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Is Call Reluctance® choking your sales effort?
Whether we are working for a private or public company, a “not for profit” or government institution, all of us are in some way competing for access to a revenue source to fund our existence. How capable people are to take on the responsibility for improving the revenue line of a company is a hot topic in today’s competitive market. Research shows that no longer can companies and their people rely on their technical competence, passive referrals, reputation, brand or blanket advertising to bring in new business and revenue streams as they may have done in the past. They also need to effectively self- promote and prospect for new business using professional and ethical sales strategies, and demonstrate real value for money.

Is your sales effort built on a house of cards?
Is your sales strategy and projected sales growth built on a house of cards? For many start-ups this is the case. Their initial sales growth often comes off the back of an entrepreneur’s ideas and the hard work of a dedicated few who pitch in, take on multiple roles and tasks all the while promoting and selling the idea to more and more people. This works well in the early days where the team is small, communication channels are direct, everyone knows what is going on and is committed to the fledgling business’ success. There’s lots of activity, lots of fun, lots of sleepless nights and a growing sales pipeline. The business has a life of its own until one day the owners/ directors realise that if they are to grow further they need more people...

Your pre-call & post-call checklist
How well did your last sales call go? Did you achieve what you set out to achieve? Do you know what your next course of action will be with that customer/prospect? Do you have evidence that a real sales opportunity exists? Using a pre-call and post-call checklist is a very useful process when assessing the effectiveness of your sales calls.
Three Steps to Successful Sales Forecasting
In most businesses this (the 4th) quarter is the busiest and much sales effort is focused on getting the best results from these critical weeks. However good sales managers are also preparing get to grips with next year's sales targets. This article gives you three simple steps to successful forecasting
Improve Your Return on Sales Effort Qualify Properly
The current vogue for focusing on closing has almost completely ignored the critical role qualification plays in managing the sales process and improving your chances of closing sales and more importantly stops you wasting your time with those companies that have no real intention of purchasing from you.
A view for the other side
Following for last week’s piece on Procurement, I promised I would delve further into the view from the other side of the table and how, we, as sales people, view procurement and some of the practices which help or hinder sales and partnership effectiveness. And what our common enemy is. So let’s take a look at the other side of the table. Many a seasoned sales person can tell you story after story about the ‘Gunna Gunna’ customers:Gunna do this, gunna do that be it never goes anywhere.
Creating an effective sales performance management system
Following on from last week’s article about managing and measuring the right things in sales, I thought it would be worth looking at some of the key principles for effective sales performance management systems. The first place to start is to align your sales performance management system and subsequent key measures to your organisation’s strategy and goals. It’s then the job of the CEO and the Sales Leader to ensure the organisation (that means everyone else who supports the sales effort) is aligned to the sales performance management system. When this dimension is in place the organisation is best placed to sustain high sales performance.
Deadly Sin #7: Sales Materials & Support Activities aren't dovetailed to optimize sales
Prospect Development must be a total team effort: Management and salespeople see things differently. But the prospect has an even different perspective: The prospect's interest in buying is rarely as urgent and intense as the supplier's is to make the sale.

First Write-Off
Write offs are difficult to avoid. Most business, sooner or later, will see some expected income lost. Most of the time it is real loss, since you lost either billable hours or inventory. Although it is difficult to look at it in any good way, you may be able to find ways of making lemonade out of this lemmon.
The Secret to Creating Wealth through Affiliate Marketing
If you, like many online marketers, are looking for a way to increase your affiliate sales you may want to consider residual affiliate programs. What is the secret to creating wealth?

GFC – Time to cut costs and jobs or time to invest in your business?
The studies show that the companies that recover quickest from a recession are those that didn’t lay everybody off when the going got tough but that invested in their customer relationships and in growing their market share. (Source: Study by Bain & Company – Article by Robert B. Miller, Founder Miller Heiman. Read the whole article at the Miller Heiman website). Robert says “A slow market is the time to consider doubling down on sales resources
A Few Crucial Strategies to Beat the Recession
While economic turmoil continues to intensify, savvy business owners find ways to sustain and grow their revenues. Even tough economic times present opportunities for the ones who use creative strategies to promote themselves. After all, it is possible to turn challenges into opportunities and take your enterprise to the next level, despite gloomy economic forecasts. The article below will inspire you to take action, overcome the odds and achieve the success you deserve.

