18 Must-Read Sales Articles on Selling Strategy

When it comes to selling, there are countless approaches you can take.

In fact, at most organizations, you can find dozens of different sales strategies being implemented on the same sales team.

Does this sound like your sales team? Are you and your sales colleagues just winging it when it comes to your selling strategy?

If so, you’re not alone.

Thousands of salespeople out there have no idea what strategy works best for them.

They’re winging it every day, without a clear sense of why they’re doing what they’re doing.

They don’t know the best sales habits they should adopt—or how to close more sales.

And that’s exactly why I put together sales articles and videos that clearly show how to break through the noise, so you can adopt a sales strategy that actually works in today’s selling world.

What You’ll Learn from These Viral Sales Articles

I’m constantly writing sales articles on selling strategy for leading publications such as Inc., Entrepreneur, HubSpot, and Salesforce.com—and right on my own blog.

I’ve looked through them all to pull out 18 must-read sales articles that you need to look at today if you want to transform your selling strategy.

Trust me—these articles will change the way you approach sales.

They’ll teach you what mistakes to avoid, what effective selling tricks you can implement right away, and how to establish superstar sales habits that will put you at the top of your industry.

You just have to follow the tips, and stick to them.

Check out my comments below to learn what I think about each sales article. I’d love to hear what you think!

Must-Read Sales Articles #1: 3 Crushing Mistakes Most Salespeople Make

Sales Article Description: Most salespeople make the same crushing mistakes over and over again—and they don’t even realize they’re doing it.

Those common mistakes in sales can lead to a huge loss in potential profits.

Are you losing money due to super common selling pitfalls? Check out this sales article to discover the top three mistakes that kill sales.

My Comment: I’ve worked with thousands of salespeople, and literally all of them have made at least one of these three crushing mistakes—if not all three.

Once you know what you’re doing wrong, it’s surprisingly easy to correct those selling errors and boost your profits.

That’s why I take the time to write sales articles like this one. Don’t miss the chance to see if you’re making small mistakes that are costing you in a big way.

Must-Read Sales Articles #2: 17 Easy Closing Sales Tip 

Sales Article Description: Some people think that the most successful salespeople are the ones who work the hardest.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Superstar salespeople work smarter, not harder.

In this sales article, you’ll learn the 4 secrets to selling way more while doing even less work than you do right now.

My Comment: I’ve seen it first-hand: Top-earning salespeople can be “lazy” and still outperform everyone else.

Why? Because they’re strategic.

This is one of my must-read sales articles because it shows simple sales hacks for crushing your goals without becoming a workaholic.

Must-Read Sales Articles #3: 3 Tips to Creating Urgency in Sales 

Sales Article Description: There’s nothing worse than reaching the end of a sales presentation you feel like you’ve nailed only to hear, “I need to think it over.”

If you’ve been taken by surprise by this, you’re not alone—it’s one of the most common objections in sales.

Fortunately, this outcome is completely avoidable.

This is one of those sales articles you absolutely must read; it will give you four powerful strategies for adding urgency to any selling situation.

My Comment: I’ve seen the way a non-committal answer can cause a dead-end selling situation to drag on for weeks.

An “I need to think it over” can make you waste valuable time that should be spent pursuing the next qualified prospect.

That’s why I create urgency to avoid wishy-washy answers altogether.

Must-Read Sales Articles #4: 7 Simple Ways to Set More Meetings in Sales 

Sales Article Description: Most salespeople understand that they need to book more sales meetings in order to close more sales—but few have a process for setting those meetings that actually works.

If you’re trying to set sales meetings without a consistent, organized process, you’re wasting time that could be spent meeting with prospects and closing deals.

Instead of guessing at what you should do, check out sales articles like this one to learn a process that’s proven to work.

In this sales article, you’ll learn how to set more meetings—in less time—by following 9 simple steps.

My Comment: I’ve met far too many salespeople who are sitting around hoping their next meeting just falls into their lap.

That just won’t happen without an intentional strategy.

Take out the guesswork by following this proven process for setting more sales meetings.

