Tag: sales growth

Give Yourself Time To Get It Right

Post author By Rhys
Post date November 1, 2023
No Comments on Give Yourself Time To Get It Right

Working quickly is seen as a normal requirement for businesses these days… But maybe there’s room to give yourself time to get it right

While we rush through life at this crazy pace, we often forget the benefits of forethought, care and accuracy. Spelling and punctuation are fundamental to understanding and appreciation of what is written.

If I see something that has been written in haste and full of errors, what impression does that leave? Clearly, I will suspect that they run their whole business in this careless and unprofessional way. In short, they will not win my business.

When did you last read what you had just written? Do you still use a spell-checker, or does it slow you down?

What does your Physical Evidence say?

There is an alarming number of posts and articles appearing on the internet which are poorly worded, crazily spelt and sometimes make little sense, simply because the ‘author’ has not bothered to read it back to themselves, carefully and considerately.

For example, you do not have to look far on Linked In to see poor spelling, grammar and jumbled sentences. I will not quote any of these as some of them are written by my contacts and friends!

The same applies to everything in sales and running a business. The sales process needs to be complete to be effective. If you leave any stage out, or even attempt to shorten it, you run the considerable risk of losing that business

In marketing terms, consider ‘Physical Evidence’. Consistency, congruency and accuracy suggest a good level of professionalism. Fall down in any of these areas and it adds a question mark to your professionalism in other areas.

How do I ‘give myself time to get it right’?

Likewise, you may have developed a great ‘shop window’ for your business, your website and marketing material being very attractive, but if your business quotes or proposals are full of spelling and grammar errors you risk losing that business.

In the sales process, if you have provided the best presentation, and a perfectly written quote or proposal, but have not bothered to follow this up in good time, then the business will likely be placed elsewhere.

If you feel you are unlikely to spot these errors, then I would recommend a proofreader. I use Popple Services for the important written work. If you need to check and improve your sales process to make sure that nothing is put at risk, then please make contact.

Losing business by omission or carelessness is unprofessional and can be costly.

SLOW DOWN – CHECK IT or GET SOMEONE ELSE TO CHECK YOUR WORK AND YOUR PROCESSES. It can win you more business.

Some may say these are old fashion values. I say that if all else is equal then care and attention to the written word can be a god indicator as to the care and attention their customers can expect. What do you think?

Want To Take This Further?

In the meantime, Salient Sales & Training offer both 1-to-1 mentoring and team training to helpful you refine your approach to sales and technical sales. Why not get in touch to discuss you options.

Tags business growth, sales & marketing, sales growth

General Sales Ethos

Inward Investment?

What do I mean by inward investment?

Yesterday morning I attended the Thames Valley Chamber, Swindon Business & Economy Breakfast. The presenter, Rhys Herbert, economist at Lloyds Bank, spoke at length about the state of the economy and painted a future showing slow improvement over 3 to 5 years.

He identified one of the main drivers of the speed of recovery as inward investment, the lack of which is too prevalent in this country.

When things get tough in the UK, inward investment slows or even stops completely. I have written about this before, noting that middle and far-east countries will invest in, and train their staff during a recession.

That way, when the economy improves, they are at the top of their game and well placed to win a good share of business. Not so in the UK I’m afraid, as was confirmed by Mr. Herbert.

Invest in yourself with appropriate training or coaching and you can return to the top of your game. Growing your business as the economy improves is the best win-win you can get.

However, without such inward investment, others will likely overtake you and your future success may be in jeopardy.

When did you last invest in your skill set?

What’s Next?

At Salient Sales & Training, we offer both team as well as 1-to-1 sales and technical sales training. Get in touch today, so we can discuss your goals for growth.

Tags sales growth

Business management Sales Planning

Invest in your business!

Do you still actively invest in your sales success when the economy takes a turn…

I could earn a lot more money in Japan.

I prefer living in the UK, but Japan, and much of the far East, has a very different attitude to business.

