Best Practices of

Top-Performing Sellers
HABITS TO HELP YOU E XCEED YOUR GOALS

© 2021. SalesLoft. All Rights Reserved. @salesloft

Table of 3
Roadblocks to
Sales Success
Top Sales Challenges According to Reps 5

Contents
Top Performer Takeaways 7
Exceed Your Goals
With Sales Engagement 15
Best Practices of Top
Performing Sellers 8
Calling Behaviors 9
Using a Single System
of Execution for 17
Opportunity-Sourcing Behaviors 13 Your Sales Strategy
What All Performers Need to Succeed 14
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Roadblocks Remember the yellow pages? It’s hard to

imagine that reps once relied on this for
According to Dan Swift, CEO of
Empire Selling, ‘Today’s buyers

to Sales
prospecting. The ‘80s called — they want
and influencers don’t care
their sales strategy back!
how your internal organization
Success We laugh now, but when it comes to revenue strategies,
too many sales organizations are stuck in a time capsule.
is structured or what type
of seller is assigned to their
They’ve simply replaced the phone book with haphazard,
account.’…informed and self-
often undocumented processes, and short-term fixes.
And both buyers and sellers everywhere deserve better. sufficient business buyers
expect all members of the
Sellers are hungry for concrete guidance and long-term revenue team to bring value,
solutions to generate more pipeline, close more deals, and
continuity, and relevancy to
progress their career to the next level. Buyers need reps
who listen first, meet them where they are, and provide value. every interaction.

Forrester Research,
The Democratization Of B2B Sales
August 2020

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What Are Your

Biggest Sales Pains? Study Breakdown

Top Performers* vs. Company Size by

Average Deal Size
Connecting with buyers Hiring Average Performers Annual Revenue
Pipeline building Attrition
11% 10%
Process All of the above

14% 13%
Predictability 42%
48%
58% 59%
Though these challenges can be painful, none of them represent the 19%
27%
real problem. They’re all just symptoms of poor execution.

Average Performer $0–25K $0–50M

To understand how to overcome this, Salesloft partnered with TOPO
Top Performer $26–75K $51M–$500M
to evaluate what sets top performers apart and how to replicate that
* Top performers achieve 101%+ $76–150K $501M
success across the entire revenue organization through a common of quota on average
$150K+ Not Disclosed
set of sales fundamentals.

We surveyed 181 sales reps from a variety of organizations. See the

breakdown of study participants in the charts on the right.

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Top Sales Challenges According to Reps

Creating urgency on the seller’s 22%

side in a sales cycle 36%

18%
Updating the CRM
19%

Finding contact data for people 17%

at target accounts 20%

Not enough time for prospecting 15%

In this Guide:
and self-sourcing 20%

Lack of high-value offers (datasheets, specific 12%

We’ll share data around what messaging, competitive overviews, etc.) 18%
behaviors set top performers
apart from average ones and Too many unqualified sales conversations 11%
what it means for your sales from marketing and SDRs 17%
organization.
9%
Creating slide decks and custom materials
13%

9%
Too many unnecessary internal meetings
16%
Top Performer Average Performer
10% 20% 30% 40%

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How Reps Average Sales Rep’s Week

Spend Their Time
12%
Our survey found that sales reps only spend Development
half of their time on “core”selling activities, 31%
such as preparing for and interacting with Prospect
prospects. Interactions 14%
Internal
Meetings
The rest of their time is focused on other “non-selling”
Core
activities, such as administrative tasks. Too much time on non-
Selling
selling activities erodes a rep’s ability to be successful. Activities

21%
22% Admin
Preparation

Exhibit 3

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Top Performer
Takeaways
In the study, we found the most successful reps
focus more on factors within their control and
effectively manage their time to accomplish
selling activities.

Top-performing reps
Top-performing reps use data, intelligence, and productivity
tools 30% more than average performers. And they drive use data, intelligence,
success by consistently using sales best practices like: and productivity tools

Setting agendas prior to calls 30%

Scheduling time for core selling activities more than average
Limiting next steps until qualification performers.

And more

By contrast, average performers were more focused on external

factors, such as needing tools or more leads and content from
marketing.

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Top-Performing Seller Behaviors

Best Practices of
Top-Performing Sellers Schedule time for
What Top Performers Do More

Send an agenda in Use a sales playbook

prospecting on advance of a meeting daily to prepare
a weekly and/or or call for calls/demos/
monthly basis presentations,
Sales reps make choices every day that have a material effect using institutional
on an organization’s ability to meet revenue objectives. knowledge

Through this research, we wanted to understand how sales reps prioritize their Recap the impact Take notes directly Spend 45 more
and payoff to the in the CRM (or note- minutes leading
time, what tools they use, and which behaviors distinguish top performers from
buyer at each step of taking tool) during demos per week
average performers. the conversation the meeting

Top performers only spent an additional hour a week on core selling activities
than average performers did. However, top performers spent 45 more minutes What Top Performers Do Less
each week leading demos and 71 fewer minutes a week on account research.
That may not seem like a lot, but one more demo a week over a year adds up. Offer next steps less Spend 71 fewer Spend 2 fewer hours
Top performers also typically worked 3.9 hours less each week than average without clear call minutes on account on reading (industry
qualification research and list news and sales-
performers, who got lost in list-building and research. building per week related content) per
week
What set top performers apart was the ability to get more done in less time.
Manage daily tasks Spend 45 fewer
less in a CRM or minutes on setting
task management up automated
platform prospecting emails
weekly

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Calling Behaviors
When considering the detailed behaviors oftop and average
performers, the following charts expose some subtle areas to explore.

