B2B field sales force numbers to halve
What will sales teams look like over the next five to ten years? How will we sell to and service our clients? Will our businesses actually require field sales representatives at all? With "Field Sales...
View ArticleFive questions every sales manager should answer
Most sales managers know the basics about their sales team and the selling process used in their organisation. They know which salespeople are their top, mid and bottom range performers; they know how...
View ArticleCustomer satisfaction and retention booster
It is five times easier to keep a customer we have than to get a new one – so taking customer satisfaction and retention seriously should be serious business.We already have the most powerful marketing...
View ArticleAre you wasting valuable selling time?
When we employ salespeople we expect somehow that they will be selling nearly 100% of the time. However, the truth is most salespeople are lucky if they get to sell 40% of the time. What we mean by...
View ArticleBrand your salespeople
Have you ever asked your salespeople what your company's brand means? Chances are you will get different answers from different people – and chances are none of their answers will be entirely correct....
View ArticleSales on the university agenda? The final results
Sales has been excluded from the academic landscape, until now. Barrett is one of the first consultancies to ask the question: Should selling be studied at degree level at university?Why?Based on...
View ArticleWhy sales doesn't have its rightful place at the boardroom table?
August 8, 2012 was a milestone for professional salespeople around Australia. Until that day there had been no officially recognised benchmark for professional selling at tertiary level.Finance,...
View ArticleWhat is 'sales enablement'?
The term 'sales enablement' has emerged in recent times as a hot topic in the world of sales. However, it can have as many interpretations as there are sales teams, which leaves people feeling somewhat...
View ArticleSolution selling isn't as dead as some people thought!
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, salespeople had a clearly defined role. They called on prospective customers, asked a lot of questions in an attempt to understand their customer's needs, and...
View ArticleShrinking product lifecycles
The scale of change in the last 100 years is vast. We have gone from the horse to the space shuttle, from Morse code to smartphones.It has been pointed out that in the last decade, as a result of the...
View ArticleJust shut up and close the sale!
Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher, said: "Move swiftly to overcome resistance." In selling, that is interpreted as closing when you get a buying signal. Yet how...
View ArticleStop talking price and talk value instead
Peter Finkelstein, Barrett's sales strategist, and I have been discussing the increasing spate of businesses and salespeople complaining about 'price' being their biggest issue when it comes to not...
View ArticleWatch who you let near your mind...again!
In early 2008, as the GFC (global financial crisis) loomed, I wrote 'Watch who you let near your mind'. This was a timely reminder about the importance of maintaining a healthy mindset and looking for...
View ArticleHow do your clients really perceive you?
Perception is reality. So what do your clients really think of you? Would you be happy with how they perceive you?Which of the following are they thinking about you and your company?I'm so glad I've...
View ArticleDelivering "good service" isn't enough!
I was impressed by a brief, but excellent story on ABC-TV's The Business about the impact of social media on a business' reputation and brand, especially when things go wrong and that to reduce or...
View ArticleIntuitive CRM: Wresting CRM back from the boffins
'Intuitive Customer Centric CRM' was voted by our readers as the number 10 sales trend of the 12 Sales Trends of 2012. The goal of a CRM solution should be to drive growth (i.e. revenue) and maximise...
View ArticleWhat customers really want from their suppliers
Most salespeople will be quick to tell you that their customers say what they care most about is product and price. It goes further. When salespeople lose out on a deal the first thing they tell...
View ArticleHot bath turned cold – ditch the rah-rah
Have you ever heard the expression 'hot bath turned cold'? Perhaps not. However, if you have been involved in the sales training industry or sales management it is a term that is synonymous with the...
View ArticleThe sales brain – using neuroscience to sell
The science is clear, our success resides in how we use our brains – our brains can continue to learn, grow and adapt until the day we die. In 2012 and beyond we are seeing neuroscience and...
View ArticleThe polarisation of selling and buying
Watch out for polarisation of sales strategies and sales teams as the middle ground begins to disappear in 2012. We will see leaders rethink their sales force structures and go-to-market strategies as...
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