Videos and Clips

We all know that business is becoming more and more competitive and that people have greater and higher expectations.
Many of us are expected to do 20% more with 20% less!

This has affected selling too.

Selling has changed because buying has fundamentally changed.

Some of these changes are:

• There are an increasing number of Decision Makers
• The Executive and Procurement are more involved than ever before
• There are more RFPS than ever before
• Buyer are involving suppliers later in their buying process
• Buyers have less tolerance for questions

All that anyone wants is the right solution for them.  The complexity is that different people want different things
depending on their role, their objectives and their personality

Some of the key sales challenges today are:

• How to increase sales as customer budgets are being squeezed
• How to differentiate yourselves & add value against tough competition
• How to transform your salesforce to higher margin, more complex sales

To survive in todays marketplace you need the best sales people offering real value to their customers.

Being client-led and customer focussed is the only way to achieve long term sustainable business. 

Are your salespeople capable of doing this?

We specialise in helping salespeople identify, target and win bigger, more complex sales.

We do this by combining best practice consultative sales skills  & techniques in a programme that is focussed on achieving real ROI and sustainable behaviour change.

We can help you to transform your salesforce by designing and delivering an integrated modular programme that includes the following:

• Sales Skills
• Digital refreshers
• Relevant course work
• 121 coaching and
• Committed personal action plans

… with clear measures of success to give you maximum ROI.

We have already helped others substantially increase sales, clients have included Vodafone, Computer Associates, Fujitsu Services, Wyeth, Syngenta, AcalBFi & Smiths Industries.   The CEO at Softcat, a leading UK IT Partner who said:

“In the last 25 years … this is the most successful training…Fantastic to see what client progress has been made in such a short time.”

Clare O’Shea the owner of Marlow Sales Academy has over 20 years in sales,  consultancy and training and has trained more than 10,000 people.  And we have set up Key Partnerships to offer more value to you.

So, come and talk to us …

We would like to help you transform your salesforce and improve your sales performance!

“He or she is such a good sales person they could sell ice to the Eskimos!”

This is a common sales myth.  No doubt you will have heard it – I have seen it  – on TV, in newspapers, by Business people and entrepreneurs … “He or she is such a good sales person they could sell ice to the Eskimos!”  Often people even say it as a compliment.

Well I think this is ridiculous … and I will explain why.

Let’s think about this intelligently, just for a moment.  I’m selling to the Eskimos. I go along to the Eskimos and I try and sell them some ice.  They already have a LOT of ice . So, the chance of selling to them is pretty small.  Let’s assume that I do manage to sell them some ice,  then the profit margin is probably going to be fairly small as they don’t really value the ice.

What is more interesting is when we think about what happens the following year when I need to sell more ice to the Eskimo.  I knock on his door again to sell his more ice   – and the Eskimo will not be very happy.  They will say hey I have enough ice!  You sold me loads last year and I still have loads left.

Surely if they were such a good salesperson they would have sold ice to people in a hot climate who might want ice!

You might be able to “persuade” the Eskimo to buy some ice but only if you use manipulative  tactics.  And these tactics definitely work – but how often do they work on the same person?  Yes that’s right  – Once!

Manipulative tactics only work ONCE on the same person. 

Because afterwards they realise they have bought something they don’t want or paid too much for.  They get “buyer’s remorse” –  they regret making the purchase.

Selling should be easy so let’s target those companies and those people who are most likely to want what we have.  Professional sales is not about forcing or persuading someone to buy.  It is about helping the customer to buy the right solution for them.

Stop selling ice to Eskimos!  Start targetting people who are most likely to want what you have.

Let Marlow Sales Academy help you to target the right companies, and the right people in those companies, who are more likely to want what you have.

I hope you found this useful.  Good Luck and I’m off for a coffee!

Here I share my “Power of 3×3” – top tips to help create a really successful Sales Development Programme.

