Author: Sienna Anderson

3 Simple but Overlooked Tactics to Generate More Business

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

It’s not unusual for Business Leaders and Managers to review their successes and failures, shortcomings and opportunities at the end of the financial and calendar years as even if an organisation is performing well, there is usually an opportunity to get better.

With the speed of change in business today, in many organisations the new financial and calendar years drives new technological advancements and new strategies to improve results on the previous year.

However even though this might be the time to contemplate how you can execute new initiatives to develop your business, stay in front of your rivals, and expand your client base, don’t lose sight of the 3 current marketing strategies that many organisations just aren’t maintaining consistently and effectively.

For you to take your business further, consider these 3 marketing strategies this year to help you convert more potential clients and increase sales and profits.

Quantify Marketing Results and ROI

The huge mistake that most companies made in 2013/14 is failure to quantify their marketing results. For you to have a better marketing strategy, you will need to track your marketing efforts to know how you are performing at the moment.

Setting up a page on a social media site like Facebook is a good start however you must analyze the data based on likes, shares and comments. This will enable you to know what to do or not to do and how to capitalize what your client’s opinions and feedback

Social media sites open the door to customer feedback which must be constantly reviewed.

Compliments should be accepted and leveraged while complaints must be addressed (professionally) and considered as a ‘gift’

As a client found recently when we reviewed their social media site, the online customer feedback was scathing however the client had no idea as they weren’t monitoring their site!

Feed the Animal

Having created your website to help market your products or services is just not enough.

These days technology has grown immensely and it is the primary source of information for people looking to buy products and services, however it is crucial that you don’t have a ‘set and forget’ website

A decently designed site with important data like what you do, what you sell, who you are, and who you do business with is only as good as the quality and quantity of new information you load up on to your site.

Your online and digital marketing strategy should include uploading regular blogs, articles, videos, testimonials, downloads, images etc, the list goes on

By regularly ‘feeding the animal’ Google sees your site as being active and therefore ranks you higher than your competitors more static website

And if your excuse is you don’t have time, just ask each of your employees to write an article or blog, then post the best ones onto your website

Mobile Management

Smart businesses have realised that employees and customers are not office bound any more.

They are now able to work in places outside their offices and at varying times of the day and night.

A suitable strategy should encompass this evolving reality, permitting employees and customers to get information at any particular time they require so as maintaining competition at the market.

Amazingly we spoke with one organisation recently who wouldn’t give prospective customers access to any pages on their website until they had completed a form to gain a login!

And they couldn’t understand why no-one was reading the content, never mind generating leads

There are many lessons to be learnt from last year but one of the most important ones is that customers are looking to engage with suppliers more than ever before so if you don’t keep up to date with ‘how’ they are looking for you and ‘what’ they are looking for, you are giving your competition a free kick

If your business is are not making the sales and profits you need, bring in the specialists in Strategic Marketing and Australian Sales Training from the KONA Group and provide your business with the expertise and tools to turn your results round

Go to https://kona.com.au/Hearts-and-Minds-Sales-Training or https://kona.com.au/Marketing-Strategy  Or call 1300 611 288, or email Glenn@KONA.com.au

Are ‘Oxygen Thieves’ Killing your Business Performance?

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Coffee break ended ten minutes ago – and they’re still stirring their spoons and gossiping.

You walk past their desk and they spring to life, typing, filing, pushing paper and looking like they are under the pump. But turn the corner and they’re back flicking through Facebook or on their personal phones.

Oxygen thieves, deadwood, time wasters. Whichever definition you prefer, just about every workplace has them: time wasting, aimless, directionless employees who suck up valuable time, money and resources, and produce very little value in return.

But whether you’re driving a project or just taking care of everyday business, as the leader and decision maker, the buck stops with you.

It’s Time to Make Some Changes

Change Your Working Culture

Some workplace cultures are relaxed, yet focused, while others can be hard driving and competitive.

But while you’re negotiating the next deal, or perhaps focusing on other areas of the business from behind your desk, oxygen thieves slip under the radar, taking advantage of blind spots – your work culture may be so relaxed that they put their feet up too much or so hard that you drive them out.

