In recent articles we have discussed the necessity for Sales and Marketing to be aligned and operating as a unit, not as bickering and opposing forces. When they are in accord, pipeline management takes on a much more comprehensive scope. The pipeline, and therefore the sales process, can and should include steps for both sales and ... Read Post

According to an article on Forbes.com: “50% of B2B sales staff keep missing their quotas!” That’s half your sales force. But what’s the reason for this apparent poor performance? If you ask sales, they may blame marketing for generating rubbish leads. And if you ask marketing, they’ll probably argue that sales don’t try hard enough to close. ... Read Post

When first starting into business, most start-up companies aren’t really rating opportunities. It seems that any opportunity is worthwhile. There are numerous reasons for this: The company needs the income. A new company needs the repute of having the increasing market share. The more customers you have, the more that can recommend your product or ... Read Post

In recent articles we have been covering ROI (return on investment) as regards a CRM tool. Computing ROI for CRM is a much more in-depth undertaking than for many other software solutions. When the full impact for CRM isn’t researched for every portion of the company that will interact with CRM, the company pays handsomely ... Read Post

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