Birds of a feather flock together, and so do top performers!
That means your best employees are probably connected to a handful of people who would make great additions to your sales team. Don’t rush into an extensive search for job candidates. Ask your employees who they might know for the role.
Prepare to ask your employees by creating an employee referral program. A simple employee referral program can motivate top performers to share their connections with your company.
Let Your Employees Know How You Handle Referrals
Determine your referral strategy. How should your employee get you in contact with their referral? Should the referral contact your hiring manager directly? Make your strategy easy to understand and predictable. This will help your team members feel more comfortable with your employee referral program.
Reward Employees For Successful Hires
When an employee’s referral gets hired or closes their first sale, they should receive a financial reward. You can also offer intangible benefits such as extra PTO days as a thank-you for the referral.
Foster a Culture of Healthy Competition
More top performers on a team automatically means more competition for your current top performers. Maintaining a culture of healthy competition is crucial as you add to your team. Ensure that employees have common goals to work towards and give plenty of recognition for individual achievements.
Sales hinge on connections, conversations, and conversions. All three of these are unlikely to happen without effective sales follow-ups. Consistency and persistence are key in 2025!
We’ve gathered insights from top sales companies, including trends from trade shows. We checked them against the real-world experiences of thousands of high-performing sales teams we work with. We delivered them to you in this handy article!
These sales follow-up statistics reveal:
How to gain a competitive advantage with follow-ups
What to emphasize about follow-ups in your onboarding and training sessions
How many times you need to follow up to close a sale
The role of email and social selling in successful sales follow-ups
Ready to build a team that excels in follow-ups and drives results? Contact Peak Sales Recruiting today and find the top talent to transform your sales performance.
The State of Sales Follow-Ups
Only3%of your market is actively buying at any given time. And another 40% are ready to start. The rest won’t buy no matter what you do.
48% of salespeople never even make a single follow-up attempt after a cold call. Follow-ups are an easy way to gain a competitive edge and beat sales quotas!
44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up call. Statistically speaking, one follow-up call isn’t enough to land most sales.
60% of customers say no four times before saying yes. Resilience in the face of rejection is key.
8%of salespeople have more than five follow-up touches. Be the 8% salesperson!
80% of sales require five follow-up calls. Since so few salespeople keep up their follow-ups to five calls or more, there’s money left on the table!
2%of sales are made on first contact. 3% are made on the second, 5% on the third, 10% on the fourth, and 80% on the fifth to twelfth contact. This emphasizes the importance of nurturing prospective clients throughout the sales process.
The Speed of Sales Follow-Up Statistics
Web leads are9x more likely to engage if you follow up within five minutes.
35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.
50% of buyers go for the vendor that replies first.
How Buyers Feel About Sales Follow-Ups
75% of online buyers want to receive 2-4 phone calls. Don’t give up before you’ve met or exceeded these expectations. Many sales happen on the fifth call.
12% of online buyers would like a company to call until they get a hold of them, often leaving voicemail messages.
42% of people would be encouraged to buy at an appointed time. Busy professionals and business owners sometimes appreciate warm calls at a specific time. This way, they can make a clear-headed decision. Offer this option in your follow-up process.
57% of people appreciate low-pressure follow-ups. The content of your sales pitch isn’t the only thing that matters. When you follow up, use a helpful and casual tone. This encourages prospects to ask questions, creating a positive sales experience.
How Salespeople Feel About Sales Follow-Ups
Only28%of sales professionals expect to meet or exceed quota. Lean into sales training and education, find the gaps in your sales strategy, and ensure you’re prepared for the new sales landscape.
65% of sales reps say they can’t find content to send to prospects. Informative content and helpful resources can be a vital part of the sales process. In particular,challenger sales models rely on education and need it. Start building a content library that serves the real questions and objections your prospects bring up in the sales process. This way, you can include relevant resources in your follow-ups.
Email Sequence Sales Follow-Up Statistics
70% of reps only send oneemail to prospects. This means that if you consistently follow up, you’re bound to beat out the competition and gain clients they’ve left behind.
Your chance of hearing back is25% if you send more than one email.
Cold email outreach campaigns with three total emails have9.2% reply rates.
After three total emailsreplies decrease by 20%. Sending too many follow-ups won’t necessarily do any damage, but it can be a waste of the sales team’s productivity.
Subject Line Sales Follow-Up Statistics
47% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone. Keep your subject lines engaging, curiosity-provoking, and personal!
69% of email recipients use the subject line to detect spam. Avoid subject lines that look automated, are overly formal, or use “Title Caps.”
Timing of Email Follow-Ups
Next-day follow-ups reduce replies by11%. Give prospects 2-3 days to think youremail over and reply to you.
