Top Sales Influencers of 2017

2017 has been an incredible year for the sales world, with industry leaders having a greater influence than ever before. These men and women have stepped up to help salespeople connect and learn from one another, creating new standards for engagement and reach.

Though there’s always debate about what constitutes a sales influencer, or what stats determine someone’s actual influence, we’ve compiled a list of some of this year’s heaviest hitters for you to watch in 2018.

• Jill Konrath – @jillkonrath

Jill Konrath is a sales institution. Her successes in B2B marketing and sales acceleration strategy are impressive on their own, but Jill is also the bestselling author of three books about the sales world that have cemented her as an industry icon.

Having one of the most widely read sales blogs and newsletters around, she is a frequent keynote speaker and promoter of sales leadership philosophy.

• Grant Cardone – @GrantCardone

It’s no big surprise that Grant Cardone would be included in this list, as he’s one of the most recognizable sales influencers on Earth. The professional sales trainer/real estate mogul not only built a 350 million dollar empire, but is considered one of the foremost authorities on social media and sales training.

His sharp wit and sales expertise have earned him close to half a million followers on twitter, where he tweets out industry news and sales advice on a regular basis.

• Heather R. Morgan – @HeatherReyhan

One of the continuously rising stars of the sales world, Heather R. Morgan has had a major influence on email marketing. Heather founded Salesfolk in 2009 after realizing she had a talent for writing cold emails that got huge engagement. She has written and optimized 10,000+ emails for nearly 500 companies, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Heather is a frequent twitter user with a large following of devotees, and regularly shares her thoughts and insight on the Salesfolk blog.

• Marc Benioff – @Benioff

Much in the way his company Salesforce has become synonymous with CRM, Marc Benioff has become synonymous with sales innovation. Pioneering an entirely new enterprise software company and turning it into a Fortune 500 giant, Marc is hailed as one of the biggest sales experts around.

His entrepreneurial spirit and widely publicized philanthropy have netted him countless numbers of devotees, making it no surprise Marc was named ‘Best CEO in the United States’ this past year.

• Tiffani Bova – @Tiffani_Bova

Also a member of the Salesforce team, Tiffani Bova is one of the most experienced, and most highly regarded, growth strategists in the sales game. Having worked with hundreds of technology companies over the past decade, she has created a robust network of followers that applaud her sales expertise.

Tiffani is regularly asked to be a keynote speaker at major events and tradeshows, and currently discusses her thoughts about the market on her podcast, “What’s Next!”    

• Jeb Blount – @SalesGravy

One of the leading authorities on sales acceleration and sales coaching tactics, Jeb Blount bears special mention as a sales influencer. The founder of Sales Gravy, Channel EQ, and Innovate Knowledge is also a six-time best-selling author of sales strategy books, leading some to call him the “hardest working man in sales.”

Jeb advises and teaches sales leaders around the world about the value of interpersonal relationships in sales coaching, which has turned him into an industry icon.