10 ways to boost your sales

Tips & tricks - how to get the most from your efforts as a sales person. If you read this blog post, please do so on the understanding that it is largely here to remind me what I believe in and then to make me do it!

Have a plan and work at it every day
Top sales people know their targets, what they have got to do to achieve them and then focus on doing it. No chatting about reality TV programme at the coffee machine. They plan, set goals and constantly ask themselves “How can I achieve my goals today?”
Prospect for new clients every day
Sales is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom! If you stop filling the bucket, it will soon be empty. It doesn't matter how you fill the bucket - cold calling, networking, referrals, events, PR, marketing, direct mail or white papers - it needs to be topped up every day.

Be genuinely interested in your clients
It's hard to get motivated on the 47th call of the day, but if you can’t get interested in your client, then they wont be interested in you. Being genuinely interested in your client's business is a great way to differentiate yourself.

Ask great questions
Great questions come from two things: The first is being genuinely interested. The second is planning and preparation. Sometimes you have to rehearse your questions - this doesn't mean that you read from a script though. Make a record of your clients’ answers so you can build up a profile of them. Focus on this one area of your business over the next few weeks and it could well make a big difference to your sales pipeline.

Listen to understand
Two ears, one mouth - too many sales people work the other way around! Most sales people filter what they hear, listening for what they want to hear. For this reason, many totally mis crucial pieces of information because it wasn’t what they were wanting to hear at that time. This can kill a sale.

Know your clients
Few people know their clients well enough. This can lose business because if you don't have enough understanding how can you truly help your client.

The information you need could well include size, markets, customers, projects, turnover, values, mission, individuals, individual drivers, future growth plans, exit strategies etc. When you’ve gleaned this information, store it in a single, simple-to-access database that you and your colleagues can easily return to.

Sell solutions, not products
If you’ve ever had problems with trying to get clients to commit or had deals that seemed ‘on’ then went sour, then you were probably selling products not solutions.
As a rule, we shouldn't discuss specific products or solutions until we know our clients’ explicit needs. And these needs should be stated by the client, not you!

Target your perfect customer
Outline your perfect customer on a piece of paper… in detail. Check that there are enough of them to build your business to the size that you want to build it to. Work out how to reach them, and get to work! And don’t tie yourself to customers you don’t want anymore, as you’ll never find the time to approach those you do want.

Be proactive, confident and professional
The key word here is professional - not cocky! Set yourself high standards and strive to maintain them in everything you do. Another popular way of stating this is to be a player not a victim.

Never stop learning
Seek out people that you admire, who take responsibility for their own success. Find out what they believe in, understand how they behave and what they did to achieve their success. Then decide how you can use that information to improve what you do.

This post was based on an article written for Sage ACT! by Gavin Ingham (http://www.gaviningham.net) with a few twists of my own.

Now please excuse me because my bucket needs filling....

Digital native vs digital immigrants?

How do you view technology?

Apparently a chap called Marc Prensky argued there are two types of users of digital technology - Natives and Immigrants. There's an interesting discussion running on linkedin http://linkd.in/a8XHOr

The cost of complexity (aka KISS)

Human beings seem to like making things complicated, but when it comes to business systems this can be bad news.

System reviews often start with a simple, but pressing, requirement eg.

• get a better idea of what sales are being worked on;
• what marketing works;
• store all information centrally.

Then best practice says you should:

1. list your requirements;
2. assess what is available to meet those requirements;
3. meet with a shortlist of vendors;
4. evaluate and make your decision;
5. implement.

I don't disagree with any of the above but the work involved must be in proportion. There are traps to fall into at each stage:

1. List your requirements - if you sit down with a blank sheet of paper you will almost certainly produce a lists of 'must haves', 'wants' & 'would likes'. It's worth understanding the three categories as the longer the list, the more complex & costly the finished system.
2. Assess what is available to meet the requirements - if stage 1 went well then you have a good solid list. If you spend too long looking at the options then you will generate a mountain of information that will take even longer to filter through. Three or four options should usually be enough and please consider your budget at this stage. If a system is too expensive then it probably isn't right for you.
3. Meet with a shortlist of vendors - it sounds silly but the most common trap here is to have a short list that isn't short. If you invite 15 vendors to the party then nobody gets what they need - least of all you.
4. Evaluate and make your decision - if there is an obvious choice then that's OK, you don't need to look to make it more complicated. If it's not obvious, then a team meeting, a white board and simple scoring system might do the trick. List your requirements and score each system as to how well it meets them - 1 = doesn't, 5 = completely. This will highlight where you need more info and may give you an answer. Please don't rely on the vendor to do this exercise as they may be biased!
5. Implement - This is where it is crucial to keep the list from stage 1 handy. Systems people call it 'project creep' - new requirements added along the way will cause sleepless nights as well as cost and time over runs. Set your goals, make sure everyone sticks to them and have some measurable objectives if possible.

