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SALES PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS FROM AMY FRANKO
4 Keys to a Winning Sales Culture
Many of my clients are focused on growth as they continue to recover from the pandemic. While performance results varied widely depending on their industry, there’s still a common theme-- they all want to forge ahead and succeed. A healthy sales culture is key to that move forward, as well as thriving in the future. Never has it been more important for both a top-down approach with growth officers and sales officers, but also a bottom-up approach with individual sales professionals to define, own, and foster a sales culture. I also refer to it as a sales growth culture. This article shares some trends and themes around the four key areas I see organizations needing to create a successful sales growth culture. Questions to Ask Yourself about Sales...
Sales Closing Dos and Don’ts
Closing a new sale is never the end of your sales process, but rather the beginning or continuation of your customer relationship. Sales closing is the skill that improves your deal velocity and helps you achieve your sales quota. I find often that sellers and business developers don’t have this skill mastered. Usually it’s due to a combination of mindset and skillset. Sellers see closing as complex, intimidating, and even as something to avoid. I’ve also seen situations where closing a sale is treated as a linear action, and it’s not built into the overall strategy. For example, it only becomes part of the conversation after a big presentation has taken place. Developing your skills with the sales closing keeps...
6 Life Lessons from My Bucket List Trip to Kenya
You never know where you'll learn new life lessons. Before the world shut down earlier this year with the pandemic, my husband Dave and I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya for a “bucket-list” safari trip with friends. I’d done a fair amount of traveling, but not yet to Africa. One of our travel friends is a former zoologist (and now a nurse) -- this was a trip he had been planning in his head for decades. The trip finally became a reality, and Dave and I were lucky enough to be invited along. The adventure was amazing, and the country beautiful. We traveled about 24 hours each way and crossed eight time zones. We visited five diverse regions of the country. We’ve created countless memories, and we hope to return in the future. Writing this post has been on the list ever since returning, but until now, it didn't seem right to blog about travel. I’ll share some of the life lessons I’ve taken away from...
Our Top 5 Sales Posts of 2020
As we begin to bid farewell to 2020 (some might say "good riddance!"), it's the perfect time for reflection. One thing is for certain, this year challenged us all in ways we never expected. Even through the disruption, I'm pleased to say I remained committed to continually growing the thought leadership resources for the sales community, to help you ignite your sales and make a leadership impact. That included producing sales webinars, eBooks, appearing on industry and sales podcasts, and publishing this sales blog-- which I'm proud to say was recognized as a Top 50 Sales Blog by Top Sales World for the third consecutive year. From the dozens of posts in 2020, here’s a recap of the top 5 sales posts that most captured your attention and can provide you with important lessons you can bring with you into the new year. The Future is Now: Top Skills for Sales Leadership Considering the dramatic disruption...
On Gratitude
In the U.S., we’re quickly approaching the Thanksgiving holiday. For many this will look and feel much different from previous holidays, as we continue to adapt to what the pandemic keeps “gifting” us. But one thing is for certain – my gratitude is still as strong as ever. This time last year, my family was dealing with a major health crisis. While on the surface that doesn’t sound like something to be grateful for, there were some lessons and moments that bolstered my gratitude. My perspective on what’s truly important has been permanently shifted for the better. I also had a unique travel opportunity to Kenya earlier this year, before everything shut down. I promise a post before year-end on that experience, because it had some very inspirational surprises. For now, I want to take a moment to share my gratitude for my family, friends, team, business partners, and clients. I’m grateful for the work I get...
Bust Out of Old Sales Patterns
Three Ways to Bust Out of Old Patterns That Are No Longer Working To build sales agility, you have to bust old patterns maybe with the help of a coach or your sales leader, finding the things that are no longer working for you in your sales life. On the Sales Game Changers Podcast, Institute for Excellence in Sales Co-founder and President Fred Diamond interviews top business-to-business sales leaders about their sales journey, career highlights, mentors, and lessons learned. Amy Franko joined him for episode 283 to share three things you can do to bust out of old, ineffective sales patterns. Some highlights from the episode: Is there a routine that used to work that no longer works? Is there something that is your stuck point? Understand “strategic feed,” which is the ability to simultaneously look forward into the future and also be able to work backwards from that with milestones to help you move...
Strategic Selling Series: Master 4 Four Skills to Grow Client Base
If you’re in professional services or selling into complex B2B environments, you’re very likely balancing three key responsibilities: solution delivery, client experience, and also cultivating new business. Cultivating new business might be selling into an existing client, or it might be landing a brand-new client for your firm. In my experience as both a B2B seller and now a consultant, it takes a strategic selling mindset and skillset to succeed. For my definition of strategic selling, watch this short video. There are four elements I see as critical to earning new business and growing your client base: Strong business intelligence about the client. Relationships at the right levels, with consistent access. The ability to propose ideas and solutions that compel change. The ability to earn commitments all throughout your sales process. This blog series will dive into each one in more depth and provide...
Keep Your Firm Agile During Challenging Times
If you're a business developer in an accounting firm, where can you start if you feel like you are stuck moving forward with your client list? THRIVEcast, the monthly podcast of THRIVEal, is a place where CPAs build Community, Collaborate, focus on Technology and Innovate for the future of the CPA industry. In Episode 112, Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte welcomed Amy Franko on the show to share her tips for keeping your firm agile during times where pivoting is a must. Some highlights from the episode: Even in the pandemic, pockets of the industry are thriving. As entrepreneurs, sales/business development professionals, and accounting professionals, our job to find those pockets and, and continue to grow them. This is where skills like strategic speed and agility come into play. (37.30) A modern business developer is holistic. On any given day, we have a finite amount of time, energy, motivation, and...
Introducing the Strategic Selling Online Sales Training Program
There's an evolution that's been happening for sellers and business developers. You're no longer selling a product, service, or expertise. You're now needing to strategically help your clients to solve their biggest challenges and leverage opportunities. There's a need for modern, strategic approaches that A) help your clients excel, and B) help your organization (and you!) to also succeed. That was the catalyst behind our signature program, Strategic Selling for Professional Services. We've taken hundreds of professional services providers and B2B sales professionals through the in-person version of this program. I'm excited to announce that the program is now fully digital! If you're in professional services, or selling complex solutions into B2B environments, this program is ideal for both individuals and teams. The vision is to provide a platform and experience, where you can learn and apply these...
Don’t Forget About These Sales Opportunities
3 things modern seller can do differently to make sure they are optimizing all of the sales opportunities that can be qualified and then added to your pipelines:
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.
