When it comes to accountability, the focus is almost entirely on holding others responsible. But here’s the truth: real accountability doesn’t come from conversations—it comes from within.  

Machines can automate tasks, but they can’t replace the human art of winning hearts and minds. In a world run by bots, AI, and automation, influence is the differentiator that makes professionals effective, memorable, and indispensable.  

Imagine if you had direct input from more than 2,000 CEOs and senior executives on exactly what makes a salesperson indispensable to them. Soon, you will.  

As a sales leader, you need reports that do more than share numbers and multi-colored charts. You need a cohesive framework that interprets data and pinpoints your next best revenue-generating move.   

Join me for an exclusive webinar, "How to Leverage LinkedIn with AI to Gain More Exposure and Clients in 2025"! Discover cutting-edge strategies to optimize your LinkedIn presence using AI, attract your ideal clients, and boost engagement like never before.  

Use the language that truly sets top performers apart with "Say This, Not That," the exclusive companion to the webinar "The Best Salesperson They’ve Ever Had: Secrets from 2,000 Decision-Makers." Discover the exact word choices and approaches that build instant trust, convey genuine value, and create the kind of sales relationships that clients remember. This concise guide, grounded in real feedback from thousands of decision-makers, reveals how thoughtful language and emotional intelligence transform a seller from just another vendor into an indispensable partner.  

You’ve built the relationships, had the conversations, and shown your value. But when it’s time to ask for the business…do you freeze up? You’re not alone! Asking can feel awkward—like you're being too pushy or salesy. But what if there was a way to ask that felt natural, easy, and even exciting?  

Your Quarterly Business Reviews can be your most powerful tool for driving growth, even in a volatile market. The key is shifting focus from backward-looking reports to forward-looking strategies that solidify customer partnerships and uncover new revenue streams. Learn how high-performing reps are adapting with streamlined QBR workflows that turn uncertainty into opportunity. Download the checklist and get ready to uplevel your next customer business review.

Disengagement rarely begins with a resignation letter—it starts quietly and can only be discovered by asking your employees the right questions, in the right way, at the right time. In today’s volatile talent market, where your top performers are always one click away from another opportunity, spotting the early warning signs is mission-critical.   

Conflict is an inevitable part of teamwork—but without the right skills, it can derail productivity, morale, and collaboration. Learning how to navigate difficult conversations is essential for fostering a high-performing, engaged workforce.  

Don’t let AI mistakes cost you credibility—or clients. By its own admission, AI-generated content may contain errors and often lacks the depth of insight your clients truly need. Without proper oversight, your credibility can be ruined with stakeholders in an instant.   

Middle managers are catalyst for most organizations. They're the ones caught between strategic shifts from above and the emotional whiplash of teams below. And when change hits—whether it’s restructuring, market disruption, or internal transformation—they’re expected to adapt fast, keep others aligned, and deliver results.  

The Essential Communicator is a modern, research-backed communication training experience that addresses today’s most persistent workplace challenge: ineffective conversations. Designed as a 1-day or half-day program, it helps participants identify their default communication style through the Communicator Profile and equips them with a simple, practical framework—Clarity, Curiosity, Courage, and Conviction—to improve everyday interactions and essential conversations. Ideal for leaders, contributors, and cross-functional teams alike, this course goes beyond outdated scripts to meet the needs of today’s generationally diverse workforce. Participants walk away with actionable tools, stronger self-awareness, and a shared language to navigate feedback, disagreement, and collaboration—leading to more trust, clarity, and connection across the organization.

The Sales & Marketing Management team attended the annual Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference in Las Vegas in May. The Gartner conference brings B2B sales leaders from a wide range of industries together to take a deeper dive into the trends and practices that are impacting B2B sales. Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) was the principal focus of the two days of presentations. How are forward-thinking companies implementing AI into their sales process? How are AI investment decisions being made and measured? What common mistakes are companies making in this area? As Gartner put it, AI is transforming sales organizations’ DNA. Of course, AI can’t replace the human element of sales. The report also includes articles on critical human elements of B2B sales and sales leadership, including keynote speaker Keith Ferrazzi’s message that "teamship is the new leadership." Our special report on the Gartner conference includes many of the important insights that Gartner analysts and Gartner exhibiting partners shared during the conference. The collection of stories is available in PDF format, which is easily shareable with colleagues, or you can read the stories separately on our website. If you want to be notified each time Sales & Marketing Management publishes a Focus Report, complete the subscription form on our website.

Let’s face it—communication training is broken. It's too long. Too abstract. Too expensive. And worst of all, it rarely sticks.  

Dr. Mercer will show you how to scientifically + consistently hire "Superstar" sales reps - who are both (1) Highly Productive + (2) Low Turnover.  This presentation is based on Dr. Mercer's (A) 20+ years of scientific research on qualities of "Superstar" sales reps and (B) his 3rd book = "Hire the Best - & Avoid the Rest(tm)".  

In unpredictable times, most sales training falls flat—not because the content is ineffective, but because it doesn’t equip your team to act decisively amid chaos. When uncertainty dominates the headlines, your team needs more than just motivation—they need clarity, confidence, and tools that work. Without this, revenue shrinks, opportunities disappear, and your team slips into irrelevance.  

Are you… In a presales role, struggling to work together better with your sales counterpart?  In a sales role and wish there were a more productive way to work with the other sales roles and with presales?  On an account or opportunity team and find it challenging to work together more efficiently and effectively?  A sales manager and feel presales and sales individual contributors aren’t working together optimally as a team?  In sales enablement, trying to make all this work? 

How Credible is AI? ebook is a critical thinking guide for sales, marketing and leadership professionals. Leveraging AI can enhance your efficiency and reinforce your expertise with clients, colleagues and stakeholders. But just how credible is AI? By its own admission, AI-generated content may contain errors and often lacks the depth of insight your clients truly need. This ebook cuts through the hype and cheerleading to provide executive leaders, as well as sales and marketing executives, with critical thinking guidelines to help you determine what is slop and what is actionable insight your clients actually value.

How do you transform your sales team into a revenue-driving marketing channel? In this playbook, you’ll uncover the key challenges holding your marketing team back, get actionable strategies to align messaging, drive revenue impact, and prove the ROI of your marketing efforts. What you’ll learn: How to bridge the communication gap between marketing and sales teams Steps to build messaging that resonates with buyers at every stage Tools and tactics for quick implementation across your organization

If you can’t get meetings, you can’t sell—and in today’s increasingly AI-driven world, connecting with top prospects is harder than ever.  

Your competitors are using AI for sales prospecting, and they're winning. Businesses that use AI in B2B sales prospecting are 50% more likely to hit their revenue goals by making faster decisions and finding better-fit prospects with automation.  

You’ve heard the quote, "Nothing happens until somebody sells something." Salespeople are the lifeblood of any B2B company. They are the Olympians of the corporate world, the astronauts of business. And like other elite athletes, dancers, and musicians, not everyone can do what they do.  

Did you know that a Gartner survey revealed 72% of sales professionals feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of skills required for their job? This overwhelm leads to a 45% lower likelihood of hitting sales quotas, directly impacting commercial success.