SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter. How effectively do you help your teams arrive at their own solutions rather than giving a solution to them? Very effectively: Almost everything we do is the team’s idea: 17.52%

If your sales reps had an expertly crafted, clear-cut sales process, how much would their sales performance improve? Using a company-wide sales process flowchart gets your whole sales team on the same page. Maintaining consistent sales processes across your team enables you to seamlessly manage sales company-wide and easily refine processes. If your sales reps are clear on the language and steps they need to follow to successfully sell more, your company sales will skyrocket.

SmartBrief surveyed marketers about in-person events now that mask mandates have been lifted across the country. A lot has changed since last summer. The in-person events industry was crushed in 2020. About 83 million people had to change plans when the pandemic hit, per Forbes. Two years later, live events are making a comeback, but SmartBrief’s most recent survey of marketers finds

Whether you are a seasoned executive or simply starting your professional journey, investing in communication training is an investment in yourself that will pay dividends throughout your career. Embrace the power of effective communication and watch as your professional opportunities flourish.

Companies are recognizing listening’s impact on retention, productivity, and culture by installing macro-organizational listening strategies. Strategies include designating a chief listening officer, hiring listening consulting firms and employing organization-wide listening mechanisms like engagement surveys; pulse-taking during exit, onboarding, and post-merger interviews; crowdsourcing methods like suggestion boxes or polling on specific topics.

In a rapidly evolving sales landscape, the question remains: Will AI replace human relationships, or will human interaction continue to dominate? We are racing toward a critical decision about technology and human interaction, one that could create a divide between technologists and those who prefer human engagement. It has been said that GPT was released to acclimate us to artificial intelligence.

How confident are you that your sales team can meet your KPIs this quarter? If you’re like the 70% majority of sales managers, there’s some doubt in your mind. Meeting key objectives and sales targets seems more unattainable by the day, but it doesn’t have to be. To meet objectives consistently, keep your salesforce satisfied and striving, and give senior leadership reports that have them singing your praises, you need one crucial thing: A sales leadership framework.

As a leader, it’s important to constantly work on your development and growth in order to effectively guide and inspire your team. However, there may be certain behaviors or habits that are holding you back from reaching your full potential and you might not even be aware of it. Here are few common things that can hinder your leadership development:

Strategic thinking with most sales leaders seems to be focused on, “How are we going to finish the month?” For front line sales managers it seems to be limited to, “Did you hit your prospecting goals for today, what is your plan to do hit it tomorrow?” The intensity of focus on what we are doing to achieve our goals today blinds us to the fact that things are changing at a rate we have never experienced.

Judgment is the ability to make good decisions. It’s a complex phenomenon requiring the ability to observe and understand things, draw upon knowledge and experience, form an opinion, and reach a decision. It entails discerning, comparing, and making considered decisions.

A sense of community is key for employees. It gives them a feeling of belonging while helping build culture and learning. This article discusses how companies can be sensitive and promote community. In her book Retirement and Its Discontents, Michelle Pannor Silver’s research reveals that for millions of people work is much more than output or income they generate. It is a source of meaning and social identity. It is where they feel intellectually stimulated and can express their creative selves. It is where they feel a sense of community and connection.

In the bustling world of media ad sales, a veteran General Sales Manager (GSM) is akin to a seasoned captain steering a ship through ever-changing waters. As digital waves crash and consumer winds shift, how can you, the experienced captain, lead your crew to success? Let’s dive into a story that illustrates the journey and uncover strategies to enhance your team’s performance and boost sales.

As you read this, many of the people on your team may be plotting their escape. A recent Gallup poll found that 54 percent of workers are “psychologically unattached to their work and company” — and that makes them very hard to rally to your cause. Across the American economy, those disengaged employees translate into billions of dollars of losses.

A sales manager needs to be seen and heard if they are going to lead their sales force. One of the downsides of our technologies is that the salesperson can monitor their sales force’s results over long distances. For as long as there have been CRMs, salespeople have feared their sales manager would act as Big Brother, monitoring their every move, tallying up their activities

As an executive leadership coach, I’ve witnessed the profound impact of mindset on leadership. Your mindset, whether it’s a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, plays a pivotal role in determining your effectiveness as a leader. In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of mindset, its influence on leadership, and how you can harness the power of a growth mindset to enhance your leadership capabilities.