As we step into 2025, it’s clear that the fundamentals of trust, empathy, and delivering value remain timeless. However, the tools, methods, and contexts in which we operate are changing rapidly. Success lies in balancing these enduring principles with a willingness to adapt, innovate, and lead with clarity, commitment, and courage.
2025: Top 10 Action Plan for Leaders, Teams & Capability Builders Read Post »
B2B sales teams are adopting social selling, but many remain in the early stages of mastering it. Direct phone prospecting still plays a role, particularly for high-value and complex sales, but it must now complement the digitally driven strategies of social selling. The future of sales lies in blending the relationship-building power of social selling with the personal touch of phone calls, creating a seamless approach that adapts to the needs of modern prospects. By doing so, sales teams can work smarter, not harder, to achieve lasting success.
Social Selling—the process of using social media platforms to …
How Prepared Are B2B Sales Teams for Social Selling? Read Post »
Businesses seem to be paralysed by indecision these days. The number of people involved in the decision-making process, the amount of information available, and the risk-averse culture plaguing many businesses keep them stuck in a valley of indecision. To climb out, companies need to have clear goals, a defined strategy, and foster a culture that encourages taking calculated risks without fear of retribution for honest mistakes.
As Richard Pratt wisely noted, “Timing isn’t everything. It’s the only thing. It’s better to be approximately right at exactly the right time, than exactly right at the completely wrong time.”
In …
Stuck in the Valley of Indecision? Read Post »
Excellence in sales team performance relies on a balance between well-established processes and individual agency. Sales and service processes offer consistency, efficiency, scalability, and risk management. Agency fosters adaptability, creativity, ownership, customer-centricity, and empowerment. Combining both is essential for success. Processes provide a framework for creative thinking, balanced risk-taking, and increased employee engagement. Striking this balance ensures outstanding performance, even in a rapidly changing business landscape.
Traditionally, teams have either had a …
Trend 5 – Process AND Agency Read Post »
To wrap up the end of the financial year here in Australia, we looked at the ten most-read articles of FY2324. The results are an interesting mix of all we do at Barrett: from sales strategy to communication and engagement with internal teams.
Here they are:
1) A reflection on the work that we have been doing with internal teams. Further proof that everybody lives by selling something.
We’re All in Sales – An Internal Team’s Journey
2) A practical exercise we like to do at Barrett to help us understand where we are at and what we need …
The sluggish Australian economy is causing businesses to be cautious. We are noticing longer sales cycles and tighter budgets. But downturns are opportunities. Just like savvy investors buy low, smart businesses prepare for growth during slow times. This is a perfect time to train your sales team and refine strategies. You might not only dominate the recovery but also improve your sales results now. Don’t wait for the upswing – take action now to win the downturn and secure a bigger market share.
The Australian economy all but stalled in the first three months of this year. …
The Stock Trader’s Approach for Sales Success Read Post »
Recognising the symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing is crucial for business success. While their emphasis may vary depending on the product or service, both functions are interdependent. Marketing understands the market, generates leads, builds the brand, provides content, nurtures customers, and offers data insights. Sales relies on marketing for leads and tools to close deals and provides valuable customer feedback to refine marketing strategies. This collaboration is essential for achieving sustainable growth …
Trend 4 – Sales AND Marketing Read Post »
This is Trend 7 from Barrett’s 12 Business and Sales Trends for 2024. You can download the full report here.
In successful sales, facts and stories are complementary. Facts build trust, provide evidence of value, and meet regulatory standards, and stories engage emotionally, make information relatable, and inspire action. New IT tools, like AI or data visualisation apps make it easier than ever to bring facts and stories together, and to the next level.
Facts and stories are two essential components that play a vital role in successful sales operations. Sales teams tend to be more inclined …
Sales Trend 7 – Facts AND Stories Read Post »
In December 2023 we published Barrett’s 12 Sales & Business Trends for 2024. This is a summary of that report, in case you missed it.
For decades, the business world has been dominated by what looked like opposites to choose from. You could be a hunter or a gatherer, a manager or a leader.
These concepts have been pitched to the business community as opposing and mutually exclusive choices, forcing a binary mindset. These polarisations don’t apply to modern businesses and sales operations – and they haven’t served us well for some time now.
In 2023 we’ve worked with businesses across industries and …
Striking Balance – Barrett’s 12 Sales & Business Trends for 2024 Read Post »
Sales Methodologies define the “how” of selling – the approach, principles, and practices. Finding a sales methodology that resonates with your clients AND unifies and empowers your sales team to sell better is paramount. Barrett’s Selling Better Sales Methodology is a step-change to a collaborative, emotionally intelligent approach that addresses what clients want in a conventional sense and places a strong emphasis on understanding and responding to the client’s emotional, social, and relational needs. It creates the foundation for solid mutually beneficial and trust-based partnerships that go beyond transactions and conventional sales methodologies.
The topic of sales …
Does Your Sales Methodology Deliver? Read Post »