Sales Prospecting Perspectives

A word I have seen pop all over the business blogsphere these days is “gamification.” Gamification in the workplace in the simplest of definitions is making a game out of employees' day-to-day activities. In the various articles I have read on the topic, the opinions seem to be split on the overall effectiveness of gamification.  Farhad Manjoo of The Wall Street Journal feels that it has the “potential for stifling creativity and flexibility in the workplace, and the growing sensation of being watched, and measured, in everything we do.”  Others believe that creating a game out of an everyday work task increases competition and therefore productivity.  Now I can’t speak for the larger companies (the AMEXes, IBMs and Googles of the world) who leverage a gamification strategy to increase productivity, but I can say that at AG we like to keep it simple and effective.  I’ll share with you an example.

Happy Friday, Sales Prospecting Perspectives readers! It's the first week of March, which means readers are anxiously awaiting spring weather. The past few days have been bright, so they may start getting warmer soon! This week was a good one for those in the office, as a few inside sales reps passed leads that translated into large transactions. To get your sales team prospecting effectively and your marketing team supporting sales effectively, here are some of our favorite sales and marketing articles from this week: 

Understand the Difference:

As sales professionals we come across these types of people all the time.  But knowing how to tell the difference between a so-called “Tire Kicker” and a “Window Shopper” is critical and will better help you to eliminate wasted effort. 

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from Lauren Weatherall, Senior Marketing Manager at TinderBox. 

For the first time, people accessed the internet on their mobile devices more than on their desktop computers in 2013 – OK, we all knew that was coming. What does this mean? It means that online, cloud-based, and internet solutions are taking over not just consumer markets, but business-to-business marketplaces. Especially when it comes to sales technology.

Happy New Year, Sales Prospecting Perspectives readers! We hope you celebrated the start of 2014 - and the start of sales quarter one - on Wednesday just like we did at AG Salesworks. While we're recovering from snowstorm Hercules in the Northeast, we're wishing you all a happy 2014 and sharing some articles we loved that helped ring in the New Year. 

Man, time goes by fast.  I know this phenomenon is talked about, written about and perhaps thought about ad nauseum, but I feel compelled every year around this time to mention it.  Mostly because as I get older (I turned 50 in November), I realize how limited our time is and I have always been a “live life to the fullest” kind of guy.  Now, as I am a bit older and have the great fortune of a beautiful family, my health, and a thriving company, I feel very thankful.  I am focused on enjoying my life, and doing the right thing both in business and in my personal life.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote advice for newly promoted inside sales managers in my post, New Sales Managers, Don’t Miss Out on This Advice. I focused on three areas of guidance:

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from Amanda Maksymiw, Content Marketing Manager at Lattice Engines. 

With a handful of days left to impact sales goals, it’s no wonder that some sales professionals are feeling the heat and starting to sweat. According to a 2013 study from CSO Insights, two-thirds of companies are struggling with lead generation.  More than 65 percent of companies surveyed are looking to improve new customer acquisition as a key driver for the year. And sadly, less than two-thirds are making quota. Sales professionals admittedly are raising their hands, asking for help with prioritizing and researching new accounts.

Let’s face it: As of today, we have four "real" business days left in quarter. Sure, if you happen to be in the office next week, you may be lucky enough to get your target prospect on the phone since they may have only a few meetings going on during the holiday week. Problem is, most of us I assume want to be with our families, and there is a good chance your prospect wants that as well. Since we all have aggressive goals, I think we all need to get in the mindset that next week doesn't exist and the month/quarter end is Friday. 

I am going through the most exciting time in my life and I couldn’t be happier. Not only am I expecting a baby boy in one month, but I just became an aunt for the first time. Meeting my nephew Luke the day he was born was amazing and I know the same will be true when our little one arrives soon.