Visualizing the Art of the Sale: 5 Amazing Sales Infographics

These five sales infographics bring new meaning to “the art of the sale.”

Sales may be an art, but at the expansion stage it’s an art that has to deliver — quickly and consistently. Expansion-stage companies depend on highly functioning sales teams to generate revenue and fuel their growth, but it’s up to management to hire the best personnel and provide them with the right structure, motivation, and tools to set them up for success.

It’s a significant challenge, and unfortunately there’s not a lot of room for trial and error. That’s why we’ve put together this list of five sales infographics, offering illuminating tips on sales manager time management, how to hire top performing sales people, and the secret to mastering sales lead qualification.

Read on for keys to pushing your sales strategies – and your company – to the next level.

1. The Mysterious Mind of a Sales Manager by Mindflash

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your brain on sales management. This strikingly cool infographic’s take on phrenology provides a peek inside the mind of an expert sales manager, inviting viewers to “take a journey from the negotiation node to the training video ganglions [to] see just what it takes to master the art of the sale.”

There’s no doubt that sales managers need to engage in quite an elaborate mental juggling act in order to be truly effective — from closing deals and finding new prospects to motivating reps and providing the right messaging. Luckily, the infographic also helps cut through the clutter by providing a list of the truly important things that should be fresh on a sales manager’s mind at all times.

2. Secrets of a Successful Sales Manager by Sales Contest Builder

With such a variety of tasks and concerns competing for a sales manager’s attention, it’s no surprise that the big question sales managers often ask themselves is, “How should I be spending my time?” As this infographic shows, the short answer is, “On your sales reps.”

While your reps could always use more sales coaching (according to the infographic, research suggests 60% of a manager’s time should be spent coaching their reps), your time might also be well spent finding ways to encourage reps to motivate themselves. Did you know that 44% of sales reps quit cold calling after one rejection? Just one rejection! Managers can turn that stat around by introducing contests and incentives (that don’t strictly have to be based on cash), or, better yet, developing a good eye for the attributes that mark a great sales hire in the first place.

3. The Anatomy of a Top Performing Salesperson by Peak Sales

Speaking of great sales hires, what are the qualities that spell great salesperson success? As this infographic from Peak Sales points out, sure, there are the usual characteristics that would make a candidate good for any job – being results driven, self-motivated, and attentive, for example — but in order to be a truly great salesperson a candidate also needs to have something many would consider to be a negative: a strong ego. Rejection is a daily given for sales reps, so you really need to seek out strong, confident performers who you won’t find crying in the corner.

4. Evolution of a Salesperson by DK New Media

Sales ain’t what it used to be. And attempting to sell as if it were would be a big mistake. To get an idea as to just how much things have changed, take a trip back in time with this infographic – from the feel-good days of high supply/high demand of the 1950s–1970s to the last decade’s tectonic shift in power that’s put control solidly in the hands of the consumer.

You can learn a lot about where we’re going by studying where we’ve been, and this infographic closes with a few strategic tips for competing in the years to come. Hint: It’s all about becoming an expert and a destination; helping consumers prepare to buy so that when they’re ready, they’ll come to you.

5. The Best Practices for Lead Response Management by InsideSales.com

The lead qualification teams I work with are always asking me: When is the best time to call? This inforgraphic from InsideSales.com provides answers. After three years of collecting data, the results are in, and it looks like the best time for qualifiers to reach out is between 4pm – 5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Whether or not that data truly holds up across various industries, perhaps the most helpful finding illustrated here is qualifiers’ chances of making contact increase to 90% after six call attempts – a good lesson in persistence, especially for those 44% of reps who gave up after one cold call rejection!

Face it – without new customers, your company can’t grow.

But while startup and expansion stage organizations are always on the lookout for new business, attracting qualified prospects is often easier said than done. The answer is to develop a highly-functional outbound lead qualification process, also known as outbound prospecting.

In OpenView’s eBook, Building Your Sales Funnel: How to Create an Outbound Prospecting Machine you’ll find insights from top sales strategists like Dave Kahle and Colleen Francis to help put your outbound prospecting team on the path to rapid growth including:

  • Tips for developing a customized outbound prospecting strategy
  • Key ingredients to successful outbound calling from thought leader Trish Bertuzzi
  • Details on the best metrics for tracking your prospecting efforts
  • Additional quick guides for hiring and onboarding lead qualification managers and business development representatives

Download your free copy today.