LSA Global Insights Newsletter

November 29, 2025

Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales

Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales




B2B Sales Growth Is No Longer Driven by Relationships

For decades, B2B sales have been framed around one central principle: relationships.

The conventional wisdom was simple — build strong personal connections with clients, and sales growth will follow. According to the latest research from Gartner Group highlighted by our microlearning experts, 88% of salespeople still believe great service and support are the keys to sales account growth.

They are wrong. 

What the Research Says

B2B sales growth is about more than relationship selling. While it is true that cross- and up-selling existing customers is three times more successful than trying to win over new prospects, the research found that world-class service contributes to sales account retention, but it has no effect on sales account growth.

While trust and rapport remain critical in the eyes of existing clients, we know from sales rep assessment simulation data that relationships alone are no longer enough to grow existing sales accounts.

Learn why and what to do about it to drive revenue growth.

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

October 25, 2025

The Top 6 Steps to Drive Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority


Not everyone with strategic insight holds formal authority.

Whether you are a functional expert, project lead, or high-potential individual contributor, to be high performing you must be able to shape direction, mobilize stakeholders, and create alignment even when the org chart does not grant you decision-making rights.

 The challenge is real: how do you drive strategic decisions without formal authority at work?

 What The Research Says

We know from organizational culture assessment research that high performance and engagement can be elusive in matrixed work environments.  Why? Because accountability, information sharing, strategic clarity, and decision making rights can become blurred and misaligned.

And, according to a recent Gallup study 84% of US employees were operating in a matrixed work environment.

The research about how to better influence strategic decisions without authority is clear.

Read the 4 Research-Backed Competencies that Matter Most and the 4 Key Steps to Take

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

September 27, 2025

The Strategic Alignment Illusion: Why Leaders Think Teams Are Aligned (When They’re Not)


Leaders Consistently Overestimate Strategic Alignment

Leaders often talk about strategic alignment as if it were a binary state. 

In reality, organizational alignment is a moving spectrum, and most organizations tend to occupy a murky middle ground between high and low levels of strategic cohesion. 

Yet, many executives report that they are convinced that their teams are more aligned and more committed than they truly are.  

This gap between strategic perception and strategic reality can derail strategy execution, team engagement, and organizational performance.

One of the primary reasons leaders overestimate strategic alignment is that when leaders communicate strategy — through town halls, memos, or offsite retreats — they often mistake message delivery for message absorption, agreement, and commitment. 

The research about why and what to do about it is clear. Where do your teams stand?

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

August 30, 2025

The Most Effective Sales Discovery Methods to Drive Buyer Engagement



Are Your Sales Reps Creating Enough Buyer Engagement?

In a complex B2B sales, prospects (especially executive buyers) are more informed, time-starved, and resistant to generic sales pitches. 

Experienced sales leaders know that B2B sales discovery isn’t just a step in the sales process to check off on your way to closing — it’s the sales differentiation engine that fuels buyer receptivity, trust, and momentum.

Done well, effective B2B sales discovery not only begins to build trust and uncovers what the buyer wants, but also: 

  • What they need.
  • Why they, and their company, need it.
  • how it fits into their strategic priorities.
  • How they make decisions.
  • Who influences the final outcome.
  • Who else they are talking to.

Done poorly, weak B2B sales discovery stalls a deal, erodes brand credibility, and wastes everyone’s time.

How do your sales reps stack up against these 5 research-backed sales discovery skills?

Read the 5 Research-Backed Mindset Shifts
Required for Effective B2B Sales Discovery 


About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

July 26, 2025

What Sets High Performing Teams Apart: The Top 7 Characteristics



The Top 7 Characteristics of High Performing Teams

Most top companies execute key strategic initiatives through cross-functional, empowered, and high performing teams.

Sadly, recent McKinsey research found that 75% of cross-functional teams underperform.  

We know from project postmortem data that team effectiveness does not come by happenstance — leaders that promote and reinforce the characteristics of high performing teams outperform their peers.

High Performing Teams: What The Research Says

Most teams are struggling to be high functioning and high performing.

  • 90% of executives believe teams could deliver similar outcomes in half the time if they collaborated more effectively. 
  • 75% of team time is spent on non mission-critical work.
  • 50% of team meetings are unnecessary.

High performing teams share specific characteristics that enable them to achieve more. Understanding what sets these teams apart is crucial for leaders who want to unlock true performance potential.

How do your teams stack up?

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

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June 28, 2025

The How to Guide for Leaders Define Success at Work


An Essential Ingredient for High Performance

We believe it is the job of leaders to create the work environment that enables people within their organization to perform at their peak. We know from leadership simulation assessment data that taking the time to clearly define success at work is one of the most impactful performance moves a leader can make. 

We know from corporate culture assessment data that when organizations fail to clearly define success at work they risk more than just strategic ambiguity — they risk employee disengagement, misaligned efforts, and ineffective strategy execution.

While most companies focus on high-level corporate outcomes like revenue growth, profitability, or customer satisfaction, too few leaders take the critical step of articulating what success and failure actually look like at every level of their organization. 

This oversight is a significant barrier to excellence because people need to have an accurate sense of their current performance status if they are to perform at their peak.

Just imagine if you were running a marathon and you did not know previous winning times, who you were racing against, where the other racers were, or how you were doing along the way. It would be pretty difficult to perform at your peak and pretty easy to make excuses for underperformance.

There are some proven steps to take for leaders to get it right. How are your leaders doing?

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity.  We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..  

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