A member recently shared with me that they’ve estimated the average cost of a single failed sales manager to hover around $4 million, calculating all the direct and indirect costs of lost productivity, attrition or poor team engagement and lackluster customer experience, not to mention recruitment, salary and training costs.

In today’s world of sales, by the time customers contact your reps, it’s a safe bet that it’s already too late for reps to have any influence over them or the outcome of the deal. The only certain thing reps have to look forward to at this point in the sale is getting hammered on price. But how? Microchip Technology, a U.S.

Three Key Social Media Tactics for Sales. Social media may have even more value in sales than in marketing, as marketers still generally deal with prospects in groups, while sales professionals deal with them as individuals—which is where the social media rubber really hits the road. Use LinkedIn. Check out your primary contact.

Once they developed a short list of vendors for consideration, they contacted the companies (using phones, which were connected via wires) and the companies sent them (printed) sales collateral by mail (postal, that is). Then sales people would contact the prospects and use a “consultative&# sales process. DBXNT74M6AKY.

B2B and industrial marketers are usually tasked with two main responsibilities: Fill the top of the sales funnel (ToFU) with high quality leads. Maximize the middle of the funnel (MoFU) for converting more leads into sales opportunities. See my earlier post, “Inbound Marketing Must Set the Table for Industrial Sales.”.

However, there is a serious disconnect between sales and marketing when it comes to defining a qualified lead. Google sales and marketing disconnect and you will find thousands of articles written on this topic. Inside Sales Manager – “Lead generation is outbound telemarketing and appointment setting for my sales people.”.

Sales Growth. Five Proven Strategies from the Worlds Sales Leaders. What makes this a great read for sales leaders at ANY size organization are the real case study examples that the authors used to prove their strategies. Five Strategies for Sales Growth. Soup Up Your Sales Engine. Lead Sales Growth.

'For years after the industrial revolution businesses employed droves of Outside Sales people who were focused on getting those face-to-face meetings, which in contrast to modern Inside Sales practices is a vastly wasteful exercise. The reality today is that the majority of sales are actually done remotely, and the numbers are growing.

For years after the industrial revolution businesses employed droves of Outside Sales people who were focused on getting those face-to-face meetings, which in contrast to modern Inside Sales practices is a vastly wasteful exercise. The reality today is that the majority of sales are actually done remotely, and the numbers are growing.

Sales professionals are able to take advantage of valuable insight about prospects and peers, in turn developing a strong network that translates into increased productivity through resources, tips, advice and much more. Sales Best Practices. Description: Have you some Sales or Marketing skills? Inside Sales Experts.

by Carol Fox As Dylan wrote, “The times, they are a-changing,&# and B2B sales cycles are no exception. But regardless of the factors at play, it stands to reason that learning more about what’s happening to sales cycles can help sales and marketing departments figure out how to shorten them. B2B Sales b2b marketing

Given the explosive growth in business and social data, it would be natural to assume that B2B sales and marketing professionals have access to a wealth of new information to learn about and engage the savvy, social buyer we call Customer 2.0. So how is sales data different than sales intelligence? Data can also be misleading.

It is only at the last stage, Procurement when buyers have already prepared a shortlist of vendors do they contact a manufacturer’s sales rep. See my earlier post, “Inbound Marketing Must Set the Table for Industrial Sales.”. Sales spend less time on prospecting and chasing down elusive leads. Content marketing cannot do it all.

Tweet Brian McGuire is one of those rare marketers who started in Sales and has held leadership roles in both Sales and Marketing. It has instilled in him a passion for viewing Marketing and Sales alignment from the customer’s perspective, as well as the consistent messaging that results from this unique view.

And while most companies say they’re using digital tools only to supplement personal sales calls, layoffs in the sector suggest that the technology is potentially replacing , not just supplementing , human reps. The Buzz iPads Sales Technology Sales ToolsLet us know in the comments section below.

Gone are the days of mass marketing and generic sales tactics. Similar to their demand for more personalized sales and marketing outreach, buyers expect attention from people, not companies. So what does this mean for the B2B sales profession? Umberto Milletti is the CEO and founder of InsideView , the Sales 2.0 leader.

Ask Marketing folks what ’sales ready Leads’ really mean and you will find a smirk on their faces. Every marketing & sales guy has his own definition of what makes a Lead ’sales ready’ Perhaps this is the single most important factor contributing to the great sales & marketing divide.

