Articles

'Customer First' Must Be More Than A Mantra

paulnolan — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

No matter what business you’re in, customers today demand immediate solutions in real time. What they need, when they need it, and how they want to receive your product or service are important factors that drive consumer buying decisions. High demand for speed and accountability require businesses to ramp up both technology innovations and customer service capabilities to be the first, the fastest and most reliable.

Create Value to Avoid Discounting

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Author:

By Tim Riesterer, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Corporate Visions, Inc.

Teaser:

Protecting your pricing and margins requires a disciplined, well-planned approach throughout the customer acquisition process. Columnist Tim Riesterer discusses plugging value leaks.

The Sales Profession's Bill of Rights

paulnolan — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s sales world has changed. An unstable economy has forced corporate layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to reduce overhead, and financial uncertainty has been a catalyst in the demise of salaried sales jobs that are being replaced with a burgeoning pay-for-performance sales model in an effort to make sales departments more productive, efficient and cost-effective.

B2B sales is not obsolete!

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Author:

By Jule Schwartz

Teaser:

The idea of B2B sales being relegated to the role of order-taking as a result of inbound marketing may make marketers feel like heroes, but surveys - and real life on the frontlines - suggests it's not that simple.

Your Top Performers May Be the Least Engaged

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Teaser:

In 42 percent of companies, low performers report being more engaged, more motivated and more likely to enjoy working at their organizations than middle and high performers. Here's why and what to do about it.

On the road to find out

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:48:21 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Teaser:

Fans of A&E Channel’s “Mad Men” will recall one of the final scenes of season 5 when Peggy Olson, newly departed from Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, is happily holed up in a drab motel room with a grin on her face and a glass of wine in her hand. She was on her first business trip, and she had the look of a woman who had arrived.

Sales insights from a gentleman thief

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:59:18 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Teaser:

A recent New Yorker feature on Apollo Robbins described the Las Vegas-based entertainer as a “theatrical pickpocket” who, in pursuit of his craft, has incorporated principles from aikido, sales and Latin ballroom dancing. The sales part left us curious, so we gave him a call.

Three Rules for Attracting and Retaining Top Sales Talent

paulnolan — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-05

Author:

Candice Arnold

Teaser:

Few things keep top salespeople engaged more effectivley than a fast, efficient and highly rewarding sales compensation program. So why are today's compensation programs so difficult to understand and even harder to manage? All incentive compensation management systems should adhere to three simple rules.

Lessons on Leadership from The Best Damn Band in the Land

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-05-01

Author:

Mike Figliuolo

Teaser:

In the halftime show of the Ohio State University football game versus Nebraska last fall, the OSU band demonstrated what true teamwork looks like and displayed the amazing impact that can be achieved when everyone on the team executes their role flawlessly.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Entering a Foreign Market

paulnolan — Thu, 02 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-04-30

Author:

Renato Beninatto, Chief Marketing Officer, Moravia

Teaser:

If you want to do business internationally, you’ve got to communicate in the language of your target market. And no matter how small you are, you can be successful in foreign markets if you plan well and avoid five common mistakes.

Stephen Covey Is Gone, and I’m Not Feeling So Good Myself

paulnolan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I love Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

The book’s subtitle is “Powerful Lessons and Personal Change.” Amen. What I most like about the book is that it is simple. There are 7 habits. They are easy to understand. I am not saying that I am good at all of them, but I understand and appreciate them and try to follow them in my business and personal life.

The Great Myth of Technology

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-01

Author:

Brian Solis

Teaser:

While everyone thinks they already know that technology is changing behavior, the reality is that assumptions and blind faith are still playing a role in how businesses are approaching these changes.

Are You Ready for the Customer Touch – Anywhere It Happens?

paulnolan — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-04-21

Author:

Joyce Ouellette

Teaser:

If you’re giving short-shrift to customer interaction, you’re likely leaving money on the table and ignoring a volatile situation.

Leadership Lessons from an Unlikely Source

admin — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-01

Teaser:

People pay hundreds, nay, thousands of dollars to gain leadership insights that will catapult their careers forward. If you like your wisdom wrapped in the wackiness promulgated by muscle-headed motivation speakers, you may end up spending thousands more treating the burns on your feet after a hot coal walk. But that’s another topic for another day.

Channeling your inner caveman

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-01

Author:

Tim Riesterer, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Corporate Visions, Inc.

Teaser:

If whiteboard-based stories can enable more effective conversations, why is everyone still using PowerPoint in marketing and sales processes?

Viral video isn’t just for water-skiing squirrels

admin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-01

Teaser:

The guys who dropped 500 Mentos mints into 100 bottles of Diet Coke and got millions of people to watch the video online say businesses need to start thinking just as creatively.

Crisis of Faith

paulnolan — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-04-15

Author:

Richard Plinke

Teaser:

If you're in sales and you haven't experienced periods of melancholy and self-doubt, then you're not doing it right. But good salespeople, like good marriages, are not the ones who never face any problems, they're the ones that work through the problems.

We’re more creative when we get together

admin — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-01

Teaser:

Technological advancements have enhanced business communications and provided a plethora of reasons not to get together. But research indicates we my be more creative when we're actually working together -- like, really together.

The Four Most Important Words in Sales

paulnolan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:33:15 +0000

In sales, these four words most often will determine whether or not you deliver excellence and in doing so, close the sale:

Accountability
Communication
Comprehension
Consistency

While not seeking to minimize our profession, these four words can literally mean the difference between success and failure in any sales organization.

4 Ideas to Get More from Your Partner Sales Channels

paulnolan — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

When you think about the word “partner” in your channel sales strategy, you may not necessarily conjure up images of close-knit teams like Bonnie and Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or any of the Ocean’s Eleven gang. Businesses recognize that partnerships are important, but there are a few key reasons they often get neglected.

5 Steps to the Most Influential Customer Communications

paulnolan — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-04-05

Author:

Michael Cannon

Teaser:

Half of customer sales conversations are not relevant to their needs, in part because more than half of the content that marketing produces is not relevant to the sales team. Most customer communications (content and conversations) are company/product-centric and descriptive. What’s missing is content that is customer-centric and persuasive.

The Hottest Path to Profits

paulnolan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-04-01

Author:

Gary Brooks

Teaser:

Everybody is talking about data being a goldmine for increased profits, but do you know where to mine and what to do with the data you collect?

5 Questions Your Salespeople Should Never Ask a Prospect

paulnolan — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-29

Author:

Michael D. Krause

Teaser:

A good lawyer knows the answers to every question before asking it. It may not be quite the same with salespeople, but there are some key questions to avoid.

4 Steps to Manage (As In Make Them Go Away) Revenue Shortfalls

paulnolan — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:06:57 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-25

Author:

Ted Binkoski

Teaser:

Sales organizations continue to fall short on producing necessary growth. Here are four reasons why they are underperforming and how to fix it.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly - Social Media’s Impact on your Brand

paulnolan — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Issue Date:

2013-03-22

Author:

Bob Kelleher

Teaser:

Have you embraced the tri-branding impact of social media? If you haven't, there's a good chance your competitors are far ahead of you.