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