In many cases, being successful is all about surrounding yourself with like-minded people. It’s about bouncing ideas off of one another and taking information from those who have experience. At the very least, it’s about bringing together multiple minds for the same cause.
In the business world, you have to be challenged in order to become the best version of yourself. The version that pushes boundaries and makes leaps and bounds towards innovation. Boiling the business melting pot down a bit, salespeople greatly rely on one another in order to perform in the working environment.
Often time, in the world of sales, surrounding yourself with the right people involves going to conferences, attending sales calls, going to trade shows, and taking seminars. While all of these things are very useful, nothing quite beats a community of individuals all united to become better and make each other better, too. Thus, we have sales communities.
In recent years, there has been quite an increase in new members in these communities. Anyone and everyone that’s involved in the sales process of a business has most likely visited or joined at least one sales community.
Here’s a list of sales communities that you can join right now. It’s in non-particular order, so make sure you do your research and check each one out to see how you like it and where you fit.
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AA-ISP
As the largest group of salespeople in the United States, The American Association for Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) is a sales community that everyone needs to at least check out.
In this community, you’ll find members with all kinds of varying sales experience. These are all roles that align with internal sales teams, and the group is supported by chapters from all over the globe. This includes conferences for all levels of sales, an inside Sales Academy and Accredidations, a mentor program, and even a resource center that you can use to reference and study.
The AA-ISP is focused on supporting its members by improving professionalism and performance in themselves, their given sales teams, and the entire organization. Although this is a paid membership, their LinkedIn groups are usually open to anyone that wants to join.
Out inTech
Most groups of sales professionals hold events in person. Out inTech originated in the exact same way but has migrated towards an online approach in recent years.
Out inTech is unique in the fact that they still host in-person events, and you can even find out more information about them on their Slack channels. Just glancing over the events page on their website, you can see that they actually host or promote events quite frequently. From NY to the UK, you can find communal-based projects and events for just about anything.
Their community continues to grow and is sitting happily at over 40,000 members at the time of this post. Supported by 23 chapters from around the world, Out inTech focuses on inclusion and equality across the board. This means that no matter who you are, where you’re from, or your level of expertise in sales, you can find a community home.
Blacks in Technology
Blacks in Technology is a media-based and tech-focused sales community that dedicates time and a considerable amount of effort to the inclusion and representation of black men and women in the tech industry.
Although this particular group is not exclusively about sales, it is very well known to be supportive of anyone that works in the tech industry, including those who are in sales.
This is actually a really great place for sales communities to grow in the tech space. Since sales isn’t always simply sales talk, being a part of a community this diverse and accepting of tech industry people is a powerful resource to have in your pocket.
Blacks in Technology has many local chapters around the globe that meet regularly and grow constantly. If you’re interested, each chapter has multiple ways in which you can contact them, including major socials like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Modern Sales Pros
Founded by Peter Kazanjy, Modern Sales Pros has more than 27,000 members that are exclusively in the sales game. Anyone from representatives and sales ops to sales managers and leadership experts has found their way to this sales community, and more are always welcomed to join.
Modern Sales Pros focuses mostly on leadership roles, so individual contributors will typically be screened-out. That being said, their GoogleGroup is known for answering strategic questions on their job board Digital Salons. Here, you’ll find insight on anything from improving 1-on-1s to leadership development methods.
The sales community itself is invite-only, but you can apply directly on the Modern Sales Pros website. Once your application is accepted, you’ll be given access to a community forum where sales operations, enablement, management, and leadership experts all chime in to improve the sales community.
Pavilion
Pavilion is another highly exclusive group, which means that you will need to submit an application and wait for it to be accepted before you will actually receive an invite to join.
Pavilion offers a very large variety of membership options. Although they are mostly all paid memberships, they are dependent on your contribution to the community. They determine this by first asking how many years of sales experience you have and what your current role is.
If you want to network, make connections, or are looking to start up some new business opportunities, then Pavilion is a great place to start. The community is a safe place for all sorts of questions and promises full confidentiality. Combine that with an always-growing and evolving resource library, and Pavilion is a sales community where anyone can improve their sales game.
Once joined, you have additional access to exclusive Slack channels, Events both in-person and virtual, career and negotiation coaching, and a lot more.
HubSpot Community
If you didn’t already know, HubSpot Community offers forums where sales (as well as other professionals) can learn and grow. It contains thousands of discussions on different sales-related topics like sales enablement, demand generation, lead nurturing, and more. Most importantly, It is free and very easy to find some helpful insight.
Although the official number of HubSpot Community users isn’t publicly known, we do know that the tool itself has over 143,000 customers. These are businesses and individuals that require from over 120 countries that have experience with business and sales.
Navigating around, you can find questions about website implementation, sales processes, funnel optimizations, and a lot more. Joining the community gives you access to events like webinars and seminars where you can continue to learn and improve, whether it be in sales or elsewhere.
RevGenius
With over 27,000 active members, RevGenius is an open B2B sales community that anyone can join at any time. No need for applications or invites.