Note that any behavior being done by 75% or more sales reps is considered a widely adopted
Behavior being
standard. Top performers slightly edge out average performers on many behaviors.
done by
However, any item with less than a 5% difference isn’t statistically significant.
75%
or more sales reps
is considered
a widely adopted
standard.

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Seller Behaviors Before a Call

Calling Behaviors
Research potential connections to
continued
76%
the decision maker in advance 73%

74%
Align call objectives to sales stage exit criteria 70%

Schedule time for prospecting on a 74%

For behaviors done before calls, time weekly and/or monthly basis 68%
management is a significant point of difference.
66%
Send an agenda in advance of a meeting or call 60%
For behaviors done before calls, time management is a significant
point of difference. Top performers are less likely to manage their Create a written list of questions in advance 64%
of each call to prepare for the meeting 68%
tasks in a CRM or task management tool. While it’s considered
rogue behavior on most sales teams, top performers appear to Send a confirmation (email or phone) 59%
in advance of a meeting 63%
be breaking the “right” rule. Meaning, their departure from the
standard makes them more successful. Keep in touch with prospects and clients 51%
through regular, scheduled communications 52%

It’s not that successful reps aren’t managing their time. They’re 50%
Schedule time to update pipeline in the CRM
just not managing it the way that’s expected. 50%

Email relevant content (white paper, blog, 47%

Sales leaders should take note. Attaining success as a sales article) in advance of the call to add value 44%
organization could be as simple as adjusting to how best
Manage daily tasks and to-dos in a 45%
performing reps work. CRM or task management tool 70%

Check email in specific time 42%

windows on a daily basis 48%

Use a sales playbook daily to prepare 41%

for calls/demos/presentations 34%

Top Performer Average Performer Statistically Significant

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Seller Behaviors During a Call

Calling Behaviors
Schedule next steps before
continued
100%
leaving the call 97%

Push for a follow-up meeting with the 97%

decision maker (if applicable) 94%

Lead with introductions anytime 93%

Best practices for sellers during a call are largely a new person is on the call 96%
established.
Present an agenda at the beginning 89%
of the call 87%
All reps are engaging in the same general activities. The big
difference is that most top performers aren’t offering next steps Summarize and recap the key takeaways 87%
from each call before leaving the call 88%
unless stage qualification is clear.
Ask for feedback during call, or at the 79%
end, I ask open-ended questions 84%
Spending time on small talk is no longer desirable.
Sales reps are now being more direct and Offer case studies and other resources 78%
intentional in managing buyer conversations. aligned to a buyer’s needs 81%

Considering how many buyers conduct online Ask personal questions to 74%
research before making purchases (roughly 80%), establish rapport 78%
this isn’t surprising. Recap the impact and payoff to the 72%
buyer at each step of the conversation 65%

Expect “gets” for each “give” to 64%

advance the opportunity 61%

Take notes directly in the CRM 58%

(or note-taking tool) during the meeting 49%

Do not offer next steps unless 51%

qualification is clear 43%

Avoid small-talk and jump straight 16%

to the point 15%

Top Performer Average Performer Statistically Significant

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Seller Behaviors After a Call

Calling Behaviors
Provide proactive suggestions
continued
95%
for next steps 95%

Send relevant sales content directly aligned to the 86%

conversation to add additional value 83%

Consult resources (sales management, peers, sales 84%

After a sales call, top performers are more enablement) to think through complex decisions 89%
intentionally managing their follow-ups.
79%
Send an email recap of the meeting 80%
These reps have done the legwork to qualify leads and progress
opportunities through established deal stages. So, these sellers Send a follow-up email within 43%
10 minutes of meeting 48%
prioritize staying top-of-mind after major milestones and ensuring
deals move through the sales cycle. Intentionally schedule 3-5 touches after an 39%
important milestone meeting 29%

Top performers also understand how to use Sales Engagement Log conversations in the CRM within 34%
tools to establish cadences that ensure timely follow-up. They 10 minutes of a meeting 41%
focus on providing something of value to prospects, such as
additional references or links to a resource library. Following each
meeting, they reiterate the solution’s impact and value.
Top Performer Average Performer Statistically Significant

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Self-Sourced Opportunities

Opportunity-Sourcing 100 By Average Deal Size

Behaviors 90

80

70
All sales reps surveyed received opportunities
from multiple sources, including marketing

% of Total Respondents
sourced leads, outbound SDR prospecting, and 60
self-sourced opportunities.

