Whether you’re a sales engineer, sales executive or entry level rep, today’s B2B sales professionals have quite the challenge: Increased competition, smaller attention, plus the average customer is already 70% of the way through the decision-making process before ever engaging a sales representative, according to research from Demand Gen Report.
No pressure, right?
Luckily, today’s sales professionals are fortunate enough to have a plethora of resources (as well as tech solutions) to help guide them throughout their careers, but with so much information out there – where do they start?
After speaking to our customers, partners and some of the top influencers in the industry, our team has compiled the top 11 communities and personalities, CMOs, sales leaders and pros you should be paying attention to.
Here are the 11 sales enablement communities & influencers to follow
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- Sales Hacker – The Sales Hacker is an online community focused on building and shaping the future of sales through educational, actionable content and events. Our team is a big fan of their authentic approach to sales.
- Training Industry – Sure, this might technically be a training resource for learning professionals, but as sales leaders know, customer training and internal employee training is a necessity for growth and success. Training Industry is our training and development go-to resource for IT and sales.Check out some of our team’s insights and news from the community here.
- GrowthHackers – With a bi-weekly AMA with top professionals in the industry, we like to think of GrowthHackers as a Reddit for professionals. Self-claimed as the largest online community of growth professionals, our team has found this community valuable when looking for tips on helping our customers drive sustainable growth.
- Jill Konrath – Jill has more than 25 years of experience and is an author of three bestselling industry books. In her newest book, “Agile Selling,” she shares how to succeed in a constantly changing sales world – something all sales professionals can relate to. With the philosophy that a seller must create value with every customer interaction, her blog often provides thoughtful ways to do this.
- Dan Martell – Dan’s funny – or ahem, punny – approach to sales makes selling SaaS solutions a little more approachable and less scary. With more than 120 episodes of actionable advice, his blog is a must-read for leaders and execs who need some enthusiastic Saa(u)Sy inspiration to tackle their day and grow as a leader.
- Anthony Iannarino’s The Sales Blog – As a bestselling author of three sales books and with more than 30 years of experience, Anthony’s daily variety of sales tips and insights in The Sales Blog are valuable for any sales professional, at any level.
- Keyuri Yagnik – Looking to unlock your winning potential? Keyuri, sales engineer enablement program manager at MuleSoft and known as the “Sales Engineering Coach,” helps SEs tap into their inner brilliance. She’s found there is no one path to success in sales engineering and her blog provides guidance for SEs to find their best approach.
- Andy Paul – Today’s sales pros are busy and slammed for time, which is why we love (and welcome!) Andy’s daily newsletter that provides five minutes of B2B sales advice. A sales pro’s dream come true. We also tune into his re-launched podcast that boasts an eclectic mix of insightful marketing, coaching, sales automation, personal development and other sales tips.
- Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale – Who said B2B sales can’t be fun? Our team has a permanent bookmark for Bill and Bryan’s “The Advanced Selling Podcast.” The two hosts, who are B2B sales industry veterans, not only provide technical help with sales, but bring the energy, which makes this one of today’s most entertaining sales podcasts.
- Donald Kelly – Donald’s podcast, “The Sales Evangelist,” is a weekly listen for our team. The podcast provides a mix of industry trends, inspiring stories and advice for sales professionals of all levels.Interested in learning about the value of giving prospects hands-on control during presentations and POCs? Listen to this episode featuring CloudShare CEO Zvi Guterman.
- John Care – When it comes to knowledge in the sales engineer role, John Care is unmatched. He’s even written a book on this topic to prove it, “Master Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer’s Handbook,” the No. 1 bestseller for presales engineers and solutions consultants. We’re frequent visitors of his blog for the latest SE insights.We also partnered with John for an upcoming webinar “The 2024 Sales Engineer,” on May 28 at 1 p.m. ET. We’ll discuss the advancement of automation – already a major part of the sales process – and a question we often hear from customers and partners alike: Will today’s SEs have a job in 2024?
Consider the above list a live document: it’s ever-changing and expanding – and we need your opinions. Do you have a go-to influencer you keep an eye on or a community you check up on each morning? Don’t be shy! Tell us on Twitter at @CloudShare.
