Sales Skills

Until you start selling, it’s just a hobby! Don’t invest time and money, before you KNOW your product or service will sell!

• Does the market REALLY want what you will offer, or do you simply think so?
• Speak to MANY people and get their honest opinion!
• Get your first sale part-time! Test it, start it and build it while you still have secure income! 

Reality

Only 52% of sales reps made quota in 2009, CSO Insights survey shows. CSO released results of its 16th annual “Sales Performance Optimization” study based on a survey of some 2,800 companies.

The study found that many companies froze or cut back on their sales budgets in various categories. Lead generation budgets were frozen or reduced by 67 percent of the firms surveyed, while training investments per rep dropped by an average 13 percent.

Yet CSO reported that in late 2008, 86 percent of firms surveyed said they were increasing sales quotas for 2009.

“Many of these firms then tried to ‘cut their way to success’ by reducing budgets. The [survey] results show that strategy was a huge mistake,” said Barry Trailer, another CSO managing partner based in California.

“Again in 2010, 85 percent of the firms we just surveyed have raised their sales rep revenue targets,” Trailer added.

“We can all hope that an improved economy will be the tide that raises sales performance this year, but it would be foolhardy to count on that. Higher quotas need to be accompanied by increased investments in sales in 2010 or we may be looking at even worse sales performance numbers next year.”