50
Sales leaders expect reps to source a portion of their own
business. Interestingly, for larger deals ($75K+), top-performing
reps sourced 21% more opportunities through their own 40
efforts than average reps did. This statistic doesn’t speak to
the quality of opportunities. Instead, it reveals that the best
30 61%
reps placed a priority on driving their own success, not
simply waiting for opportunities to come to them. They 47% 47%
appear to hone in on leads they can unlock, such as referrals, 20 40%
39% 36% 36%
personal relationships, and LinkedIn connections.
28%
10

$0–25K $25–75K $75–150K $150K+

Top Performer Average Performer

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What All Performers

What would help you with process and effective time management?

Need to Succeed Have a more streamlined approach and schedule to

manage my time more effectively.

Some things were beyond the control of all reps.

Finding time to consistently/effectively prospect.
Both top and average performers wanted help with automating tasks and
reducing administrative time requirements. Sales leadership can alleviate these
chores to make sellers’ jobs easier. In fact, when asked what they needed most Live in one tool all day long.
help with to succeed in their roles, sales reps said:

Managing their time effectively

More automation/time for prospecting without sacrificing
Reducing administrative burden personal approach.
Managing the sales process

Finding time to prospect Save time finding/using data.

Getting more/better leads and content from marketing

Reps must focus on building urgency and differentiating your brand from Removing the administrative tasks so I can focus on
competitors, but they are often inundated with menial or secondary tasks. my clients’ experiences and growing my accounts.

How can you free up that time and unlock productivity for your team?

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Exceed Your Remember the sales strategy execution

conundrum?
Keeping pace with buyers’
digitally empowered

Goals with Sales In serving more than 2,000 companies, we’ve seen many
expectations means sellers
must adapt by using
Engagement
attempts to solve it. More often than not, the best intentions
fail due to lack of process adoption and inconsistent technologies that help them
execution. improve customer experiences
while lowering the cost of sales.
Much of the sales tech stack focuses on figuring out how
to handle leads. Sales reps are spending more time looking Forrester Research,
for data and less on writing proposals. Whether it’s a top or Now Tech: Sales Enablement Automation
an average performer, they’re all trying to do more with a Q2 2020, May 2020

finite number of hours in the day.

That’s where Sales Engagement comes in, helping sellers

quickly adopt strategies that work and abandon those
that don’t.

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The Sales Tech Stack: What Reps Use Every Day

Exceed Your Goals With
Sales Engagement 100
Used Daily
continued
90
91%

80
Sales Engagement is not a task management tool,
marketing automation, or CRM.
70
Think of it as a co-pilot for your CRM. Sales Engagement

% of Total Respondents
takes a data-driven, analytical approach to automating human
interactions between buyers and sellers. It helps reps organize 60
61%
the time they spend on daily activities to yield the best results,
whether they’re building pipeline or nurturing deals to close. 55%
50

Sales Engagement platforms tie data, intelligence, and productivity

44%
tools together, which saves reps time. That translates to more 40
time spent on core selling activities and better process adoption
throughout the deal cycle. And better adoption means better
30
deal data and more accurate forecasting for sales leaders.

20

16%
Sellers excel with the right technology and support. 10
5%
Forrester Research, 8% 3% 3%
Now Tech: Sales Enablement Automation
Q2 2020, May 2020
CRM LinkedIn Sales Data & Slack Content Sales Pipeline Orches-
Engmnt Intelli- Mgmt Analytics tration
Platform gence
Exhibit 10
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A Single System of
Execution Helps Sellers:

Using a Single Sellers perform better with nudges,

reminders, and recommended next steps.
Avoid the context
shifting that comes with

System of
using multiple tools

They work faster by automating low-value tasks and Minimize distractions

Execution for
streamlining workflow. They execute account-based and increase
strategies better, drive more opportunities to close productivity
through prospecting and opportunity management,

Your Strategy
Operate in more
and expand strategic accounts. And reps feel organized, systematic,
happier, empowered to maintain their autonomy while and measurable ways
exceeding their sales goals.
Strike the right balance
between automation
The bottomline is this: Sales Engagement helps and personalization
sellers create better buying experiences at every stage
of the sales process — generating more revenue, faster. Manage all their
tasks from scheduling
through execution

Automatically sync all

Sales engagement technology enables their activities back to
sales departments to efficiently the CRM

deliver high-quality interactions with Preserve

prospects and customers at scale. their
sanity
“Sales Engagement – The Definitive Guide,” TOPO

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Pipeline
Management Coaching

#1 in Sales Engagement
Forecasting CO Call & Meeting
NV Recording
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Revenue Transcription
Intelligence Analysis

S
Automation Messenger
A Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Sales Engagement, Q3 2020

Calendar Email
Top-rated Sales Software 2020 and #1 in Sales Engagement by G2 Team API
Performance Platform

S
Playbooks

ON
AN
Top-rated Sales Software 2020 by TrustRadius

TI
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L
T

A
IC CADENCE R Meetings
G
Engagement
S TE
IN
Scoring
Top-rated in Sales Engagement and Sales Acceleration by TrustRadius Inbox
Outcomes
Dashboards CRM

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