Keep reading to check out some of these sales research studies that will help you gain some insights into what makes a successful sales team. RELATED: Only 28% Of Business Deals Are Forecasted Accurately, Shows New Research In this article: Creating Sales Best Practices Based on Sales Data Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic…

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Sales acceleration technology has transformed the B2B sales world. That much is indisputable. It’s obvious every time you chat with a customer on your website, make a video call, or sign an electronic contract. These innovations make remote selling more convenient for both buyer and seller. But are the companies adopting these technologies actually any…

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I was drawn to apply for the education specialist position at XANT because the job description included writing. As a recent graduate from a journalism program, I was intrigued by a writing position within a sales organization. “What could these telemarketers possibly need from my skillset?” I asked myself. Clearly I wouldn’t be in my usual…

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There’s been a lot of talk ever since our 2009 InfoUSA study revealed that the inside sales industry was projected to grow at 7.5% per year over the next five years, while outside sales industry jobs is stagnating at 0.5% growth.

bNet Business’s Geoffrey James even sounded off on the topic, questioning the reasons behind the slow obsolescence of outside sales when the sales process and buying cycle have become even more “touch” intensive and complex.

In my mind, however, the trend is significant, but hardly inexplicable. The Web has made one of sales’ primary functions—distributing information to prospects—a much different activity than before. Even for complex purchases, there’s a wealth of information about available products and services, and the average prospect has significantly less of a need to rely on a sales rep to provide actionable information . . . .

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Though published back in 2002, author John Warrilow’s book Drilling For Gold presents a fascinating take on the tried and true (some might say cliché) “80/20” rule of sales and marketing—namely, that when it comes to small business selling, the rule should closer to 98/2.

Using a chart that breaks down accounts and prospects into a series of “buckets,” he demonstrates a process for evaluating the current profit levels of customers and prospects, and each account’s potential growth.

smb-eval-chart

While Warrilow states that good qualitative research should back up the basic “Profit/Potential” profile, generally speaking the trick is to expend the highest levels of time, energy, and money not with the top 20 percent, but the top 2 percent of clients and prospects—the ones who are currently highly profitable, and have a high potential to remain so.

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