Are You Facing Sales Fatigue? The economy has caused sales teams to face declining prospect budgets, more competitive bidding, fewer opportunities, lower incomes and general personal stress.   It begins with a focus on communication and a series of actions to build belief within your sales team. Sales Action Plans.

According to a recent infographic and article by online store platform Shopify.com … Pinterest is now the 3rd most popular social network site in the world, and ecommerce stores can leverage its popularity to significantly increase traffic and sales. Are you using Pinterest to generate sales for your business?

Executive Summary : Lead gen programs that manage to Quality metrics provide sales ready leads that result in an overall higher ROI. Other costs to consider are the costs to manage the vendor relationship, and the cost to the sales team for attending low quality meetings. As David Greenberg, Sr. Then make some of your own inquiries.

Contrary to what you would expect the measure of greatness of a sales manager, is not the extent to which the organization is dependent on him, or her. Rather the greatness of a sales manager is reflected in the degree to which the sales organization runs smoothly regardless of the manager’s direct involvement.

discussed how in-context access to this intelligence will significantly boost sales productivity, enabling more successful outreach and engagement with the socially-savvy Customer 2.0. Social selling technologies and methodologies allow sales reps to: Monitor what is being said about and by the customer. to catching a lead in mid air.

Twice as many sales-ready leads as any other lead generation channel. The team identified “Social Sellers,” the IntraLinks sales specialists who would be responsible for connecting with potential customers through LinkedIn, and who would promote the company’s value proposition via their personal brands. Setting direction. Company name.

One of the major problems at technology start up’s today is the lack of understanding of how much sales and marketing principles have changed. If I need to double revenue growth, I need to double my sales force to drive it” or “I need to generate 1,000 leads to generate one sale. Therefore 2,000 leads will generate two sales.”.

In today’s complex world of sales where customer buying behavior is becoming increasingly sophisticated, sales leaders are being forced to transform how they approach managing their sales organizations in order to achieve desired business results. Therefore it’s no surprise that making such a decision is far from easy.

One of the hardest questions I get all the time from friends and colleagues starting a small business is “how do I get started with my sales and marketing?”  and “should I hire sales people?”. Tip #5:  Use your web site to figure out your sales strategy. Usually followed by “should I use email?” Now you can start to….

Are you a newly promoted VP of Sales? attended the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP.org) Inside Sales 2011 conference in San Francisco in February. One of the most interesting breakout tracks was presented by Brett Wallace, VP of Sales for Zoominfo. Your First 90 Days in Sales Management.

One of the most controversial and challenging areas of any revenue engine is the hand-off process from marketing to sales. The nurturing and discovery of qualified leads, while vitally important, is of limited value unless the hand-off to sales is efficient and optimized. What Happens After the Handoff?

OpenView Labs named its top 25 sales influencers for 2012, and I am among them. Learn more about them here: Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012. Current Affairs Inside Sales Leadership Sales Thought LeadershipTweet I received some news today that leaves me both humbled and honored.

It’s a unique occasion when we get to step back from the day-to-day of supporting our members’ decisions and reflect on where we believe the world of sales is headed. This is the entire premise behind our original research on Insight Selling™ leading us to the Challenger sales profile. Sales culture gets an overhaul.

Sales Management Questions We Answered in 2011 – Selling Power. Sales Discussions That Need To Disappear in 2012 – Paul Castain’s Sales Playbook. Things I’m Wishing For In 2012 – Insider Sales Experts Blog. Top 7 Critical Sales Trends for 2012 – Heavy Hitter Sales Blog.

“ Sales intelligence is the combination of not only business data, but social context, how you’re connected to a lead or prospect, valuable news insight, and real-time triggers that inform you when to take action. You are buying lists for your sales team. The age of lists and phonebooks are over for sales teams. Sales 2.0

and social media to streamline their purchasing processes, the line between marketing and sales as it relates to prospect interaction becomes blurred. While challenging, it is possible to get marketing and sales on the same page.  Below I have outlined three steps that can move your organization towards marketing and sales alignment.

One of the toughest tasks for a sales person is engaging a prospect that is in the early stages of a new project and dismisses the need for help. Sincerely, Top Sales Guy” That’s it. Now you don’t have to buy my new book “The Golden B2B Sales Question” (grin). “Mr./Ms.

