The Pitch – UK Final for entrepreneurs

How is your sales pitch? Could it win you a place as a national champion? The Pitch is a national competition for budding entrepreneurs to present their ideas in a number of regional events, culminating in the national final in London later this month. The idea started on a smaller scale as an event at the Bristol Design Festival in 2008. It was organised in conjunction with the University of the West of England and the Bristol Entrepreneur network. Now it has grown with finalists such as Jim Shaikh from England and his range of ‘innovative self-warming baby bottles’ and others from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The person putting forward an award winning pitch will win a prize package worth more than £50,000 including everything from accountancy services to a new suit. For more on this year’s event visit the organisation’s website at www.thepitchuk.com/

Sales motivation – US style

A year of gourmet meals, a paid day off to go fishing or an engraved baseball bat – some of the incentives suggested by the sales directors interviewed in Success magazine and website based in the US. The article looks at key ways to motivate staff along with interviews with several sales and marketing directors. Sales coach Mark Palmer says that a successful sales manager needs to be clear on what motivates their particular team – ‘it is critical to identify what excites your people—maybe it’s cash, certain gifts, prestige, peer recognition or job satisfaction.’ Another strategy is to involve the whole company in the latest sales drive, as the success of the sales force is often key to the company’s success. ‘Encourage supporting departments—such as customer service, engineering and marketing—to be supportive of the sales staff’s efforts,’ says Palmer. For more ideas and motivational strategies, read the full article at http://www.success.com/articles/1445-how-to-motivate-your-sales-staff

Consumer confidence – rising or just a ‘blip’?

Is life as a sales manager, particularly a retail sales manager, about to get any easier? Latest data shows that consumers’ attitudes to spending may be beginning to change. The regular UK Consumer Confidence Index produced by GfK/NOP has risen one point to its highest level since June 2011, showing significant shift in consumer attitudes. Nick Moon, managing director of social research at GfK, is quoted in Retail Gazette online magazine. “Following the much-anticipated but ultimately unseen lift from the Jubilee and Olympics, even a one point increase…will offer some grounds for optimism after such a stagnant summer.” The article considers other economic indicators to see if such optimism is justified. Moon does cautions against reading too much, too quickly into the data. “We will have to wait for next month’s figures to see if there has been a real change…or…whether this is just an end-of-summer blip,” he says. Read the whole article on retail confidence at http://www.retailgazette.co.uk/articles/12142-consumer-confidence-highest-since-june-2011

Call and Contact Centres – how to measure success

As a call centre manager or supervisor, how do you know if you’re having a good day? A range of metrics can be used to measure the activity in a call centre or customer service department but which will work for you? In an article on the Call Centre Management Association website, a survey of contact centre professionals looked at the most popular areas measured and monitored. It found that ‘a growing number are based on quality or outcomes, rather than just on pure efficiency.’ The article lists the top ten metrics mentioned in the survey. Unsurprisingly ‘quality scores’ came out top. How the customer judged their conversation and experience with the call centre contact is seen as vital. Other metrics included first call resolution, average handling time and forecast accuracy – some easier to track than others. For the full list of metrics read the article at http://www.ccma.org.uk/news/call-centre-metrics-article

Finding the brightest sales prospects

How do you identify a good prospect or a successful business? Whether you are a sales manager mapping your area or planning your next career move, it helps to know who is out there and doing well. The Telegraph’s new interactive map offers 1000 names dubbed as ‘Britain's brightest businesses’ which are said to have ‘weathered the economic storm’ and are excellent prospects to grow and generate jobs. But this isn’t just the opinion of the Telegraph. The list was complied from a number of sources including NESTA, the innovation agency and nominations from organisations such as the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Insurance Institute. Nominations from readers were also taken into account. Local companies on the map include Dynmark International (mobile marketing) in Cheltenham and the Severn Glocon group (process valves) in Gloucester. Take a different look at the business profile of your area and see the map at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/8757818/Telegraph-1000-Britains-brightest-businesses-mapped.html#dsq-comments

