The Knowledgeworx
Edge
The Power of Commitment in Sales
Sales results are rarely determined by effort alone—two people can work equally hard, yet produce dramatically different outcomes. The difference is commitment, and understanding the four levels—from “I’ll try” to “I will do whatever it takes”—reveals why elite sales performers consistently outperform the rest.
How Do You Earn Your Margin?
In today’s industrial B2B market, margin isn’t defended by products—it’s earned through how you sell. This post outlines modern selling strategies that help CEOs and sales leaders protect price, deliver commercial insight, run a disciplined sales process, and create a frictionless buying experience. Learn how top-performing teams win on value, not discounts, and turn every customer interaction into measurable impact. the bottom list is that sellers earn thier margin by the way they sell.
High-Performance Sales Results—and How Science-Backed Competencies Drive Success
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
The Pain of Discipline vs. Regret: Why a Defined Sales Process Drives Sales Success
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
How Inside Sales Is Driving B2B Growth: Strategies to Boost Revenue and Efficiency
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
Unpleasant vs. Difficult: Smarter Leadership for Sales Success
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
A New Year, A Better Sales Approach
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
The AI Revolution in Sales
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
Essential Sales Pipeline Metrics for CEOs and Owners
A healthy sales pipeline fuels growth. Without enough quality opportunities, progress stalls. Research from Objective Management Group shows many sellers lack viable deals. Less than half have four closeable opportunities, and 75% of their pipeline is filled with early-stage leads lacking key elements like decision-maker involvement or budget.
To address this, focus on five areas: 1) Conduct weekly pipeline reviews to track progress; 2) Use a sales scorecard to evaluate opportunity quality; 3) Cull unqualified leads to sharpen focus; 4) Increase top-of-funnel volume while improving bottom-of-funnel quality; and 5) Assess your sales team to improve skills.
By focusing on both quantity and quality, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent growth.
Unlock CRM Potential: 5 Strategies for Sales Success
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” These timeless lyrics from Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” aren’t just wisdom for card players—they’re incredibly relevant for sales professionals. Recognizing misalignment, assessing decision-making progress, evaluating cost vs. benefit, and trusting your gut are crucial steps in deciding whether to pursue or abandon a prospect. By implementing these strategies, sales professionals can fine-tune their approach, save resources, and focus on the most promising opportunities for success.
Mastering the Art of Knowing When to Walk Away: Sales Lessons from ‘The Gambler’
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” These timeless lyrics from Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” aren’t just wisdom for card players—they’re incredibly relevant for sales professionals. Recognizing misalignment, assessing decision-making progress, evaluating cost vs. benefit, and trusting your gut are crucial steps in deciding whether to pursue or abandon a prospect. By implementing these strategies, sales professionals can fine-tune their approach, save resources, and focus on the most promising opportunities for success.
The Difference Between Leading and Lagging Sales Indicators
Leading and Lagging Sales Indicators: The Secret to Unlocking Sales Success If you have ever invested, you have probably heard the warning: "Past Performance Is Not Indicative of Future Results." SEC Rule 156 requires mutual funds to tell investors not to base their...
Three Strategies to Jump-start Sales Growth for Distributors
Boost Sales Growth: 3 Proven Strategies for Industrial Distributors In the competitive industrial distribution industry, achieving profitable revenue growth is essential. Here are three key strategies to help distributors thrive and stay ahead in today's market: 1....
Six Tips for Selling Millennials and Generation Z
Selling B2B services and products to Millennials and Generation Z requires a different approach. Millennials and Generation Z now hold the decision-making keys for most B2B purchases. A recent Forrester Research study of nearly 14,000 B2B buyers found that younger...
Unveiling the Keys to Sales Performance-It’s Not Sales Compensation!
It's Not Just About Compensation H.L. Mencken famously said: "For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." I'm not sure he was talking about sales compensation, but he may as well have been. When sales performance falls short, the...
The 3 Habits of Effective Sales Managers
The three habits that distinguish the best sales managers Are you wondering what separates elite sales managers from the rest of the pack? We measure 21 sales manager core competencies. In addition, to be strong across the core competencies, elite managers share three...