Sales Leadership: Gaining Insight and Accountability. Most sales leaders have a lot of confidence-which is good, but many have never experienced what many CEO’s have, that is an insights and help from other CEO’s.  Sales Management Board of Advisors. How Does the Sales Management Round Table Work? Ken@AcumenMgmt.com.

Granted, the fashions have changed drastically, but I was able to pull out some sales prospecting lessons from it.  If your inside sales folks don’t know what they’re talking about, prospects can tell and will either hang up on them quickly or blow them off the phone with objections.  Where were you in March of 1991? .

I recently came across IDC’s Sales Enablement presentation put together in 2009. In the presentation IDC defines Sales Enablement as – “the delivery of the right information to the right person at the right time and in the right place to assist in moving a specific sales opportunity forward.”. Most marketing automation 1.0

Sales Leadership and Management in a Recovering Economy. In today’s economic times, the companies most likely to thrive are those that invest time in scrutinizing their strategic sales-management plans. Actual sales activity compared to a defined set of standards. Rev salesperson profitability to sales volume.

2011 was a big year for sales intelligence and the use of technology by sales teams to be more effective in finding new opportunities and closing more deals. This is the list of the top 25 sales intelligence posts that people read during 2011. 25 Influential Leaders In Sales. How Science is Changing Sales As We Know It.

Here are some highlights from the original report: “The chances of reaching a new sales lead drop over 10x if you wait longer than the first hour of shown interest, and the odds of qualifying that lead decrease 6x after the first 60 minutes”. It’s a win-win for both sales AND marketing. Big mistake. What’s the solution?

The more I talk to manufacturers and industrial companies, the more I’m convinced that RFQs and sales conversations are all that matter to them. get it that industrial marketing must be held accountable and I firmly believe that it should make a direct contribution to growing sales and revenues. Marketing keeps you in sales.”

It was the beginning of the year, a Marketo event to celebrate 2010′s sales success. When we sat down for the dinner and the more formal part of the evening, our SVP of Sales, Bill Binch, got up to say a few words. don’t work in sales. Both the sales and marketing teams are truly crushing it.

Summer of Sales Intelligence: InsideView Sees Huge Gains in Customers and Major CRM Platforms, Delivers 8 Million Sales Triggers in Recent Quarter. That’s according to the latest numbers from InsideView, the leading provider of sales intelligence for the enterprise. not just sales.”

“On average (and with little variation among industries) customers will contact a Sales rep when they independently complete about 60% of the purchasing decision process.” They reach a shocking conclusion – this is not a misalignment of sales and marketing. The world is passing you by. strong value proposition.

Are You a Sales Manager or a Sales Leader? By Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter”. Take a moment and answer this question: “If you are a sales manager – or when you think about the person who manages you – which description rings accurate: Sales Manager or Sales Leader ?”. Ken Thoreson, www.AcumenManagement.com.

Sales 2.0 Essentially, we want salespeople to incorporate sales intelligence into the new generation of sales where social selling comes into play. Unfortunately, this methodology of sales 2.0 As a result, I have had the privlidge of gathering 15 great sales 2.0 Sales 2.0: 10 fresh Ideas on Sales 2.0

His primary responsibility was determining if a potential customer brought in by the sales team was a credit risk and worthy of long term partnership with his company. Needless to say most of the sales team didn’t love him because he had final say as to whether or not they were going to get a deal. How did he do that?

Let’s face it—it’s hard to get sales metrics right. Not only is it important to measure the right metrics so that you have an accurate picture of how your sales force is performing, but you also need to get your sales people to care enough about metrics to use them. From the Road Sales Metrics

Irrespective of the size of the company, they all have one thing in common – they want to boost sales as quickly as possible. They don’t want to hear that, they want their phones to start ringing, RFQs coming in and their sales team involved in deep conversations within 30 days. It is a long journey.”. Be Patient!

