Agile Sales

Sales expert Jill Konrath offers powerful strategies for sales proficiency in ever-changing situations. When sales people are promoted, change jobs, or face new business environments, they inevitably need to learn new skills quickly. This rapid change is often overwhelming, and sellers face an intense pressure from their bosses to deliver immediate results. Their livelihoods are totally dependent on their ability to get up to speed quickly. Sales guru Jill Konrath offers both new and experienced salespeople a plan for rapidly absorbing new information and mastering new skills by becoming agile sellers. Readers will learn the mindsets, learning strategies and habits that they can use in crazy-busy times to start strong and stay nimble. From time management tools to personal motivation, creativity, and gamification strategies, Konrath teaches sellers how to get more done in less time, regardless of the environment. To succeed in today's sales world, having go-to systems for rapid information and skill acquisition isn't only useful, but absolutely required. Konrath focuses on the meta-skills that will get sellers to high levels of sales and proficiency - and ultimately mastery - much faster than their usual methods. Readers who loved the no-nonsense advice in SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies will find Agile Selling equally valuable.

Experience the growth multiplier effect through transforming the distribution and sales network Selling Through Someone Else tackles new opportunities to drive company growth by taking a fresh look at the customer smart distribution and sales process. The authors, from Accenture, one of the world's largest consulting companies, explain how companies can be smarter about what their customers truly want and maximize the return on investment from all available resources for growth opportunities by exploring creative distribution options, including leveraging partners, online outlets, iPads/tablets, your traditional sales force, and more. Selling Through Someone Else demonstrates that traditional approaches are no longer effective and how, by capitalizing on converging forces, companies can transform their "sales" approaches to grow revenue, and enhance customer and brand loyalty. Explores how globalization, new competitors, and low-cost threats are reshaping the way sales is happening today, and how to prepare your company to be successful in this new dynamic and iterative selling model Shows how analytics, the shift to digital selling and mobile sales tools, and new approaches to sales operations can reshape the entire sales function Demonstrates how new ecosystems of partners are created, managed, and incented to drive greater sales and profitability Accenture has helped numerous clients collaborate across IT, Sales, and Marketing to dramatically grow distribution and adapt to the different "playing field" of today. Selling through Someone Else applies the trends and lessons learned from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies to mid-sized enterprises and small-medium businesses owners.

If you ever wondered if Agile methodology can be applied to a sales environment, then this is the book for you. A step-by-step process explained from the point of view of someone who has walked the walk, not just talked the talk. A compelling read for anyone who wants to elevate their sales approach above the crowd. –Ken Aitken Managing Director, SmartFreight The sales function, once believed to be exempt from the requirement to practice continuous improvement, is struggling. Now shaken by the age of e-commerce, sales teams are looking for answers. Agile Sales provides a path forward. –Robert Hafey Author, Lean Safety and Lean Safety Gemba Walks The Agile philosophy has grown and achieved success initially through the technology design and development teams of some of the world’s largest, most successful organizations. Recently, it has been adopted by the marketing departments of these organizations and others, and new techniques are evolving for defining, engaging, and providing customers with amazing and unique experiences. Sales teams are becoming disrupted by technology and the differentiated experiences marketing teams are providing for their customers online using Agile techniques. Sales organizations have been looking for a way to avoid disruption and get back into the game with value. Sales teams are now beginning to adopt Agile, which is enabling these teams to revolutionize the way they engage customers with value and delightful experiences that result in greater value for the customers and themselves. This book outlines how Agile can help sales teams develop a culture of innovation focused on their customers. This book takes the reader through the customer’s buying journey (Agile technique), outlining tips and tricks that have come from Agile deployments within sales functions to help them get started. The key benefit for the reader is the introduction of a proven philosophy and techniques that will help them avoid disruption, elevate themselves from the commodity trap, and achieve success again. This book provides the reader with insights into how to achieve sustainable change using real-life case examples. The reader will also experience enjoyment and delight from the stories told and case examples provided.

