By Aja Frost for Hubspot.com
As a busy sales professional intent on meeting your objectives, you might wonder if you can afford to consistently read sales blogs.
After all, each minute you spend on a post is a minute you could be connecting with a new prospect, coaching one of your salespeople on an essential skill, or developing a new qualifying framework that’ll help your company scale.
But the real question is: Can you afford not to read sales blogs? Whether you’re a rep, a sales manager or an executive, your ability to reach your goals grows exponentially when you incorporate others’ wisdom, experiences and strategies.
It might take you five minutes to read an article on giving great demos. The takeaways, however, might win you the deal. Five minutes for new business? Not a bad trade.
To help you find the sales blogs with the most valuable content, we’ve curated the following list.
1. Sales Hacker
Best for: B2B sales reps, managers and executives
Sales Hacker consistently publishes the latest strategies and suggestions for prospecting, social selling, qualifying, calling, and more. Its content ranges from blog posts and ebooks to webinars, videos, and more, meaning there’s an option for every learning style.
Best for: Inbound sales professionals and marketers
If you’re looking for a daily source of B2B sales and marketing insights, look no further: Heinz Marketing releases a new post every day. You’ll find thought-provoking content on engaging your prospects, filling your pipeline, and creating an effective content strategy -- and that’s just scratching the surface.
Look out for “Matt’s App of the Week,” a weekly feature from Heinz Marketing’s president, and “How I Work,” a series spotlighting how successful B2B leaders stay productive.
Best for: Sales reps
Anthony Iannarino, author of “The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need,”publishes daily insights and thought leadership on his blog. You’ll appreciate his direct, readable style, practical suggestions, and motivational words of wisdom.
4. Jill Konrath’s Fresh Sales Strategies
Best for: Sales reps
Jill Konrath, author of "Selling to BIG Companies," “SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers,” “Agile Selling,” and “More Sales, Less Time,” is an expert when it comes to navigating complex sales, making prospects’ lives easier, and increasing efficiency.
Best for: Salespeople, managers and executives
Brand-new reps and sales veterans alike will gain valuable insight from the HubSpot Sales Blog (at least, that’s our goal). Contributors include many of the most well-known names in the sales world, including Art Sobczak, Grant Cardone, Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Iannarino, and more.
From writing the perfect email subject line to negotiating a mutually beneficial deal, you’ll receive all the tips you need to meet or beat your quota — or if you’re a manager, lead your sales team to success month after month.
6. OpenView Labs (Sales Category)
Best for: CEOs, founders and sales leaders
OpenView is a venture capital firm focusing on early-stage software companies. Its blog is a valuable resource for senior executives — especially the sales category, which features substantial articles on everything from building a sales enablement program and training BDRs to interviewing rep candidates and removing bias from your hiring process.
Best for: Sales managers and leaders
Every post on SBI's blog is ultimately meant to help you do one thing — meet or exceed your team's quota. You'll discover fresh insights on hiring the best salespeople, crafting a winning strategy, and promoting a healthy yet achievement-driven culture.
Best for: Sales reps
Social selling is becoming a big priority for sales teams. Subscribe to LinkedIn’s sales blog to stay up-to-date on the latest social selling news and techniques and get a refresher on universal sales best practices.
9. The Filling the Funnel Blog
Best for: Salespeople
John Barrows reinforces his sales advice with stories from his days as a salesperson and his current role as a sales trainer. These anecdotes make his posts both engaging and memorable. Not only will you learn how to give better presentations, address common objections, discover your personal drivers, and more, you’ll also learn how to improve your own narrative skills.
10. Salesfolk
Best for: Sales reps and managers
You’ve likely seen the difference in your open and reply rates when you use buyer-focused, personalized outreach emails versus generic ones focused on you and your product.
However, crafting an attention-grabbing message can be difficult even for top sales pros. Heather Morgan’s blog is an excellent source of examples (both good and bad), straightforward suggestions, and fresh ideas.
Best for: Sales leaders
Average sales managers supervise their reps. Good sales managers motivate their reps. Great sales managers inspire and coach their reps so each individual is performing at their maximum potential.