Successful Selling Expo – sign up now for free entry

Successful Selling 2012 takes place on 12^th Oct at the RICOH arena in Coventry this year, but sign up early for free entry to the ‘U.K.’s premier sales exhibition'. The exhibition is produced in partnership with the ISMM’s (Institute of Sales and Marketing Management) conference (tickets sold separately).  Both events are aimed at helping sales departments and account teams develop and succeed. The 650 exhibitors will include companies involved in incentives, lead generation, sales technology, hospitality and sales talent assessment. As well as a chance to network, the exhibition also features seminar sessions including incentive management and sales prospecting software. One seminar session covers ‘Selling Excellence’ with many tips from the sales and training development manager of the major exhibition sponsor, 3M. For more details on how the exhibition could benefit you as a sales account manager visit the website at http://www.sales-expo.co.uk/

Top tips for telesales

A successful telesales campaign needs careful planning to succeed. Whether you are a telesales manager in charge of a large call centre or a smaller sales team trying to make an impact in your sector and generate sales leads, you need to have a strategy. In an article on the The Marketing Group’s website, 42 top tips are offered in planning your next telesales campaign from scriptwriting to setting expectations and goals. The tips also have advice for every step of the call such as ‘have confidence and energy in your voice ‘ and ‘Offer choices. If you offer one option, you leave the customer to choose between "yes" and "no.". This is all useful advice for both operators on the front line at a call-centre as well as those planning goals and measuring results. Before your next telesales campaign or before you make the next sales call, read the full article at http://www.marketinggroup.co.uk/articles/42%20Tips%20for%20a%20More%20Effective%20Powerful%20Telesales%20Campaign.pdf

Gloucestershire’s Top 100

Which are the Gloucestershire companies that are really performing and making a difference to the region’s economy? The list of the Top 100 Businesses, issued recently issued by The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo, shows the spread of industries and key businesses based in the county. The list is ranked by turnover up to March 31^st and all companies must either have their headquarters in the county or an attributable proportion of turnover linked to the area. Top of the list by a significant margin is the wealth management company, St James’s Place. After that the list shows Gloucestershire’s engineering diversity with Spirax Sarco in second place along with other engineering and manufacturing businesses such as Messier-Bugati-Dowty Ltd (5^th), Renishaw (7^th) and Kohler Mira Ltd (11^th). Other sectors featured include IT, energy supply and construction and unique businesses such as Cheltenham Racecourse. To get the full business picture, read the list at http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/100-businesses-Gloucestershire-list/story-16451272-detail/story.html   

Why existing customers are vital to an account manager

Selling to existing customers is always vital but how do you ensure that the effort from a new sales push is not being wasted? According to research from the AskForensics Knowledgebase, highlighted in an article from the Harvard Business Review, you need to look at four key areas. These are gaps that can develop in the customer relationship that need to be addressed in order to ensure future key account success. ‘Improving training of frontline staff’ is seen as vital. Sales managers need to remember that your customer comes into contact with frontline employees more often than they do with the sales teams. Responding to customers needs timely and with proactive ideas showing that you understand their business is also important. Finally, make sure you understand your customer needs. They can change frequently in a difficult market. For more on the importance of looking after loyal customers see the article at http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/to_sell_more_focus_on_existing.html

Selling around the world – where does your style fit?

Persuader,  dream-maker or networker – how would you characterise yourself in a sales situation? Philip Broughton, writing on the Harvard Business Review blog, argues that no matter how many sales systems or methods are published,  it really comes down to a balance of someone’s personality and the sales role itself. For his latest book, The Art of the Sale’ he has interviewed sales people around the world to see how they approach sales as a profession. Comments included ‘Your authentic self will always, eventually, come out’ and ‘rigid methods taught in most sales courses…are hopeless in the field.’ In India, a key manager at Infosys said that the best salespeople are ‘those people who can make others comfortable, who are articulate, and who are able to deal with the unexpected.’ For more on how different sales personnel see themselves and ‘The Art of the Sale’, read the full article at http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/06/the_most_important_predictor_o.html?awid=8276497249373009626-3271

The simplicity of sales

With so many books written on the art of sales and the perfect sales techniques, it’s sometimes hard to know what tips to actually use on your next sales appointment. In an article on the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management website , creative director Mark Blackmore, argues that some old sales lines should be put out to pasture. He examines ‘eight myths of selling’ including ‘people buy from people’ and ‘sell the sizzle not the sausage’. After looking at the merits of each ‘myth’ he then suggests that the selling principle could be simplified to just one line, ‘People buy when a compelling need is met by a credible solution that offers perceived value’. He also argues throughout that ‘selling has become a complicated business but it doesn’t need to be.’ To see whether you agree that the eight myths deserve to be put to rest or still have some value, read the article at http://www.ismm.co.uk/news/2012/05/22/eight-myths-of-selling/

