The Inside Sales Experts You Need to Know: Introducing the AA-ISP Top 25

Inside sales is on fire. What was once an under-the-radar sales model has exploded into a global phenomenon that is reshaping the sales landscape:

  • Inside sales roles are growing 15x faster than outside sales roles (Bridge Group)
  • 75% of B2B sales organizations say expanding inside sales is a top priority (Spotio)
  • Inside sales reps have increased from 6% to 28% of the average B2B sales staff since 2014 (Sales Insights Lab)

But as the ranks of inside sales swell, so does the need for strong leadership, best practices, and innovations to help inside sales teams thrive. Enter the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP).

Founded in 2008, the AA-ISP is the world‘s largest community dedicated exclusively to advancing the profession of inside sales. With over 11,000 individual members representing 5,000+ companies, the AA-ISP has become the go-to resource for inside sales expertise.

One of the ways the AA-ISP spotlights excellence is through its annual list of the Top 25 Most Influential Inside Sales Professionals. This esteemed group consists of the luminaries who are shaping the present and future of inside sales. They are the ones moving the needle through their visionary leadership, innovative strategies, cutting-edge methods, groundbreaking research, and tireless education of the inside sales community.

Why You Should Follow the Inside Sales Elite

Whether you‘re new to inside sales or a seasoned pro, closely tracking influencers like the AA-ISP Top 25 gives you a major advantage:

  1. Master best practices – Learn proven techniques from those who have been in the trenches and know what works. Adopting industry-leading behaviors is a shortcut to better results.

  2. Stay current on trends – The inside sales field is dynamic. Influencers discuss what‘s coming next so you can prepare and adapt.

  3. Expand your knowledge – Get exposed to fresh ideas, strategies and perspectives to take your skills to the next level.

  4. Avoid pitfalls – Soak up hard-earned wisdom so you don‘t repeat common inside sales mistakes and miscues.

  5. Get inspired – Feed off the passion top practitioners have for inside sales. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious!

Research shows that learning from experts works. A study published in the Journal of Surgical Education found that mentor-guided training improved participants‘ skills substantially more than self-directed training alone. Mentored students demonstrated 2x the improvement and 5x the progression through training levels compared to non-mentored students.

With so much to gain from inside sales experts, let‘s meet a few of the best. Here‘s a sample of the 2015 AA-ISP Top 25 Influencers and what they‘re known for:

Trish Bertuzzi

As the President and Chief Strategist of The Bridge Group, Trish is a pioneer in inside sales consulting. Her book The Sales Development Playbook is considered the blueprint for building and scaling inside sales teams. Trish advocates for specialization between inbound, outbound, and account management roles.

Richard Harris

The owner of Harris Consulting Group, Richard is a prominent inside sales trainer. He‘s known for his innovative techniques for objection-handling, cold-calling, and "borrowing trust" through social proof. Richard stresses the importance of leading sales conversations with insights.

Lori Richardson

As the President of Score More Sales, Lori is a noted inside sales speaker and blogger. Her expertise lies in shortening sales cycles and using sales tools for productivity. Lori emphasizes the need to personalize inside sales interactions in an increasingly digital world.

Ken Krogue

The Founder of InsideSales.com, Ken pioneered the sales acceleration software category. He is a leading evangelist for leveraging artificial intelligence and data science to make inside sales smarter and more efficient. Ken champions testing and refining sales messaging.

Anneke Seley

As the CEO of Reality Works Group, Anneke is credited with building Oracle‘s first inside sales team and writing the first book on inside sales. She specializes in blending digital and live-touch communications for better sales results. Anneke advises mapping the buyer‘s journey.

But this is just a small taste of the brilliance the Top 25 have to offer. Other inside sales experts like Lauren Bailey, Jeff Molander, Josaine Feigon, Mike Weinberg, and Mark Hunter (to name a few) are equally worth following.

How to Absorb Inside Sales Expertise

With many demands vying for inside sales reps‘ attention, you need to be selective and efficient in consuming expert content. Here are some of the best ways to do it:

  • Social media – Follow influencers on LinkedIn and Twitter. Check their feeds regularly for articles, infographics, videos and commentary. Engage with their posts to get on their radar.

  • Blogs – Subscribe to the blogs of inside sales experts. Read new posts as they arrive in your inbox and mine the archives for topical posts. Share and comment on articles that resonate with you.

  • Podcasts – Listen to inside sales podcasts during commutes or workouts. Commit the best tips and ideas to memory.

  • Videos – Watch recordings of experts‘ keynote speeches, interviews, and webinars on YouTube and Vimeo. Stop and replay key segments to fully digest the material.

  • Books – Most of the Top 25 have written popular books on inside sales. Read them cover-to-cover, take notes, and review your notes periodically.

  • Conferences – Attend events like the AA-ISP‘s Digital Sales World and Leadership Summit where many Top 25 experts present. Take photos with the experts and share your top takeaways on social media.

  • Coaching – Some influencers offer one-on-one coaching or group training. If you can swing it, hands-on learning from a top inside sales mind is incredibly valuable.

The key is to not just passively consume expert content, but to reflect on how it applies to your specific inside sales situation. Connect the dots between expert teachings and your daily activities. Focus on one or two influencers at first, then branch out to get a diversity of perspectives.

Inside Sales Experts See a Bright Future

When polled, leading inside sales experts paint a bullish picture of the road ahead:

  • By 2020, 85% of buyer-seller interactions will happen online through social media and video (Gartner)
  • AI adoption for sales teams will jump from 10% to 155% by 2025 (Business Wire)
  • 50% of sales teams will have a dedicated sales enablement function by 2021 (Spotio)
  • The sales acceleration technology market will reach $30B by 2024 (Aragon Research)

To capitalize on these trends, experts advise inside sales teams to:

  1. Blend outbound prospecting with inbound lead qualification for consistent pipeline
  2. Automate non-selling tasks like call logging and lead nurturing to gain more selling time
  3. Arm reps with real-time customer insights to make interactions highly relevant
  4. Focus on customer retention and expansion, not just acquisition
  5. Adopt video, chat and social selling to engage buyers on their preferred channels
  6. Develop deep product knowledge to deliver consultative, solution-oriented selling
  7. Continuously learn, upskill and adapt to changing buyer behaviors and expectations

By staying plugged into inside sales influencers, you‘ll get a front-row seat to the trends and shifts on the horizon. You‘ll be able to anticipate what‘s next and position yourself to thrive in an increasingly digital, data-driven selling landscape.

The Bottom Line

The rise of inside sales has unlocked tremendous career opportunities. But it has also raised the bar on what it takes to succeed. You can‘t afford to rely solely on your own experience. You need to learn from those who have cracked the code on inside sales excellence.

Fortunately, the AA-ISP Top 25 Most Influential Inside Sales Professionals are happy to light the way. By following these luminaries closely and applying their wisdom, you can reach your full potential as an inside sales pro.

But don‘t wait to tap into this wellspring of expertise. Begin today by:

  1. Picking 2-3 experts who resonate with you
  2. Consuming their content across mediums
  3. Taking one action based on what you learn
  4. Sharing your progress to lock in your learning
  5. Expanding to more experts over time

Your inside sales success is largely determined by the thinking you‘re exposed to and the people you surround yourself with. Choose to immerse yourself in the world of inside sales icons and your results will soar.

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