RevGenius focuses on SaaS sales and connects you with other members in the same field. You can join roundtable discussions, attend events, become a mentor, find a mentor, exchange tips and advice, and browse the nice selection of community resources.
What makes RevGenius so incredibly helpful and unique, giving it a spot on our list here, is the fact that they are partnered with some big brands like Zendesk, Salesloft, and a lot more. This means that any questions that you may have will be packed with information and helpful insight that you simply will not find anywhere else.
Inside Sales Experts
Inside Sales Experts isn’t a website that you need to apply for with exclusive content that only a select few can see. Instead, it’s a LinkedIn group that can be joined with a single click.
This group was founded by none other than Trish Bertuzzi, who is widely known as the Godmother of Inside Sales. The group itself is known as the go-to group for sales best practices. A place where you can go to get real-world advice for your presented sales-related problems.
What’s great about this LinkedIn-based sales community is that it is focused only on giving a platform to Inside Sales executives. They come here to share data, insight, and advice, which means absolutely zero shameless self-promotion, and anything else regarded as spam will be tolerated.
As you can see from the screenshot above, there are over 66,000 active members in this group, making it the perfect place to expand your network and sales knowledge.
SDR Nation
SDR Nation was founded and operates currently by giving sales representatives the support and help that they need to make it in the competitive landscape that is sales.
Within the guidelines of this sales community, it pledges to give all its members the necessary tools, advice, and training they need to make leaps in their careers.
By simply joining SDR Nation, you will immediately get access to all kinds of resources in their knowledge base, rich mentorship opportunities, and a very large network of like-minded sales professionals.
Sales Hacker
Moving back to LinkedIn groups, Sales Hacker is definitely one you need to check out. Although its flagship website is something to be marveled at by itself, the group is where you’re going to find a gold mine of sales information.
Standing at just over 16,000 members, Sales Hacker is on the smaller side when it comes to active users. That being said, there’s no shortage of help in the comments and questions within the group.
Sales Hacker is a great group to join no matter where you’re at in your sales career or what position you hold with the team. It’s a place to discuss controversial ideas, get inspired, debate, and learn from different salespeople in different companies all over the world.
Women Sales Pros World Community
The digital home for the Women Sales Pros organization, this is the group that you want to be involved in if you’re looking for a strong network of people devoted to assisting companies in finding, recruiting, onboarding, and retaining women in their sales force, then you’re in the right place.
Women Sales Pros Community is all about empowering women to grow and stay connected in the sales world. It gives them the platform they need to shine and rise within organizations.
They’ve been known to host in-person events that are absolutely incredible for making connections and networking for the women of sales. It is a wonderful platform, and it provides a wonderful look into what a powerful sales team should and can look like.
Women in Revenue
Sticking with the theme of empowering women, Women in Revenue is another great sales community that you should check out.
From the get-go, the Women in Revenue organization makes its mission abundantly clear: to empower women in the sales and marketing world. Much like the previous sales community we mentioned on this list, the sales community is a go-to platform for women to network, learn, and grow in sales.
Women in Revenue does host the occasional event, and the blog is a great resource if you’re not ready to commit to a sales community just yet, but they aren’t updated very regularly. This group is all about the community, and that’s where you will find a treasure throve of helpful information.
Right now, joining this sales community is 100% free. Joining gives you access to a couple of benefits, including early event invites, access to a great mentorship program, and you unlock the ability to openly ask questions in their dedicated Slack channels.
Women in Sales Everywhere
Currently, women represent only about 20% of the C-Suite in sales. Women in Sales Everywhere, or WISE for short, has made it their aim to change that statistic.
Their goal and primary mission are to help the next generation of women sales leaders develop into these roles.
This sales community helps the global women of sales connect and network.They provide the medium that is needed for mentorship and peer connections, regardless of where you live or what background you come from.
Currently, Women in Sales Everywhere is the largest woman-only sales community in the world. With members in over 40 different countries, you’re sure to find plenty of insight. Joining gives you access to plenty of resources and online events, including podcasts and videos.
Although WISE is a paid membership, the cost of entry isn’t that astounding. You can opt for the yearly membership plan for $320/year or pay quarterly at $100/quarter. Either way, if you’re a woman in sales and you’re looking for a nice community where you can connect with other like-minded women and build a solid foundation of knowledge, Women in Sales Everywhere is a great deal.
Bravado
Bravado is a highly praised sales community in the fact that it’s marketed as being highly exclusive for top sales professionals. That’s not to say that you can’t apply and get in, but the criteria for entry are a bit higher than most on this list.
Starting back in 2017, Bravado has made it their outspoken mission to make salespeople smarter in their field. The group prides itself on a no-fluff approach, meaning you hear and read what you need to know, and only what you need to know. There’s no filler content, useless resources, or vague answers here.
What’s more impressive about this sales community is that they boast a membership roster of people from over 4,000 different organizations. These organizations include sales team members from the FAANG’s, Facebook (now known as Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google all have sales team professionals in this group, and they, as well as the other 4,000+ organizations, are very active.