Work Smarter to Work Less
Tips for marketing yourself as a salesperson to increase your sales results.
How to Make More Sales With Less Effort
Exploring how Personal Marketing can be the fastest way to sell more and work less.
Conflict Of Closure
This Brief article discusses the issue of fear in closing the sale.
Sales Success vs. Sales Productivity: Are They the Same?
Everybody wants their sales force to be successful. But is “sales success” enough? Is a “successful” sales force the same thing as a “productive” sales force? Not necessarily. Find out if your team is “leaking” productivity today, operating with inefficiencies that cost time, money and competitive advantage.

What Everybody Should Know About Providing Great Customer Service
Without your customers where would you be? Think about it for a few seconds....go on!

Other sales effort Related Articles

Incentives Spiffs and Bonuses A Thoughtful and Deliberate Sales Program
Before you introduce a sales incentive, spiff or bonus into your organization, take some time to understand the exact impact it will bring to your sales goals. But even more so the potential positive and negative impact such incentives can have on your sales and non-sales staff. Here is a holistic approach to creating incentives that will help ensure you are building stronger teams, recognizing team effort and building a healthy corporate culture while improving your overall sales revenue.
Increase Sales Through That Third Contact and Beyond
Did you know that 25% of sales people make a second contact and then stop! Are you one of those sales professionals who gives up after the second and does not make a third effort to connect with that desirable prospect?
Sales is a team effort
Sales numbers and sales processes should be understood and owned by everybody in your organisation. In today’s world if you are not directly in sales you are supporting someone who is. This is why sales really is a team effort. Rather than being just about a feel good factor and great staff alignment, this has practical applications as well. For instance with the ability for customers (or anyone) to find and connect with anyone in your organisation through many difference channels (i.e. social networks, Google, etc.) the whole business needs to be sales fit.
Creating an effective sales performance management system
Following on from last week’s article about managing and measuring the right things in sales, I thought it would be worth looking at some of the key principles for effective sales performance management systems. The first place to start is to align your sales performance management system and subsequent key measures to your organisation’s strategy and goals. It’s then the job of the CEO and the Sales Leader to ensure the organisation (that means everyone else who supports the sales effort) is aligned to the sales performance management system. When this dimension is in place the organisation is best placed to sustain high sales performance.
The Importance Of The 80/20 Rule In Becoming A Top-Performing Sales Manager
Being a top sales manager means being above average, which translates to getting more done with less effort. That’s what distinguishes a top sales manager from a mediocre one. But how do YOU become a top sales manager?
How to Get Your Sales Team to Reach The Highest Level of Sales Achievement
First things first. As an aspiring top sales manager, get your sales group to buy into the fact that achievement is the only permanent value of work and achievement only comes from relentless effort and commitment.
Overhaul your Sales Support Process
Many organizations suffer from a lack of alignment between Sales and Marketing. Part of the problem is that most marketing departments don’t view sales support as one of their most important functions. Be proactive in your effort to work with Sales. Start by opening Demand Metric’s downloadable Sales Support Checklist to identify where your gaps are. Following is list of 16 tools and templates that you can use to overhaul or create an effective sales support process.
Lead the way
Sales needs to be led from the top and it needs to be on the agenda of the ‘C’ suite, and this will mean from the CEO down, including the CFO, COO, and CIO. Even if the ‘C’ suite never has contact with an external customer (which I strongly advise against) they need to know how to lead, sell in, and support the sales effort. Why? Despite millions, if not billions, of dollars being invested in sales training, CRM systems and the like, many leaders are realising that their frontend processes, backend systems, culture (including those staff who have not traditionally seen themselves involved in sales), and sales methodologies are not aligned with their customers.

Three Steps to Successful Sales Forecasting
In most businesses this (the 4th) quarter is the busiest and much sales effort is focused on getting the best results from these critical weeks. However good sales managers are also preparing get to grips with next year's sales targets. This article gives you three simple steps to successful forecasting
How to Shorten Your Sales Cycle?
Shortening the sales cycle is a key objective for most sales organizations and sales professionals. How to do that continues to be a challenge. There are a number of proven ways, this article discusses one approach. As with any though, you do have to apply discipline and effort to make it work.

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