12 Sales Lessons to Fuel a Prosperous 2015

2014 has been a pretty incredible year. The U.S. economy has grown steadily stronger, the cloud and IT markets have seen dramatic innovation and growth, and many of the businesses we work with are experiencing strong end-of-year sales. I hope the same is true for your business.

As I reflect on the previous 12 months, here are the top trends and strategies that not only shaped 2014, but I believe also will fuel a prosperous 2015.

January: Why Providing Options to Customers Can Prevent a Price War

Sick of having to resort to price cuts or ugly negotiations to win a deal? In this post, I share how providing prospects with options can help you keep the conversation focused on value.

February: The Secrets to Leveraging Your Sales Reps’ Competitiveness

Like athletes, sales reps often thrive in competitive settings—not only in an attempt to beat everyone else, but also to beat their own historical achievements. This post features tips for making that happen.

March: Helpful Hints to Move Prospects Past Status Quo

Status quo is often prospects’ strategy of choice—largely because it’s the path to least resistance. This post explains how to get prospects out of that rut and thinking outside the box.

April: Sick of Cold Calling? Here’s How to Eliminate it for Good

When I started my career in sales at IBM, I loved my job—but hated cold calling. So, what did I do? Here’s my simple plan for executing a well-rounded lead-generation strategy that can help you reduce cold calling.

May: Two Misguided Sales Beliefs that Wreak Havoc on Results

In this post, I debunk the common sales beliefs and explain why there’s a big difference between empowering employees to make their own decisions and allowing them to “do what they want to do.”

June: Is Your Business at Risk of Violating New Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation?

In July, Canada enacted the most stringent anti-spam legislation in the world. This post covers three critical points you need to be aware of to stay in compliance.

July: 3 Tips to Generate More Leads and Stay in Compliance with CASL

If you’re worried about running afoul with CASL (see my post from June) and having your lead generation suffer, here are three simple tips that will help you generate quality—and compilant—leads.

August: 5 Telltale Signs of All-Star Salespeople

In a recent report, CareerBuilder found that failed hires can cost companies as much as $50,000 and have a hugely negative impact on customer relationships. Avoid those brutal side effects by focusing on five key sales rep qualities.

September: The Hidden Costs of Generic Buyer Personas

Using buyer personas is better than taking a shotgun approach to lead generation and nurturing. But that will get you only so far. Read this post to find out how to really amplify your prospecting activities.

October: The Everlasting Secret to Improving Sales

Customers appreciate salespeople who genuinely care about helping them solve a problem. In this post, I explain how VAR sales reps can convey that desire and inspire trust.

November: Think Your Body Language Doesn’t Matter? Here’s Why You’re Wrong

Sales best practices are constantly changing, but winning deals is still all about conveying confidence to prospects. Find out how body language can play a huge role in communicating that confidence.

December: The Most Toxic Philosophy in Sales: “Just Wing It!”

IT Sales requires a proven process and a plan. When you wing it, you’ll almost always suffer. Here’s how and why.

What was your favorite post from 2014? And what would you like to see me write about in 2015?

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below—and best wishes for a very prosperous New Year!

Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the newly released book “The Sales Magnet” and the award winning book “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the small and midmarket business (SMB) segment.