Connecting call centres

How integrated are your field service department and call centre? With changing customer perceptions of what a customer service department should be able to offer, a seamless solution can really enhance customer satisfaction. A recent article on the Call Centre Focus website looks at the recent history of the call centre from the legacy of unsuccessful attempts to locate overseas to high levels of diagnosis, now achieved by a simple phone call. The benefits of a seamless approach include high customer satisfaction, reduced costs and ability to measure costs and KPIs more effectively. An effective system can provide “an all-embracing and improved diagnostic process, including engineer dispatch. If required parts are available at the time the engineer is dispatched, the repair could be completed in a single visit.” For more about integrating customer service and call centres read the full article at http://www.callcentre.co.uk/page.cfm/Action=library/libID=1/listID=52/libEntryID=4392

Are you ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ in a sales deal?

Are you a natural ‘closer’? That’s the question asked by an article from the Harvard Business Review. A short test is included to find out how you approach a sales deal. The five questions consider how you interact with colleagues and groups, giving you an overall score to see whether you have a ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ approach. Although many successful sales managers would fall into the ‘direct’ approach category, this isn’t always the case. Those scoring ‘a low level of dominance’ can still being very successful, using an approach “based upon establishing your product as the focal point of the purchase before you start selling yourself.” Start with the first question before reading the full article. “You are having a hallway conversation with three colleagues. Do you a) remain silent the majority of time…b) speak an equal share of the conversation…or c) usually find yourself talking the majority of the time? More at http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/are_you_a_closer_take_the_test.html

Understanding tendering

A new contract sales role may mean you need to understand tendering in both the public and private sector. An article from the Marketing Donut website, ‘Tendering for contracts’ looks at the whole process from identifying tendering opportunities to the details of what a contract proposal should contain. Opportunities to tender can come through monitoring websites and looking out for particular government tenders that have to be published. Some opportunities may also be published in the trade press. The article cites building relationships as key to success which should mean you can ‘get involved as early in the process as possible.’ Once at the stage of writing a tender document, you need to demonstrate your strengths and experience as well as thinking of such details as a non-disclosure agreement. For more on contracts and tendering read the full article at http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/marketing/sales/tendering-for-contracts

The John Lewis approach to retail

The John Lewis partnership style of company structure and employee involvement is often held up as a model to follow even cited by government ministers. So how does the company approach the retail market and what initiatives are proving successful? In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, chairman, Charlie Mayfield, reviews their current position. One area he points out is how the success of online sales does not necessarily take away from the importance of physical stores. He estimates that in 60% of online sales the actual shops still played a role, such as their ‘Click and Collect’ service. He plans to expand the physical presence of John Lewis but not necessarily with larger stores. A new store is planned for Exeter and a new Waitrose in Warminster, filling in between Salisbury and Bath. To learn more about this successful retail name, read the full interview with accompanying video http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9247940/John-Lewis-chairman-Charlie-Mayfield-theres-still-so-much-to-do-in-the-UK.html

The Art of the Presentation

Confidence, a clear voice and well-crafted PowerPoint slides – what more do you need before you present your next sales pitch? These areas and many others are covered by the ‘Six Minutes’ website – a guide to ‘becoming a confident and effective speaker’. Whether your sales role involves impromptu speaking to a potential new customer or a formal presentation to a group of buyers, the website has detailed advice on getting your message across. Categories include ‘PowerPoint and Visuals’ – have you heard of the 10-20-30 rule for using PowerPoint? Take a look online to find out more. Before a large event, prior research is suggested, even to the extent of contacting a few potential members of the audience to check that you’re delivering the information that they’re expecting. It also suggests that you take more opportunities to speak at work and elsewhere, boosting your confidence and improving your skills. For more advice, visit the website at http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/

Talking Technical

If you sell to engineers and technical departments, shouldn’t you know a little more about how engineers think, talk and make decisions? The answer is a definite ‘yes’ according to an article on the salestrainingadvice website by Babette Ten Haken. So what aspects of your sales communication should you concentrate on? Firstly words need to be used precisely – ideas and proposals will be carefully scrutinised to understand the exact nature of what is being said. The article acknowledges that sales professionals and engineers can come from very different starting points which can lead to frustrations. The article describes engineers as ‘risk-averse’ and ‘extremely rational’ – worth considering but may not apply to every engineer. Get specific and take the advice to talk often to your own technical department to understand how they talk and think about your company’s product range. For more advice on selling to engineers, read the whole article here http://www.salestrainingadvice.com/2012/01/selling-to-technical-people-how-well-do-you-work-with-engineers-by-babette-ten-haken.html

Are you a good listener?