The 5 Habits of Effective Salespeople
The five habits that separate the best sellers from the rest. If you manage a sales team, you know that not every salesperson is created equal. You probably have a few superstars who close more deals and generate more revenue than the rest. While there's no one...
Unlocking Sales Hiring Success with Sales Competency Models
Harnessing the Power of Position-Specific Competency Selection Models Business owners and CEOs repeatedly express frustration with finding sales talent. Slow ramp-up, long learning curves, and high washout rates exasperate them. Their angst is understandable. Most...
Selling like it is 1943?
Note: This post was written to recognize a successful industry journal. The message applies to every sales force! The pitfalls of a traditional legacy sales approach When Sanitary Maintenance was first published in 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt was President of the...
Six-Steps to Successful Sales Transformation
The holistic approach to sustainable growth The best CEOs are solid strategic thinkers with a vision they implement through strategic planning. Ironically, their approach to revenue generation is rarely as rigorous as their approach to the rest of their business. They...
I Know My People…Really?
The Will to Sell and Sales DNA account for more than half of a salesperson’s performance, yet neither is readily observable. It is crucial to understand that salespeople with strong Sales DNA will always outperform their peers, even those with stronger traditional sales skills. The only way to build a world-class sales organization is for you to evaluate and measure the competencies that lead to success.
2023 is Here!!! The Key to Making Your Sales Number.
The key to making your 2023 sales number. You may be saying to yourself, "2023 is just getting started. I have all kinds of time." No, you don't. Sales do not magically happen. They take time to develop for two reasons: Sales Cycle: Let's assume you have a 3-month...
Five Misconceptions about Sales Success
How to improve sales hiring success Senior leadership invariably wants to hire better salespeople. It begs the question to ask better than what? Better than the existing salesforce? Better than the competition? Better than the top five percent of all salespeople?...
Recession-Proof Sales Strategies for Distributors
Selling into a Recession...Does it matter? We're seeing an interesting phenomenon. Many companies are reporting record sales and see nothing but blue skies ahead. Others see storm clouds on the horizon and have already begun laying off salespeople. Who's right? I'm...
The Face of Uncertainty
Sales strategies for turbulent times. As I write this, we're facing crippling inflation, persistent supply chain problems, and soaring gas prices. The stock market fluctuates wildly. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to cool things down. If it goes well,...
How much is your sales force costing you?
Understanding the real cost of sales. Every CEO we work with is concerned about the cost of sales. They know how much they spend on their sales organization as a percentage of gross margin and total revenue. The most astute CEOs understand that traditional measures...
How Build Elite Inside Sales
Five steps to successful inside sales. Inside sales. Inside sales. Inside sales. Our clients have been asking about this topic more than any other. Business-to-business (B2B) inside sales growth is unambiguous and irreversible. Numerous studies confirm the increasing...
2022 is Here!!!
How to make your number in 2022. Wow!!! 2021 is quickly winding down. Can you believe that another year is nearly in the books? I guess the adage is true, "The days are long, and the years are short." Now is a perfect time to take stock of your 2021 results. The...
Peer or Peddler?
How do you know which room do you belong in? We all have choices—lots of them. Customers and prospects choose who they will work with, and their choices speak volumes about you and your approach to selling. Customers tell us that they want: A salesperson that can...
Are you curious enough to succeed?
What Ted Lasso can teach you about sales and sales leadership. I have a confession. I am hooked on Ted...Ted Lasso. Ted Lasso* is an award-wining comedy on AppleTV+. The series follows an American football coach, Ted Lasso, who is hired to coach an English premier...
Sales In The Post Pandemic Economy
Selling in the Post-Pandemic Economy The post-pandemic economy is on a tear. It's one of the most exciting and explosive periods of expansion since WWII. All the signs of a once-in-a-generation year are there. The wholesale sales index is showing double-digit...
Tips For Salesforce Evaluation
Disruption...Gotta Love It! The famous opening line from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities could just as easily apply to selling in 2021: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Supply chain disruptions are impacting everything from ketchup to...
Disruption…Gotta Love It!
Successful selling in a time of uncertainty The famous opening line from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities could just as easily apply to the selling in 2021: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Supply chain disruptions are impacting everything...