Business in the UK tends to suffer from short-termism. When the economy is suffering, we ‘tighten our belts’ and go for a round of cost-cutting. Strangely, from my experience, this includes reducing sales and marketing activities and people. This defies all logic, as when business is harder to win it makes no sense to cut back on sales effort! The sales effort or department may be the most costly in the company, but properly invested and directed, the returns will easily outweigh the cost.

In Japan and the far east, when there is a struggling economy, their approach is to INVEST in sales and marketing. Business is still out there; you just have to work harder to find and win it. They use such hard times as an opportunity to train their sales team. When the economy recovers (they always do) they will have a team at the top of their game and so likely to find and win all the best opportunities. This is long-term thinking. Doesn’t it make more sense?

This year should see a slow improvement in the economy.

Will you cut back?

Or will you invest in you and your business?

Will you be at the top of your game when we emerge from the tunnel?

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re looking to invest in you or your sales team going forward, why not see our sales and technical sales courses.

Alternatively, why not get in touch with Salient Sales & Training – 07941 041 364, to discuss the needs of your business!

Tags business growth, sales approaches, sales growth

Sales & Marketing Sales Planning Sales process

Are ‘Sales Visits’ a thing of the past?

Post author By Rhys
Post date November 7, 2022
No Comments on Are ‘Sales Visits’ a thing of the past?

In my last blog, I told of the changes to how sales and marketing have been perceived over the last three decades. This showed how ‘Sales & Marketing’ had changed to ‘Marketing’ only. But needs to be ‘Marketing & Sales’. If that makes no sense read the blog again!

Another aspect that has changed significantly pre-covid times is the method of communication between customers and prospects.

In my training I demonstrate how face to face is by far the most effective way to communicate with anyone. Zoom, telephone, personal letter and email are all effective to a point, but face to face allows a higher level of understanding and appreciation of what the other person is saying and meaning.

Slowly, this approach has been evolving and has now changed, due to two significant drivers:

As work pressure mounts, the time available for personal meetings has been squeezed to the point where there is little time available in a working day to include them, particularly now that we have Zoom or Teams available to us.
Then came Covid. For personal health and safety, all face-to-face meetings were discouraged or banned. It was too high a risk to meet people face to face. In order to continue business effectively, video conference calls became the norm.

Covid has now receded to a level sufficient for us to attempt to ‘normality’. However, having experienced how effective video calls can be, and still being wary of meeting people face-to-face, some are declining to meet in-person. Furthering the likelihood Sales Visits will not be seeing a part in our current ‘normalcy’.

I have confirmed this with the more mature sales training delegates on the courses I have given recently. Their experience of 20 to 30 years ago is the same as mine, and they confirmed it has become very difficult to arrange customer visits for these reasons. What do we do?

A new strategy…

In the last 6 months I have begun to recommend a new strategy whereby a ‘Communication Plan’ is agreed between the two parties involved. This can involve an effective mix of methods and timings that are the most convenient for the buyer and allows the salesperson to complete the sales process as thoroughly and successfully as possible. So if you feel in-person Sales Visits are key to your sales process, let the other party know, plan for it!

As an example of the new process:

Connect on LinkedIn
Send a personal email or LinkedIn message to agree to a call
Make a phone call to complete introductions and clarify their need
If there is a sufficient interest, at this point the ‘Communication Plan’ can be introduced and agreed. This can involve a face-to-face first visit, then an agreed mix of phone calls, emails and video calls.
Complete the sales process and win the deal. Frequency of contact needs to be agreed as well.

This is a simplified way to illustrate the idea. Each case will be different according to needs. You may have your own way of working through the sales process but be flexible. If they are not comfortable being asked every time for a personal meeting, mutually pre-agree terms in a Communication Plan.

If you’re interested in Sales or Technical Sales training for yourself or a team, please get touch – 07941 041 364

Alternatively, browse our website for more about the courses and workshops Salient Sales currently offer. You can also find our LinkedIn HERE.