Sales is communication. Whether face to face or over the phone, you need to listen effectively yet it may not be as easy as it seems. ‘Top 10 tips to improve your sales listening skills’ from Jeremy Ulmer’s ‘Sales Coaching Habits’ website offers a number of things to try in order to listen effectively – things that you may not do instinctively.  Firstly give the speaker time and space. “Take 2 full breaths before responding. It will ensure the speaker is finished and give them space to share more.” On a similar theme he urges you to ignore distractions and ‘never talk over anyone’. Concentrate on what they’re saying but also how they’re saying it. He advises ‘noticing the speaker’s tone, pace, and energy. There is a lot of information to be gathered and the more you pay attention to your intuition, the more effective your listening will be.” See the whole article on Jeremy’s website http://www.salescoachinghabits.com/tips-to-improve-sales-listening-skills

Tips from the top – Sainsbury’s CEO

Justin King, Sainsbury’s CEO, has one of the most senior roles in one of the U.K.’s most competitive retail sectors. An interview in last weekend’s Telegraph magazine by Andrew Cave gives some insight into how he sees the industry and why Sainsbury’s are continuing to do well. Their continuing success with 7 years continued growth is despite the grocery market shrinking last year for the first time since 1973. Justin King suggests that the market is shrinking because “people are buying less because they are wasting less.” King became CEO in 2004 and started a “Making Sainsbury’s Great Again’ recovery campaign. The article looks at ways that the company has been successful at ‘identifying customers’ moods and helping them achieve their aims.” Examples are the ‘Feed your family for a fiver’ adverts and being the world's biggest Fairtrade retailer, both ‘striking a chord with customers.’ More on Justin King’s view on retail and the customer at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9191993/The-Sunday-Interview-Justin-King-chief-executive-of-Sainsburys.html

Launch of Gloucestershire Business Awards

Last Wednesday saw the launch of The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo’s 15th annual Business Awards, now rebranded The Diamond Jubilee Business Awards. As well as the recipients of the awards for categories such as Young Business Person of the Year, companies who have previously been awarded the Queen’s Award will be celebrated at the award ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse on October 4th. In a report on the launch on the ‘This is Gloucestershire’ website, Sarah Pullen, managing director of Gloucestershire Media, said: “Our business community in Gloucestershire is thriving. I believe we have the best business community here in this county in the whole of the UK.
Other categories include ‘Family Business of the Year’ and ‘Communicator of the Year’. The awards cover all business sectors with previous winners including Neon Play and George Bence and Son. Read full details on the awards at the Business Awards 2012 website http://digital-thisis.co.uk/gloucestershire/BA2012/news.html

Moving into sales management

Although a career aim for many sales representatives, the move to a sales manager may not always be an easy one. In an article on his sales website and blog, Skip Anderson lays out the ‘10 Qualities of a successful sales manager.’ Knowing the characteristics needed also highlights the difficulties faced when moving up the sales ladder. An interesting one that not many candidates may have considered is what Anderson describes as being ‘Willing to give up the top spot.” He argues that a good sales manager must encourage others in the team to reach for the top salesman spot – ‘ keeping their own egos in check for the sake of the advancement of their team.’ Another related skills required are ‘focusing on others’ and ‘delegating’ to make the team work effectively. See if you have what it take to be a successful sales manager. Read the article at the Selling to Consumers website http://www.sellingtoconsumers.com/art_10_qualities.htm

Online shopping – growth area for U.K. retail

While some retail areas are struggling at the moment, a new study suggests that the U.K. leads the way in one key area – internet sales. According to a BBC report looking at research from the Boston consulting group, ‘the internet contributes to 8.3% of the UK economy, a bigger share than for any of the other G20 major countries.’ The internet economy is estimated at £121bn in 2010. With the trend forecasted to rise significantly, this could be good news for small or medium sized businesses who have invested in online rather than high street space. To look for reasons why the British prefer online shopping, it’s worth taking a look at some of the many comments generated by the article. Suggestions include the poor state of high street retail, parking charges and on a more positive note the well-designed and easy to use websites of U.K. based companies. Read the full article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17405016