Leveraging social media during a sales process can make a huge impact on the deals you are working on. Using Twitter for Sales Intelligence gives sales teams some great insights to the companies and contacts you are targeting. How Can Sales People Use Twitter For Sales Intelligence and Sales Growth. Sales 2.0

New methodologies are challenging old methodologies with increased levels of research and innovation among sales consulting and training organizations around the world. Tips for Sellers Challenger Sales Changes in Buying Rain Group Sales Methodologies Sales Process Solution Selling

David is one of the top thought leaders in Sales 2.0 During the roundtable, the discussion inevitably led to how marketing and sales alignment could be achieved.  After two years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on development, marketing, sales, the product life cycle was over.  Sales and Marketing Alignment

I n 2011 you worked hard to produce new value-focused tools, empowering your sales team to meet the growing challenges of today’s more empowered, skeptical and frugal buyer. And you are not alone, as SiriusDecisions reports that the average company now spends a whopping $43K on marketing content and sales tools per salesperson per year.

Do we need language police in our world of B2B sales & marketing? Perhaps this is an early example of mis-aligment between sales and marketing.   Whatever the case, we continue to face basic issues in B2B sales and marketing. The agreement between sales and marketing acts as the catalyst for sales effort.

Tweet Longer selling cycles and stalled deals are impeding sales funnels everywhere. In many industries, for example, executives are scrutinizing much smaller transactions, so lead generation, lead nurturing and sales enablement tactics must address this shift in buying behavior. Here’s how you can go about it: 1.

The comments from current customers and new businesses that stopped by the booth validated that cold calling is dead and without a very targeted message with relevant information from both traditional sources and social media, a sales rep’s chances of getting contact and creating new opportunities is very slim. Data Accuracy vs Quality.

At that point, I started thinking about how similar archery is to sales. There are three fundamental keys to hitting your sales target every time. When IDC did a study of B2B buyers , only 16% said sales people were highly prepared for an initial meeting. true sales pro never assumes anything, especially in a competitive market.

Should we allow sales to cherry pick leads that, based on lead scoring, we have deemed not to be ready for sales? Steve Kellogg at Astadia raised the question very aptly in his Endless Lead Loop post, and it's a question we all face as we wrestle with the business process of lead scoring and handing leads from marketing to sales.

It’s clear that the authors interviewed some of the best sales leaders out there today. The authors write “Like gifted athletes, sales stars are regarded as naturals, with innate talents that great managers can recognize…These myths stand in the way of change and improvement in sales management.

by Michael Martin | Tweet this Sales enablement is one of the most important aspects of many marketers’ jobs. But, all too often, the way marketers approach sales reps is lacking in strategy and preparation. Marketing continues to feel frustrated and the sales team unimpressed. Sales reps come in all sizes and shapes.

Especially when that quote can get you motivated for your job in B2B Sales. We have created a new social profile to serve up great motivation for sales people. Sales intelligence is important but great quotes just give sales people that extra push to go on. Sales 2.0 Everyone loves a good quote.

'Agile  Adaptation  - Sales have been a moving target in the present climate for a lot of companies and there are many contributing factors at play. De-blitzing – Whilst automation is being adopted by sales and marketing teams, too much focus has been placed on the tech. Sales in the EU5 (FR, DE, IT, ES, UK) and 11.6%

You Don’t Just Hire a Sales Team–You Build It. Developing a great sales organization involves more than just bringing the right people on board. This is an excerpt from my latest book: Your Sales Management Guru’s Guide to:  “Leading High Performance Sales Teams” )  . Create a sales-oriented culture.

Take 30 seconds and really think about the message this is conveying: Here are some items to consider: The only parking spaces reserved were for outside sales and customers There were enough parking spaces available for everyone (reserved spaces were not essential) What do other employees (including inside sales) think when they see this?

Attending the Forrester Sales Enablement Forum, one research metric was presented that just blew me away. According to Forrester, the average company spends more than $135,000 in sales support costs per year for EACH salesperson. That’s $135 large a year folks on the hidden cost of sales ! M each year. Not necessarily. Why Now?

Agile  Adaptation  - Sales has been a moving target in the present climate for a lot of companies as their are many contributing factors at play. De-blitzing – Whilst automation is being adopted by sales and marketing teams, too much focus has been placed on the tech. Key Strategies for Technical Sales. Salesand 5.1%

It's been a while since we've talked much about the topic of sales enablement , so I wanted to loop back to some interesting peripheral points. This usage pattern is very powerful, in that it allows the sales team to use their intuition, insights, and judgments in deciding what content to provide to what buyer at what moment in time.