Bravado offers plenty of resources along with its exclusivity. You’ll have access to great sales tools and be invited to in-person events where all the members can learn from each other and make those ever-important connections.
What makes Bravado even more unique is their credibility score. Each member is scored on their credibility based on customer testimonials, and that score is recorded directly into their Bravado sales profile. Trust is a huge deal in sales, and adding this scoring structure gives people the recognition they need to really stand out.
Thursday Night Sales (defunct as of Oct 2023)
Any sales-focused group, regardless of what they do, can be considered a sales community. Thursday Night Sales is a great example of that. The group was formed around a podcast hosted by Amy Volas and Scott Leese.
Sitting at just over 4,290 active members on their Facebook group, this community meets every Thursday in what could be considered a happy hour for sales nuts. It’s a very relaxed and laid-back environment, which makes it incredibly easy for anyone, even those who are new to sales entirely, to adapt and fit in quickly.
Because of its smaller nature, Thursday Night Sales is a great palace to get one-on-one advice from real sales professionals. You can connect with leaders in the sales industry, gets insights, viewpoints, and advice on tools to use. You can even get some personal mentorship for nailing your next job interview.
During the group’s live webinars and chats, you’re encouraged to ask the hosts questions about cold calling and sales techniques. You get direct answers, and other members can chime in a either offer different viewpoints or reinforce answers. It is a tight-knit community like none other on this list. As it grows in size, I’m certain that giving personal attention to each individual member will become more and more difficult, so jump in while you can!
Sales Management Association
Another great, smaller sales community that offers a more personal touch is the Sales Management Association. Sitting at around 2,000 active members, it is a global association that is exclusively for sales managers across multiple different industries that want to focus on sales effectiveness.
Here, you’ll find sales professionals in a variety of sales-based roles. Members range from sales operations, sales enablement, sales management, commercial effectiveness, and a lot more.
Sales Management Association has free plans and paid plans that range from $95 to $2,000. All forms of membership give you access to some highly interactive training seminars and courses, invites to annual conferences, and exclusive access to a variety of template slide decks, and more.
SMA also has a very active job board on their website. If you’re a sales professional looking for that next big step, or even if you’re just looking to see what kind of opportunities are out there, this is a great place to look.
Along with all of this, Sales Management Association members get access to third-party discounts and other offers. Commonly used sales tools like Visme, TimeTrade, SurveyMonkey, and more are all subject to discounts with your SMA membership.
UK Business Forums
Let’s round out the small sales community discussion with the UK Business Forums. With just under 500 members as it is now, you’re sure to get a highly personalized experience and learn directly from other sales and marketing professionals.
This sales and marketing-focused forum is dedicated to small businesses in the UK. What makes this community even more unique and worth checking out (especially if you’re in the UK) is that they also accept sole traders as members. This means that you don’t necessarily have to be a part of an organization in order to get in.
Although it is small and limited, I’ve personally found a lot of great insight just browsing through some of the questions and answers listed on their forums page. You won’t find any sort of events or courses in this sales community, but you will find prized connections through real-time chats, newsletters, and forums.
National Association of Sales Professionals
The National Association of Sales Professionals, or NASP for short, is a large organization with an incredible sales community behind it. Backed with 3+ decades of experience in the mix, NASP is supported by 500+ pattern companies around the world.
NASP offers some of the most widely recognized sales certifications in the industry. These accreditations are highly respected among professionals across most industries and verticals. With over 10,000 certifications already handed out, the only way you can get your hands on one is by becoming a member.
The National Association of Sales Professionals does things a little differently. Each month, members will be sent an exclusive email newsletter that’s packed full of helpful insights and trends happening in the sales industry. This ensures that each month, members will be given access to new and up-to-date information.
That being said, you will still have the option to access a variety of resources outside of the newsletter. They host the Lead Growth podcast and promote very in-depth discussions on the best practices for sales-training techniques, communication, and prospecting skills.
What makes NASP even more amazing is that it’s completely free. There aren’t any criteria for joining, only that you register on their website.
Conclusions and takeaway
Although this list of 18 different sales communities is comprehensive, this only scratches the surface of what is possible in the sales network. Above all else, I highly encourage you to seek out a group of sales professionals on your own. Do your research, and see what you can dig up, learn, and improve about your sales strategy.
That being said, this list is a great head start. Although not all are free, you can certainly start with the free ones and get s good taste of what it’s like to be in a sales community. If you’re already involved in a sales community and you’re looking for more, then I encourage you to check out some of the paid membership options that we’ve discussed above. Each one offers something a little different than the last, and truly none of them are the same.
The fact is that the only way to stimulate real growth in your sales career is to surround yourself with professionals that want to do the same. Each one of us has a different experience, we’ve come from different companies and have used different techniques to get us to where we are today. Being in a sales community (or multiple! You’re not limited to just one) means that you not only get to learn, but you get to share, helping everyone grow.