First Consider Your Role as the Leader.

Before you look too hard at the team, let’s first consider your role as the leader.

  • Are your expectations for workplace duties clearly communicated?
  • Are benchmarks for sales targets enforced and defined by you and other team members?
  • Do you have the skills and experience to adequately coach your team?

To be blunt, oxygen thieves get away with it because we let them. So stop them in their tracks by making sure your workplace holds everyone accountable.

Performance Management

One of the best ways to improve your workplace culture is to introduce a performance management program.

In some cases, the term ‘performance management’ comes with a negative connotation, however it does not need to be like this. Evaluate your employees on their workplace performance, showing where they are doing well and where they need to improve.

Jack Welch, the famously gruff leader of General Electric, used annual performance reviews to rank his workforce and then sack the bottom 10%! (Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-33984961). It was controversial, it was harsh, but it got results.

Coach Your Team

All great business leaders have had at least one good coach or mentor to help them develop to their full potential. Unfortunately, in this day of ‘lean organisations’ and hectic schedules, many professionals cannot get the level of coaching and mentoring they need to meet their own developmental goals.

Research has proven that coaching develops the capability and skills your people must possess in order to be successful in their role and critical to future business success.

It is all well and good to implement performance management, however ongoing team coaching is prudent to ensure that team morale and motivation remains high and the implementation of training outcomes are consistent for full productivity.

Constant Feedback

These days, leading technology companies like Amazon, Adobe and Google evaluate and rank their teams regularly (rather than just annually), ensuring that feedback and progress on employee’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is constantly provided.

Employees have a real time picture of how they are doing and what can be done to improve things before the issue escalates.

This process ensures that underperformers have nowhere to hide. They can’t sit back, relax and wait for the annual review to jump up and actually start doing their job.

Next Steps

It’s tempting to give underperforming employees a swift kick up the bum or a push right out the door, but if the core of the problem is not identified and fixed, then the issue will continue. With the right kind of performance management and coaching, they can become an employee who you’ll trust to deliver for the business.

KONA Group offers customised executive and leadership coaching programs that have proven successful for several Australian and New Zealand companies.

Call KONA Group on 1300 611 288 or email info@kona.com.au for more information and to discuss customised training and coaching programs suitable for your organisation.

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Board or Leadership Alignment Session

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
Are your Board of Directors Aligned? Is there Conflict or Misunderstanding? Are your Senior Managers pulling in the same direction? HERE ARE SOME INDICATORS THAT A BOARD OR LEADERSHIP TEAM WILL BENEFIT FROM AN ALIGNMENT SESSION: When a board has refreshed and/or augmented with one or more new members there is a need to proactively ensure that everyone is in alignment on critical issues, strategy, strategic priorities and/or challenges that aren’t being resolved and/or can’t be fully addressed during regularly scheduled board meetings. When there is a feeling of “us versus them” limiting the effectiveness of the leaders and/or the CEO/Executive Director. When there is a division between directors who are in support of the CEO/Executive Director and others who are not– some believing the leader is effective while others don’t. When a new leader or decision maker is new and selected people resist leadership from an “outsider,” allowing their decisions to be biased in favour of past norms rather than considering current and future strategic direction. When the leaders have not adopted a clear set of decision-making processes, has not been consistent with its oversight role and/or has not been engaged in ensuring that all key stake holders are addressing their top priorities. When the board has a new member who has not been elected through proper succession planning. When the board is divided about strategy, strategic priorities, the leadership of the organisation or about any event that had negative ramifications for the organisation internally or externally in the past year. When the board needs an objective and trusted third party to get realigned because internal preconceived judgments and expectations are impeding a fresh perspective. The situations in which a board might pursue having an alignment session are not limited to the circumstances listed above, and having an alignment session is not an indicator that a board is dysfunctional! Boards should strive to be healthy. The importance of good board dynamics and good governance can’t be underestimated and require vigilance. The ultimate goal of a board alignment session is to inspire and enlist all directors to work together for the ultimate success of the organization they all serve. In every session that we have led, participants consistently agree that they have gained clarity about more than they could have envisioned and they all wish they had held a session sooner. If you’d like to discuss your situation  in more detail, please call us today for a confidential no obligation consultation. 1300 833 574 info@hbbausgroup.com.au www.hbbausgroup.com.au

W.I.I.F.T. – What’s in it for them: Putting Consumers’ Shoe into New Perspective

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Every salesperson is aware of the “What’s in it for me” (W.I.I.F.M) as something that can benefit their company by focusing on the How, Why, and What they are selling, which matters to prospective clients they are trying to close a deal with.

