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 | Be a Value Merchant
May 06, 2008 A value merchant recognizes the supplier's own costs and the market offering's value to the customer and works to obtain a fair return for both the supplier firm and customer firm.
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| SALES STRATEGY |
 | The Forgotten Element: Mixing Communications
May 06, 2008 A focus on the top-line should be top-of-mind when designing integrated marketing communication programs. Unfortunately, the sales function is often an afterthought in many marcom campaigns undertaken by B2B and B2C marketers today.
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 | The CEO as Salesperson
February 25, 2008 There is no doubt that involving the CEO or other senior management in sales can break an impasse or raise the level of the sales conversation. But just because the CEO leads the organization doesn't necessarily make him or her an effective salesperson.
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| MARKETING STRATEGY |
 | Escaping the Trade Show Money Pit
March 28, 2008 More business technology marketers use trade shows to generate leads than any other marketing tactic. According to a 2007 CMP survey, over 75% of respondents use trade shows for this purpose. Yet the inability to generate enough leads for the sales force is the biggest problem these marketers face.
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 | Putting Customers First
February 25, 2008 "Customers first." It's the mantra of businesses everywhere. Yet the average company still loses 10% to 15% of customers each year.
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| MANAGEMENT |
 | Keeping Your Cool
May 06, 2008 Making good decisions is tough enough when things are going well, so adding a recession to the mix can make a job that was previously difficult truly excruciating.
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 | Secrets to a Successful Comp Plan
March 28, 2008 A good compensation plan doesn't start with cold, hard figures, says Dave Stein, the CEO of ES Research in West Tisbury, Mass. Rather, it all starts with having—and then keeping—the right people.
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 | Supe Up Sales Performance
February 25, 2008 Growth-oriented companies face myriad challenges in their pursuit of high performance: more demanding customers, tougher competition and shorter product life cycles, to name a few. Yet one of their greatest challenges comes not from outside the organization, but rather, inside it.
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| MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVES |
 | Performance: It's in the Cards
March 28, 2008 Employees get paid salaries and commissions to do their jobs, but in many circumstances, that's not enough to encourage specific behaviors today.
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The Gift Card That Keeps Giving
February 25, 2008 Sometimes, there's just nothing like good ol' instant gratification. In many ways, it's the easiest and best way to positively reinforce the behaviors you want your sales team to perform, making gift cards a key tool in any sales manager's motivation and incentives arsenal.
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| MEETINGS |
 | An Uneasy Mix for Travel Booking
March 28, 2008 Companies with a long history of using self-booking tools are finding it harder to integrate them with expense management systems than late adopters.
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 | Brand Loyalty Goes Global
February 25, 2008 Can a brand inspire loyalty from customers in China, India, France and the United States with a single program? The answer comes in many languages, all translating into a declarative "yes."
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 | On the Road: Santa Fe
February 25, 2008 When you're looking for a business destination that's more majestic than metropolitan, Santa Fe simply annihilates the competition.
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| TRAINING |
Stop Hiring Poor Performers
February 25, 2008 Unfortunately, while all sales managers are aware of the need to hire quality workers, many consistently end up hiring second-rate employees.
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| TECHNOLOGY |
 | Not Your Father's Presentation
March 28, 2008 The person who's never slept through a presentation may cast the first stone—maybe that ought to wake up the guy snoring in the fifth row!
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 | Swell Your Sales With Speech Analytics
February 25, 2008 From cross-selling in the contact center to online marketing campaigns, companies today are always looking for ways to generate new revenue. But how do you know if a marketing campaign is working?
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 | Sales…Marketing: Blurring the Lines
January 25, 2008 Remember when buying a list of names was the pinnacle of "lead generation," and seeing how many coupons were actually returned defined "metrics"? Thankfully, the evolution of the Internet has made the process a bit more sophisticated.
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| EXPERT VOICES |
 | Smart Management: The Compensation Paradox
May 06, 2008 How much to pay salespeople is a common challenge for management. Fortunately, it's one that can be solved through some simple principles, including rules for setting the right pay levels for outstanding performers.
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 | Smart Marketing: I Am Spam
March 28, 2008 At the beginning of each year, we conduct our annual e-mail responsiveness survey. Our survey is based in the notion that every customer, at one time, sends an e-mail to a corporation with a customer service question.
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| THE CLOSER |
 | Plugging Drains, Sealing Leaks: Stop Caving to Customer Pressure
March 28, 2008 Purchasing managers in business markets are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their strategies and tactics. Increasingly held accountable for reducing costs, purchasing and other customer managers don't have the luxury of simply believing suppliers' claims of cost savings.
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| Online News & Features |
Recruit and Retain the Best Talent
May 09, 2008 Don't let turnover woes get you down. Follow these recruiting and retention best practices to find and keep your next management star.
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 | The Expert's Edge
May 05, 2008 Become the Go-To Authority People Turn To Every Time (McGraw-Hill, $22.95)
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