There is always a reason why an IT project goes wrong and being over ambitious or complex is up there at the top of the list.

Making existing IT work for you

Most indicators show that the economy has turned and that we are in the early stages of a recovery. Companies are thinking about investing again to make sure they are in the best possible position to capitalise on the upturn.

With reduced headcount in many companies, business software needs to work harder to make up the difference. This often leads to a search for replacement systems but managers need to make sure that there is a real compelling reason for a change.

I am advising my clients to document what they need from their systems and make sure that existing systems can not do it. It can cost more than three times as much to implement a new system as it does to upgrade or modify existing ones. Sometimes, all that is needed is a bit of training which is a real saving compared to the upheaval of implementing a new system.

However, if there are compelling reasons to change, then investment is required. Whether you upgrade or replace it should be turned into a really positive event.

Getting the focus right when implementing a new system

When a new system is being implemented there are three elements that must be balanced:

1. Functionality - what it needs to do;
2. Speed – how quickly do you want it in place;
3. Price – what is the budget.

It's easy to say that we want everything, now, and at a rock bottom price but that's not the real world. It's also a recipe for a failed implementation.

In most cases, the answer is a blend of the three but the mix will determine how your project proceeds. For example, a project focused on price will almost certainly result in less functionality being delivered, whereas a focus on functionality will take longer to deliver and probably cost more. No implementation is the same so consider the triangle (right) and think about where your priorities are.

We find that there are 4 broad categories of implementation:

Balanced - requiring “a little of all of them”, is where most of our clients actually sit. They want a balance between a solution that is implemented quickly, but is somewhat tailored to their needs, with enough training to get both users and administrators up and running with a minimum of stress, effort, and delay.

Speed - A focus on speed means getting the system as fast as you can. This does not necessarily mean sacrificing functionality or quality, but can result in a higher cost. It may involve several consultants working together on a system. Speed focused implementations need careful project management.

Functionality - The functionality focus typically suits organisations that want the system configured to their specific needs, detailed user and administration training, and have lots of data to be migrated from one or more legacy systems.

Price - A focus on price looks for all options to keeping the cost down. This includes absolute out-of the-box functionality, and training to give administrators enough information to continue the learning process themselves in the use, setup and administration of the system, and to train the end users themselves.

The best route to understanding the right mix for your implementation is to meet with the vendor and discuss the options, your in-house skills and how critical the system will be. It's also worth pointing out that the mix will change from system to system and should not be a company standard

Keeping the green shoots alive through winter

Whilst there are still two polarised views about the economy, many people I speak to are seeing a pick up in their business. Let’s face it, most small businesses have had a tough time over the past year and any sign of improvement is very welcome. For many companies an upturn sees a wave of pent up demand heading their way – the customer always needed your product but was unwilling or unable to pay for it.

To ride this wave you have you have three choices:

1. Carry on as you are but paddle faster – sooner or later you will fall off the wave. Or worse, it will overtake you..
2. Get another person to paddle with you – who wants to recruit right now when there are so many pessimists predicting a ‘w’ recession.
3. Work on improving your technique – match investment with income and build a better platform for the future.

Now is the time to look at how you are working and question if it is the most efficient way. This covers both what you are doing and how you do it.

In the HR world it is a good time to review how your organisation manages admin heavy processes. Is there away to automate tasks, leaving you to manage the people not the paperwork? HR professionals need to be out there building confidence in their teams rather than doing admin.

Sales and marketing people can always improve processes. We sales people hate to be tied down to a system but grudgingly admit that things work best when we are. I for one need to go through my sales pipeline to remove those deals that never seem to close – it was worth chasing them when I had the time but now I’ve got enough ‘winners’ to work on.

