The 10 Best Sales Blog Posts of 2015 (So Far)

Q2 has officially come to a close and we’re making our way into the second half of 2015. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been reflecting on the first half of 2015, assessing what went well as well as areas for improvement.

To help launch me into a great Q3, so I took a look at some of my favorite sales blogs for inspiration. It’s hard to believe how much fantastic content the sales community has shared this year! The sheer number of actionable tips I just picked up is staggering. So I thought it could be helpful to share ten of the best blog posts I’ve read this year.

If you’re looking for some inspiration to propel you through the second half of 2015, look no further than these 10 fantastic blog posts:

What Separates the Strongest Salespeople from the Weakest

By Steve W. Martin

Steve W. Martin doesn’t beat around the bush. In this fantastic blog post (originally published in HBR), he makes an evidence-based argument for which factors separate top performers from the rest of the herd.

What if Efficiency is Not the Problem?

By Tamara Schenk

All of sales enablement leader and analyst Tamara Schenk’s blog posts are incredibly thought-provoking. But I especially loved this recent post, in which she explores the key differences between managing and coaching (and why both are essential).

How One VP Hired 23 Reps in 100 Days and Lived

By Matt Bertuzzi

Hiring new reps is one of the biggest challenges that’s keeping sales leaders up at night. This piece, by the Bridge Group’s Matt Bertuzzi, chronicles how Zip Recruiter’s VP of Sales Kevin Gaither managed to ramp up an inside sales team in 100 days. Having to hire sales reps quickly can be an unenviable task, but it’s a reality at virtually every high-growth company. There are some fantastic tips in this article and I consider it a must-read for sales executives at high-growth tech companies.

How to Train Your Customers: Six Steps to Better Relationships and Outcomes

By Matt Heinz

Bringing in new customers is vital. But if you’re selling products or services with recurring revenue it can be even more important to keep the customers you have. This blog post by Matt Heinz of Heinz Marketing offers tips for sales and customer success reps that can help maximize the lifetime value of each customer.

Which Sales Book is a Must-Read: Summer Reading List 2015

By Nancy Bleeke

Now that summer is here, it’s time to decide which books to put on your summer reading list. Nancy Bleeke offers some suggestions of books that can help you take your sales game to new levels.

Are You Prepared to Sacrifice to Succeed in Sales?

By Andy Paul

This post serves as a powerful reminder that success is virtually never achieved without sacrifice. If you want to be great at sales, what are you prepared to sacrifice in order to attain that level of greatness? Andy Paul offers some guidance on how to measure your desire to succeed and establish a long-term plan to achieve those results.

How to Sell Into Any Fortune 500 Company with this LinkedIn Hack

By Juliana Crispo

In this post for Sales Hacker, Juliana Crispo, Director of Enterprise Sales at Ghostery, reveals a LinkedIn trick that can help you laser-target decision makers at big companies. If you’re tasked with prospecting into enterpsie companies, this blog post is well worth the read.

How Salespeople Can Tell a Story: A Burger and Bill Gates

By Bryan Colyer

Sometimes all the features and stats in the world can’t sell a product as well as a good story. In this post for Salesforce’s blog, Bryan Colyer relates how Yammer’s founder was able to convey the value of his company to Bill Gates by telling an awesome success story. Colyer’s post does a great job of explaining why case studies are so vital in B2B sales.

Sales People Should Never Do a Demo Under These Circumstances

By Jim Keenan

Demos can be a powerful closing tool. But giving demos prior to a discovery conversation can end up wasting your time and your prospects’ time. In this post, Keenan does a great job of identifying when you should and shouldn’t give demos.