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

Motivating your sales team during a downturn

Christmas may mean a well-deserved, if brief, break from sales targets and field calls, but how can you motivate sales staff as a sales manager once they’re back from the Christmas break? In an article entitled “How to motivate sales teams during a tough economy” on the US website, salesopedia.com, article author Mike Brooks explains that it can just take a few simple, relatively inexpensive ideas to motivate your team.

Prizes such as a mountain bike for a first anniversary on the team or a BluRay DVD player for the team member with the most monthly conversions are suggested. Such ideas cost a few hundred pounds but can reap much more in terms of increased motivation and increased business. If you would like to know more about motivating your field sales team in the New Year and beyond, read the whole article at http://www.salesopedia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2107

Are you ready for the New Year? Sales trends for 2012

Many external factors can affect your sales figures and performance from new technology to the global economy. A feature on ‘Sales Machine’ - the business blog from CBS in the United States – looks in more detail at how your customers mind set and business position may change in the New Year.

Customers and clients demanding flexibility in all aspects of the sales contract is one of their Top 5 trends. With customers trying to plan for either the economic revival or another dip, they are looking for flexibility on terms from inventory to volume commitments. The feature also warns sales managers to expect discussions on intellectual property. In “Who gets the kids?” it looks at how to negotiate when companies undertake joint ventures in either processes or products.

For all five of CBS’ top sales trends read the whole feature here. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505183_162-57330429-10391735/5-b2b-sales-trends-to-watch-in-2012/

Sometimes you just have to get it down on paper – or at least on email.

Sales is not all about getting your point over face to face. Often, the key parts of your pitch – product benefits, customer service and even price points and discounts all need to be communicated in writing. Whether it’s on an email, text message or , when writing bids and tenders, actually on paper, using words to get the maximum impact is very important. From accurate spelling to punchy sentences that sell, most people have something to learn. ‘Emphasis’ is a business writing skills company offering courses for companies and individuals. Their one-day ‘High impact bid, tender and sales proposal writing’ course covers areas such as ‘using executive summaries to sell to decision-makers’.
Alternatively, take a look at their blog for many useful tips on writing techniques for sales and business. There’s even a spelling test to try. Will you be embarrassed or embarassed? To find out which see www.writing-skills.com