Want to be in the last group? Check out Ambition’s blog for tips on hiring, driving performance, and promoting productivity.
12. Datanyze Blog
Best for: SaaS sales managers
Software as a Service (SaaS) industry leaders and sales experts regularly contribute to this blog. The average post is upwards of 800 words and jam-packed with tactical tips, so you’re guaranteed to derive value from each one you read.
13. Sales Gravy
Best for: Sales reps
You might be the best closer in the world, but you won’t sign any new business without prospects. Jeb Blount is one of the foremost experts on prospecting (he literally wrote the book on the topic), so it’s not surprising his company’s blog has ample content on filling the top of your funnel.
14. The Sales Leader
Best for: Sales leaders
Colleen Francis, author of “Nonstop Sales Boom,” gives sales leaders the tools and techniques they need to drive results. Her posts cover a variety of topics -- including pipeline management, sales leadership best practices, and personal productivity — and get right to the point. When you’re looking for a quick tip, go here.
Best for: Sales leaders
Salespeople hate making calls with zero personalization or research. Buyers hate receiving them. If your team is still using these types of calls to prospect, read this blog. Referrals expert Joanne Black teaches sales leaders how and why to implement a referral program — and eliminate the need for random dials.
Best for: Inside sales managers and executives
Are you responsible for hiring, retaining, and training inside salespeople, creating and managing territories and tracking your team’s success? Bookmark the Inside Sales Experts Blog. It features in-depth, tactical content from Trish Bertuzzi, author of "The Sales Development Playbook," and other members of her consulting firm.
17. CustomerCentric Selling Sales Training Blog
Best for: Sales reps
Any salesperson who hasn’t adopted a buyer-focused approach is probably wondering why they’re barely closing any deals. This blog will be useful whether you’re already practicing this approach or need to learn the fundamentals of non-selfish selling. Posts typically focus on one concept or strategy, such as maintaining contact with decision makers or using your prospect’s language.
Best for: Sales managers
The success of your sales team often hinges on their attitude. However, keeping each member enthusiastic and committed isn’t easy — especially when you’re also trying to diagnose their weaknesses, improve their techniques, and make your playbook as solid as possible.
The TopLine Leadership Blog focuses almost exclusively on motivation. Whether you’re hoping to inspire an unengaged salesperson or encourage everyone to hit their numbers, you'll find the tips you need.
Best for: Sales professionals
The Sandler training team has a seemingly never-ending stream of advice for every type of sales professional — individual sellers, managers, and executives. Their posts typically include examples and sample messaging, so readers understand exactly how to put the concepts they learn into action.
Best for: Sales reps
Marc Wayshak, founder of Sales Strategy Academy and author of “Game Plan Selling,” doles out a wealth of practical knowledge and tips. He uses short videos to communicate most of his advice, so this blog is a good pick for those who prefer watching videos over reading content.
21. Art Sobczak’s Smart Calling Blog
Best for: Sales reps
Calling prospects is both a science and an art. Learn how to create interest, handle brush-offs and objections, and lay the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship — without resorting to manipulative, out-of-date, or selfish tactics.
Best for: Sales reps
Sales trainer and creator of the Your SalesMBA training program Jeff Hoffman lets readers in on the secrets to effective prospecting, qualifying, social selling, and more. His posts are digestible, relevant and tactical.
23. Sales Source
Best for: Sales reps, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs
Geoffrey James, author of “How to Say It: Business to Business Selling,”shares a variety of sales, marketing, and general professional advice on his daily Inc.com blog. If you’re interested in writing better sales emails, becoming more productive, motivating yourself, improving your negotiation skills, and more, check out Sales Source.
Best for: Sales reps, managers and entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur, speaker, and sales training expert Grant Cardone tells it like it is. Readers seeking a double dose of motivation and advice will appreciate the practical content delivered with a straightforward, "no-excuses" tone.
25. Sales for Life
Best for: B2B sales reps
The Sales for Life blog helps salespeople sync up with modern buyers. From engaging your prospects in a friendly, helpful, and convenient way to using sales automation effectively, you'll learn both the fundamentals and latest tips from the Sales 2.0 movement.
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