Must-Read Sales Articles #5: Overcome Sales Objections – “I want to think it over…” What Every Salesperson MUST Do to Avoid This

Sales Article Description: Most sales objections—like the dreaded “I want to think it over”—come at the end of a sales meeting.

As a result, most salespeople aren’t even thinking about overcoming objections until the end of their presentation.

By then, it’s too late.

Sales articles like this one will teach you to avoid those frustrating objections altogether by thinking ahead and using a few simple strategies.

My Comment: Every salesperson knows what it’s like to reach the end of a sales presentation and hear, “I want to think it over.”

But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s unavoidable.

Check out this sales article for a few keys that will help you make sure you never hear that common sales objection again.

Must-Read Sales Articles #6: How to Close a Sale – 7 Reasons Clients Don’t Buy From You

Most salespeople don’t realize the mistakes they’re making that cost them sales over and over again.

Sales Article Description: Did you know that only 35% of salespeople at some organizations make their sales quota?

It isn’t just luck that separates those who make quota from those who don’t–it’s strategy.

Learn how to close more sales and crush your sales goals with a little help from sales articles like this one.

In this sales article, you’ll discover 7 reasons clients aren’t buying from you and what you can do to turn it around.

My Comment: Do you want to know the secret to selling anything to anyone?

In most cases, it’s not about what you need to start doing; it’s about what you need to stop doing.

Learn why clients don’t buy from you in this must-read sales article—then correct those bad sales habits and close more deals than ever before.

Must-Read Sales Articles #7: Prospecting Calls – The Perfect 5-Step Sales Prospecting Call Opening

Sales Article Description: If you’re terrified of picking up the phone to start cold calling, you’re not alone.

Prospecting calls are the bane of most salespeople’s existence.

But there are proven steps you can take to get over your fear—and using a consistent and proven call opening is a great place to start.

Check out this sales article for the perfect 5-step sales prospecting call opening to take the guesswork—and the fear—out of your cold calls.

My Comment: I’ve worked with thousands of salespeople over the years, and shockingly few have a clear strategy for effective prospecting phone call openings.

This is a huge mistake.

Data shows that prospects decide in just seven seconds whether they want to stay on the phone with you.

If you’re winging those seven seconds, you’ll miss out on big opportunities to close qualified customers.

Instead, use sales articles like this one to create a reliable strategy you can use again and again.

Must-Read Sales Articles #8: 5 Critical Tips to Selling to C-Suite Buyers

Sales Article Description: There are two basic types of sales prospects: typical buyers and c-suite buyers.

Typical buyers are procurement folks, human resources employees, and other mid-level managers. Focusing on them will only give you average sales results at best.

On the other hand, selling to c-level executives—think CEOs, CMOs, and senior VPs—can cause you to shoot to the top of your industry.

Check out this sales article if you’re looking for sales articles that teach you how to sell to upper level management for bigger sales than ever before.

My Comment: Many salespeople think that superstar salespeople are out there closing tons of sales.

But that’s actually not true.

Top performing salespeople focus on closing bigger sales, not more sales—and knowing how to sell to c-suite buyers is a big part of their winning strategy.

Must-Read Sales Articles #9: Daily Sales Habits of Successful Salespeople (Hint: Routine)

Sales Article Description: Tons of salespeople are searching sales articles for the big secret to success in sales.

Unfortunately, they’re never going to find it. There’s not one big thing you can do to succeed in sales.

Instead, the secret to success lies in the little daily habits that you do again and again to reach your goals.

Check out this sales article for the daily sales habits that superstar salespeople make part of their routine.

My Comment: High-performing salespeople don’t leave their days to chance.

Creating a sales process and removing the guesswork from your day is critical to succeeding.

Commit to practicing these daily sales habits every single day, and you’ll soon be a top performer in your organization.

Must-Read Sales Articles #10: How to Spot a Liar: 5 Ways Salespeople Can Tell Their Prospect Is Lying

Sales Article Description: Many salespeople are pushy and forget to focus on what prospects care most about–themselves.