Jeff Ogden, TV Talk Show Host of Marketing Made Simple TV addresses the typical complaints that sales leaders have with marketing such as. not enough qualified sales leads. lack of collaboration between sales and marketing. Visit the website of his sales lead generation company , Find New Customers: www.findnewcustomers.com.

Business and Sales Management: Planning for 2011 what you need to do! Right now I am working with several clients on their sales compensation plans for 2011.   operationalizes” sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. Several idea’s for our readers: . What did not go well?

Sales Leadership:  Creativity is Critical. In many of my sales leadership workshops and in my writings I have often spoken on the need to hire creative salespeople and the need for sales management to offer creative solutions to the many problems you face.  The good news is “creativity” can be learned and enhanced in everyone! 

This is a claim that has sparked heated debate recently in one LinkedIn sales group. Only 47% of B2B sales utilize the tool, almost exclusively for lead generation. This is a vast space of infinite possibility for sales organizations but is largely misunderstood, untapped and unknown. “Selling is dead. Long live social media”.

No sales cycle should ever be looked at from a cookie cutter approach, but this is especially true when examining the B2B sales process.  The secret to a successful B2B sales organization lies largely on the toolset provided to optimize or enable the sales process. Sales Planning Tools. Jump start sales.

Sales Leadership: It’s time to gear up your recruiting!  . have often stated that a sales manager should spend 15% to 20% of their time recruiting and interviewing, but as you move through October into November you need to increase your recruiting focus. Sales Leadership TrainingWhat should you do? Call them.

When it comes to talent management, it’s critical for organizations to bring the best talent into their sales forces. But how can companies actually find sales rep candidates in the marketplace with the Challenger Rep skill set? Sales Insights Challenger Rep Hiring Sales TalentFind out now.

Sales & Marketing : “why can’t we all get alone”. presented the last topic and had some fun with how sales and marketing must work together as well as metrics to measure sales/marketing effectiveness and performing a competitive analysis. A Missed Week-But A lot to Cover. I apologize to my many frequent readers. 3f4qb8v9ge.

expected Marketing to be the top of the list but was surprised to see Sales so far behind with only 11% of the companies having a formal approach for engagement through social media. If marketing is the focal point of social media engagement, sales NEEDS to be brought into the loop. Enterprise social selling is growing up.

Fix the Economy:  Sale Leadership Must Be the Stimulus. am firmly convinced that the VP of Sales, Sales Director, or Sales Manager are the linchpins that drive the growth of any organization.  I have listed a few ideas to that will begin the Sales Leadership Stimulus program. By Ken Thoreson. Make this a fun time.

Is your organization and your sales team suffering from: Puny Revenues?  It Maybe Time for a Sales Leadership Workout! A  one &  1/2 Day Regimen for Getting  Your Sales Organization in Shape   . Build a proactive approach to Sales Management 2.0 that creates predictive revenue and a self-managed sales team. 

Is your organization and your sales team suffering from:  Puny Revenues?  It’s Time for a Sales Leadership Workout! Your Sales Organization in Shape for 2011. Build a proactive approach to Sales Management 2.0 that creates predictive revenue and a self-managed sales team.  Creating a self managed sales team.

Sales Insights The Buzz Demand ShapingWe’ve all seen this situation play out: one of your average salespeople calls you with great news. It turns out the Smith account finally called me in! They’re ready to move forward and want us to present next Wednesday!”. We all know what this is. ”  .

For many in marketing and sales, the march continues towards the attempt to develop tactical plans that will connect them to buyers.  Whether they relate to demand generation, content marketing, sales enablement, and more, efforts are being made to make adaptations to changing buying behaviors. By systems, I do not refer to technology. 

This offers a new opportunity to engage customers; however, many sales organizations fail to capitalize on it. Learn more on how the best companies engage customers earlier in the sales cycle. Landmine #4: Your sales organization isn’t set up to support meaningful execution of your sales strategy.

Content created in a social media style and shared on social platforms can help B2B buyers as they progress through the sales process. Content Helps to Close the Sale and Drive Revenue. By this point in the sales cycle, customer pain points are well known and the product team needs a clear understanding how the product addresses these.

