Sales trends

Trending This Week: Sweet, Sweet Feedback

It might seem easy to interpret a customer’s feelings when we deliver a valuable report or a dozen donuts. But between all our touchpoints, how can we know if a customer’s feelings about us turn to apathy or angst? The simple answer is: ask for it.

Collecting customer feedback doesn’t need to entail an elaborate survey. Sales pros can kick it off with a personal email which includes a couple open-ended questions like “Do you have any frustrations?” or “What could make things better?”. While some might jokingly respond with, “I need more donuts,” we might discover issues with our product or service that we simply cannot glaze over.

Equally important to asking for the feedback is being accountable to it. Otherwise what’s the point? We need to let our customers know why we are asking, what we plan to do with the feedback, and then follow through. By asking for and then leveraging that sweet, sweet feedback, we empower ourselves to move relationships in the right direction.

Here’s What Sales Professionals Are Reading and Sharing This Week:

Sales Professionals: Develop The Courage To Ask YOUR Clients For Feedback!

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions,” says Larry Levine. By asking for and responding to feedback, we can set ourselves apart, strengthen our relationships, and stave off competitive threats. According to Levine, there is one specific customer group that we especially need to engage in the feedback loop.

What Exactly Is Sales Enablement?

If you were to listen in on a sales leadership call, chances are you would hear at least one person drop the term, “sales enablement.” But what does that mean, exactly? In this post, Bob Britton defines sales enablement as the “mitigation of friction which impedes sales” and explains why many companies get sales enablement wrong.

Poorly Positioned: Ask Your Sales Reps These Questions to Close More Deals

The way B2B companies make purchasing decisions has changed. We’ve seen an increase to the number of stakeholders—usually more than a half dozen—who will ultimately weigh in on the selection. If you don’t know the names and roles of all these decision makers before contacting the company, you likely aren’t positioned for success. Check out this post from Alice Heiman for 13 questions to help you determine the next steps in the buying process.

Sales Training: What’s the Point?

After a lengthy sales training session, have you ever wondered if it was time well spent? Did you receive enough value from training to justify having fewer days to meet your quota? If you struggle to understand the point of sales training, you’re not alone. In this post, Amy Dordek suggests that companies could achieve better outcomes from sales training by considering the sales talent, the current sales model, and defining specific desired outcomes.

24 Quotes About Hard Work That’ll Help You Reach Your Goals

Donald C. Kelly adds new insights to popular quotes from two dozen inspiring people including Zig Ziglar, Thomas Jefferson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and other visionaries. Check out the post and prepare to get pumped.

For more tips to sweeten customer relationships and strengthen your sales skills, subscribe to the LinkedIn Sales Solution blog.

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