Tags sales & marketing, sales approaches, sales growth, sales process

Business management Sales process

Adapt or fall!

A bit dramatic I know, but this does reflect the present position of most small businesses.

Darwin would be fascinated with the choices facing business at the moment.

At the start of the pandemic we all hoped it would be over in a few months and we could get back to ‘normality’. Many small companies simply ‘battened down the hatches’ intending to ride the storm, if you will pardon the mixed metaphors.

Unfortunately, it did not happen. We are likely to be looking at many more months yet and most are realising that the ‘normality’ we anticipate may be somewhat different from that pre-covid.

In the last few weeks, I have gained some new customers who have admitted they felt they could hold back no longer and needed to move ahead, otherwise their customers would go elsewhere. In fact, due to the scarcity of active businesses, they would now have to work harder just to stand still.

To maintain Salient’s position in the market and to adapt to the present situation I have had to change my approach. Fewer customers wish to have strangers in their offices presenting training courses. Having said that, recently I have presented my Technical Sales Programme on-site, distanced, masked, sanitised and very successful!

With fewer opportunities to train and coach ‘in-the-room’, I have added to my training, coaching and mentoring offers. Becoming adept at running Zoom meetings I can now run any course or session on-line.

I have also used the extra time available to record my complete sales programme onto a video platform. There are general sales and technical sales training versions for large and small businesses, and all will be available to purchase on line within the next two weeks. I have also added small business group support and growth sessions called ‘Adapt, Survive and Prosper’, and these can be delivered with some in the room and others on Zoom.

By adding to my range of offers, I am now able to deliver:

Sales, Marketing and Business development

1/ courses or sessions in-the-room, as before

2/ courses or sessions on Zoom, or

3/ course modules recorded for more convenient viewing

By adapting to the new market needs I have ensured that all prospective customers can be served by Salient, whatever their circumstances.

This is what I have done. What have you done to maintain or even grow access your available market and hence grow your sales? Have you adapted? Most such situations can be overcome with some thought, ideas and application. If you have not addressed this already, perhaps now is the time. Clever use of the internet and some lateral thinking are called for.

Take the lead from Salient; Adapt, Survive and Prosper!

Details of Salient Small Business offers are here: https://tinyurl.com/y5ptl27f

Recorded courses – coming soon.

Tags business growth, business management, decision making, feeding the pipeline, marketing, proactive sales, sales & marketing, sales approaches, sales growth

General

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

The Government is keen for business to continue so that when we are able to return to the ‘norm’ we can be better prepared. Perhaps this is the best time to focus on personal and professional development within your business. With good training, coaching or mentoring in sales, marketing and business development, you could use the time wisely by developing a more complete and successful approach to growing your business.

So, Salient is going Live-On-Line….

To help you follow social and health requirements I will now be offering my courses as either a live-link to allow full interaction, or as recorded modules for you to access at your convenience and as often as you need. I have chosen Zoom as the most effective platform. I will use the ‘Entrance Lobby’ facility to ensure the sessions remain secure.

These courses will be offered at a lower cost than an attended course.

Also, as a special offer, when the crisis is over, I offer a ‘refresher day’ at a bargain price, when I will come to your offices and deliver a summary of the course and, where appropriate, run a workshop to cover aspects in which delegates still need assistance.

In this way, delegates will have the advantage of isolated learning, together with a final interaction session, when the dust settles.

All delegates for live sessions will be provided with a workbook.

Live sessions will include all aspects of the course when given on-site; flip chart, discussion, slides, exercises, discussion etc.

Assistance is offered on an individual basis (phone or email) at no cost for up to one month after the sessions. Sessions last from one hour to one day and courses are available for 2 to 5 days duration, either consecutively or separated by up to 3 weeks. Clearly, the longer the course, the greater the scope and depth we can cover, and the longer the new ideas and skills are likely to be retained.

