Sales forecasts are a vital component of any business. In order for a company to survive let alone succeed, sales forecasts must be as accurate as possible. Such forecasts usually originate in the sales department, but their influence goes well beyond Sales: they are utilized for a company’s financial projections. To the degree they are ... Read Post

Today forward-thinking companies are realizing that having Sales and Marketing in their traditional stances—that is, opposed to and bickering at each other—is not productive of a smoothly progressive organization. In its most basic form a company is a team. Its two most important revenue-producing units—Sales and Marketing—are part of that team, and in fact need ... Read Post

Fact. Our buying habits have changed – permanently. But what does this means for sales reps? In this internet, information-rich age, buying decisions often start long before we’re consciously aware of them. That’s because as consumers, we’re constantly making buying decisions at a subconscious level AND as a natural part of day to day life. ... Read Post

The factor of competition must always be figured into sales strategy. In the past some companies have chosen to ignore competition, but much of the time this ignorance has been at their own peril. Ancient Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu famously said, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”—and it’s just as true in ... Read Post

SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham is a hugely influential book that argues the importance of asking the right questions in the sales conversation. Read Post

In recent articles we’ve explored what must happen to fully maximize ROI (return on investment) for a CRM system. It’s a more complex issue than ROI for many other software solutions, for in truth CRM is the backbone of your sales force, and key to marketing and other company functions as well. It has a ... Read Post

If there is a single word that could sum up the ideal sales attitude in the financial services industry, it would be care. While some financial services salespeople may not fit that characterization, the ones who succeed certainly do. A client seeking financial services is looking to entrust an organization—hopefully yours—with their hard-earned money. They expect ... Read Post

In recent articles, we’ve been discussing the vital necessity of aligning Sales and Marketing. When each is working in its own sphere and more or less contesting one another, a company is factually crippled. This is especially true in today’s lightning-fast and fiercely competitive business environment; a company needs to operate as a unified team to ... Read Post