January 28, 2010
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Over the last few months, we have been seeing a number of clients with extremely good traditional and digital marketing activities wasting their sales conversion opportunities by not having a proactive sales team at the helm to close the deal.
Not that the sales people are doing a bad job, its more about communication and information flow within the different areas of the business.
Could it be that the sales team haven’t been informed of the marketing strategies or campaigns at hand? Are they trained in strategic ways of handling multiple leads? Do they have all the resources needed to close a sale? Do they know who your target markets are?
All these questions should be asked by the CEO/MD and Marketing team prior to kicking off any marketing campaign. Without a strong sales process, CRM (customer relationship management) system, call tracking, closing strategies and so forth, a firm runs the risk of wasting serious money on lead generation, time and growth opportunities through poor sales execution.
Prior to any campaign, make sure all your sales staff understand and know exactly what to do with “hot”, “warm” and “cold” leads that might come through. Ensure they understand what the key messages are of the campaign and who the target markets are, so that they can adjust their pitches and presentations accordingly.
Finally, provide ongoing feedback during the campaign and sales cycles to ensure they are constantly improving. If the first 50 leads don’t come off, don’t sit on your hands hoping it will get better by itself with the next 50.
Contact Reload for any advice on sales and marketing strategies or process re-engineering of the sales team.
January 20, 2010
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While the world recovers from the global recession, Australia is taking it pretty easy.
Job losses were below anticipated figures, GDP growth rates exceeded expectations, and interest rates didn’t reach the “free money” levels of some other economies.
As a result of this, and some economic resilience by China, the Australian dollar is holding at above US 90 cents, and I tend to believe that this will continue to rise and hit US $1.10 by Christmas.
Many would consider this prediction impossible, given that since the dollar was floated in 1983 we are yet to hit parity with the US, but there’s a few more ‘ducks in a row’ this time around.
For one, and possibly the biggest factor, was the comment made by RBA Governor Glenn Stevens late last year that the RBA would not be interfering with the currency’s value during this ascent.
Normally, the RBA will trade in foreign exchange reserves to dampen the dollar’s value. This keeps our export prices from becoming too expensive for the rest of the world.
The downside to this is that the practice of dampening the currency causes inflation, which in turn puts upward pressure on interest rates, which is probably one of the reasons why the RBA has chosen not to interfere this time. That, and the fact that we now have significant Government debt, adds further weight to the argument for a higher Aussie dollar.
So whilst the higher dollar puts exporters under pressure, it does open the door for local retailers of imported goods to make their mark. Australian sellers of foreign-produced goods are facing potentially one of the most lucrative periods of the last 20 years.
This makes 2010 a great year to be an importer.
January 20, 2010
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Often we get asked what actually makes up and goes into a business plan.
Most people understand the basics of a business plan and the process, however often expensive consultants try to “make one size fits all” as their mantra by rolling out templates or telling their clients they should read a book and all will be OK.
Unfortunately this doesn’t work for a business plan as every business and organisation is different in size, staff numbers, marketing budgets and growth strategies.
We have seen some of the smallest start up’s being the most growth focused and cash ready businesses around, willing to push the boundaries and take a risk.
Then we also see (in the majority I might add) businesses that are stable and supporting staff costs and marketing budgets already. They are sometimes wary of fast risky growth and make sure they plan out what they do next.
For every client though, we are focused on outcomes and results. Throughout the business planning process, we ensure that we provide a personalised and structured business plan service, with the very best business consulting and business advice delivered at all times.
Business planning outcomes will often include:
- A clear business plan, vision and mission
- Outstanding profitability and more growth
- More sales and leads with better customer retention incorporating thorough research
- Greater cost reduction
- Scalable and robust IT systems specifically for their needs
- Exceptional marketing techniques, strategies and campaigns
- A greater understanding of their unique “points of difference”
- Any other business help and business advice
Without these, your business plan may not be the investment it should be.