The Practice of Confusion Marketing

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Marketing, Sales Culture

I wonder how many people, business owners and consumers alike are experiencing excessive frustration, anxiety or even depression as a result of the Confusion Marketing tactics employed by some businesses? Confusion Marketing is the controversial strategy and practice of deliberately sending confusing marketing material in order to hinder consumers’ comparisons with other similar offers.

Many examples are to be found in the telecommunications, banking and finance sectors, where pricing plans, contracts or interest rate offers can be so complicated that it becomes impossible to make direct comparisons between competing offers. You will find that with companies that employ such tactics that …

The Practice of Confusion Marketing Read Post »

Death of the ‘Detailing’ Salesman

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Marketing

If you have been paying attention for a while you will have realized that a lot is happening and changing in the world of selling and buying. The internet and social media are the most significant game changes along with the commoditisation of products.

With access to so much information, the buyer has grown into a more sophisticated, well informed consumer, especially in the B2B (business to business) space. The savvy business person knows that many of those commodity purchases they have traditionally made face-to-face with a sales representative can now be made online thus saving …

Death of the ‘Detailing’ Salesman Read Post »

Age Old Lawn Bowls Turns New With Social Media

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Culture, Social Media, Strategy, Success

Lawn Bowls clubs are innovating to attract new members, even running bare-foot bowls and speed dating bowls for new and existing members. If the sport of Lawn Bowls can embrace the internet and social media to reinvigorate its brand, increase participation, grow its members and lift revenues, then so can we all.

Lawn Bowls has been around for hundreds of years with its origins supposedly dating back to Ancient Egyptian times along with its cousins, Bocce and Pétanque. It’s often been seen as a traditional sport for older people with rigid rules and recognisable but rather unattractive white uniforms. I can …

Age Old Lawn Bowls Turns New With Social Media Read Post »

7 Signs That You Are In The Presence Of A Sales Narcissist

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours

Stop trying to impress me. It’s a real turn off. I can make up my own mind about whether I like you; trust you; believe you, or not. You don’t have to make up my mind for me.

Despite this, you continue to dominate my space assertively trying to convince me of your merits. My logical brain shows me a well presented, confident individual yet my intuition, my gut, is telling me to be wary of you because I’ve seen people like you beforeand the result usually isn’t very nice.

If you haven’t worked it out yet it’s everything you pride yourself …

7 Signs That You Are In The Presence Of A Sales Narcissist Read Post »

Rethinking Sales Incentives – The Science of Motivation

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Management, Sales Research, Success

‘Rethinking Sales Incentives’ was voted as the Number 8 Sales Trends for 2011. Incentive programs, commissions and bonuses have been synonymous with sales teams for at least the last 50 years. However throwing more money at sales teams to perform better, especially in these more complex and creative times may be a thing of the past. While the ‘carrot and stick’ approach has been reasonably successful for most sales teams in the twentieth century, especially when sales people were simply selling product, scientific research is showing if you …

Rethinking Sales Incentives – The Science of Motivation Read Post »

Avoid the Brain Drain – Why Brain Fitness Equals Better Sales

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Brain Science, Neuroscience, Neuroscience in Sales, Sales Psychology

What does neuroscience and increased sales have to do with each other? It seems more than we would think. The latest research into neuroscience reveals that how we use our brain does make a huge difference to our long term sustainability, our overall wellbeing and our success in sales and other professions. The world of neuroscience proves what high performers have intrinsically done all along – by engaging in effective self appraisal, continuous learning, a healthy lifestyle and a mindful approach to work and one’s personal life leads to clearer thinking, better decisions and much …

Avoid the Brain Drain – Why Brain Fitness Equals Better Sales Read Post »

Let’s not assume

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Sales Skills, Sales Tips, Uncategorized

There is an old saying “assume makes an ASS out of U and ME” and for good reason. Too often sales people find themselves jumping in too soon, offering premature solutions when it comes to dealing with a prospective client’s needs or priorities.

Often they begin with the best of intentions by asking some preliminary questions of the prospective client. But many sales people report finding it hard to continue asking questions when opportunities present themselves during the course of the conversation. Instead, they want to begin talking about possible options …

Let’s not assume Read Post »

Are you a Sales Pioneer?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Pioneer, Success

‘Sales Pioneer’ was voted as the Number 7 Sales Trends for 2011. As the business world and selling become increasingly complicated, the Sales Pioneer is emerging to help us all map a pathway to the future.

Unafraid to ask the hard questions, uncover new opportunities and challenge the precepts and ideas of their clients and companies alike, the 21st Century Sales Pioneer is not afraid to stand up and be counted.

The 21st Century Sales Pioneer works in healthy and dynamic collaboration with clients including …

Are you a Sales Pioneer? Read Post »

How your procurement practices affect your sales and brand

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Ethics & Values, Procurement, Sales Culture

Ethical selling and procurement (purchasing) is now in the spotlight. Harvey Norman’s recent publicity surrounding their supposed sourcing and use of Australian native old growth forest timbers in their Chinese made furniture has drawn light on retail procurement practices.

Harvey Norman have been asked by activist groups NGO Markets for Change and GetUp.org.au to explain themselves. GetUp.org.au has even gone to the lengths of creating and distributing a viral advertisement after the Television Classification Board refused to classify the ad, concerned about potential legal action if they did so. …

How your procurement practices affect your sales and brand Read Post »

What can women and men learn from each other about selling?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Sales Culture, Success

The world of selling is transforming before our eyes and there are many lessons for the taking. The latest focus is on the emergence of social media and the internet and its impact on customers’ purchase decisions. However, to date little light has been shone on lessons learnt by men and women about gender differences and selling.

I recently had the opportunity to present my latest project focusing on women in sales at an AMCHAM event which, to my delight, was sold out. Attended by men and women, although the weighting was in favour of the women, the 2.5 hour interactive …

What can women and men learn from each other about selling? Read Post »

Scroll to Top