All great leaders have a had a great strategy to get them to where they wanted to go.

Unfortunately for so many people they have not even thought of their winning sales strategy and rely on random unconnected tactics.

Now is the time to get into action. A good sales strategy will help you identify and take advantage of the best opportunities. Ensuring an effective sales strategy is in place can help you create a competitive advantage too, so it should not be ignored.

The Sales Academy will though the sales strategy analysis identify the following;

• Clarifying your sales objectives.
• Plan on how to reach target customers.
• Supporting your new sales strategy.
• Continual monitoring and honing the effectiveness.
• Clarifying your sales objectives.

You want to ensure that your sales force have a workable cohesive sales strategy that will deliver desired results in line with your company strategic objectives. Initially we examine your current sales strategy plan and look to see how effective it has been to date (or part of it). This will provide a starting point from where you can objectively measure your new sales strategy.

If you are dealing with channel partners, you may find that a core detailed channel strategy is needed. In which case a channel strategy will be developed utilising the skills and resources that are available.

Supporting your new sales strategy.

We then provide an some building blocks and the ‘glue’ to increase the probability of success. You can be confident as we offer mentoring too to help keep you to that strategy. We can examine the roles of you key people and ensure they are skilled or trained in the desired rolls for your new strategies.

Monitoring and improving effectiveness.

Getting your strategy right is essential. By having key measures in place to check you sales progress against, will deliver results. Your growth from the right strategy is memorable and rewarding. We will show you how!

Want more information now? Email John Bond or phone to find out more about our Sales Strategy Analysis.

Force Multiplier is a military term. This term is defined in the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, US Department of Defence 2005 as A capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment. Now The Sales Academy has a solution to your perplexing problem of getting leads and making an impact!

As you might expect many companies have superb solutions and/or services however getting to market can be problematic. Often the more technical biased organisations have found it hard if technical and non sales staff try to generate leads. Additionally sometimes there are not enough people on the phones because you are busy or simply do not have enough staff to spend any time on this activity. We can sympathise with this and appreciate that even with your amazing deliverables that the market may need after a brief prospecting conversation there does not seem to be any room to manoeuvre and a forthcoming requirement or opportunity seems distant!

The Sales Academy has created an unusual package that immediately solves this perplexing problem. Our Force Multiplier Programme generates lead through Cold Calling, educates and stimulates target companies through E-mail Marketing uses PR to develop the brand recognition and Google Adwords to drive prospects to your site. This programme is customizable but must include our cold calling module and one other module and be a for a minimum of three months

For most companies this is a programme that builds on recognition and therefore we need a commitment of at least three months for each of the stages to kick in and start delivering.

Cold Calling – Our telemarketing is superb. We require an analysis and process flow that helps us understand your deliverables so that our team can promote and prospect effectively. If we are to branded as your company (as opposed to a lead generating company phoning on behalf of a client) we require a corporate email address so that we are seen as part of your organisation. We pre suppose that you have a target database that can be used by us – if not we can purchase one on your behalf.

Google Adwords - we guarantee a Page 1 position within 72 hours – you will see that your ad comes up on Page 1 in the sponsored links that run horizontally at the top of and vertically on the right when you get search results through Google. Pricing depends on the ‘adwords that you choose’. Typically this costs from only £50 per week and unlike pay per click marketing there are no additional costs.

Email Marketing – we will run a minimum of one targeted campaign starting at £250 per month including reports are generated 24hrs/72 hrs  of all of the opens and click throughs. We will follow up all multiple opens and click throughs as part of the scheme.

Hard Copy Marketing -we will run a similar campaign as if it was an e-mail amrketing campaign this can include taking a brief for the marketing letter, printing and posting to your target companies. Whilst this more traditional approach cannot easily be measured at least companies will know who you are and it will not get caught by spam filters or alike! 

PR – we can work with you to ensure that your brand is recognised and that all of the appropriate media is updated – you can opt for our social networking updates and we can even create, brand and manage a blog updating all of the social networking sites. Letter writing and press submission and article writing and submission is another popular add-on that increases your viability and expert status. Various packages exist depending upon what your goals and budgets are.

Costs:

Google Adwords – from £ 150 per week (depending on ad word phrases email the phrases and we will quote you)

Professional Telmarketing – from £250 per day – you may find other companies cheaper but you do get what you pay for! (based on a minimum 3 month commitment)

Hardcopy Marketing – from £250 to design print and send a one page communication to up to 250 target people (prices exclude postage)

PR from £500 per month.

