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