Selling the Cotswolds

For the second year, the Cotswolds can celebrate the best it has to offer in the tourism market for locals and visitors alike. The 2012 Cotswolds Tourism Awards are given to a wide range of local businesses in areas such as hospitality, entertainment and communication. The winners reflect the diversity of the area with the gold award for event of the year going to the Fairford Royal International Air Tattoo and the gold award for website of the year going to Giffords Circus. The hotel category also reflects recent investments being made in the tourism sector with awards for the Ellenborough Park Hotel and the Montpellier Chapter hotel. According to a statement and full list of winners on the Cotswold Tourism website, ‘Judging was carried out by a confidential, impartial panel selected for expertise in relevant areas.’ For all the winners and links to their successful businesses read the article at http://www.cotswolds.com/membership/cotswold-tourism-awards

Local option to boost selling skills

For short courses to boost your sales and marketing skills, Gloucestershire Enterprise runs a range of short courses, often just a morning or afternoon to boost your skills. Most are suitable both for people coming from a larger company or someone running their own business. In March, for example, a key sales seminar is ‘Sales Skills, Cross-Selling & Up-Selling’ which aims to assist those who ‘want to increase your sales but lack confidence or know-how.’ The afternoon course covers areas such as ‘Increasing your sales through effective questioning techniques’ and ‘How to build rapport, handle objections and close the sale.’ Gloucestershire Enterprise are the local Enterprise Agency for the county and operate on a not-for-profit, social enterprise basis. Most of their courses are based at their offices in Twigworth, Gloucestershire. For more information on the range of courses offered visit their site at http://www.glosenterprise.co.uk/training/

Gold Medal standards in customer service

Will visitors to the Olympic Games in the U.K. delight or despair with the levels of customer service that they receive from the Games, hotels and transport services? In an article in The Daily Telegraph by Octavius Black, he argues that general levels of customer service have a long way to go before the country reaches ‘gold medal standard’. According to the World Economic Forum’s ranking of customer service, Britain comes in just behind Lithuania – in 34th place.
After its initial worrying analysis, the article does give many positive pointers for businesses and managers to improve customer service – from their own attitude to helping frontline staff with theirs. He offers this perspective on a customer service friendly company “When every conversation, from executive meeting to water cooler chat, is peppered with fresh stories about real customers, you know you’re heading in the right direction.” For more advice on going for gold read the full articlehere http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/management-advice/9104637/Think-Tank-UK-will-struggle-to-win-gold-in-customer-service-during-the-London-2012-Olympics.html

A leader in tough times

What are your sales team expecting from you as a sales manager and team leader in difficult economic times? An American blogger on www.entrepreneur.com suggests 12 ideas to try to inspire confidence to achieve the team’s goals. Many of the traits deal with being honest and accountable with staff and in turn listening and responding to their ideas. This also includes letting your team know the big picture. If they don’t know what’s going on, “that leaves you having to micromanage every problem instead of being able to delegate and offer guidance.” The article also urges leaders in whichever industry sector to not lose sight of others’ needs whether that be your peers, employees or customers: “ Be service-oriented. Leaders can be sort of self-involved, forgetting that they are in a position of leadership.” For help on how to be an effective manager and leader see the full article at http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/222841

Have you got what it takes to be an account manager?

A good account manager needs to have a foot in both sales and in customer service. That’s according to a detailed careers review on the Wet Feet careers advice website. They define an ‘AM’ in two ways. Firstly an account manager is “the liaison between a company and its clients… to see that those clients are maximizing the value of the products and services provided.” Secondly the account manager ‘has a duty to maintain, retain, and usually upsell to their portfolio of clients or accounts”. Looking at the opportunities for a career in account management, the website list a number of areas where a good account manager may use their skills. These include consulting firms, public relations agencies or manufacturing companies for major brands. First steps on the account management ladder may be a role as an account executive or account coordinator. Read more sales career advice at http://www.wetfeet.com/careers-industries/careers/account-management