Email marketing – again based on a minimum  3 month commitment prices start at £250 per campaign minimum of 1 campaign per calendar month 2^nd campaign in the same month ££200. One RE-usable Template is included in every 3 month campaign

The Force Multiplier Effect will be felt by increased activity on your web, more business opportunities and /or requirements and a general recognition in your marketplace that you are a force to be reckoned with! You can Email Mike for more detail or to organise a call

Over a couple of months we met regularly but the timing wasn’t right for me to discover what the secret was. Fortunately we had a large opportunity to close in Scandinavia which meant we were going to be together for 48 hours including sharing flights, meetings and staying in the same hotel – I saw this as a great opportunity to get that little bit closer and to ask the so called magical question with a magical answer. My timing was perfect – after a successful sales negotiation we decided to dine and then returned to the hotel for a few drinks prior to going to bed. In the early hours of the morning in a hotel bar at a 5 star hotel in Stockholm I had my opportunity. Amidst the smoke from his expensive cigars I cornered him as the time was right – wow I was sooooo excited. In just a few short minutes I could learn from a master, someone who outwardly had it all, had the knowledge, the information and the plan. Off I went with butterflies in my stomach and I finallyasked my question – ‘ So, what do I need to do to be as successful as you? ‘ the question had been asked and shortly I would have the revelation, the answer, soon I could accelerate into the future with new found knowledge and a blueprint for future sales success. He looked around, sucked on his cigar and the grey blue smoke from his cigar filled the area along with the smell of smoke. He looked at me and with a wry smile was thinking – I was only a few seconds away – soon I would have the knowledge to power ahead and become even more successful . His cheeks were drawing in another breath of smoke and as he exhaled he started to talk. ‘Mike I’ll tell you what you need to do in order to get ahead’ – the next sentence would change my life ‘ Mike what you need to do is ……… sell more software’ . ! I stared and inside me I was thinking – hold on I am looking for a revelation not something as simple as that. For many moments I was stunned, I felt let down – sell more software – not exactly what I had been expecting.

So what did I learn, well it was indeed good advice. There is no miracle cure, there was no miracle pill. Sales is all about hard and smart work and getting a signed contract. Doing the fundamentals, doing it better and doing it with passion. What my boss had told me so succinctly was that I had to be good at what I thought I was good at – in fact I had to be better. Better than anyone else in my company, better than anyone else in my sector of sales. This was in fact brilliant advice because it’s about getting the business closed off and in many cases getting larger ticket values (sometimes you work just as hard for a £10k opportunity as you do for a £100k or a £1million opportunity) but at least when the values are higher you have more to gain (and some would say more to lose) – the trick is having enough of the right opportunities in your pipeline.

I have recently worked with a number of people some who are tasting huge success in a global recession. One company their average order value was less than £200k and they closed a £25 million pound contract and quickly followed it with another for £10m. They had focus and yes it did take time but they new exactly what their target audience was and they worked that account in a huge way. Opportunity is everywhere but there is no substitute for focus and the end result. Giving the prospect what they want will help you sell more. If you sell more and you are on a bonus scheme or commission the rest will be history. So in summary the answer I received form my boss was 100% accurate – today this advice is as a good as it was when I heard it for the first time – now you can benefit form it too!

Management teams are sometimes too close to the action, often finding themselves hugely busy going from opportunity to opportunity without benefiting from that elusive signed contract.

Sales consulting for professional solutions

In order to break this pattern, we offer on site sales consulting to assist management and sales teams identify new strategies and to implement sales processes that deliver measurable results. With a no holds barred approach we tell you where the issues are but better still provide you with professional solutions to your challenges.

We have consulted in many sales environments to achieve fantastic results. Maybe we can do the same for you? If you are placing a new product or service into the marketplace we can help. We can recommend a ‘ go to market’ strategy. We can also help when you are not getting the results that you want. If the skills you have on board are just not enough for the current demands we can provide that backup and direction.

Many companies are very eager to sell their products and solutions however they lack a comprehensive strategy. Sadly they generally only use 10% of what they could be using to increase their market share then wonder why revenues don’t just happen!

What is the Sales and Marketing Audit?

Our Sales and Marketing audit is a heavy hitting analysis completed with senior management normally over a two day period with results and recommendations during day three. We analyse what you are doing and what you may not be doing. Once you have made sense of your marketing assets and grab those additional sales opportunities, you can look forward to sending your revenues through the roof.

What is the Sales Audit Process?

The sales and marketing audit drills down and asks some hard questions – possibly you may even squirm when you realise what you could have been doing and what some of your competition are already doing.

Through the sales audit, we analyse what you are doing and what you may not be aware that you could be doing. Your sales strategy and sales processes are investigated. Then the marketing strategy reviewed.

By combining and utilising multiple ways to market you can enjoy significantly better revenues and dramatically shorten those sales cycles and see improved closing rates.

With this sales audit, a base line is established and recommendations will be made to increase your teams effectiveness. This can be done through;

• sales training to raise salespeoples’ awareness and reinvigorate them.
• a skills audit to ensure the right staff are in the right positions. This will ensure they are pulling together to achieve your company vision and aims.
• ongoing mentoring so your staff have a ’sounding board’ to test ideas and get those sales cycles closed.

Whilst this can be a one off exercise, most companies will then retain us to ensure that they are running on all cylinders maximising all the sales effort to deliver quantifiable sales improvement.

How does that sound? To explore hidden opportunities please email your requirements to John Bond or phone now.