Fact. Without leads, there are no sales. Which means if you want your B2B organisation to thrive, you need to have an effective lead generation strategy. And with so many options to choose from, how do you decide what’s right for you? For sure you could stick with traditional strategies such as cold calling (which ... Read Post

Are you looking for a CRM implementation guide to ensure that you don’t miss the crucial elements of a successful CRM solution implementation? All too often a company purchases a CRM solution, implements it, and gets everyone using it—without having taken some very necessary steps beforehand. It then comes as kind of a nasty surprise ... Read Post

Trade shows and exhibitions tend to be one of the most expensive forms of marketing. And because of the costs incurred, many businesses are deterred from exploring the opportunities they present in any real seriousness. This could be a mistake. That’s because with the right approach and strategy, trade shows and exhibitions can become lucrative ... Read Post

The fine blending of skill and automation can be illustrated with drivers and automobiles. In the early part of the twentieth century, for example, “automation” was crude: many cars had to be started by cranking them from the front. Once started, the driver had to know where the gears were, how to operate a clutch, ... Read Post

For over twenty years now, CRM solutions have been a bone of contention between company executives and the sales force. The executives want something that coordinates customer activities between various departments including sales, and allows them to monitor sales and make sure salespeople are selling. On the other hand sales reps, sick to death of ... Read Post

Twenty years ago if you’d polled a sales force on the future of sales automation, you probably would have been met with rather frightened stone silence. Salespeople saw their jobs completely disappearing, replaced with computerized selling and purchasing systems that required no human intervention whatsoever. And it was certainly imagined and even tried by some: ... Read Post

Traditionally CRM solutions are sold to company management, with promised benefits such as: improved productivity, ability to make more with less, shortened sales cycles, increased close ratios, eliminated competition, and improved margins. Obviously CRM benefits should be demonstrated to management—in the end it will be management that will cut the check for CRM purchase. But ... Read Post

It used to be that a sales rep making halfway decent numbers had a future. But in today’s highly competitive marketplaces and internet-assisted buying, it takes more than just numbers for a salesperson to truly survive. A topflight sales force must be composed of experts in every area of their craft. Here is the recommended ... Read Post