This article is part of the Gong Labs series, where I publish findings from our data research team. We analyze sales conversations and deals using AI, then share the results to help you win more deals. Follow me to read upcoming research. Two months ago, I bought some software.  I needed a solution to help […]

Quick quiz: Which of the following describes the top sales reps at your organization? A: They show up early and leave late. B: They are veterans with years and years of sales experience. C: They are the hardest workers. Yes. Yes. Yes. All of these ring true for the best salespeople.  Turns out, time spent […]

11:54 a.m.  I had six minutes until their “hard stop” at noon, and my discovery call would end.  The call had gone smoothly so far – their needs and timing definitely aligned for an in-quarter deal.   And it sounded like the department head was on board.  But we hadn’t gotten to pricing yet.  11:55 a.m. […]

It’s time to hit Send.  Your email is air-tight.  You’ve done your research.  The opening line is personalized. You even have a crisp “why you, why now” line.  You’re about to let it fly, but something still feels off… And it’s your CTA. Should you ask for a specific time to meet? What about suggesting a conversation […]

What’s worse than hearing “I’m not interested,” “Your price is too high,” or “I don’t have budget”? These six words: “I need to think about it.”  This phrase can come down on you like a ton of bricks.  The deal had legs. The finish line was in sight. You were ready to hit “closed won.” […]

COVID-19 has shaken up every aspect of our lives over the past few weeks.  And sales conversations are not immune.  The Corona Virus has been mentioned in 34% of Gong’s own sales calls in the past four weeks:  * Includes sales development, new business, and post-sales teams As a result, there’s been an increase in […]

When it comes to advice on closing deals, there are a million opinions on how to build momentum, influence deals, and forecast accurately.  But none of those opinions are based on reality. You know, facts. And the opinion-based way we approach deal execution is outdated and working against us. So in true Gong fashion, we looked at the data behind sales […]

60-something years ago, sales was a very different game.  Back then, salesmen – I mean salespeople (glad that’s changed) – would button up their best suits, court prospective clients in-person with bone-in steaks, and discuss business over a handful of dirty martinis.  Back then, the customer was always right, and calling them “sir” or “ma’am” was the norm. Fast forward to […]

There’s no shortage of sales tips online. In fact, Google returns 1,370,000,000 results when you search “sales tips”. Yeah. That’s 1.37 BILLION articles. Some of those results are Gong’s articles, and what sets them apart is our focus on data-backed sales tips. Toss anecdotes and opinions out the window and let data tell the REAL […]

Sorry! My bad! Forgive me!  These “apology” words and phrases are all too common on sales calls. Salespeople apologize All. The. Time. We (salespeople) apologize for reaching out, being late, and “taking up valuable time.” We even apologize for our product/service and pricing! Apologizing is rampant amongst sales professionals with 57% of sales calls contain ANY form of […]

In the Gong Labs series, you get data-driven sales tips from our analysis of millions of recorded sales conversations. Subscribe here. These 7 sales call blunders are just that: Horrifying. How many of them do YOU make? If you stop doing these, you’ll improve your calls. Big time. Once you read what NOT to do, I have […]

In the Gong Labs series, you get data-driven sales tips from our analysis of recorded sales conversations. Subscribe here. Are you trying to take your sales success to the next level, but frustrated in your path to get there? If so, you’ve likely overlooked a simple concept: Sales success is a chain-link system. In a chain-link […]