14 Sales Stats That Will Help You Improve Your Sales Skills

HubSpot recently published a fantastic (and massive!) blog post titled 107 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics That Will Help You Sell Smarter. We picked out our favorites to share with you—stats that will really help you understand the sales process and buying journey better, so you can increase your success!

1. 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up. So you're way ahead of the game by just following up twice!  

2. 80% of sales require 5 follow-up phone calls after the meeting. Don't give up! Especially with longer, more complex B2B sales cycles, one or two calls just isn't enough.

3. 63% of people requesting information on your company today will not purchase for at least three months – and 20% will take more than 12 months to buy. This isn't fun news, but it's those who understand this that will go the distance and get the sale.

4. Only 25% of leads are legitimate and should advance to Sales. Marketers, don't try to pass along every lead that comes in through your forms! Make sure they are Sales Qualified before sending them to Sales.

5. Nurtured leads produce, on average, a 20% increase in sales opportunities versus non-nurtured leads. If you were wondering about the value of lead-nurturing emails, here's your answer.

6. Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. Again, lead-nurturing emails rock. 

7. Companies that automate lead management see a 10% or greater increase in revenue in 6-9 months. Why is this? Likely because automation means fewer leads fall through the cracks. 

8. 65% of B2B marketers have not established lead nurturing. So lead nurturing is a great way to stay ahead of the competiton. 

9. After a presentation, 63% of attendees remember stories. Only 5% remember statistics. Storytelling isn't just for marketers. Salespeople can use them in their presentations to make them stick.

10. 70% of people make purchasing decisions to solve problems. Don't be afraid of digging into the pain. You've got to accentuate the negative of the problem before you can jump into the positive of your solution.

11. Customers believe that sales reps are 88% knowledgeable on product and only 24% on business expertise. This is a huge opportunity for salespeople to stand out from all the other salespeople meeting with prospects.

12. 95% of buyers chose a solution provider that “provided them with ample content to help navigate through each stage of the buying process." Content is still powerful, and salespeople can use it strategically throughout the sales cycle.

13. 86% of B2B buyers access business-related content on mobile devices. Make sure your emails and sales materials are mobile-friendly.

14. Companies with aligned sales and marketing teams generated 208% more revenue from marketing. If you need another reason to get Sales and Marketing on the same page. . . . 

Keep these stats where you can see them, and use them to sell smarter and close more deals in less time!