7 things you can do better

Why Collaboration, not Competition, leads to better sales results

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Collaboration, Common Ground, Competition, Ethics & Values, Sales Management, Sales performance, Sales Research, Sales Results, Selling Better, Success, Teamwork

Traditionally, the trope of the solo sales superstar or rainmaker has ruled the hearts and minds of many. Lauded for ‘single-handedly’ winning major accounts, bringing in the most amount of deals, or some other super human sales feat, what might surprise those not as familiar with sales and how selling works, is that none of these sales superstars could have achieved their results without the help of others, because no one lives or works in isolation.

Despite the popular myths, it has been known for nearly 20 years that the most successful salespeople are collaborators and team players, not individual sales …

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Where have businesses been exposed during the crisis when it comes to Sales?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, covid-19, CRM, Prospecting, Remote selling, Sales Culture, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Sales Strategy, Sales Training, Strategy

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world in early 2020 it was nearly impossible to imagine the effect it was going to have in our lives and how it was going to affect our businesses and livelihoods.

Since March 2020, we have been tracking what’s happening with a range of businesses across markets and what they are doing, or not doing as the case may be, to adapt their sales processes, sales teams and strategies to stay in business, attract and retain customers, and sell better in the New Normal.

Having engaged with hundreds of leaders, including SME business owners …

Where have businesses been exposed during the crisis when it comes to Sales? Read Post »

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Will we ever return to traditional classroom education?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, covid-19, Education in Sales, Sales Essentials, Sales Skills, Sales Training

When was the last training workshop you attended with a group of people in a brick and mortar classroom or training facility? A while ago I suspect.

For the vast majority of learners in businesses, schools and universities, the traditional face to face classroom setting is not available during the restrictions of the current pandemic.

Does this mean an end to formal education and learning? Of course not.

What it does mean is that, at no other time in history, we have the perfect opportunity to re-frame, re-imagine and re-design education and formal learning and effectively re-engage learners in how to upskill, learn, …

Will we ever return to traditional classroom education? Read Post »

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Selling Better, Faster

By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Blog, Education in Sales, Sales Essentials, Sales Forecasting, Sales Results, Sales Training, Sales Trends, Selling Better

Sales trend 8 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trend Report for 2020 highlights specific approaches businesses are taking to help their sales teams sell better, faster using technology, modern learning practices, and the wisdom of the crowd.

This is a condensed version of Sales Trend 8, to read the original version you can download the report for free.

The time is NOW to lift our game when it comes to how we deliver sales education, how we do sales forecasting, and how we spot and capture sales opportunities across our entire organisation so we …

Selling Better, Faster Read Post »

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Why the federal government should be teaching businesses how to sell

By / / Blog, covid-19, Sales Essentials

This article first appeared in Kochie’s Business Builders.

While JobKeeper has been a very important and necessary scheme to help stave off immediate business closures and job losses for the short term, it’s not designed to last forever. Loan Guarantee Schemes, with the best of intentions, won’t and don’t solve poor strategy and sales revenue issues either. Who’s going to lend any money to businesses with no or poor sales, or no viable go-to-market strategy?  Any self-respecting SME cannot and shouldn’t borrow more money if they don’t have some certainty about where their business opportunities, customers, and …

Why the federal government should be teaching businesses how to sell Read Post »

Navigating the Brave New World of Sales

Adapting the sales strategy & processes of your business to sell better in the New Normal

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Business Acumen, covid-19, Sales Results, Sales Strategy, Strategy

Within every crisis lies the demise of some and the making of others. Within every crisis also lies a myriad of opportunities.

Those first movers who gain an early advantage will realise the opportunities first in the new normal and make it harder for the competition to match.

So when it comes to the making or breaking of businesses, especially during a crisis, having a clear purpose, an adaptive sales strategy, effective sales processes and proactive, agile sales teams are key. This means that our businesses need to read and quickly adapt to the changes in market dynamics then pivot, if need …

Adapting the sales strategy & processes of your business to sell better in the New Normal Read Post »

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A ready-to-go program to avoid the ‘Insolvency Tsunami’ & save your business

By / / Blog, Collaboration, covid-19, Education in Sales, Entrepreneurship, Sales Driven Organisations, Sales Essentials, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Sales Strategy, Strategy, Success

I read an article in The Age, Thursday 23 July 2020 about how some of the major banks are warning against jumping on the debt bandwagon to save businesses during the crisis, despite the tax payer backed loan scheme. I couldn’t agree more. Any self-respecting business, especially SMEs cannot and shouldn’t borrow more money if they do not have some certainty about where their business opportunities, customers, and sales revenue is going to come from now and in the future.

Earlier in the week I also read a press release by Kate Carnell, the Australian Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman, which …

A ready-to-go program to avoid the ‘Insolvency Tsunami’ & save your business Read Post »

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AI, Data Analytics & Selling Certainty

By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sales Trends

Sales Trend 7 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2020 looks at the benefits, downfalls and ethical issues that arise for businesses from collecting and using data.

This is a condensed version of Sales Trend 7, to read the original version you can download the report for free.

People, particularly in big business and governments around the world, are obsessed with data – big data, surveillance data and especially human data and how they can use it and sell it.

Being obsessed with data is not a new phenomenon, after all most humans …

AI, Data Analytics & Selling Certainty Read Post »

sales-system

Sales Systems – the secret to sustainable sales success

By / / Blog, Education in Sales, Sales Results, Sales System, System

When people in business hear the term ‘sales system’ they usually associate it with some sort of platform, application, or CRM. Some place where all the sales troubles and other bits will be contained, from pipeline management to post-sales calls, or anything in between.

At Barrett, when we talk about a ‘sales system’, or a ‘systems-approach to selling’ we refer to something different.

Sales System

A Sales System is an open system that exists within the environment of an organisation and interacts with its markets, customers, competitors and society. A Sales System, like Marketing, is the interface between our business and our markets …

Sales Systems – the secret to sustainable sales success Read Post »

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Lessons I’m learning about myself & my business during COVID-19

By / / Blog, covid-19, Entrepreneurship, Ethics & Values, Sales Leadership, Sales Strategy

This crisis is, in my humble opinion, a test of character for me and I would say for many other people.

It has put everything I care for, value and taken for granted on notice. Not that I wasn’t aware of or didn’t pay attention to these things before. I am a very attentive and purposeful person; however, this pandemic has put everything on the table for a thorough examination.

I recall, as the COVID-19 shutdown hit, the very first thing I did was gather my team together and I said this:

“Our number one goal is to stay together and …

Lessons I’m learning about myself & my business during COVID-19 Read Post »

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