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SALES PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS FROM AMY FRANKO
Best Sales Strategy: Trusted Advisor To Best Clients And Prospects
If you’re in a professional selling or leadership role, you’re no stranger to the phrase "trusted advisor" and needing to be that advisor to your best clients and prospects. I see the trusted advisor role as part of a successful sales strategy-- synonymous with modern selling and the evolution from past approaches that no longer work with today’s buyers. What are some practical ways you can become that trusted advisor and continue to stay sharp and relevant? This article will share the foundations of being a trusted advisor, three relationship phases of the trusted advisor, and nine trusted advisor traits. The Foundations of Being a Trusted Advisor The most obvious foundation of being a trusted advisor is that your clients and prospects trust you to give them solid advice and ideas. There are two other foundations of being a trusted advisor that aren’t talked about as much: you as the advisor need strong...
Does Your Sales Commission Incent the Right Behaviors?
Your sales commission philosophy and sales commission structure are key tools to create both a healthy sales culture and a profitable organization. Sales leaders should read this article for a checklist to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in your current plan. ***** A federal court recently handed down a landmark decision impacting commission structures in the real estate industry. Cited in the WSJ, “The National Association of Realtors and several larger residential brokers were found liable for about $1.8 billion in damages for conspiring to keep real estate commissions high for both buying and selling agents and eliminating competition for commission rates.” Your commission plans play a big role in creating the right sales growth and a healthy sales culture. As we’re seeing play out in several industries there can be significant consequences if they don’t get the focus they deserve....
Business Podcast: Fueling Your Creative Side
Catherine Lang-Cline of Portfolio Creative is one of Columbus' rockstar business leaders, and I am so happy she invited me to join her on The Secret Art of Business podcast. Sometimes we are prone to separate business and creativity... but I love bringing them together because they do enhance each other! In reflecting about this discussion, I realized I have never really thought of myself as a creative person in terms of traditional art and design. But sometimes we need to change our own narrative. We are *all* creative, we just have different ways of expressing it! This was a fun discussion, and I hope everyone will listen in to it. Some highlights: Entrepreneurial Calling: A bit about my strong entrepreneurial calling and my pivot into entrepreneurship. It was a "winding road." Tapping into Leadership: How I get my leadership "fix" as a board director for the Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland. Tapping...
Universal Accounting Podcast: Accounting Practice of the Future Needs
Amy Franko on the Universal Accounting Podcast In this episode of the Universal Accounting podcast, Amy Franko joined host Roger Knecht, president of Universal Accounting Center, to discuss how The Accounting Practice of the Future Needs Business Development Strategy. Some highlights from the episode include: Dynamic Changes in Business Development Landscape: The business development landscape has undergone significant transformations in the last three to five years, with notable shifts even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes have persisted and continue to shape the current business environment. The pandemic acted as an accelerator for changes that were already underway in the business development landscape. This suggests that the pandemic expedited trends that were emerging prior to its occurrence. Need for a Specific Business Development Strategy: In response to the evolving...
You’re as Strong as Your Sales Team: Strategies for Sales Leaders
There's a critical connection between a sales leader's strength and the collective performance of their sales team. Every sales professional plays a pivotal role in determining overall success. This article provides sales strategies for sales leaders, with insights into current sales trends, essential leadership qualities, and common leadership pitfalls to steer sales teams toward remarkable growth. ***** A sales leader is only as strong as the collective sales team. Every sales professional either contributes to or deducts from the overall success of your team, your clients, and your organization. This article offers trends impacting sales growth, crucial leadership capabilities, and leadership mistakes to avoid. Current Trends Impacting Sales Growth and Leadership The sales landscape has changed significantly in recent years, and successful sales leaders can leverage these changes to build a...
Video: Your Best Investment: A Case for Lifelong Learning
What are the secrets to longevity? After considering the traits of one very exceptional nonagenarian, I can boil it down to two things: self-care and lifelong learning.
Today’s post digs into the second of those two… what lifelong learning can do for us personally and professionally. It’s the best investment you can make.
B2C Consumers are Having a Spending Moment; It Matters in B2B Sales
B2C consumers are spending on the short-term Experience Economy, and this shift matters for B2B sales. Learn what this means and how modern sellers are adapting their sales approaches. *** Consumers are having a spending moment. In a recent WSJ article on American consumer spending, financial hurdles in the marketplace (inflation and interest rates) are causing consumers to rethink where they’re putting their money. Rather than use funds for long-term investments like down payments on a home and retirement planning, they’re increasingly using their funds on experience spending (think once-in-a-lifetime travels and events). Dubbed the “experience economy,” this approach to spending will impact how you’re interacting with your buyers – even in B2B environments. The jury is out on whether this trend is fleeting or here to stay, but it shows how buyers are thinking right now. And how buyers are thinking...
The One Sales Habit of Top Sellers
Top sellers create routines that give them the purpose and structure to make needed progress. This post shares two routines that have helped me create success, both in sales and in my life. *** My husband and I made a big move several years ago. We went from typical suburban cul-de-sac living with lots of neighbors, to a more rural setting with wide open space, more land, and only a couple of neighbors that we didn’t see very often. While there was a lot to love about this new life, I found myself struggling at first. I wasn’t my usual self. I finally figured out with the help of my coach that I was struggling with feeling like this was “my place,” and trying to reconfigure the basic routines that I had become so used to. One by one, the routines that I had (like where I shop, where I work out, who I spend time with, the route to the office), all had to be replaced with new routines to support this...
Sales Rep to Trusted Advisor: 3 Essential Traits of Modern Sellers
Discover the 3 essential traits that define a modern seller and learn how relatable decisiveness, clarity, and self-trust are the keys to becoming an indispensable asset in today's fast-paced and competitive sales landscape. *** I work across a variety of client industries, and my definition of a modern seller holds true across them all: A modern seller is recognized as a differentiator in their customer’s business, and the value of their product or service isn’t fully realized without them. A modern seller’s customer sees the work they do together as strategic to their competitive advantage. The Power of Relatability, Clarity, and Self-Trust in Modern Selling To be that modern seller for the prospects and clients that are your right fit, there are three traits they’re seeking, even if they don’t specifically verbalize them. 1. Relatable decisiveness. Our role is to help our prospects and clients make...
Sales Gravy Podcast: Modern Sellers Leverage These 5 Skills
Amy Franko on the Sales Gravy Podcast In this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Amy Franko joined host Jeb Blount to discuss 5 critical skillsets of The Modern Seller. Topics included the importance of Modern Sellers having strong business acumen and an ownership mindset. They emphasize the value of being able to provide insight to executives based on knowledge of their organization, rather than regurgitating information that can be found online. They also discuss the importance of discipline and habits in maintaining success as a salesperson, especially when working from home. Finally, they touch on the rebirth of field sales and the importance of building strong relationships with leadership. Some highlights from the episode include: Instead of simply regurgitating information that can be found online, sellers must have a deep knowledge of their clients’ organizations in order to provide business...
Our Strategic Selling signature sales training program is now available online. This online sales learning program is ideal for professional services and B2B sales. Get started with 2 free lessons.