Invest in systems support

I have just taken on a new client whose system has been unsupported for the last year. I first spoke to them at the end of 2008 when they asked us to quote for supporting their business critical CRM system. However other more urgent issues got prioritised and it is only now that they have taken up my proposal.

It is all to easy to drop support for business systems now that we are all looking to reduce expenditure. However this can be a false economy. In many respects software support is like insurance - you don't need it until something serious happens.

People that know me will say that I am the first to recommend saving unnecessary costs. So I suggest asking yourself a number of key questions:

• How critical is the system?
• Can I manage without it?
• What would happen if I am without the system?
• How many users and processes would be effected?
• What is the cost of support compared to the cost of down time?
• Are we pushing the limits of what the system can do?
• Do I have good internal resource to manage the system?
• Does this resource have the right skills and time to apply them?
  

I would also suggest that there are a number of less relevant but still important questions such as:

• Did I use support last year? - that is no guarantee that you wont need it this year. You probably pay for fully comprehensive car insurance and are glad you didn't use it last year.
• Am I planning to replace the system soon? If it is currently a critical system that you can not do without then support should be maintained.
• What is the cheapest support option I can get? Cheap is not always cheerful.

There are certain situations where costs have to be dramatically reduced in a hurry and I am not talking about these. However, in most circumstances system support should be viewed as an investment to manage a business risk. Talk to your provider to get the most out of a support contract and they should respond by working with you to get the most out of your system.

Investing in IT

History shows that successful companies come out of recessions more productive than when they went in - productivity compared to the rest of their industry. Research suggests that no more that 3% of information available today is digitised, so investing in business systems to release corporate knowledge can give you real competitive advantage. Importantly, it is expected that the amount of information available digitally will double every 18months.

Companies that measure IT spend as a % of revenue are on the right track. But more than just spending on IT, it means focusing IT spend on growth projects rather than running IT. Growth projects can be though of as ways to use information to your competitive advantage - eg removing admin tasks from front line employees, driving targeted marketing campaigns using customer information, automation of management information.

Many commentators are starting to talk of 'post downturn' strategies and a companies IT infrastructure should be the most important. Companies need to be highly automated and quick take opportunities as they arise. In the same way, a companies IT systems must be nimble, cost effective and high quality.

Training budgets

Is it me or has there been an uplift in the tone of economic reporting over the last couple of weeks? The media can still come up with doom and gloom - giving a negative slant to a neutral / positive story, but the mood seems to be turning.

This seems to be reflected in the number of requests for training that we are receiving. Clients tell us that budgets are still tight but well justified training is getting funded. This is good news for our users and we are trying to help in whatever way we can. We tailor our training around clients exact requirements and always try to leave them with an immediate ROI. If we can save them even the smallest amount of time it can pay for the training.

The latest success we have had is getting training covered under the Train to Gain scheme. Not all training is covered but it's worth a try. This gets £500 paid for and a futher £500 matched. If you want more information feel free to drop me an email.

Managing HR in a small business

Most small businesses can not justify having a dedicated HR person. The admin heavy and / or complex HR processes can be a real drain on management time. Companies often hire in a part time person to help with HR but this can cause problems:

• Hire a highly skilled HR person and you run the risk of this expensive resource getting bogged down in HR admin (booking holidays, recording sickness etc..) or
• Take on extra admin resource to help with HR processes and you run the risk of non core processes running out of control.

If you are a manager in an SME the chances are you didn't sign up to do HR - nothing wrong with HR, its just not your thing. You should be focusing on selling, operations or delivery. The solution can be found in automating the repetitive HR tasks and outsourcing the complex HR activities.

Tasks that can be automated include:

• Holiday booking & authorisation
• Sickness reporting (including back to work interviews)
• Employee address and core data updating
• Frequent tasks - appraisal reminders, new starters, leavers etc
• Report production

Having a central system for HR data relieves management of a non core task, saves time, increases accuracy and satisfies data protection legislation. It is also an essential tool to maximise the efficiency of outsourced HR services.

Lastly, it provides management with reports and analysis on staff activity. Managers can easily combine data on various topics into one report on which to base decisions. Having access to pre-formatted reports on such topics as employee absence by reason, workers compensation statistics, and salary by department makes understanding the strategic "big picture" much easier.

One word of caution - not all HR systems have the ability to automate tasks. Some only act as an electronic filing cabinet. To get the maximum benefit from this approach you need a system that has employee self service functionality and has been designed for SMEs. Take a look at breatheHR.