Last week I gave my 5 tips for bootstrapping sales and marketing for small businesses. Regardless of the fact that you will be “pounding the pavement&# , you will need to keep a record of your prospective customer interactions and sales pipeline from those interactions. Small business best practices marketing sales

It may be called marketing automation, but be careful not to leave sales out of the equation, especially during the planning stage prior to implementing a marketing automation solution. Marketing Automation Sales Lead ScoringStep 1: Map the Lead [.].

When sales and marketing are on the same page, performance is better.  88% of best performing companies have aligned their sales and marketing teams. Here are some ways that leading companies are achieving sales and marketing alignment: 1. Sales will say they need better leads. How to do it? Ride Together. Plan Together.

Collaboration between Sales and Marketing has never been accomplished simply by agreeing on lead criteria and definitions.  Sign Up now for Chart of the Week  to get a sales and marketing performance snapshot in your inbox every week! Are Sales and Marketing Chatting Enough? Are you using social tools at your company? 

And despite the major cultural and scale differences between our companies, we were both cracking up over how similarly sales and marketing get so far out of alignment when in fact, we should be so deeply joined together. Maybe this would serve as a helpful icebreaker at your next joint sales and marketing meeting. Recognize anyone?

B2B Lead Generation | Ditch the “And&# in Sales and Marketing. Everyone talks about the need to get sales and marketing on the same team. Carlos Hidalgo of the Annuitas Group wrote a great article for the MarketingProfs blog on an important issue for B2B sellers – how to break down walls between sales and marketing.

poked around a bit looking in our industry and didn’t find a ton of Google+ pages in SaaS or sales applications. It’s fitting to be the first Google+ page on sales intelligence. Curated content about sales and marketing. Sales 2.0 We’d love to hear what you’d like us to share on our Google+ page.

Industry thought leaderswho will share their valuable insights on different aspects of B2b Marketing and Sales. At two different speaking engagements this month I asked the  audiences of marketers if they thought the lack of sales and  marketing alignment was the biggest obstacle in their company to  achieving significant revenue growth.

Unfortunately for some sales leaders, you might be watching several tightrope acts going on within your own organization. We are approaching the end of another quarter and it’s safe to assume many sales reps out there are navigating a narrow wire, in this case a thin B2B sales pipeline, to quota achievement. 

liked the article a lot, and loved the comments from Sales 2.0 big dog Nigel Edelshain, inside sales expert Trish Bertuzzi, and cold calling authority Steve Richard.  I watch it, and there’s something that Ben Affleck, who’s playing the sales trainer in the movie, says to his new recruits that just really moved me. 

thought it might assist many readers, especially those newer to the complex sales and marketing process (and thank you to Felix for allowing me to share this publicly). Defining a lead as qualified basically means they are qualified to talk to a sales representative. Lead Generation: How 64% of marketers starve Sales of opportunity.

From Marketo , here are the benefits of quality lead nurturing: Fewer marketing-generated leads ignored by sales (from 80% to as low as 25%). 20% more sales opportunities. 225% increase in volume of prospects that convert to sales opportunities. B2B Lead Generation | Lead Nurturing. 6% points lower rate of “no decisions&#.

But the fact is: Very few sales and marketing team get along well. Forrester’s latest research “ B2B Sales and Marketing Alignment Starts with the Customer ” confirms the dysfunctional and damaging gap that still exists between sales and marketing in the vast majority of B2B organisations. Everyone talks about it. Bob Apollo.

Depends – are you in marketing or in sales? SAL – Sales Accepted Leads is the bridge between Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQL). Assigning a numeric score to business sales leads based on a predefined set of rules, takes away the subjectivity out of qualitative ranking like Hot, Warm and Cold leads.

Sales Intelligence is often skewed in various definitions and mostly misinterpretation. However, the real crime of this story is the mere fact that many do not see the enormous benefits of acquiring a sales intelligence application for your sales team. Analytics in Action – The B2B Sales Intelligence Blog. Sales 2.0

A new tool, ReachForce SmartForms, is giving sales operations lead routing teams major speed and productivity gains. Getting inbound leads qualified and routed to the correct sales person can be a time consuming and productivity-reducing exercise – and slow response can contribute to lost opportunities. About ReachForce.

Any sales reps worth their salt does their homework before contacting a lead. Once a contact becomes a qualified lead or opportunity, sales needs to know who to reach and how, and what to say to get their attention. 60% of sales reps waste the equivalent of 6 selling weeks a year just trying to get customers on the phone.