Insights
As leading consultants in business development, we offer a holistic, fresh perspective, a strategic mindset, & strong problem solving and people skills.
Let’s face it. There are very few of us that want to be in sales.
We just want to put our heads down and get good at what we do, be discovered for being good at what we do, let our reputation do the talking, watch the sales roll in, grow our business and make money.
Why not? That’s pretty much the Australian way.
(This blog is a little longer than normal, but stay with us because it’s incredibly important.)
A simple little report that contains high quality data (if you know how to use it).
Not unlike the WIP (work in progress) report, the SIP (sales in progress) report is a measure of how a business is progressing the opportunities that are in front of it, and those that are on the horizon.
It’s an extremely important tool that helps a company see what it needs to see about how it’s performing – and then better direct its efforts to allow it to reach the sales targets it’s set, assuming this has been done.
IIn this business development series, The Forgotten Art of Sales, we’re looking at the importance of that part – or function – of a business that ‘has the right conversations with the right people about the right opportunities’.
While this function is incredibly important, it’s often given too little attention, especially given this is where a good deal of an organisation’s potential – and money – is located! It’s actually staggering how little effort so many companies put into looking at how to improve such a critical function of their operation.
The process behind the function
There is a vital process that underpins this function in each business and many smarts are required to make it work effectively.
The backbone of all our clients’ business growth is their ability to continually have the right conversations with the right people about the right opportunities at the right price point. Having invested significant time in understanding our B2B clients – including who they are, how they structure their businesses and how their businesses have grown…
The clients we’ve consulted to in the past 20 years typically don’t engage a marketing agency directly and it’s interesting to unpack the ‘why’ of this. What it boils down to is that the people who own and run B2B SMEs and the people who set up marketing agencies are, generally, very different types of…
This legitimate question from a client we were recommending marketing strategies to more than 10 years ago gave us all a good-natured chuckle at the time – and it’s still a running joke in their office today. And while it may be funny, it does point to the serious fact that a degree of knowledge…
Demand for great imagery and video content has increased dramatically over the past five years and is now crucial for businesses to effectively market themselves. There are many factors driving this trend but, as we’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, the world has become incredibly content thirsty, including for photos and videos – and for good…
Demand for great imagery and video content has increased dramatically over the past five years and is now crucial for businesses to effectively market themselves. There are many factors driving this trend but, as we’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, the world has become incredibly content thirsty, including for photos and videos – and for good…
When setting out to communicate a company’s narrative and brand positioning to key stakeholders in a compelling way, it’s imperative there’s a good designer on your team. Whether we realise it or not, we’re visual people. All of us. We like good design and are influenced by the way things look. We’re drawn to beautiful…
All successful businesses – even ones who traditionally grow through B2B referrals – will inevitably arrive at a point where they know they need to review their marketing. Either the enterprise has evolved and the way they’ve been presenting themselves no longer reflects who they are and what they do for their clients, or the…
In the womb, Socialites would be having fun, admiring the cool space they’re in, appreciating the relaxed vibe, and maybe even doing a few somersaults and yanking on the umbilical cord! At the same time, they’re dead set on getting out and getting on with exploring the world… Having wriggled free from the womb, Socialites…
In the workplace – and in the womb – Harmonisers are in tune with everything and everyone around them. In the womb, they’re already in touch with the inside and outside world. They’re across the nuances of their mum and dad’s voices and are waiting with anticipation to meet and be embraced by them. A…
While Ambition and Drive was in the womb thrashing and plotting its escape, Competents were analysing, putting forward some calculations, and running trials, testing how best to make their big exit. Competents do this all very carefully and logically, and put much thought into figuring how this exit will actually unfold. Upon arrival into their…
If we could watch Ambition and Drive in the womb, we’d no doubt witness it thrashing, kicking and wriggling endlessly trying to escape. Free from the confines of its birthplace and now breathing on its own, Ambition and Drive has never looked back, its sights now firmly set on conquering the part of the world…
When it comes to intellectual property (IP), many business leaders overlook the fact that how their organisation sells to customers is, indeed, vital IP. More often than not, the sales function of a business is presided over by people who know what they’re doing to achieve sales, but the knowledge these team members have is…
A major challenge with business development is leveraging the unique and important contributions marketing and sales people can make to an organisation. For starters, most business owners and directors aren’t typically from a marketing or sales background – though they clearly understand their organisation and its customers – and freely admit they aren’t certain how…
When an organisation’s positioning in the marketplace is right, and done well, it’s a powerful business development tool that can give companies a significant boost. Not only does it help attract new opportunities and draw customers and potential talent to you, it can pave the way for better margins. Good businesses build a good reputation…
Most good businesses are not lacking when it comes to market opportunity at present.As they look around, there are plenty of options for selling their goods or services.Instead, what most are struggling with, is finding the resources they need to capitalise on the opportunities that lie in front of them. So, what should a business…
Clients we work with
