Sales Tools

The #1 Question we always hear:  
"What can I do to increase our sales productivity?"

The #1 question we hear from our CEOs and heads of Sales is that they need to increase the productivity of their salespeople, and especially now in 2024 coming out of the turmoil of 2020 through 2022 when the rules and processes surrounding Sales and Marketing were being rewritten every quarter. Today following a solid growth year in 2023 for most of our customers, we find that we're marketing and selling in an today's 2024 environment where the customer is totally in charge!   They're better educated about our products and those of our competitors than ever before, and they expect us in our marketing and in our selling practices to be able to meet them when, where and how they want to be marketed and sold to.  2024 is truly the year of the customer, and our salespeople need to buckle up to a very different selling environment where everyone expects expertise and no one has any extra time.  

  • We are never going back to "the old days" of 2019!
  • Processes, tools and technologies are all up for change. 
  • The rules of sales planning and forecasting are being rewritten every six months
  • We are still at the very early infancy of using online sales tools
  • Generative AI changes the sales game forever!

The experience we bring to your company is rooted in 30 years of managing and creating positive change...good times and bad.  None of us at the firm had ever experienced a pandemic before, but we've had worked successfully through recessions, downturns, and 9/11, and we also have had the experience of stepping on the gas to accelerate through bull markets.

One of the primary skills that we bring to our customers is that we know how to increase sales productivity and achieve that objective through processes and tools that are readily adopted by any sales team.  We believe, and have numerous testimonials to support our methodology, that Sales productivity can be achieved through an integrated plan of:

  • A formal sales process of "The Way We Sell"
  • Tools built into that process and built into your CRM
  • Technology through using apps directly tied in to your CRM 
  • Easy-to-use adaptive sales readiness training tools
  • Quarterly, peer-to-peer, reviews of "Best Practices" 

Section 1:  Sales Planning & Process Ideas

Section 2:  Pure Sales Tools

  • Just What Are Sales Tools?
    We too often assume that people know what we are talking about when we say "sales tools", but we've learned that that often isn't the case. Here's a primer on examples of standard and not-so-standard Sales tools.
  • Creating Winning Value Propositions-The #1 Most Critical Sales Tool!
    Value Propositions are the #1 Most Critical Tool used in Sales.  This video gets to the details of what a Value Proposition is and how to create one.
  • Perfecting Your Listening Skills
    Our experience is that nothing is more important at the beginning of your sales process-- whether that is at the Qualify or the Discovery step-- than shutting up and listening intently.   Here's a few ideas to keep your mouth in check and your ears wide open.
  • Handling Sales Objections the Right Way
    A solid outline of a few ideas how to handle objections and turn them to a close. 
  • The Best Team Management Tactics 
    Learn how to manage your project task team to get desired outcomes on time and meeting all of your objectives.
  • Creating Effective Networking Event Tactics
    Ever wish you had been prepared for that trade show or Chamber meeting?  I know I have, which is why we created Jack's 10 Rules for you to are be the most effective. 

Section 3: Pure Marketing Tools

  • Creating & Writing a Marketing Plan in 2024
    Ok, so I know about Marketing, I'm pretty good in tactics and strategy, but how do I go about actually writing a marketing plan?  Where do I start?  What's the structure?  What should I put in it?  Who should I involve?  Our ebook answers those questions and brings you up to date with revisions every winter and summer.  

    Creating A SWOT Assessment

    This is a simple-to-understand outline of the components of a SWOT analysis are and how you might use this tool as part of your business, marketing or sales planning process.
  • Market Segmentation
    This is an overview of an approach to your market.  This particular tool can be viewed as a Marketing tool when looking at a variety of market opportunities where resources need to be spent, or as a Sales planning tool when thinking through either Territory or Business Unit plans. 
  • Market Research
    Market Research means a wide variety of things to an even wider variety of people.  Especially in smaller companies below $100 million, the idea of conducting market research is sometimes numbing at the best or construed as being only for large corporations at the worst.  This presentation provides you with an overview and helpful tactical hints that are both effective and efficient.   

Section 4: Hiring Salespeople the Right Way

Section 5: Jack's Laws

  • The Sales Law of 3,000
    How many hours every week does the average "good" salesperson sell?  That sounds like a huge number of hours, but reality is far from the actual number of sales hours "available."