In the opening words of his TED talk, American business magnate Bill Gates declared “Everyone needs a coach.” From professional athletes to CEOs, Bill highlighted the fact that the single common attribute among all high-performing individuals was the fact that they have a coach. Why should sales managers and sales reps be any different? 

As much as we love the efficiency of texting and email when doing business, there are times when a phone call is necessary. Some of those times occur during the sales process. The phone remains one of a salesperson's most effective communication channels, helping them make personal connections with leads and close more deals.

Businesses in the US spent $4.6B on generating leads in 2021; it’s a top priority for marketing and sales leaders. This begs the question: if these leads are so valuable, why does it take the average company 47 hours to respond to a lead - if they respond at all? The truth is that lead response matters. And lead response is most effective when it's fast.

According to Forbes magazine, companies that generate leads on the internet are wasting nearly 71% of them. Why? Because they drop the ball on lead response. Companies work hard to boost close ratios and to generate fresh leads but they overlook the most important aspect, which is taking advantage of the leads they already have.

What is the biggest challenge that today’s companies face? Ironically, it’s possibly the simplest to address: they don’t respond quickly enough to leads.

As a tech enthusiast and someone passionate about enhancing customer experiences, I've been thinking a lot about how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the sales world. While AI offers some amazing tools and capabilities, I firmly believe that the human element in sales remains irreplaceable. We shouldn't let AI run the show entirely; instead, we should use it to make our sales process even better.

Welcome to 2024 – a year packed with promises and, let's be real, a few challenges too. The game has changed. No more waiting around for potential buyers to come knocking at your door. Now, it's all about taking charge and actively chasing those leads to secure success. So, let's dive into the opportunity to rethink strategies for responding to online and phone leads.   As businesses roll with the punches in this ever-evolving landscape, the key is to grab every opportunity that comes our way.

Car dealerships face a common challenge: potential customers often engage with dealerships outside of normal business hours—late at night, on weekends, or even on holidays. In many cases, these valuable leads go cold simply because dealerships aren't able to respond quickly enough. But what if there was a way to convert those after-hours leads into sales without having a 24/7 sales team?

AI technology is transforming all aspects of business - including sales. Every sales manager needs to consider using AI in sales, in at least a limited capacity. Here’s why:

AI has the power to transform every aspect of how we do business, from initial interaction to customer retention. AI promises quick, responsive, customizable interactions that reflect your brand and meet leads, prospects and customers where they are.

But how does it actually work? What kind of results can you expect? Is it worth it? These are the kinds of questions that sales leaders ask us all the time.

Do you know one of the simplest ways your sales team can have a competitive advantage over your competitors? By prioritizing  using lead source attribution. Ruler Analytics reports that 53.3% of sales leaders do not understand marketing attribution. Also, 62% admit that they don't attribute revenue to inbound calls. While attribution is one of the trickiest challenges to solve in this digital age, not proactively addressing it can be a costly problem. On the flip side, accurate and efficient attribution presents a huge opportunity for sales teams. So how can you do it? One way is with call tracking and text messaging call tracking. It can give you that important competitive edge.