Q4 = Every forecasted order is important, but especially the large/strategic must-win deals demand intense focus and constant tracking. Your proposal (and any communications) must address the following 5 questions …
As both a new business account exec. and a sales leader – Europe & the USA – with over 30 years’ experience, I think …
As the end of a quarter, or financial year, approaches it is vital to be aware of the number selling days left and to plan carefully how to use the …
Risks to the Sales Forecast must be constantly assessed and analysed on a regular basis, both for probability and severity of impact to the sale. Three areas described here are: Change drivers for …
The majority of software sales leaders would surely agree that the most powerful and effective way they can make their quarterly targets is by coaching their team on specific deals. …
At the start of every quarter the sales forecast is committed. In the following weeks, what follows is a combination of activity, progress, setbacks (expected and unexpected), reviews and new …
You’ve been working on a deal for ages and the client has been sending all the right signals, but suddenly things stop progressing and you can’t reach anyone on the …
In the second part of my series on the role of a business case in driving a high value customer transaction, I’ve turned my attention to the process of how …
In part 1, we looked at the difficulties for vendors in building a successful partner channel. Now let’s have a look at how vendors can work together with partners to …
The revenue growth delivered by an effective partner channel (resellers, system integrators or OEMS) sounds like a complete no-brainer, so why does it seem to be so difficult for vendors …
Winning large value customers and high value transactions sounds like an obvious strategy, then why is it so difficult to put into practice? In my 30 years in sales, I’ve …
Identifying top sales performers at job interviews – Three challenges to solve: So “we want to hire top performers” does need precise preparation and process to hire the right candidates. …
Technology vendors must evolve their sales focus, and market messaging, to sell software in a market that is facing severe disruption from both extreme volatility in the global economy and …
We specialise in executive headhunting services, in EMEA and the USA. These services focus on a diverse range of technology vendors, including enterprise software and venture capital backed tech start-ups. …
Large value customers are seen as the holy grail for many sales teams. Interesting research from McKinsey has found that many organisations aim for 40% of projected revenue to come …
Identifying “ideal” prospective customers is the vital first step to ensure that sales effort and resource is targeted correctly, but what are the signs and indicators to look for? One …
It’s perhaps safe to say that in over 30 years in sales one of the most crucial insights I’ve developed is just how valuable developing a quantifiable business case is, …
In the final part of my series focusing on the development of using the business case as the foundation of high value technology sales transactions, it’s worth reminding ourselves of …
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, it can be all too easy for sales teams to spend all their time on smaller – and arguably, easier – customers. After all …
In my last piece I explained why sales leaders need to clearly define what makes a customer ‘high value’ in order to begin encouraging the sales team to ‘think big’. …
In my last post I focused on the crucial skills sales leaders need in their teams in order to secure and grow those large value customers as outlined in our …
Until now, best practice for high value technology sales has comprised three steps: Discover a prospective customer issue that you can solve, perceived at C-Level to be disruptive Quantify the …
In these rapidly changing times, one thing we have learned with interviews is to expect the unexpected. Often the simple things get overlooked, which make the difference to a successful …
In today’s new and unusual times, it’s very easy to become consumed with negative thoughts. I am a keen purveyor of a positive mental attitude (PMA), a “glass half full” person, …
More recent sales training and methodologies promote the idea that customers are well informed about vendors’ solutions, and that “discovery” questions are no longer required to establish needs because buyers …
Today, I wanted to invite a discussion about how sales leaders can support their teams. Many of todays leaders did not experience the 2008 market downturn or the even …
As regular readers of our Insight blog will know, our Managing Director, Richard Lowe, has committed to sharing his experience, skills and knowledge with those across the sales arena in …
There’s no doubt that the pace of change in technology sales is increasing year on year. With the advancement of technology and a shift to the Cloud and SaaS, the …
It’s certainly been a busy time at the RBL Associates offices. As the rest of the team will certainly agree, our workload has increased as more firms turn to us …
I’ve focused a lot on identifying, securing and managing large value deals in my recent Insight blogs in order to help sales leaders set themselves and their staff up for …
As most sales professionals will attest to, account reviews to discuss and decide next steps in a major deal can take up a huge amount of very valuable time. While …
We’re operating in a world where technology means we have a wealth of information to hand, but sometimes more isn’t always better. The power of online data sources gives sales …
I’m pleased to say that my insight sharing across multiple platforms has continued on the Miller Heiman website. The highly respected technology sales training firm has once again published a …
For any sales leader, making sure the right person is hired is the number one priority. Time, money and effort is put into making the decision – after all, the …
Being able to see the big picture of your sales process is vital if you are to successfully prioritise where to invest effort, anticipate issues and apply repeatable tools and …
Getting your team to create their own personal business, account or territory plan with time-bound actions is the objective of every sales leader. It is the annual ritual of late …
I am delighted that Miller Heiman, one of the most highly respected technology sales training companies has expressed interest in our insights on software sales leadership. Our first guest blog …
Why have your December unclosed deals vanished out of the January 2018 forecast? Did the customers get kidnapped by aliens? Did the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas steal your deals …
So here we are in 2018 – you’re back, refreshed and ready to smash that sales target with your team. The new year is also a time for making resolutions …
The holiday season is almost upon us so as a seasonal treat, I’m going to unwrap my 12 days of Christmas gifts guaranteed to help you accelerate your software sales …
(& Why Customer Acquisition Cost & Customer Lifetime Value Metrics change everything) In my last blog, we looked at the seven reasons why expand sales strategies fail. In this blog …
(& why Customer Acquisition Cost & Customer Lifetime Value Metrics change everything) As sales professionals, you’ll all be aware of the Land and Expand model – winning the first order …
Pre-sales engineers/consultants are an integral part of the technology sales team and their role is constantly evolving. They act as subject matter experts in their field and add value to …
In my last blog, I outlined the warning signs that a deal may be stuck – and seven reasons why deals get stuck in the first place. Following on from …
The impact of having a rep on your team who has decided to quit but has not yet resigned can affect a leader’s results for three full quarters of a year. …
Imagine a world where sales teams only have one leader who engages the team as a single, unified group. Objectives are reviewed, direction is clear, issues are discussed and solutions …
As a former global VP of software sales with over 30 years’ experience in the market, I’m only too aware that sales leaders are very rarely, if ever, hired to …
As a highly experienced former Global VP of sales, I understand the challenges facing leaders – one of which is why it often takes so long for a new hire …
As a former Global VP of sales with over 30 years’ experience in the market, I’m only too aware that making a quarterly sales number is part of a sales …
Effectively managing remote sales staff across different locations can be challenging, trust me, I’ve done it before. As a former senior software sales professional and global VP with over 30 …