Waiting three days results in a31% increase in replies. The optimal time between a cold email and follow-up is between 2 and 5 days.Plan your email sequence strategy accordingly! And remember, someemails simply get buried in people’s inboxes. Spacing out your follow-ups will keep you on top of customer interactions.
Your chances of a response drops to 24% afterfive days. Don’t wait too long to get in touch with your prospect again!
In-Depth Sales Follow-Up Statistics
70% of sales leaders are seeing a decrease in risk-taking. This is company-wide and affects the culture of organizations. While playing it safe may lead to more steady results, leaders should pay special attention to their team’s disposition. If follow-ups feel too risky, reps are unlikely to do them.
66% of sales reps say they have too many tools to work with. Simplify your sales CRM, narrow down the most essential sales tools for your team, and ensure everyone has adequate training to optimize your tech stack.
High-performing reps are1.9x more likely to use AI. Sales leaders and operations pros see AI as a way to leverage reps’ time. Use new AI innovations to reduce routine and repetitive tasks and data entry. This will give your reps more time to focus on their prospects and customers.
Sales leadership encourages long-term relationships over short-term wins, say90% of sales reps. This is a testament to starting off sales relationships strong. Follow-ups strengthen the prospect relationship quickly and build trust in your dedication.
Over80% of sales reps find that buyers are more educated. Before a sales conversation even begins, they’ve done their research and have questions prepared. Sellers must pool their resources and be ready to address hard-hitting questions. They must show their company is the right choice above and beyond their competitors to improve customer retention.
Ready to add high-performing closers (who are dedicated to the follow-up) to your team?Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs!
Looking for more sales resources? Check these out:
While industry experience in a job candidate is great, the lack of it is not a deal breaker. Having a skilled recruiter and a clear hiring strategy allows you to identify relevant sales skills. These skills can be transferred from another industry to yours. In addition, you can use these three tips to amplify your hiring efforts.
Lean Into the Power of Change
When you position yourself in the labor market as a company willing to hire salespeople outside your industry, you show that you are open to evolving.
Hire the Best and Invest
Look for salespeople outside your industry who have a strong sales DNA. These innate traits cannot be taught to a new hire. You should focus your training efforts on educating motivated salespeople. Teach them about your product, market, and customers.
Embrace Unforeseen Benefits
When you hire outside your industry, you’re less likely to encounter legal issues with non-competes. You also tap into fresh perspectives and may find new ways of doing things that work better for your business. New blood can even result in entirely new sales since these people can bring a book of business you might not have previously considered.
Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.
Competition to hire salespeople is tough and you’ve exhausted the pool of eligible contenders in your marketplace. It’s time to fish in deeper waters.
Recruiting outside of your industry is not difficult, but it does require some planning. You’ll need to define your selling environment, identify required skills and find someone with the right DNA to succeed. A candidate that has not worked in your field, but comes with the right talent, has the potential to be a huge asset to your company. While industry experience is great, the lack of it is not a deal breaker if you can identify relevant sales skills that are transferable from one industry to yours. New blood can result in new sales. Don’t overlook other industries as a good source of fresh talent.
Image courtesy of sheelamohan / FreeDigitalPhotos.netrelpost-thumb-wrapper
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.
He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.
When your year end target is just out of reach, there are seven ways to push your team to the finish line.
1. Communicate Your Year End Target
Keep energy levels high on your team by sharing your targets clearly and enthusiastically. Make sure every rep understands the importance of your goal.
2. Emphasize Key Details and Territories
Identify the deals that matter most, then make your sales executives available 24/7 to support reps in closing crucial deals.
3. Support Discipline and Good Work Habits
Find creative ways to ensure your team is sleeping well, eating well, and taking adequate breaks during their work days. Refreshed and recharged employees will always sell more!
4. Reach Out to Your Existing Customers
Prepare and share the best deals you can to inspire repeat business and timely purchases.
5. Monitor Activity Volumes for Signs of Deteriorating Effort
As a leader, you must act quickly when the number of calls, meetings, or proposals decreases below typical ratios.
6. Track Deal Slide
Time kills deals. Don’t let open offers hang. Jump on deals at risk of sliding into the next quarter, find out what you need to do to close them, and reach your year end target.
7. Say No to Negativity and Distractions
Ask your employees to turn off the news and stop doom scrolling. An anxious mindset won’t put them in the right mind to sell.
You’ve found the perfect candidate for your open position, and it’s time to extend an offer. If you stumble in the process and make offer stage mistakes, you may end up losing top talent in your candidate pool. We’ve identified seven major offer stage mistakes companies make and how you can fix each one.
Mistake 1. Not Previewing an Offer
The Fix: Give candidates a verbal overview of your offer so they know how serious you are about hiring them.
Mistake 2. Lowballing the Salary
The Fix: Offer a salary above market.
Mistake 3. Dragging Out the Process
The Fix: Present an offer within 48 hours of the final interview.
