Sue Barrett
News and interviews on Sue Barrett including trends, features, blogs and community conversations from an Australian business perspective.
Why is ‘cheap’ a false economy?Monday, 08 March 2010
Understandably everyone wants to save money, especially in these times, however we need to be aware of falling victim to false economy. False economy is an expression that refers to an action which saves money at the beginning but which, over a longer period ...
I’m not a salesperson but I have to sell. What do I do?
Monday, 01 March 2010
After thousands of hours of study and many years honing technical skills to be a competent professional in your chosen field, it can come as a rude shock that you now need to sell your services and capabilities as well. In today's busy market, a competent selling ...
Why ‘everybody lives by selling something’ is key to your success
Monday, 22 February 2010
'Everybody lives by selling something' was the trend in our 12 Sales Trends for 2010, voted as second most important for businesses in 2010. It is a very significant trend on many levels as it involves everyone, not just the people who are labelled as 'sales'. ...
How do I distinguish between a genuine buyer and a saboteur?
Monday, 15 February 2010
Everything lines up: your solution is a very good match for the client company, you have ticked all the boxes, but the deal is rejected. You are perplexed and confused. "It's a great solution! It's what they wanted and needed. Why are they saying no?" ...
How do I deal with client objections?
Monday, 08 February 2010
Many sales people will tell you one of the biggest worries in sales, besides prospecting, is dealing with customer objections. It's true many people do not like dealing with objections or conflict, however, it is also true that many people unintentionally create ...
Lead the way
Monday, 01 February 2010
In December 2009 we published The 12 Sales Trends of 2010 and invited readers to vote on what they thought are the most important trends in sales. Thank you to everyone who shared their views and voted. Each month we will explore one of the trends in more detail, ...
Why are questions so important in selling?
Monday, 25 January 2010
Building on my article 'Where is my inner six year old when I need them?', using effective questioning techniques is one of the most significant key differentiators between a person with good sales skills and a person with outstanding sales skills. However, ...
What makes customers unhappy?
Monday, 18 January 2010
What's happened to having a pleasant, hassle free customer experience in this country? We are hearing more and more war stories from customers. Some go to buy something and are met with whinging, whiny staff or others return to a supplier (retailer or B2B) ...
What does fidelity have to do with selling?
Monday, 11 January 2010
The virtue of fidelity is often associated with personal relationships, in particular, marriage. However, I would like to propose that we consciously extend this virtue to all aspects of our lives, including the functions of sales and service. ...
Do you have the sales force your strategy needs in 2010?
Monday, 04 January 2010
A few weeks ago I ran a webinar for SmartCompany on 'How to clearly manage and measure your sales team'. During the webinar I was asked many questions, one of which came from a senior sales leader. They asked: "With some time to reflect over the summer break, ...
SmartCompany's summer reading guide
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
The summer break is a perfect time to relax, recharge and reflect on the year gone past and the year ahead. But we know what entrepreneurs are like – you'll probably spend your holidays dreaming of a new product, rewriting your business plan and holdings networking ...
Where is your inner six year old when you need them?
Monday, 21 December 2009
One of the biggest issues for sales people is knowing the right questions to ask customers. ...
How do I reward my sales team? Straight commission or salary?
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Dear Aunty B, We have made a big investment in sales staff this year in order to boost sales (of course). But I don't feel I am getting the best from them – or so the sales figures tell me. ...
Is call reluctance choking your sales effort?
Monday, 14 December 2009
Whether we are working for a private or public company, a not-for-profit or government institution, all of us are in some way competing for access to a revenue source to fund our existence. ...
How do I clearly measure and manage my sales team?
Monday, 07 December 2009
Most sales teams are measured using a number of simple metrics, such as revenue, number of sales made and number of products sold. ...
Do you have difficult clients or are they just different?
Monday, 07 December 2009
Style adaptability is where a person can read another person's preferred communication style and adjust their own communication style to that of the other person, thus making shared communication and understanding easier. ...
What’s the right incentive scheme for my sales team?
Monday, 30 November 2009
Of all questions, this is the one that remains on the minds of sales leaders and executive teams. It is often the cause of more debate and angst than any other question in a business. ...
Should I fire my bad clients?
Monday, 23 November 2009
Run a mental checklist over your client base right now. Who fits into the ‘good' client list and who falls into the ‘bad' client list? ...
Sales is a team effort
Monday, 16 November 2009
Sales numbers and sales processes should be understood and owned by everybody in your organisation. In today's world if you are not directly in sales you are supporting someone who is. This is why sales really is a team effort. ...
How do I create effective sales performance management systems?
Monday, 09 November 2009
Following on from last week's article about managing and measuring the right things in sales, I thought it would be worth looking at some of the key principles for effective sales performance management systems. ...