Download the PDF

Firstly what is the definition of a successful sales development programme?  It must make a difference in the following ways:

• Produce tangible ROI in behaviours and result BUT ALSO
• Enable sustainable behaviour change

Which is about getting individuals motivated to try different ways of doing things, and continually improve.

Any development programme should of course be well defined with clear objectives and measures of success, uncovered during the Training Needs Analysis or Discovery phase. I am focusing today on the key components assuming those have been done.

When designing any sales development programme I remember the “Power of 3×3” and I have used this to set out my top tips.  Firstly, any programme breaks into 3 key areas:

1. BEFORE the Programme
2. DURING the Programme
3. AFTER the Programme

And each has 3 top tips hence the Power of 3 x 3!

BEFORE the programme the 3 top tips are:

1. Communicate the key objectives, the reasons for the programme and outline style and timescales to all attendees.
2. Involve their managers – the more the manager is on-board and is aware of the programme and its content the more likely the manager can help and support the changes required.  Consider a separate pre-module for the manager to help them understand and coach their people in the skills and techniques being covered.
3. Set up a Launch Module to set expectations and begin buy-in to the programme. And always open the Launch with Senior sponsorship – ideally from both the business and L&D team. This shows the level of commitment and support from the organization to help and support the learners on this programme

DURING the programme the 3 top tips are:

1. Regular and blended modules
   Ie shorter and regular sessions – typically from 1 hour to 1 day over 2 weeks to 6 months. Modular allows more time to reflect and to assimilate and then to apply the knowledge in their real job.
   “Blended” means a mixture of styles eg live (face to face or virtual) and non-live eg webinars, digital or e-learning modules using a mix of audio & visuals or video
2. Clear Call to Actions or Coursework
   after every single module. The course work must involve relevant sales activities that a salesperson has to do anyway.
   Eg developing an approach call, planning a customer meeting using the best practice or tools introduced in the module. The more relevant the course work the more likely it will be applied
   Not only do they need to have a call to action,  the actions need be followed up, reviewed and commented on or coached.   This can be done between modules or can be done at the beginning of each module.
   Build in the expectation that the course work will be regularly reviewed and shared and recognise any examples of application.
3. Enable Coaching & Self Coaching
   Coaching is absolutely essential by the manager, by an internal or external coach.  Coaching enables positive reinforcement of what they are doing well and encouragement to keep going in the right direction.  I always say to people try things at least three times in order to start it becoming a habit.
   In addition, encourage responsibility for learning & self coaching through a Personal Development Journal. This allows the learner to reflect on their experience. It also helps the learner to share this detail with their coach should they wish to.  The coaching and the personal development journal are trying to increase the learners awareness and they help to create the environment for them to succeed.

AFTER the Programme the top 3 tips are:

1. Continue to coach and encourage behaviour change.
2. Review & Refresh skills regularly.
3. Results or ROI Presentation to reinforce, internalise and celebrate learning.
   The most effective Results Presentations format is another 3×3!  The learner has 10 minutes to present:
   • 3 Key learnings Points – this is very personal to the learner and can be a tool, a mindset or a technique or whatever it is that stood out for them and why it’s important to them.
   • 3 Examples of application – Real evidence with real customers that they have actually applied a technique or a process or they have done something different. And they can then show the impact of that change.
   • 3 Future Actions – 3 things they are going to commit to do over the next few weeks or months. These can be techniques they have not yet had a chance to apply.

So always remember the Power of 3×3!

Before the programme THE 3 TIPS ARE:
1. Communicate – the programme to attendees
2. Involve managers
3. Launch Module

During the programme the 3 tips are
1. Regular, blended modules
2. Coursework
3. Coach & self coach

After the programme
1. Coach
2. Refresh Skills
3. Results Presentation

By following the Power of 3×3!, your sales development will enable a much quicker uptake of the skills and more importantly reinforce sustainable behaviour change.

Good luck in enabling your sales people to be more effective!

I hope you found this useful.  Good Luck and I’m off for a coffee!