Modern Sales Management Pipeline Ops

Tried and true sales and marketing strategies went out the door in 2020 when teams all over the world were forced to quickly adapt to remote environments, new technologies, and savvy customers. Now that the dust has somewhat settled, executives are focused on creating sophisticated sales and marketing systems that will best prepare their teams for what lies ahead. 


I talked with Dale Miller, Global Sales Director at OK International, about building a next-generation sales and marketing system on this episode of the Modern Sales Management podcast. 


With several decades of sales and sales management experience across various industries, Dale shares exceptional insights about what it takes to succeed in our current climate. More specifically, he explains his four-part sales and marketing strategy/framework that has a proven track record of growing market share and increasing sales revenue. 


We also discuss:


How sales and marketing teams can best adapt to our new normalHow customer engagement has changed over the past year and how to embrace the newest challenges Why automated marketing should be a key part of your sales strategy in 2021 Tips on delivering value quickly and efficiently in your new and improved sales processThe effect COVID-19 has had on sales teams, leaders, workloads, and closing ratesWays to keep your sales team focused on what matters most (the projects that move the needle)What a “true CRM” is and how you can use this tool to help your sales and marketing teams drive revenueHow to both maximize and optimize your CRM to the best of its abilityWhy real time data is so important to your sales and marketing strategyHow product education/content can help you gain loyal customersWhy keeping your value proposition front and center throughout your customer’s journey is so key and how to do just thatHow to use your CRM to personalize leads and provide targeted messaging throughout your sales funnelTips on building useful sales dashboards that highlight exactly what drives your businessHow to systematize a customer acquisition technology for your unique business/industryWhat the future holds for sales and marketing automation technology and how to harness its potential

Learn more about Dale’s four-pillar framework by connecting with him on LinkedIn. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Companies everywhere found themselves ill-equipped to handle 2020’s barrage of pivots, curveballs, and pitfalls. Sales enablement, the discipline of providing real-time lead intelligence, more efficient processes, and shareable content to your sales team, became a major differentiator in many industries.


Arming your sales team with the proper tools and processes to face the uncertain future is what sales enablement is all about, but this strategy can be particularly difficult for startups. We talk about the challenges and opportunities of sales enablement for startups with Amy Looper, Founder of Relativity Consulting, in this episode of the Modern Sales Management podcast. 


Amy’s company specializes in sales advisory and enablement services for innovative technology companies. She feels that utilizing the right sales content, processes, and enablement tools will be the key to your company’s success in 2021. 


Our discussion also covers:


How to focus on the right processes to make sales easier for your teamWhy sales managers in the tech space need to be liaisons between the sales and technology teamsHow to help your startup sales team overcome common barriers and pitfallsTips on setting benchmarks and focusing on the right metrics to grow sales revenueHow to seize the biggest opportunities in the startup world of salesWhy startup buying and selling cycles can be so complex and how to cut through the noise on your path to successHow to build a sales infrastructure that is designed to support your best possible outcomesTips on sales team evaluation and developmentHow to dial into your buyer and serve them continuously throughout the pre-sales and post-sales processHow to determine if your startup is ready to hire a salesperson or teamSales forecasting tips and tricksHow to test your client’s commitment to make sure you’re focusing on your ideal customerHow to identify the benchmarks in your startup’s sales process that indicate it’s time to invest in sales leadership and developmentWhy aligning your sales and marketing team should be a blue chip strategy for your company in 2021

Learn more about Amy’s company by visiting its website or connecting with her on LinkedIn. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Managing a team of diverse individuals with unique strengths and varying amounts of sales experience can be overwhelming to even the most seasoned sales leaders. Especially this year, as sales teams adapted to remote selling techniques, embraced new technologies, and 40% of businesses missed their revenue targets, the role of a sales manager seems more difficult than ever before. 


Luckily, the future looks bright for adaptable and methodical sales managers in 2021 and beyond. We talk with Daisy Peña, Regional Manager at Twilio, about proven sales management strategies and best practices on this episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast. 


With over 15 years of sales and sales management experience, Daisy shares valuable insights about what it takes to survive and thrive in today’s unpredictable sales environment. 


Our discussion also covers:


What role mentorship plays in sales managementTips for sales reps who wish to move into sales managementHow to create sales management opportunities for sales reps with ambition and potentialWhy a background in customer service can benefit both sales managers and their teamsHow to stay open to feedback from your sales team and use their feedback to constantly improveWhy allowing your sales team to take calculated risks on the right opportunities can be a game-changerHow to leverage sales technology to get “in the door” virtually to your customersHow to balance methodology and adaptability in today’s sales climateWhy risk taking can benefit your team’s long term sales goalsHow to leverage the current trends in sales management to grow revenueTips for teaching your sales team to think on their feet and make great mid-deal decisions How role playing can cultivate sales success for sales teams and managers alikeWhat questions to ask sales reps to keep them on track and engagedHow to create a culture of salespeople who want to contribute to their company beyond just hitting their quotaTips on identifying and building future sales leadersHow to avoid the most common missteps sales managers make when trying to motivate their staffPointers on managing “up and down” and dividing your focus between these tasks appropriately

Connect with Daisy on LinkedIn or Twitter. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Harnessing the power of social media has been a cornerstone of successful sales strategies within the past few years. Especially in 2020, when millions of road warriors were grounded overnight and forced to work remotely, knowing how to access and sell to prospects virtually is a necessity for modern sales teams. 


