top sales consulting influencers This is meaningful to you for a couple of reasons.

 

First, we have much respect for the people who are on this list. Learn more about them here.  If you enjoy our blog, check these blogs out

 

Second, OpenView Labs’ methodology in selecting its top influencers is a peek into the future. OpenView Labs leverages the Klout True Reach metric to calculate social media influence. Do you know what Klout is? What is your Klout score?

 

The level of accountability of sales leaders is going up exponentially. Yesterday, you could claim you had “great relationships in the marketplace.”  Today, this claim can be verified and turned into a score that can be compared to others making the same claim.  Last week I saw a job spec for a VP of North American Sales for a $2 billion business services firm written by an executive search firm. This $500k/yr. position has as its third requirement “a Klout score above 40.”   The days of a CEO awarding this kind of pay package to a sales leader after making a few calls to check the candidate out are coming to an end.  Sales leaders can no longer fake it. In an online world, everything is measureable, including your personal brand

 

Here is your call-to-action if you are a sales leader with a low Klout score:

1- Read this book to find out what the best sales leaders in the world are doing

 

2- Schedule some time with Ryan to understand how to leverage social media

 

3- Watch this webinar to learn how to use social media to generate leads

 

Last week Facebook filed for an IPO. They have 875 million users with most spending more daily time with Facebook than newspapers, TV, and Radio combined. Yet, our sales consulting firm still runs into sales leaders who tell us that their customers are not on social media and suggest they don’t need to be either. I wonder what their Klout Score is?

 

Here is a question for the subscribers:

“Do you believe there is a correlation between a sales leaders influence and his/her ability to make the number?

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Greg Alexander

Leads the firm's focus on the CEO’s role in accelerating revenue growth by getting the product team, the marketing department, and the sales organization into strategic alignment.
BIO
ALL PEOPLE

Greg is the host of The SBI Podcast, the most listened to sales and marketing podcast on the internet.

 

He is the host of SBI TV, a monthly television program broadcast on the internet featuring top B2B sales and marketing leader sharing their strategies to grow revenues.

 

Greg is the Editor-in-Chief of The SBI Magazine, the leading B2B publication focused on sales and marketing effectiveness.

 

He is the author of two critically acclaimed books Topgrading for Sales and Making the Number.

 

Greg has authored over 100 articles on SBI’s award winning blog, The SBI Blog.

 

He graduated from The University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in English and received his MBA from Georgia Tech.

 

Video:

 

Transforming the Sales Organization inside Fortune 500 Companies

Greg Alexander and John Gleason, Chief Sales Officer of Ryder, talk about the unique challenges of transforming a sales team inside of very large enterprises.

 

A Better Way to Structure Your Sales Force

Greg Alexander and Tony Capucille, Chief Sales Officer at Heartland Payment Systems, discuss the pros and cons of the 7 B2B sales organizational models.

 

Build a team of A Players Inside the Sales Organization

Greg Alexander and Todd Cione, Chief Revenue Officer at Rackspace, talk about hiring, onboarding, and developing exceptional sales talent.

 

Articles

 

Fill Every Role on Your Team with an A Player

In this article, Greg Alexander makes the case for applying the TopGrading methodology to the sales team, and outlines how to do so.

 

What CEOs Need to Know About Their Marketing Strategies

In this article, Greg Alexander and Rashid Skaf, CEO of AMX, discuss the role the CEO plays in crafting a company’s marketing strategy.

 

What CEOs are Looking for in a Sales Leader

In this article, Greg Alexander and George Norton, leader of Heidrick & Struggles Chief Sales Officer practice, discuss what CEOs need in the chief sales officer role.

Read full bio >