Topic

grapevine

A collection of 656 issues

Google Engineer Description

Don’t worry if you’re not that tekkie and have never heard of, let alone used an RSS feeder. I’ve used all sorts of ways to keep up-to-date on sites I really like and was hoping not to use ‘don’t do evil’ (‘oh yes you do’) google

Tip From SME Consultants

Came across an accountants that had grown over a seven-year period from a small office above a shop, to a 5-branch regional player with a purpose-built HQ. One reason they’d experienced such stellar growth, was their decision to offer clients more value-added services on top of traditional auditing. These

Self-Design Prompt

Speaking with one of my client’s reps yesterday, he gave me insight into what worked for him when selling insurance in a previous life in his native America. One of his favourite questions at the very start was “if you were designing your own solution, what would you have

Global Deal Diss

Had an entertaining talk last night with a very successful rep that’s been selling boat loads of a technology product for the past ten years. The latest initiative from the top is to pursue national framework agreements with target country-wide accounts. Typically such firms have offices across several sales

The Modern Approach

Another day, another selling methodology. The mnemonic ‘modern’ stems from the following categories: Money Our Solution Decision Enemy Resource Needs As with all these kinds of structures, the idea is that if you cover each of the headings on your campaign, you shall prevail. I got sent this one by

Making Sales Easier

Researching into drags on a rep’s day I came across an interesting article [http://www.accenture.com/Global/Research_and_Insights/Outlook/By_Issue/Y2007/SalesForcePerformance.htm] on management consultant behemoth Accenture’s website. Here’s one of their graphics [http://www.accenture.com/NR/rdonlyres/7B18E743-3494-414E-B292-DE0FE00F6C9D/0/How_

Business Intimacy Admission

I came across a cracking piece of best-practice yesterday talking to a customer of mine that helped the fella selling IT gain a jump over his rivals to win a 40k deal. The prospect had used their kit in the past, but had little if any loyalty. Suspecting he was

Year End Discount Frenzies

One of my customers races towards their year end right now. As usual for most sales-orientated outfits, this signals the bullying or rewarding (depending on your point of view!) of prospects by offering them some kind of incentive to sign up before the year disappears. “Extra special discount from a

Worse To Pay Too Little

This quote, way back from the 19th Century, I have just learned is plastered all over the internet. It’s used by people whose selling tends to come under intense price pressure from inferior competitors: “It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little.

Naval Gazing

One of my customers is fascinated (or should that be obsessed?!) with military history, and also its relevance to sales war zones. He’s called Ken Welsh and kindly sent me a couple of his fave tales from this sphere. The first is from George C Scott in “Patton: Lust