TheRaceToTheBottom

Does anyone benefit from a race to the bottom?

By / / Blog, Ethics & Values, Procurement, Sales Relationships

This is not the first time I have written about Race to the Bottom issues, nor will it likely be the last. However, I am prompted to raise this topic again given the rise in businesses, especially those in the building sector, going bust.

We work across industries and last week I was working with a B2B sales team in the building and construction sector about how to deal with their civil contractor clients who are caught in fixed price contracts (of their own making) with their developer clients and are now trying to avoid price increases with our client expecting …

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get-badged-recognition-for-your-sales-capabilities

Get badged! Get properly recognised for your sales capabilities

By / / Assessments, Blog, Education in Sales, Learning and Development, Sales Essentials, Sales Training

There is nothing like that feeling of accomplishment, especially when we’ve stepped outside our comfort zone and learnt something new, challenged our abilities, or put the work in to better ourselves and attain levels of mastery in core disciplines and reap the rewards.

Independently, people undertake learning via self-study or courses to better themselves every day, whether it’s for work, career, or just personal interest. Some get university degrees or certificates to validate their study and accomplishments.

However, many of us participate in courses and programs offered by our organisations or we might do some online course to better ourselves but how …

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No More Games - Fostering Healthy Relationships

No More Games: Fostering Healthy Relationships

By / / Blog, Brand & Reputation, Common Ground, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sales Relationships

No more games*! Now more one-upmanship! No more outfoxing, outsmarting or outwitting others at their expense!

Instead, what about playing it straight and acting with honesty, integrity, and transparency?

What about prioritising and fostering healthy relationships in business and life?

In this pandemic VUCA** riddled world, many people already have a lot on their minds, assessing risk and worrying about their future. Being in a constant state of wariness is exhausting.

Finding someone you can trust and rely upon to do a good job, someone who wants to work with you, has your back, and understands and respects you in this turbulent sea of …

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The-Decarbonised-Sales-Team-and-Workforce-Structure

The Decarbonised Sales Team & Workforce Structure

By / / Blog, Decarbonising, Hybrid Selling, Sales Trends, Sustainability & Environment

Sales Trend 8 from the Barrett’s 12 Sales Trends Report for 2022 is about the decarbonisation of our sales and service teams and workforce structure.

Many (future-oriented) organisations have been promoting the hybrid work model for years. Technology businesses, in particular, have had remote teams for some time. However, the majority of businesses had been slower and sometimes reluctant to provide a working environment where staff could work from home, even part time.

All that hesitancy disappeared overnight in 2020 when we were all forced to stay at home due to COVID-19. All that seemed difficult -even impossible- materialised …

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sales-process-helps-your-sales-team-sell-better-faster

Sales Process – A roadmap to sales success

By / / Blog, Customer experience, Sales Process Maps, Success

Imagine navigating through a big city without a roadmap or a sat nav system. If you’re lucky and have experience (aka a history of trial and error), or are good at recognising landmarks, you may work out a preferred route, but it may not be the best or fastest route you can take. If you are new to the city or to driving, or if your favourite route is blocked your journey may be more unpredictable, more time consuming, more frustrating, and random.

A sales process provides the same kind of orientation and direction that a navigation system does. It …

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assess-your-sales-operations

5 minutes to assess your sales operations

By / / Assessments, Blog, Business Growth, Sales Benchmarking, Sales Consulting, Sales Culture, Sales Growth, Sales Operations, Sales performance

Sales operations are complex systems with many moving parts. So, when we are not getting the sales results that we expect, it’s easy to misdiagnose the cause (or causes) of the problem.

Traditionally, sales leaders, and sometimes Learning and Development professionals, equate poor sales performance to lack of skill and/or will within the sales team and so the obvious solution is sales training. However, more often than not, lack of sales skill and/or will is only part of the problem.

Here are the most common issues we find in sales operations that negatively affect sales results:

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hybrid-selling is here to stay

Hybrid Selling is here to stay

By / / Blog, Education in Sales, Hybrid Selling, Learning and Development, Remote selling

We have been saying this for a while, and now the numbers are in. Research from McKinsey shows that 94% of B2B decision makers say the hybrid sales model -combining in person, video call, online chat, etc.- is equally or more effective than the traditional sales model -mostly in-person meetings- from before the pandemic. It seems that buyers had been waiting for some time for sellers to offer more alternatives than face to face meetings.

This is great news for sales teams, there’s much to gain from a hybrid selling (or buying model). We can now do business …

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Short-termism or Sustainable Business Growth for the new FY?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Business Growth, Environment & Sustainability, Human-centred, Strategy, Sustainability & Environment

As we enter the new financial year in Australia, we, as business leaders, teams, and shareholders have a choice – we can choose short-termism or sustainable business growth strategies.

If we choose short-termism, we’re compromising any sustainable growth strategy. Short-term performance pressures on leaders and investors can result in an excessive focus on their parts on quarterly earnings, with less attention paid to strategy, fundamentals, and long-term value creation.

Short-termism is not sustainable.

The pandemic, current energy crisis and climate change have exposed the devastating effects of short-termism and lack of sustainable growth strategies like investment in a renewable energy economy.  Everyone is …

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decarbonised-economic-models-and-systems

Decarbonised Economic Models & Systems

By / / Blog, Decarbonising, Environment & Sustainability, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sustainability & Environment

“It is not for us to forecast the future, but to shape it”. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

In Sales Trend 6 we explored decarbonised sales systems and sales strategies. In Sales Trends 7 we look at economic models that promote decarbonised systems and organisations.

Key operating models that can be deployed now and in the immediate future to create decarbonised economies, business models, and in turn sales systems and operations include Circular Economy, GreenShoring, and Doughnut Economics. 

Circular Economy

Circular Economy is an alternative to the linear “Take, Make, Consume and Dispose” mindset and business model which can help deliver …

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cultivating-positivity-and-teams-leads-to-better-productivity-and-culture

Cultivating Positive & Productive Sales Teams & Cultures

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Collaboration, Competition, Human-centred, Leadership, Sales Culture, Sales Leadership, Sales Management, Sales performance, Sales Results

I want you to imagine a field sales team of 20 B2B salespeople, each of whom has their own well-defined sales territory (it could be industry-based or geographical, doesn’t matter) and sales targets. They have access to sales support and customer service. Every month this sales team, including sales support, meets (virtually and occasionally in person) to workshop their territory plans looking at what’s working and what’s not.

These meetings are focused on moving forward and how to get better sales traction and deliver on results. Sure, each salesperson is required to enter their activities and deal progress in the CRM …

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