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SALES PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS FROM AMY FRANKO
Video: 3 Sales Conversation Tips from Watching a News Anchor
Want to level up your sales conversations? Take a page from news anchors! Learn how great questions, smooth transitions, and the right environment can turn your sales calls into real opportunities. ******* I recently watched a local news anchor interview a business leader, and while the content of the conversation was interesting, I found myself focusing on how the journalist conducted the discussion. It turns out, there’s a lot sales professionals can learn from the way news anchors navigate interviews. Here are three key takeaways: 1. Ask Great Open-Ended Questions The best journalists know how to get people talking. They use "what" and "how" questions to uncover insights. In sales, this approach helps prospects open up about their challenges, goals, and what’s happening in their business. 2. Master the Art of the Segue A good news anchor seamlessly transitions between topics, ensuring a well-rounded...
Maximizing Your Sales Week: 3 High-Impact Sales Activities That Drive Results
https://youtube.com/shorts/6RMV18iUNmw?si=j0KfhTSvHYC_wQtz In sales, not all activities are created equal. Some tasks move the needle, while others simply fill up your schedule. If you want to maximize your impact and close more deals, you need to focus on three high-impact activities: prospecting, active sales conversations, and proposals. 1. Prioritize Prospecting Prospecting is the foundation of sales success. It involves actively reaching out to potential customers, uncovering new opportunities, and expanding your pipeline. Whether you're targeting new clients or deepening relationships with existing ones, prospecting should be a top priority. 2. Engage in Active Sales Conversations Once you've established connections, the next step is engaging in meaningful conversations that move deals forward. These conversations could be with decision-makers, influencers, advocates, or strategic partners who help...
Video: Sales Prospecting Tips for When Communication Stalls
Did you know 42% of salespeople rank prospecting as the hardest part of their job? (HubSpot via a 2025 Spotio report). It's common to encounter a situation where communication with a prospective client suddenly comes to a standstill. You might have had active sales conversations, perhaps even sent a proposal, but now there’s silence. So, how do you re-engage a prospective client when this happens? Learning this three steps are part of a smart sales strategy. 1. Embrace the Power of Prevention for Better Sales Prospecting One of the most effective strategies to avoid this predicament is prevention. Whenever you’re in a conversation with a client, always schedule the next meeting before ending the current one. By having the next discussion on their calendar, it creates a commitment that they need to respond to, helping you maintain momentum in the relationship. 2. Utilize Their Preferred Communication...
What Are the Elements of a Sales Enablement Strategy?
Maximize revenue growth with a robust sales enablement strategy. Learn how to gain C-suite support and enhance sales efficiency through cross-functional collaboration, ownership, and focused tactics. ***** We didn’t hear much about sales enablement strategy until recently. Now, it’s a critical component of sales success. According to G2, organizations with a sales enablement strategy in 2025 will achieve a 49% more win rate on forecasted deals. Very simply, sales enablement helps your team sell more efficiently and more effectively. Why Sales Enablement Strategy Matters and How to Gain C-Suite Support? Our role as Modern Sellers is to solve our clients’ and prospects’ business challenges. When we do that successfully, we increase revenue growth. Sales enablement directly addresses those challenges. There are many ways to grow your business – through acquisitions, new products, new markets. But sales...
Sales Strategy: Trusted Introductions Can Maximize Sales Growth
Trusted introductions in sales don’t just make accessing decision-makers easier—they boost your credibility as a seller and improve your odds of converting leads into clients. Discover how to strategically request introductions and integrate them into your sales process. ******** The Value of Trusted Introductions When I consider what has helped me to create success in my career, within my sales consulting practice and within the various leadership roles I’ve had, the value of trusted introductions is near the top of the list. This has taken the form of introductions from current clients to decision-making peers in their network, sponsoring high-level events that will put me in the presence of my key decision makers, meeting with community leaders through my non-profit work, and key partnerships. I'm not alone. According to a Sagefrog report, referrals rank as the top source for quality leads with nearly...
9 Sales Growth Productivity Tips for Modern Sellers
Sales growth productivity hinges on how effectively sales professionals allocate their time. This blog explores nine actionable strategies to prioritize revenue-generating activities, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance results. Maximize your productivity and achieve your sales goals with these expert tips. ******* The challenge of non-selling time for sales professionals isn’t new, but it has become more amplified. Salesforce analyzed the activities of 5,500 professionals and found that revenue-generating sales activities use only 30% of their week. The other 70% is used with tasks not directly related to revenue generation. The report defines tasks that directly generate revenue as in-person or virtual sales conversations, prospecting, and generating quotes or proposals for qualified opportunities. When you look at your week, how much of it is invested in those activities versus others? If you’re not...
Key Elements of a Strategic Sales Plan
Building your book of business can feel overwhelming, but a clear Strategic Sales Plan changes everything. Focus on these 6 pillars: Vision, Verticals, Targets, Alliances, Personas, & Brand Profile. Start strategically to accelerate growth. ******* A client of mine has a venture to build out a new book for business for their firm. This can feel like boiling the ocean because the possibilities of what to do first are endless. In an effort to generate progress, it’s easy to jump right in and start with any prospect or client. But instead, we chose a different approach and first worked on their Strategic Sales Plan. This helped them to first find focus, so they could then accelerate growth. In this post I’m sharing the six elements to help you create your Strategic Sales Plan. 1. Vision for the next 12 months. What do you want to become in the next 12 months? What does the ideal territory or book of...
Get and Keep Funding for your Sales Training Programs
Too many sales training programs struggle to gain long-term support. Why? Because they don’t focus on what really matters to leadership. This article shares how you can get and keep funding for your sales training programs. ******** It’s a question I get asked often by firm partners or CEOs. "How do we create sales training programs that deliver real results, and continue to be funded?" The answer is that no amount of great sales training content can overcome a sales training program that lacks accountability, sustainability, and scalability. I recently spoke at the Association for Accounting Marketing’s Summit, on three elements that every sales training program must have to get and keep support from senior leadership. There are some simple but effective ways to build these elements into your sales training, This article shares strategies for defining and improving accountability in your sales training...
3 Ways to Create Your Personal Sales Strategy this Year
Starting the new year strong? It’s the perfect time to rethink your personal sales strategy and align it with future-focused growth goals. In this video, I’m sharing three actionable ways to create a personal sales strategy that works today and sets you up for success tomorrow. Learn how to: Shorten your time horizons for quicker wins. Protect and grow those “can’t lose” accounts. Dominate your niche with focused, high-impact outbound efforts. These tips aren’t just for you—they’ll also help your clients and prospects thrive. Hit play, take notes, and get ready to crush your sales goals! If you’re looking for more insights, check out my article, "Future-forward sales strategy: A CEO's guide to the next 12 months," featured in the January 2025 issue of Smart Business Magazine. Optimize Sales Growth with Better Sales Sales Strategy There’s no better time than now to focus on enhancing your sales...
Why a Sales Perspective Is Crucial for Effective Board Leadership
Learn how sales governance strengthens board decisions and drives success in this article published in Private Company Director. The article received a silver medal in the 2024 Top Sales Awards in the category of top sales post. ******* Few boards prioritize recruiting directors with specific expertise in sales. However, as companies face mounting pressures, the inclusion of a sales lens on the board can serve as a crucial differentiator. The article “Sales Governance and the Board,” featured in Private Company Director, explores the importance of sales governance and its role in driving shareholder value, new market strategy, M&A success, and product innovation. The article identifies several key areas where strong sales governance can positively impact an organization. For example, sales results directly affect shareholder value, and the inclusion of a sales voice in new market strategies can...
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