Mistake 4. Over Complicating Your Compensation Plan
The Fix: Build your compensation plan over time and tailor it to your new hire’s motivations and needs.
Mistake 5. Assigning Small Territories
The Fix: Evaluate your local market potential and communicate profitability to your candidate.
Mistake 6. Failing to Provide Details
The Fix: Share the tangible and intangible benefits included in your offer, such as health insurance, company car access, covered expenses, and schedule flexibility.
Mistake 7. Not Selling the Opportunity
The Fix:
Express why the candidate is a great fit.
Acknowledge the risk of change.
Emphasize the autonomy and fun your new hire will have
Show them how they’ll be both successful and satisfied at your company.
What does it take to be successful in sales? A recent study asked 500 salespeople to answer this question by rating success characteristics. Here are the winning seven traits identified by top performers.
Amongst success characteristics, drive is voted most important by 81% of top salespeople. It is also innate in an individual’s personality and can’t be easily taught.
2. Problem-Solving
When a salesperson knows how to problem solve, there aren’t many career obstacles they won’t find a way to overcome.
3. Resilient
Taking rejection in stride and bouncing back from failure is crucial to ongoing and sustained success in sales.
4. Ambitious
Peak Sales Recruiting CEO Eliot Burdett lists ambition as one of the top success characteristics he looks for in sales professionals.
5. Critical Thinker
A salesperson who can take a step back, gain a new perspective, and change the way they see their circumstances always has a better chance at success.
6. Competitive
Healthy competition keeps successful sales reps hungry for achievement. Top salespeople keep score and always want to ‘win’ against their past efforts.
7. Collaborative
75% of employers rate teamwork and collaboration as very important success characteristics.
Did you know that 80 percent of corporate jobs are never advertised? Employers and employees often prefer recruiters for job searches and hiring. Do your research and find a quality recruiter who can offer you a meaningful advantage.
Here are ten skills we offer candidates in their job search with us:
1. Industry Knowledge
Much like sales professionals know their territory, sales recruiters understand their industry. They know who’s hiring and what positions are or will be available.
2. Access to Jobs That Are Never Advertised
Often, recruiters are called to replace positions that aren’t publicly advertised.
3. Company Insights
Recruiters build relationships with companies to gain valuable inside information, giving you an advantage.
4. Credibility and Reputation
A recruiter’s advocacy can be more meaningful than a resumé.
5. Expert Interview Skills
Recruiters can provide you with advice on how to prepare for interviews and how to showcase your skills and accomplishments.
6. Time Saving Hacks
Recruiters find jobs that match your skills and experience, so you can focus on your life and work while they search for you.
7. A Keen Eye for Talent
A sales recruiter can help you hone in on what’s most important in the role you are seeking.
8. Hunting Aptitude
A recruiter’s full-time job is to stay in contact with companies in the hiring process. They are skilled job hunters.
9. Powerful Negotiation Tactics
Your recruiter will assist you in discussing a fair payment plan with your potential employer. They will act as a liaison and use market insights.
10. Onboarding Support
Experienced sales recruiters will help you adjust to your new job and check on your progress.
Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.
Great employees are hard to find and even harder to lose, so counter-offers are inevitable obstacles in the hiring process. Be proactive about your strategy for buffering the effects of counter offers, and you’ll consistently win top employees.
1. Be Known as a Great Place to Work
Proactively developing your company reputation will set you apart from the start. Candidates who are eager to work for you will be easier to entice away from their current employer.
2. Give Them Something Their Current Employer Can’t
Get close to your candidates. Seek to understand their career objectives and motivations for making a change. Then, design your original offer to suit their needs. If you can offer career opportunities that their current employer can’t, counter offers will be less likely to tempt your top candidate.
3. Get Your Compensation Package Right
Candidates who receive low-ball offers that don’t even match their current pay are more likely to be insulted than inspired to negotiate. Make a first offer that meets or exceeds expectations.
4. De-escalate Risk for Your New Hire
No matter how great your offer is, a gainfully employed individual will perceive risk in changing jobs. They already have proven success with their current company. To support their transition, lay out your expectations and their path to success clearly.
5. Out-Counter the Counter Offer
Before your candidate returns to their employer, make it clear that you would like an opportunity to speak to them if they receive a counter offer. While a bidding war isn’t ideal, in some cases it is unavoidable.
Today’s sales leaders need more than selling skills to succeed in sales management. Sales leadership qualities that foster a thriving sales culture are crucial.
The sales leadership qualities that set strong sales leaders apart are rooted in a commitment to ensuring their sales team is well-equipped and engaged. These leaders offer their team members resources and a suitable work environment. They help navigate the changing sales landscape with expertise.
Successful sales leaders in today’s fast-paced business environment have distinct qualities. This article explores and unravels the intricacies of sales leadership. These insights will guide you on your journey. Whether you’re an experienced sales team leader, aiming to become one, or preparing to hire your next sales leader.
