Finding upside in a downturn

INDUSTRY NEWS

Finding upside in a downturn

Like a giant weather balloon, the economy was once flying high. Now, economists are worried that rising inflation, civil unrest, and myriad other factors will send it crashing to the ocean floor. Regardless of the economy’s ultimate fate, B2B buyers are already tightening their purse strings and putting any prospective purchases under intense scrutiny. Now is not the time to stare at the sky waiting to see what will happen. Smart B2B revenue leaders will look for ways to streamline their sales strategies to be effective in any economic environment. To that end, Renato Agrella, founder of Acerca Consulting, offers up seven surefire tips for optimizing B2B sales during a rough patch. And don’t worry, it’s not just hot air.

Sweeping sales analytics into fashion

Sales analytics is a lot like a pair of Uggs. They may not look sexy, but once you get people to try them on, they realize how practical they are. But just like it took a herculean effort to get consumers to embrace Uggs as high fashion, sales operations leaders also struggle with getting their teams to invest in sales analytics. Part of that comes down to an erosion of trust stemming from poor implementation, training, and adoption. Don’t worry, though. There is hope. According to Albert Torres, Sr. Principal Analyst at Gartner, implementing a phased sales analytics rollout can turn unsexy data into a must-have sales tool for any season.

What goes up

The Chinese “weather” balloon isn’t the only thing that Americans have wanted to come down. Last year, the US inflation rate skyrocketed like an unabashed dictator. Global dynamics and rising interest rates have slowly started to improve things, but businesses are still keeping a wary eye on the economy. It’s impossible to know the exact rate of inflation in the year ahead, but that didn’t stop Forrester’s senior forecast analyst Jitender Miglani from crunching a bunch of numbers to provide its US Inflation Outlook for 2023. With inflation affecting different categories in different ways, it’s important to know which ones are feeling the heat.

IN THE GROOVE

Groovin’ Grammy

The 65th annual Grammy Awards night was one for the books. As a surprise to absolutely no one, Beyoncé won four awards, breaking Grammy records. While we sadly weren’t nominated for the Grammys, (even though we should have for “Most Original Song”), we did take home four awards this week. G2 just announced its 2023 Best Software Awards winners, and we are proud to report that Groove has won awards for Highest Satisfaction, Best Sales Products, Best Office Products, and Best Global Software Companies. Although we might not dethrone “Queen B” in best-in-class R&B Performance anytime soon, we are celebrating our own “Renaissance” in the sales engagement category with these wins.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Fashionable sales

Whether you’re a fashionista or a sales leader, trends are something you should be following. If you aren’t with the trends, you are behind. The same goes for an effective sales plan. Keeping up to date with the fast-emerging market trends will allow your sales team to stay ahead of the game and close more deals. SellingPower says there are three trends sellers need to prepare for in 2023. From prioritizing DE&I to improving business writing, this article is packed with trends that will make your closet of customers look more fashionable.

The big game

Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner. Whether you’re watching for the football, the half-time show, the ads, or the snacks, you’re bound to see some big plays executed by the Chiefs and the Eagles. Sales is a lot like football – you have to make a game plan if you want to score a touchdown. Sadly, many sellers fail to plan effectively and fumble during the big game. Luckily, Mike Schultz, President of RAIN Group, has coached sellers on how to win big sales opportunities with “Big Plays”. Time to gear up – the game is about to start.

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