As a result, buyers often distrust salespeople. Some even begin lying as a defense mechanism of sorts.

If you want to succeed in sales, you need to know how to spot a liar, then use what you see to your advantage.

This sales article will tell you what many sales articles won’t—how to spot a liar and what you can do to save the sale when a prospect lies to you.

My Comment: There are several ways to spot a liar in a sales meeting.

Once you start decoding body language and looking for a few red flags, you’ll be able to spot a liar—then close them anyway—every time.

Check out this sales article to see exactly what you should be looking for.

Must-Read Sales Articles #11: Phone Sales Tips and Techniques – 8 Crushing Phone Sales Blunders Every Salesperson Must Avoid

Sales Article Description: In today’s world of emails, video calls, and social media, many salespeople think the phone is dead.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

If you know how to use it, the phone is still a jackpot of sales opportunity.

Ignore sales articles from sales trainers who think the telephone is a relic of a bygone era, and check out this one for a phone selling strategy that works.

My Comment: High-level prospects receive between 5 and 25 sales calls every day.

They’re busy people, so their goal is to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Make one of these crushing phone sales blunders, and it can cost you the sale. Check out this sales article to see what I mean.

Must-Read Sales Articles #12: 5 Easy Steps to Set More Appointments [Turning Cold Calls into Warm Calls]

Sales Article Description: What if you could never make a cold call ever again? I might sound impossible, but you can actually implement a process where your prospects will know who are by the time you call them — every single time.

When it comes to sales articles about setting more appointment via phone selling, this is the ultimate guide to crushing your numbers.

In this sales article, you’ll learn 5 easy steps to set more appointments and turn cold calls into warm calls.

My Comment: The fact is that most salespeople make dials all day long without taking advantage of every tool they can to turn cold calls into warm calls.

This sales article brings together my 5 top tips for how to leverage today’s best technology — and proven phone selling strategies — to make the most of your dials.

Read this article now to start making a change and set more appointments than ever before.

Must-Read Sales Articles #13: Cold Email Subject Line Best Practices To Increase Engagement and Sales

Sales Article Description: No matter how great your leads list is, if you don’t have effective subject lines, your cold emails are going to flop. It’s as simple as that.

This sales article focuses on best practices for crafting powerful, magnetic subject lines to virtually guarantee your prospects click on your emails.

You don’t want to end up like the countless other salespeople who spend hours crafting a great cold email message, only to end up with the vast majority of prospects sending it to spam — or just deleting it right away. Do you?

My Comment: I can’t tell you how many times salespeople have come to me and asked: “How do I write cold email subject lines that bring results?” or “I just don’t know what a good subject line looks like. Can you help me?”

That’s why I wrote this sales article. After reading through the best practices in this sales article, you’ll be able to create compelling subject lines that appeal to your ideal prospects.

I simply cannot overstate the important of nailing your cold email subject line. Without it, your emails are dead in the water.

Must-Read Sales Articles #14: 27 Sales Tips [Super-Quick & Easy] to Crush Your Quota

Sales Article Description: Of all the sales articles I’ve ever written, this one just might be the most chock-full of powerful, quick, and easy tips to follow to transform your sales numbers.

I don’t often create content like this, but I wanted to give salespeople a sales article that served as a shot in the arm to push them to that next level in sales.

You’ll find my all-time favorite tips for real, on-the-ground, fast results in sales — no matter what industry you’re in.
My Comment: No matter how great we are at selling, we all need a kick to get us back into gear every once in a while.

This sales article is that extra kick you need to crush your sales quota this quarter or this year.

Apply the 27 sales tips in this sales article to your sales strategy today to start seeing real change in your ability to hit goal. 

Must-Read Sales Articles #15: 9 Steps to a Cold Email Prospecting Campaign That Gets You Meetings [While You Sleep!]

Sales Article Description: Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have someone else do your cold email prospect for you?

And how cool would it be if that person could just generate tons of qualified leads for you — while you slept?

This might sound like a fairytale, but it’s totally possible. It’s called an automated cold email prospecting campaign, and you can easily set it up yourself thanks to today’s inexpensive sales technology.