What skills you really need in 2012

A clear and emphatic ‘to do’ list for sales professionals is laid out in the latest issue of Winning Edge magazine by Sean McPheat. Sean’s list includes areas such as the value of ‘entrepreneurial salesmanship’ and the importance of the relationship between marketing and sales. The article explains that ‘ 25-40% of the buying process is completed online before customers engage with your sales team.’ Sales teams needs to know about the prospects found by marketing teams who are ‘conducting their research online, on blogs and in forums’, to have a ‘a distinct advantage over the competition.’ Negotiation skills are described as often left at the end of a training course but are essential ‘ if margins are going to be protected in 2012’. To find out about the other winning points to know about selling in 2012, read the full article on the ISMN(Institute of Sales Management) website http://www.ismm.co.uk/news/2012/01/27/sean-mcpheats-selling-imperatives-for-2012/

Flexible study in leadership skills

Enhancing your leadership and management skills with a formal qualification doesn’t have to mean stepping off the career ladder. The Open University, well known for its high quality distance learning programs, offers a wide range of short courses applicable to a sales professional or manager.
In their Business and Management school, short courses such as ‘Investigating entrepreneurial opportunities’ and ‘Leadership,influence and change in retailing’ are available as well as full degrees in Business Management. Distance learning still means contact with a tutor either online, at a local tutor group sessions or at a day school. For graduates, an MBA course is also available for those with at least three years management or professional experience. However you think your sales management career could benefit from gaining knowledge and experience , take a look at the OU’s website for more information. http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/business-and-management/index.htm

Developing B2B sales skills

Sales techniques need to match the economic environment and in his blog ‘Developing your B2B sales skills’, Voss Graham, provides practical advice in many areas. His recent article “Barriers to overcome to get decision to buy’ looks at why your customers and clients get more reticent about the buying process in harder times.

His seven points to look out for as ‘barriers’ to a successful sale include increasing time pressure for many people. This then allows little time for you as a sales professional to put your case. Others are the need for very strong proof of performance before a deal is completed. He suggests a proactive approach: “Begin tracking your success in terms of a customer’s results with your product or service… ask your customers for their outcomes. Newer customers will provide more interesting data than old existing customers.” For all seven of the potential barriers to decision-making read the whole article on Graham’s blog. http://developingb2bsales.com/barriers-to-overcome-to-get-decisions-to-buy/#more-1074

Building a sales team – expert advice

How does a leading business figure go about putting together a new sales team? Whether you are putting together your own field sales team or are looking to join one, an article from the Forbes magazine website could help.

Bob Gaudreau, the global sales director of Regus, describes his six fundamental needs for an effective sales organisation starting right from the beginning when he stresses the need to ‘Hire right’. He says that companies should ‘Insist upon a structured interview process with two key components: a formalized interviewer questionnaire and dual interviews with at least two separate managers.’ Variety is also the spice of life as well as key to an effective sales team – ‘If you hire only people you like you are failing your organization many times over.’ For more points on building a sales team from training to pay rates, read the full article at http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2011/11/28/how-to-build-a-sales-team-from-the-ground-up/

Sales strategies for IT sector

If you are a sales manager selling IT systems, you may need to know much more about the company culture in your client’s company than with other product sectors.

In the US blog, ‘Heavy Hitter Sales Blog’, Steve Martin describes how the decision making processes for IT purchases may not follow the traditional company structure. Instead he recommends that you look more closely at the interdepartmental relationships of the IT department. He puts forward four possible categories or types of departments: ‘consolidators, consulters, responders, and bureaucrats.’ Are you dealing with a ‘consolidator’ - an IT department that ‘seeks to increase its power, authority, or control within their organization.’ Or maybe a ‘responder- who are ‘weaker IT departments that operate under the direction of other departments’. To find out more about all four types to help with your next IT sales negotiation , read the full article at http://heavyhittersales.typepad.com/heavy_hitter_sales_sales_/2011/11/it-sales-strategy-software-saas-hardware-sales.html

‘Adapt or perish’ – sales advice for 2012 from the other side of the world

According to an Australian sales and business advice website, Smart Company, sales managers will need to have their wits about them in 2012, with ‘Adapt or Perish’ being the theme of their article looking at sales trends for 2012. From the article’s starting point discussing ‘ A seismic shift in the way we sell’ , the advice is clear: “ It’s no longer just about doing deals and all
about developing strong relationships that go beyond great products, great
service and great design.”

Other trends discussed in the article are the importance of coaching for an effective and dynamic sales team as well as the optimal number for field sales teams. Despite this advice coming from the other side of the world, it seems like British sales managers will be facing the same issues as their Australian counterparts in 2012. Read the full article at http://www.smartcompany.com.au/sales/20111205-the-12-sales-trends-for-2012.html