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