Costs: with reduced overheads, the cost of Live-On-Line sessions will be signficantly less than those arranged for personal attendence (pre-and post-covid-19).

Salient has adapted and will continue to offer great value in all courses, programmes and sessions. Expertise in sales, marketing and business development, designed and applied to your business. Use Salient and stay safe!

Tags business growth, business management, decision making, sales & marketing, sales ethos, sales growth, sales management, sales planning, sales process, Sales styles & techniques, technical sales, technical sales training

Business management Feeding the pipeline General Locating customers Sales Ethos Sales Management Sales Planning Sales process Sales tips Technical Sales

Deal or No-Deal

Deal or no-deal… Whether you like or loathe the man, and there seems to be little middle ground Boris has always had a very focussed approach to Brexit. He has a plan and a strategy, rightly or wrongly.

Comparing this with the Sales Process, and there are many parallels, he is attempting to obtain the best deal for the UK from the EU.

In every sale, the backstop; the very last option must be a no-deal. In other words, ‘I am prepared to walk away and neither of us benefits from this relationship’. But to make that a useful negotiating tool, it must be an option available to you. If you are not prepared to walk away, no matter how much you want the deal, then the opposition will use this to their great advantage and to your disadvantage.

If they know that you are not allowed the option to walk away, the ‘no-deal’, then they will find it much easier to impose their needs and wishes over yours. It gives you a weak position from which to negotiate because they know that in the end, you will have to accept a deal that favours their needs.

Unfortunately, parliament do not understand this, or they feel that the risk of ending up with no deal is too great. So, Boris’s hands were tied.

This point is similar to that discussed in my blog of March 2019 where the delegate was not allowed to walk away without the order. Here as well, his negotiating power was weakened and the customer had, and played the advantage.

This is not an easy line to follow. It may result in bluff and counterbluff and a cool head is needed. However, if you simply believe that you have the power to walk away from the deal, this may be enough to help strengthen your position. Even if you have no real intention to do so.

Make sure they believe you have the choice, and then secure a better deal.

Tags barriers to sales, business growth, business management, communicate to sell, decision making, marketing, proactive sales, sales, sales & marketing, sales approaches, sales ethos, sales growth

Business management Feeding the pipeline Sales Management Sales Planning Sales process Sales tips Technical Sales

Growth Spurts in Business – 5 great tips for selling more

Post author By Andy
Post date February 24, 2016
No Comments on Growth Spurts in Business – 5 great tips for selling more

Tips on selling more — Sell more and get a growth spurt!

Turnover lower than you’d like? Plan for a growth spurt by selling more. How to sell more? For starters, try these five simple tips;

1/ Start with existing customers and see if they want more – apply the Pareto Principle: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers. Call the 20%!

2/ If they still like you, ask for referrals and testimonials! – personal recommendations give you more credibility and will attract more new business.

3/ Check that the market wants what you provide by asking a couple of key questions – use Survey-Monkey or similar. Responses may show you need to tweak, or even change your offer to make it more attractive.

4/ Check where you have sold successfully in the past, identify the common sector, product or need and target that with renewed enthusiasm. This may not be the top 20% (above) but it could be the easiest sector to target and win new business.

5/ Devise a product variation or amalgamation and make it a special offer of some sort to attract new interest. You could make it part of a short, or longer marketing campaign.

These are just a few of the many ideas and strategies that can be applied to your business that will make a positive difference to your sales figures.

If you want to increase your sales figures, come along to the Salient half-day Workshop or full-day Masterclass on 17^th or 18^th March 2016. Discover many more ways of selling more, and how to apply these and other practical and simple growth strategies to your business.

Come along to ‘HOW TO SELL MORE’. There will be more than 20 tips on how to sell more. Use just a few of these and your business will soon have a growth spurt! More details here.

Tags business growth, Certificate in Sales & Marketing, feeding the pipeline, sales approaches, sales growth, sales process, Sales styles & techniques, selling more, selling tips

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