With nearly 700 million active users and lead conversion rates 3X higher than other major ad platforms (including Google Ads), LinkedIn offers tremendous opportunities for your sales team. However, like any technology, the true value of social selling on LinkedIn can only be realized through the right sales process, training, and methodology. 


I talk about maximizing LinkedIn’s sales power with Colleen McKenna, Founder & CEO of Intero Advisory, on this week’s episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast.


Colleen’s unique method focuses on leveraging human connection and technology to reach your company’s recruiting, branding, and business development goals. 


Colleen and I also discuss:


How to sell on LinkedIn without ruining relationships and losing connectionsLinkedIn as a sale tool vs. a form of social mediaOptimizing your LinkedIn profile to “show up” and be a great first impression for your prospectsWhy LinkedIn is a valuable TOF tool and how to leverage its power Tips on establishing credibility on LinkedInHow to build an intentional sales network on LinkedInHow to fix the gaps in your LinkedIn network in order to connect with top clientsTips on setting up sales meetings via LinkedInHow to create a “surround sound” system of communication for your clients with LinkedIn being one of many different channelsHow to create a sales process using LinkedIn’s Sales NavigatorWhy a salesperson’s LinkedIn profile should be used as a marketing tool for your company and how to do just thatHow to jumpstart your network on LinkedInTips on creating a LinkedIn sales strategy and how to avoid the most common mistakes sales managers makeSales tips for former “road warriors” in 2020 and beyondWhat sales teams can expect in the future and how to best prepare for these changes

Connect with Colleen on LinkedIn and learn more about her company by visiting its website. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

Hitting a sales slump is a right of passage for every salesperson and team, and this year has been especially tough across various industries due to the uncertainty of Covid-19. It’s no surprise that 57% of sales reps are expected to miss their quota this year (Salesforce). 


Knowing how to increase sales revenue when it’s not where your company needs it to be is a tricky situation for executives and sales teams alike. Finding the exact areas to improve in your sales process can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but it doesn’t have to. 


“Student of Sales” Ryan Reisert shares his unique formula for sales process improvement on this episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast. 


Ryan is well-known on LinkedIn and YouTube for his numbers-driven sales strategy he calls the “math of sales.” Ryan believes that your sales process can be broken down into smaller disparate pieces in order to create benchmarks for sales rep to improve and build upon. He encourages sales leaders to use simple math to solve their fundamental sales problems. 


This week’s conversation also covers:


How to use a “bucketing system” to contact the leads that are most likely to closeHow to have more conversations with the right people in order to increase sales revenueWhy optimizing your sales process is always important, even when your team is enjoying successHow math can be used to make your sales process more efficientWhy looking for quick wins always loses in the long runHow to optimize sales activities to close deals fasterHow to remove waste from your sales funnel Why a sales manager’s target message to his reps is so important when it comes to math of sales accuracyTips on finding out who your best customer is and solving their pain pointsHow to use your math of sales to create benchmarks for your sales reps to build uponTips on looking for your customers in the right places and budgeting for this searchMath of sales common pitfallsWhy time is the biggest factor in creating sustainable sales revenueWhat role reverse engineering plays in your sales process and how to use this as an optimization strategyWhy salespeople often give up on customers too quickly and how to avoid thisHow to adopt a “process before technology” approach in your sales strategy

Learn more about Ryan by checking out the books he has co-authored, Outbound Sales, No Fluff and The Math of Sales: Market Domination. You can also subscribe to his Patreon page for exclusive access to more of his content and ideas. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.

According to LinkedIn’s State of Sales Report 2020, 97% of salespeople said that technology is either “important” or “very important” to their sales process. Meanwhile, the number of salespeople relying on sales intelligence tools has increased 54% in the past two years. 


These stats highlight the importance of your company’s sales tech stack, but with thousands of different options and integrations available at your fingertips, how do you choose the best CRM and sales technology for your company? 


That’s the question I asked Dan Cilley, CEO of Vendor Neutral, for this episode of the Modern Sales Management Podcast. 


Dan helps enterprises identify the right technology path to build sustainable growth in their specific industry. His company’s unique selection and integration process actually prioritizes technology as the last step in the equation of your company’s sales enablement strategy. 


During our conversation, Dan shares his framework for evaluating your company’s current needs and goals, while aligning that with your present-day sales technology initiatives, team, and budget. 


Dan and I also discuss:


How to avoid the common problems companies often face when choosing a sales tech stackHow to determine if a sales tech solution will address your company’s prioritiesWhy relying on your peers for sales tech advice and reviews can backfireWhy sales process evaluation is the first (and most important step) in choosing the right sales tech stackTips on budgeting for sales technologyWhy engagement has the greatest impact on your sales process and how technology stacks can optimize your team’s engagement powerHow the sales tech landscape has changed in the past three years and its future outlookHow to avoid getting overwhelmed while building your team’s sales tech stackWhat role executives play in sales technology selection, integration, and adoptionWhat digital transformation means and how it is affecting sales technologyHow Covid-19 has affected the virtual seller and how to maximize the outlook for your company’s long-term benefitTips on harnessing the advanced insight sales technology offers without overcomplicating the sales process for your salespeopleWhy the right sales technology pushes information in front of your sales team to facilitate opportunities (instead of pulling them away with distractions)How to avoid getting distracted with “shiny objects” when selecting the best sales tech stack for your company

Learn more about Dan’s company by visiting its website or connect with him on LinkedIn. 


Subscribe and listen to all episodes of the Modern Sales Management podcast on your favorite podcast app or by visiting ModernSalesManagement.com.