Read this sales article to learn the 9 steps to a cold email prospecting campaign that gets you meetings while you sleep. Literally.

My Comment: Whenever I tell people about the automated cold email prospect campaign, they assume it costs big bucks.

But in reality, individual salespeople can own this amazing process to generate leads for super cheap money. 

While you’re off doing other tasks or getting ready for a night of well-deserved rest, your prospecting machine could be up and running, reaching out to qualified prospects the whole time.

And it’s not sending out fake-sounding, robotic emails either — they’re personalized emails that seem like they’re coming directly from you.

Must-Read Sales Articles #16: “I don’t have a budget.” How ANY Salesperson Can Handle this Objection

Sales Article Description: “I don’t have a budget for this…”

If you had a nickel for every time a prospect said this to you, wouldn’t you be swimming in nickels? Every experienced salesperson has heard this objection a thousand times. 

Like any objection in sales, though, you can handle the budget objection by avoiding it in the first place.

In this sales article, I’ve laid out the exact strategy for how you can ask for budget in any selling situation, without succumbing to the “I don’t have a budget” roadblock.

My Comment:

When salespeople tell me that asking for budgets doesn’t work, I always answer: “That’s because you’re doing it wrong!”

I don’t mean to sound condescending, but it’s true. Most salespeople are going about the budget conversation in the wrong way, so they get the objection “I don’t have a budget.”

Asking for a budget does work. You just need to use the right approach.

Today is a good time to start.

Must-Read Sales Articles #17: How to Start an Effective Sales Conversation

Article Description: The vast majority of salespeople today are just winging their initial conversations with prospects. Does this sound like you?

If you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say in the first few seconds of your sales conversation, then it’s time to lay out your new approach.

In this sales article, you’ll learn the keys to starting an effective sales conversation with any prospect, so you can keep them engaged and ultimately close the sale.

My Comment: Did you know that prospects decide in the first seven seconds of meeting you whether they want to continue the conversation?

Most salespeople struggle to begin a strong sales conversation. They don’t have a plan in place, so they just wing it and end up striking out just as many times as they engage prospects.

Follow the best practices in this sales article to make the beginning of your sales conversations as powerful as they can be.

Must-Read Sales Articles #18: Building Rapport – 6 Scientifically Proven Steps to Building Rapport with Anyone in Sales

Sales Article Description: Building rapport can be a challenge, especially when it comes to tough prospects. Implement these 6 scientifically proven steps to building rapport so you can connect with more prospects than ever before.

If might sound impossible, but you can really connect with anyone if you follow the right approach. Science tells us so.

Check out this fascinating sales article to learn exactly how you can dramatically increase your chances of building rapport with anyone in sales.

My Comment: Most salespeople are turning prospects off and they don’t even realize it. You could be saying or doing things that repel your prospects from the very start.

Don’t be one of those salespeople who repels the very people you need to buy from you. Instead, read this sales article to learn the keys to building rapport with anyone in sales.

(I promise, it doesn’t require you to be insanely funny or incredibly charismatic!)

Conclusion: Transform Your Selling Strategy with These 18 Sales Articles

If you’re trying to figure out how to close more sales, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Sales articles are an easy way to learn from superstar sales people and experienced sales trainers so that you can use strategies that work right from the start.

These 18 must-read sales articles on selling strategy cover everything you need to know in order to succeed in sales.

You’ll learn crushing mistakes salespeople make and how you can avoid them. You’ll find some simple but surprising tricks for selling more while working less.

There’s sales advice on adding urgency to a sale and setting more meetings than ever before.

Sales articles can reveal why you’re hearing the same objections over and over or why you just can’t seem to close a sale.

You can discover phone selling techniques that even work on c-suite executives and the daily habits of successful salespeople.

Sales articles can even teach you how to tell if your prospect is lying to your face—and what to do about it.

Now that you’ve seen the 18 must-read sales articles about selling strategy, I want to hear from you. Did you check out these articles?  If so, what did you think? Be sure to share below in the comments section to join the conversation.