Recapturing Sales Growth 2021
Differentiate from competitors ahead of a post-COVID economy By most measures, jan/san businesses faired well in 2020. Most of our clients had their strongest year ever. While revenue growth was modest, unprecedented COVID-related product demand shifted the product...
2021: What’s your plan?
Positioning your sales staff for post-pandemic success in 2021. The firms that will emerge the strongest have invested in their sales organizations and are building capability that their competitors do not have. They will have a sustainable competitive advantage.
Virtual Selling…Is Your Team You Ready?
COVID-19’s impact on society has been astounding. The effect on business to business (B2B) sales is transformational. Leaders can quickly assess their team’s likelihood of succeeding in the virtual selling world by answering four questions.
Capturing Cross-Selling Opportunities
Firms increasingly rely on cross-selling to generate post-transaction revenue while frequently falling short of fully realizing their cross-selling opportunity. By applying modern analytics, firms can substantially increase the synergistic opportunities that cross-selling offers, but that is too rarely realized.
Post COVID Selling..What’s Next?
You may have had the “right” sales model at one time. However, everything has changed. The competitive landscape is merciless, customers are more informed than ever, and now there are economic headwinds.
Six Sales Questions for CEOs
Sales leaders must be willing to ask themselves whether they can reach their goals with their current teams and if their salespeople are in the correct roles. It’s also important to consider whether the current business model will be able to generate sales growth.
Ready, Set, Sell: 3 Steps to Shortening Sales Onboarding
Salesperson ramp up times can be dramatically reduced. The steps are clear, proven, and effective. Shortening ramp up requires excelling at each step. The companies that are committed to the process will build a distinct competitive advantage as they add more elite salespeople who quickly ramp up.
I’ll Send an Email
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw During a recent coaching session for a large client, the room was filled with salespeople of various levels of experience and industry knowledge. Some of the...
Closing is Overrated
Great sales are not the result of magical closing techniques. Sales and profitability growth come from measuring and building sales competencies. Your number one priority should be the measurable development of your team. You need to know each of your salespeople’s competencies, precisely where they need to be strengthened, target training, and measure the improvement.
The 21-Day Solution for the Toughest Sales Weaknesses
Based on a recent post from Dave Kurlan. About a year ago, Dave Kurlan wrote a very popular article called, Persistence Over Polish, where he discussed the competencies that the top 10% of all salespeople were better at than everyone else. The article identified 5 of...
Surviving in the Age of Amazon
The internet has changed the role of salespeople. Customers have moved beyond the skill set of all but elite sellers. The sales force of 5 years ago simply does not have the skills to survive in an age of digitally enabled buyers. It’s not that successful salespeople have become “bad” at selling, but their skills have atrophied. Survival requires salespeople to think differently about their customers and have vastly better skills than ever before.
Sales Management: Best Practices
In this article you will learn exactly what your sales managers need to do to transform your sales team.
Can Self-Managed Sales Forces Succeed?
The data is in and the days of the swashbuckling, self-managed salesperson are over. Top sales forces are closely-managed, disciplined and process-driven. Elite sellers use a of a milestone-centric sales process and are rigorously coached. Here is what the data tells us.
The Inside Story on Inside Sales
While the trend toward inside sales has been growing for several years, over the course of the past six months, our clients have been asking about this topic more than any other. This article discusses the growth of inside sales and the appropriate role for inside sales.
The Inside Story on Inside Sales
Inside sales. Inside sales. Inside sales. While the trend toward inside sales has been growing for several years, over the course of the past six months, our clients have been asking about this topic more than any other. This article discusses the growth of inside sales and the appropriate role for inside sales.
Knowledgeworx Recognized with Multiple Awards
Knowledgeworx, a leading sales consulting firm that provides sales performance improvements to distributors and manufacturers, announced today that they were recently honored with the numerous achievement awards.
Free Webinar! Benchmarking Sales Performance
Free Webinar: Benchmarking Sales Performance. This LIVE webinar will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 11:00am-12:00pm Eastern Daylight Time.
Market Forces and Disruption in the Jan/San Industry White Paper
This report examines the five mega-trends are disrupting the jan/san supply industry.
