to the mortgage industry, marks the third proposed multibillion-dollar software deal this year. In each case, the buyer has been private equity firms.
Selling is a Team Sport (LinkedIn Sales Blog)
LinkedIn recently announced a slew of updates to Sales Navigator. With updates made the search filter, custom list sharing, and new SNAP integrations, the LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool—something you’re probably using every day—just got more robust than ever.
The 7 Best Sales Role-Play Exercises (ringDNA)
Role-playing is a vital part of sales coaching, and this piece offers templates you can use to practice some of the most common scenarios your sellers will encounter in the wild. Whether they’re lengthy days-long process simulations or a simple one-on-one format, there are plenty of ways to use role-playing to get better at sales.
Essential Discovery Call Questions (Outreach)
If your prospects become frustrated with your questions during the discovery phase, you’re probably asking the wrong ones. From building a rapport and showing curiosity to assessing a fit and (hopefully) scheduling a meeting to discuss next steps, these insightful, information-seeking questions can help move the conversation forward.
Hot Job Listings This Week
If you’re looking for more upside or growth in your career, then take your sales skills and sell yourself in a new market. Here are a few hot jobs to get you started:
VP/Director-level roles
- FullContact: VP of Sales (Denver)
- Apptio: Area Sales Director (Seattle)
- NewsCred: Sales Director (Los Angeles)
- mongoDB: Regional Director, Bay Area (Palo Alto/San Francisco)
- 22squared: Account Director (Tampa)
Manager-level roles
- NetApp: Manager, District Sales (NYC)
- Trend Micro: Regional Account Manager (Chicago)
- Snowflake: Manager, Sales Operations (San Mateo, CA)
- Equinix: Senior Account Executive (Redwood City, CA)
- NewsCred: Senior Enterprise Sales (NYC)
Account executives
- 1010data: Enterprise Account Executive, Northeast (NYC)
- NetApp: Enterprise Account Representative (Addison, TX)
- Duo Security: Enterprise Account Executive (Washington, D.C.)
- mongoDB: Account Executive (Austin)