Expensive software sitting on the shelf?

All businesses are looking for that extra edge - the things that make a difference; whether it's increasing revenue, saving costs or just plain making life easier. One area that every company needs to look at is the software that is being used or in some cases not being used!

Research shows that businesses rarely use more that 20% of the functionality of any software system. This is great news as it leaves a whopping 80% still to benefit from. In addition to this there are many systems not being used at all - still in the box, never installed or never really understood and forgotten about.

A great example of this is Sage ACT! - with over 2.8m users there must be a whole host of companies out there not using it to its full potential. Every organisation needs to manage sales, improve customer service or just free up some admin time and a bit of training could make all the difference.

If you work for an organisation that has been in business for a while I bet there is some benefit to be gained from looking around your network or in the cupboard where your software boxes are kept. It may take a little research or some training but the potential is definitely there. There may even be government funding to foot the bill!

On the move

I had a conversation earlier this week with a contact who was looking to get more connected. He is very successful salesman, working for a company that is bucking the downturn, but he knows he needs to stay better in touch with the office.

Whilst the web has been with us for many years, and applications have used the Internet for a good while there aren't many smaller business taking advantage of the benefits. CRM applications are particularly suited to using the web but sales people are often reluctant users. Sometimes it's a fear of the technology but most frequently it's a fear of being checked up on.

We are implementing Sage ACT! for his company that will allow them to co-ordinate all activities, keep travelling employees in touch with client activity and give the sales people access to relevant information. All for under £6k! Since their average deal size is around £20k and the average salary is £25k it wont take much to give an early ROI:

• Increase close rate


• Shorter lead to close time


• Reduction in office admin time to support external staff


• Tighter management of new leads


• More accurate forecasting ....

Know who's knocking at your door

Working with a website can be really frustrating. You can see hundreds, if not thousands of hits but you haven't got a clue who your visitors are. Analytics can only go so far in justifying your spend especially if you use PPC advertising. However, you must constantly justify your spend as the web can be a big black hole for marketing budgets.

I have been working with a new system called Trovus Revelations (http://www.trovus.co.uk/) and the results look really promising. In their own words "Trovus Revelations™ shows you exactly who's visiting your site and why. Your clients and prospects are showing you why they are interested in your company. Start a rewarding dialogue with them today."

In the short time that we have been using the system we have certainly identified a small number of visitors that have turned into clients but more importantly are seeing some interesting trends.

Take a look at the system and I would encourage you to start a dialogue with the guys at Trovus - and please tell them that I told you to.

Green shoots

At the risk of being shot down (like business minister Shriti Vadera Telegraph online) is anyone else starting to see the green shoots of recovery?

I hear many more people talking about when (not 'if'') the upturn comes and now seems to be a good time to think about investing in our businesses. I'm not just talking about money, although that helps - a positive attitude is the first step. The much quoted comment by Sam Walton of Walmart applies. When asked what he thought about a past recession he commented "I thought about it and decided not to participate".

Given the magic of technology and the internet it is possible to achieve an increase in marketing output whilst saving money. Combine your CRM system with some old fashioned marketing savvy to generate well targeted and cost effective campaigns. If you don' t have a CRM system, vendors have some great offers at the moment! Looking at previous recessions it seems clear that organisations who invested in marketing towards the end of a recession benefited the most as recovery started.

If you want an interesting take on how to operate in a recessions I would recommend going along to one of the Shirlaws 'Thrive not survive' workshops.

Snow stop play

Why does it always happen - a little bit of snow and the whole south of England grinds to a stop! OK so it wasn't a little bit of snow this time but you know what I mean.

The thing is, work doesn't need to stop (or even slow down) it can go on wherever your employees are - office, home, hotel or on the road. Businesses need to expect more from their systems. Many CRM systems can be accessed securely via the Internet so sales, marketing and customer service people are covered. Take today as an example - I have support being covered from Brighton, client service from Woking and sales from Crawley and Billingshurst. In addition some of our team made it into the office and two are at an exhibition in New York! However this isn't unusual, as we expect this functionality from our system - SageCRM.

If you are reading this and thinking that its all well and good for sales people, but HR systems don't work that way - think again. Our HR systems, breatheHR and HR.net, allow HR people, managers and employees to get access to the system from anywhere. Many of the HR people we help regularly work from home or travel between multiple offices.