Monday, September 30th, 2024

Using AI to prepare for sales conversations

Whilst AI is unlikely to completely replace salespeople in complex B2B environments, it certainly has the potential to make good salespeople even more effective. Here are a few of the most important ways in which salespeople are using AI: +


Monday, September 30th, 2024

ISP events 10.3 2024

Details of upcoming events can be found at the Institute of Sales Professionals website. https://www.the-isp.org/events Why you need to embrace two-faced strategies in the new era of buying As a result of joining this event, you will understand how the power of persuasion can amplify the influence and impact of customer focused teams, which will help you create strategies for… 


Monday, September 30th, 2024

Keep on learning… to be successful

Learning is not just important; it’s essential for success in sales. When we saw the headline on the cover of this Journal (edition 9.5) “Do Salespeople Have Time to Learn” we were left with a massive feeling of déjà vu and drifted towards a discussion of what was top of the pop charts when we first heard that said. Thankfully,… 


Thursday, September 19th, 2024

AI in sales: view from our experts

Sales professionals and academics discuss the current state of AI in sales, and look to the future. Bob Apollo, Chief Outcomes Officer, Inflexion-Point As we approach the era of AI in business and sales, it is vital to explore what the key tasks will be, as well as the skills and development paths needed to make a success of the… 


Wednesday, September 18th, 2024

ISP publishes new Sales Framework

The Institute of Sales Professionals is publishing a new, modular version of the ISP Sales Framework outlining the knowledge, skills, behaviours, and tools required by sales professionals to be “effective and ethical in the prosecution of their profession, supporting personal development, professional advancement and improved business results”. Acting as a guide for effective, competent sales performance in line with organisational… 


Wednesday, April 24th, 2024

How to establish trust with customers

Trust plays a major role in our prospective customer’s decision-making. Here are a few of the most important ways in which salespeople can establish trust: +


Monday, April 22nd, 2024

News in brief April 2024

The Institute of Sales Professionals has announced that two training organisations have joined the ranks of its endorsed training organisations. Competitive Edge is an awardwinning trainer that helps to develop high-performing sales teams and leaders. Meanwhile, Alate Business Growth specialises in business-tobusiness sales training for technology companies, across IT, telecoms, and software as a service (SaaS) in diverse global and… 


Monday, April 22nd, 2024

Education inspectorate grades Consalia’s Senior Sales Leadership apprenticeship programme outstanding

Consalia’s Senior Sales Leadership apprenticeship programme has been graded outstanding by UK education inspectorate Ofsted, the sales business school announced recently. The inspection took place over three days in February. Questionnaires were sent in advance to employers and apprentices and the government inspectors also conducted detailed interviews with Consalia’s Academy Team, apprentices, employers, and delivery partners Middlesex University and Runway… 


Monday, April 22nd, 2024

Is sales training dead?

Is sales training dead? I recall reading a blog about the issue on LinkedIn back in 2016. Of course, it sought to refute this premise. That was then, but what of today? Well, the sales landscape has undoubtedly moved on, driven by evolving business practice, technology, and the advance of relatively new disciplines such as sales enablement. Firstly, the traditional… 


Monday, February 19th, 2024

What salespeople need to succeed in a new sales role

Of course, every new salesperson needs to have a clear understanding of what they are selling. But product knowledge is never enough to ensure success. Bob Apollo lists five things every new (and existing) salesperson needs to master: +


Monday, February 19th, 2024

Five things to consider before stepping up to a sales management role

For many salespeople, their obvious career goal is to advance into sales management. Unfortunately, this can turn into a frustrating move. Here’s what aspiring sales managers need to consider: +


Monday, February 19th, 2024

ISP events 10.1 2024

Details of upcoming events can be found at the Institute of Sales Professionals website. https://www.the-isp.org/events Social selling: Sales Leader Round Table This round table is for Fellows and Sales Leaders. Wednesday 21 February 2024, 9.00–10.00 am Leveraging your imposter syndrome As a result of joining this event, you will know more about imposter syndrome, the four different types and strategies… 


Friday, October 13th, 2023

Establishing your own personal development plan

No matter how comprehensive the training programme provided by their employer, salespeople need to establish and implement their own personal development plan. Bob Apollo highlights a few key considerations: +


Friday, October 13th, 2023

ISP events 9.5 2023

Details of upcoming events can be found at the Institute of Sales Professionals website. https://www.the-isp.org/events Accelerating Sales Growth in 2024: Sales Leader Round Table Know how to prepare for growth in the coming year, which will give you confidence to lead your team to hit their targets in 2024. Wednesday, 18 October 2023, 09.00 Prepare and present sales solutions Know… 


Wednesday, October 11th, 2023

Time for CPD

Do salespeople have time to learn? +


Wednesday, October 11th, 2023

Addressing underperformance

Underperformance is not just about the individual; it can be a structural issue too. It would be an exceptionally lucky or gifted sales manager who has never had to address the issue of underperformance at some stage in their management career. Sometimes the causes appear to be external – changes in the market environment over which we have little influence… 


Wednesday, October 11th, 2023

Coaching conversations

My Coaching Promise ensures sales professionals have better sales conversations. In today’s hybrid world of both face-to-face and virtual customer conversations, ensuring the best of the limited time we get with customers is paramount. I find it odd that it’s taken for granted that sports professionals have multiple coaches, yet sales professionals struggle to get time with their managers, who… 


Wednesday, September 6th, 2023

ISP events 9.4 2023

Details of upcoming events can be found at the Institute of Sales Professionals website. https://www.the-isp.org/events Resilient leadership in high performance environments Participants will understand the essence of leadership and how their resilience and positivity are important in achieving challenging goals and in building teams which thrive and prosper. Tuesday, 12 September 2023, 09.00 Developing a sales strategy which delivers competitive… 


Tuesday, September 5th, 2023

Becoming an effective coach

Following on from our new Sales Tips 101 column, Bob Apollo presents a parallel series of tips for sales managers, starting with the “Keys to effective coaching”. Coaching is perhaps the most important task of any sales manager, and the thing most likely to impact their team’s performance. Here are five principles to bear in mind when developing our ability… 


Monday, September 4th, 2023

In brief

RAIN Group launches Self- Study+ for sales teams Global sales training company RAIN Group announced the launch of Self- Study+ on 9 August. The new offering combines the “advantages of self-paced learning with the power of practice, feedback, and collaboration”, according to the Boston-headquartered company. The programme features 77 modules across critical skill areas and 11 standard learning journeys. Sellers…