8 Sales Leadership Qualities
1. Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making
Successful leaders make strategic sales decisions based on data. They create predictable progress by trackingspecific metrics. They examine analytics regularly. They predict trends and forecast future performance. Calculating and comparing data over time equips leaders to refine their action plans by making effective changes in their strategy. Many other sales leadership skills are built on a sales manager’s ability to take an objective approach to problem-solving.
2. Master Active Listening Techniques
Relationship and communication skills are needed for sales success in any sales role. Sales reps use these skills to connect with potential customers. They also use them to understand customer needs and provide customer service. Through listening and skillfully responding, sales reps can provide customized pitches and convert more customers. In sales leadership, relationship and communication skills are further applied to the needs of a team.
Successful sales leaders practice active listening. They aim to understand where their team members could improve sales performance. They can then devise personalized strategies to help each team member close deals consistently. A sales team needs to cooperate with other departments. A great sales leader will use listening skills to connect with executives. Sales leaders understand the power of incorporating company needs into sales strategies. They know the value of this holistic approach.
3. Stay Focused
It is part of a sales leader’s job to guide their team’s focus through maintaining their focus. A leader who is distracted, uncertain, or slow to make moves will sabotage their team goals and slow down sales success. High-performing sales leaders are devoted to their own individual goals and their company’s long-term goals. They fearlessly determine their priorities and stick to them. Even when tension is high on their team.
Great sales leadership requires commitment and care. Strong sales leaders maintain their narrow focus on the most important goals. They also understand the value of ‘zooming out’ to consider the broader needs of their sales team and company. Sales leaders must balance details with sales goals to achieve maximum results that benefit everyone. This requires innovation.
4. Optimize Sales Processes
Every sales team needs to work seamlessly both within its own sales organization and with teams in other departments. Successful sales management can be distinguished from a lack of sales leadership qualities. This distinction is based on how well the sales process integrates with the whole company. Great sales leadership will consider their team’s workflow and sales processes to determine an effective structure for their team. The outcome of their optimization will be increased productivity and reduced errors.
Sales leaders working within smaller budgets must be resourceful. Maximizing success while having limited funds takes a mastery of efficient sales leadership skills.
5. Commit To Your Plan
Discernment and decisiveness are sales leadership qualities that are inherent in someone’s sales DNA. Quick decision-makers see a way forward and aren’t afraid to initiate momentum. They can choose what is best for their team without wasting time wavering between options, possibilities, and opportunities.
Your sales leaders must take on an authoritative role that commands respect from their team. This does not mean that their sales management style has to be dominating or dictatorial. Leaders achieve powerful sales leadership when they maintain self-control, calmness, and confidence. They also ensure their team possesses these qualities. Leaders build trust by consistently making and following through on important decisions. These decisions involve quotas, incentives, hiring, and firing.
6. Inspire and Motivate
A team’s performance and overall success hinge on their motivation. Sales can be brutal on team morale. In the face ofrejection and objections, sales managers need to have the sales leadership skills to pull their team out of a funk and get them moving again.
Great sales leadership goes beyond textbook motivational tactics and gets to know their team. A bit of trial and error should be expected in the motivational process. What inspires one employee may not inspire another. In collaborative environments, a compelling vision simply may not look the same to everyone on the team. Understanding team dynamics and what motivates an entire sales team is complex work. Done well, this work will pay dividends as your team’s success soars to new heights.
7. Leverage Technology
A modern sales leader does not shy away from new technology. They understand that it is a sales manager’s responsibility to ensure their team has the resources they need. Great managers take this seriously and explore opportunities for their team to improve their sales methodology through technology. They’re endlessly curious about new sales tools, sales software, and AI applications.
While you can teach a manager tech and tools, the hunger to learn and better their team is not something a manager can learn. If you’re a sales manager, spend some time learning about tech you’re unfamiliar with. Bring your findings back to your team with enthusiasm. If you’re looking to hire a sales manager, keep your eye out for leaders who understand the competitive landscape related to technology. Hire individuals eager to use technology to assess and predict buyer behavior, perform sales forecasting, and develop their sales strategy.
8. Elevate Your Coaching Skills
A great sales leader is also a great coach. When their coaching skills are put to work, they can align their team with the company vision and motivate them to reach higher levels of success.
Maintaining a positive attitude and objective perspective is a crucial part of successful sales coaching. Leaders stay grounded. They give emotionally intelligent, constructive feedback to sales team members. They invest consistently inlearning, leadership development, and training. This equips their team to create better performance strategies.
Is it time to hire your next sales leader? Peak Sales Recruiting is here to help you skip the hiring trial-and-error.Contact our team today and get access to our global network of high-performing sales leaders.
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