Selling is a noble profession

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog

The statement ‘The noble profession of Selling’ may sit well with some. Many others would find ways to say everything to the contrary, bringing up stories about how they or others were ripped off by unethical salespeople.

And so it is with the noble profession of Selling.

But here’s the thing. Selling is ubiquitous and anyone can have a go at it whatever their levels of skill and their intentions. And this is where selling gets into trouble. You don’t need formal qualifications or to pass any kind of test to call yourself a salesperson, sales expert, etc. Yet the best of …

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sales-teams-r-u-ok

Hey, Sales Teams RUOK?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, covid-19, Resilience, Sales Coaching, Wellbeing

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Thursday 10th September 2020 is International ROUK day.

We thought it would be appropriate to reach out to all the sales teams out there who are navigating their way through the pandemic and acknowledge that selling is a challenging career at the best of times, and COVID-19 has added a whole new level of pressure that can affect our mental health and wellbeing.

We …

Hey, Sales Teams RUOK? Read Post »

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 …

Why Collaboration, not Competition, leads to better sales results Read Post »

covi19-restrictions1-restrictions2

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 »

classroom-vs-online

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, …

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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 …

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sales-trend-7-AI-Data-Analytics-and-Selling-Certainty

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 …

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barrett-sales-trend-6-what-are-we-selling-now-in-a-post-consumerism-world

What are we selling now in a post-consumerism world?

By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Buying, Environment & Sustainability, Sales Trends, Selling Better, Sustainability & Environment

Sales Trend 6 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2020 explores the issues around consumerism, waste, and the role of sales in a post-consumerism world.

This is a condensed version of Sales Trend 6, to read the original version you can download the report for free.

What are we selling now?

Consumerism has been the main driver of economic growth and business performance, lifting people out of poverty since the late 1940s which saw many millions of people get access to amazing innovations in products and services that make their lives much more …

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We change, or we burn

By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Attitudes & Behaviours, Environment & Sustainability, Procurement

Sales Trend 5 from Barrett’s 12 Sales Trends Report for 2020 delves into the role of procurement in generating change towards sustainability within an organisation.

By guest author Ben Shute, CEO – Comprara & Purchasing Index

Proverbs and anecdotes

When I was asked to contribute to the Barrett 2020 Sales Trends Report, the invitation posed a question: “With everything we need for positive change and progress available to us now, why wait for a crisis to secure our future?” Immediately, all the proverbs warning against change jumped to mind. “If it …

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Human-centred sales operations – Being Businessworthy

By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Environment & Sustainability, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sales Strategy, Sustainability & Environment, Systems Thinking

Sales trend 4 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2020 is about what being human-centred means for businesses.

All business people know the concept of being creditworthy. That’s about not losing other people’s money.

Enter the Business for Peace Foundation[1], established in 2007 in Oslo, Norway, which has developed the concept of Being Businessworthy.

Being Businessworthy means being human-centred and purpose-led.

This shift to a more holistic approach to doing business is having a profound effect on how businesses operate, including how they set up their sales teams, sales operations and value chains.

The latest research in …

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