The demands on companies are changing rapidly due to digitalization. Today's customers want to be served conveniently, directly, solution-oriented and accommodating at all times on all communication channels. Only flexible, fast and innovative sales and service departments will keep the customers willing to change and also get the young "digital natives" on board. This book is about practical agile working principles and methods, with the help of which you can make your sales department more innovative and agile as a bridge to the customer. On the basis of agile leadership and team principles, you will be provided with custom-fit structures and frameworks to increase the agility of sales teams. How do you successfully implement agile frameworks and methods such as Kanban, Design Thinking, Shopfloor and OKRs in which sales area? Which prerequisites must be created for this? The basis for change is the common understanding and mindset of the decision-makers. The book offers thought models and numerous tips for action. A decisive factor is the strengthening of self-organization and assumption of responsibility through a different understanding of the role of management. Building on this, the book describes practicable agile structures and methods for developing sales and service teams in the direction of transformation and innovation capability. Target group are managing directors, sales managers, executives, consultants and employees from the areas of service and sales.

"The Agile philosophy has grown and achieved success initially through the Technology Design and Development teams of some of the world's largest organizations including Google, Netflix, and Microsoft. Recently, it has been adopted by the marketing departments of these organizations and others and new techniques are evolving for defining, engaging and providing customers amazing unique experiences. Sales teams are becoming disrupted by technology and the differentiated experiences marketing teams using Agile techniques are building for their customers online. Sales organizations have been looking for a way to avoid disruption and get back into the game with value. Agile is now starting to be adopted by sales teams, enabling these teams to revolutionize the way they engage customers with value and delighting experiences which result in greater value for the customer and themselves. This book outlines how Agile can help sales teams develop a culture of innovation focused on their customers. The book takes the reader through the customer buying journey (Agile technique) outlining tips and tricks that have come from Agile deployments within sales functions to help them get started. The key benefit for the reader is the introduction of a proven philosophy and techniques that will help them avoid disruption, elevate themselves from the commodity trap and achieve success again. The book provides the reader insights into how to achieve sustainable change using real life case examples. The reader will also gain enjoyment and delight through the stories told and case examples provided"--

Many companies want to make their sales agile. Some of them have tried to set up agile sales organizations, but such top-down approaches and big-bang rollouts seldom seem to work. This book shows how the elements of the leading agile framework “Scrum” should be applied to install agility in the salesforce, improve sales performance, and resolve typical performance issues in sales organizations. It contains concrete guidelines, real-world examples, and useful tools to create the necessary change step by step and built to last.

The essential roadmap for the new realities of selling when buyers are in charge Sales and service are being radically redefined by the biggest communications revolution in human history. Today buyers are in charge! There is no more 'selling'—there is only buying. When potential customers have near perfect information on the web, it means salespeople must transform from authority to consultant, product narratives must tell a story, and businesses must be agile enough to respond before opportunity is lost. The New Rules of Sales and Service demystifies the new digital commercial landscape and shows you how to stay ahead of the pack. Companies large and small are revolutionizing the way business gets done, and this book takes you inside the new methods and strategies that are critical to success in the modern market. Real-world examples illustrate the new marketplace in action, and demonstrate the brilliant utility of taking a new look at your customer and your business. This new edition has been updated to reflect the current reality of this rapidly-evolving sphere, with fresh strategies, new tools, and new stories. Whether you're an independent contractor, a multi-national corporation, a start-up, or a nonprofit, this book is your essential guide to navigating the new digital marketplace. David Meerman Scott provides up-to-the-minute analysis of the current state of the digital commercial landscape, plus expert guidance toward the concepts, strategies, and tools that every business needs now. Among the topics covered in detail: Why the old rules of sales and service no longer work in an always-on world The new sales cycle and how informative Web content drives the buying process Providing agile, real-time sales and service 24/7 without letting it rule your life The importance of defining and understanding the buyer personas How agile customer service retains existing clients and expands new business Why content-rich websites motivate interest, establish authority, and drive sales How social media is transforming the role of salesperson into valued consultant Because buyers are better informed, and come armed with more choices and opportunities than ever before, everything about sales has changed. Salespeople must adapt because the digital economy has turned the old model on its head, and those who don't keep up will be left behind. The New Rules of Sales and Service is required reading for anyone wanting to stay ahead of the game and grow business now.

This unique Advanced Introduction offers an insight into how sales leaders seek and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage for both organizations and customers. Lawrence B. Chonko explores how sales leaders take professional selling to the next level by focusing on serving the customer. Discussing the key skills of sales leaders - technological proficiency, managing change, and harnessing and using knowledge - Chonko analyzes how sales leaders are distinguished from other sales professionals.