The report provides insight into the market forces that have altered and will continue to redefine the competitive landscape for years. Conclusions, survival strategies and actionable recommendations are included.
The Voice of the Modern Buyer
Customers are increasingly choosing value-differentiated consultative sellers and marginalizing product jockeys. The challenge for leadership is to assess, adapt and re-skill their sales teams so they are aligned with the needs of the modern buyer. Selling to modern business customers becomes easier once you hear their voices.
Selling Value in the Age of Amazon: Video
B2B selling has changed. Supply channels are blurred and competition can come from anywhere. To succeed , sales people need to “be the value”.
What Makes a Sales Person Elite?
Everyone wants a salesforce comprised of elite sales people. The question is how? The starting point is understanding the qualities that make “A” players different form everyone else. The next step is measuring your existing sales team and all sales candidates along three important dimensions (the Will to Sell, Sales DNA, and Tactical Skills)
Free Webinar! Benchmarking Sales Performance
Free Webinar: Benchmarking Sales Performance.
Thinking About Changing Your Sales Compensation Plan? Think Again!
We are frequently asked about sales compensation. In most cases, company leaders are considering changing their company’s sales compensation plan after sales performance fails to meet expectations. Management is hoping that modifying the sales compensation plan will motivate their sales force to find new business. Read why it rarely works.
Thinking about Amazon?
The distributors that will succeed understand the new reality. They will have the courage to dive into the capabilities of your sales team to determine how well they are suited to selling in the age of Amazon is the first step and the foundation of everything that needs to be done to succeed.
Hiring Millennials for Sales Roles
As Millennials enter sales organizations in greater numbers, we are increasingly asked how well-suited the new generation is for sales roles. The data is in. Here are the facts: Millennials are just like everyone else, so be careful when you hire. Elite salespeople are few and far between.
What B2B Sales Leaders Can Learn from Amazon
B2B companies can easily see into the crystal ball because that’s what lies in store for them if they don’t realize that everything about selling has changed.
The Key to Independent Distributor Success
U.S. Census Bureau data shows that the number of independent jan/san distributors has atrophied from over 24,000 in 1991 to 4,142 in 2012. Beating well-capitalized foes with ubiquitous market presence is not easy. However, there is a tremendous opportunity for those that understand that the market has changed and are willing to adapt.
Free Webinar! Benchmarking Sales Performance
Free Webinar: Benchmarking Sales Performance. Benchmarking and Predictive Sales Selection in Hiring Great Salespeople
Free Webinar! The Magic in the OMG Sales Candidate Assessment
Free Webinar: The Magic in the OMG Sales Candidate Assessment
Learn about the top sales assessment tool in 2016. This is the 6th consecutive year that OMG earned the honor!
Sales Compensation: The Unchanging Role
Is it time to change your sales compensation program? Are you already thinking about it? This insightful article discusses some of the considerations.
Free Webinar! The 6 Hidden Sales Weaknesses that Limit Sales Results
Most companies fail to generate all of the possible revenue they could. While some do better than others, most companies fall well short of their potential. On average, only 60% of salespeople meet their quotas, suggesting that either the quotas are unrealistically...
What it Takes to be an Elite (Top 7%) Salesperson
Clients regularly tell us they would like to hire a "superstar" or sales person that will really make a difference. This article explains what an elite rep looks like.
Sales Person Training: Who is Trainable?
Did you know that only about one-half of sales reps are trainable. The best and most successful training is focused on specific skill gaps and competencies of those who are trainable. This article discusses best practices for sales force training by identifying the...
Assess for Success
The chances of finding a sales superstar are low. Research shows that only 7 percent of sales representatives are elite performers so your chances of randomly finding a superstar are low. That is why best-in-class companies are 83 percent more likely to use...
Jim Peduto Headlines Educational Session Presenters
Jim Peduto will present two “must see” programs at NJSSA’s Supply Line 2016
1. Cost, Quality and Productivity: Making the Connection
Wednesday, May 4, 2016 • Noon – 1 p.m.
Today’s building service contractor must balance budget cuts with demands for higher service levels. The solution lies in how well an organization is staffed. Participants will learn how to build a zero-based staffing plan with modern workloading tools in a way that strikes the perfect balance between operating costs and quality.