Today, most salespeople are introduced to shifting with What’s in it for them (W.I.I.F.T).

W.I.I.F.T takes a massive shift for marketers who are now exposed to the different behaviours and seasonal needs of their consumers. It is more prominent in the market that most consumers are focusing on how businesses are keeping up their expertise with emotional intelligence, and shifting to WIIFT is one of the ways of helping startup businesses that are looking for potential target customers.

In this infographic, we will discuss the different areas where you can integrate W.I.I.F.T to your consumers.

But first, let us look into identifying consumer needs that today’s companies should consider.

Ways on how to quickly hit your fiscal year sales numbers.
KONA Infographic on W.I.I.F.T.
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Value-Based Selling: 7 Ways to Sell Value this 2019 – Infographic

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
Value-based selling is the process of reinforcing to the mind of the customers the particular “value” that your product, service, or business delivers.  Understanding this selling method can increase the likelihood of closing a sales transaction as well as build a positive image into your target market’s mind. Most companies today are focusing their value on developing their sales opportunity out in the modern market. The market today is no doubt intimidating in terms of standing out in the sea of the different successful brand; that is why most companies today are emphasizing their unique in value and not sticking with the status quo. In this infographic, we will discuss the different ways on how you can improve your value-based selling this 2019. But first, let us consider the four phases of successful selling in today’s market: value based selling 7 ways to sell value this 2019

The World Looks Better When Your Team’s Conversion Rate Is Good

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

They say that all men are born equal, but what about salespeople?

Some salespeople excel more than others, and one of the criteria that influence the well-being of their careers is: success.

Salespeople are exposed to an industry of companies wherein conversion with success and what does not work exists.

A poor conversion rate of one or two salespeople in a team can be lived with if the rest are pulling their weight. The problem is however, when all or most members are struggling to convert leads or hit a target.

It was precisely for this issue a client recently approached us, as their sales team was generating enough leads— but not enough new customers.

What happens when this is the issue?

It would be a mistake to think that falling sales is the only outcome of such a situation. No doubt, the bottom line will suffer when the majority is missing their target, but it may not be the only problem. Here are some of the issues that salespeople experience during conversion:

  • Low Self Esteem – A sales person’s worth is governed by the sales they generate. If their contribution to the company’s total business is below par, their self-esteem is bound to decrease, which often, drags down their performance further. This then becomes a vicious circle.
  • Lack of Team Cohesion – The outcome of only a few sales people meeting their targets is the business becomes too dependent on them. High performing salespeople, then, start feeling that they are doing their work, as well as what others should be doing. The team eventually but inevitably becomes divided—those who meet the target and those who don’t—with each group resenting the other.

Such an atmosphere hinders successful implementation of corrective measures, so should be dealt with quickly and firmly. If your managers are not equipped to handle this, bring in the experts or ask your managers to undergo relevant sales management training and coaching

  • High Attrition Rate – When the team becomes divided, the manager often gets stricter and more demanding with salespeople missing their targets. Too many managers often tell their salespeople to improve their sales skills and, by extension, their sales conversion rates yet, such attempts do not yield significant results because of lack of sales training and coaching expertise of the manager. This, in turn, can lead to a further drop in morale resulting, in the present economy, in people resigning and going elsewhere.

How to solve the issue?

Salespeople are made, not born, and the skills of the trade are learned in classroom training then perfected in the field through coaching. Learning new or polishing existent skills will act as a remedy to the problem, and customised sales training courses to give your sales people an opportunity to grow in perspective and sales.

If your salespeople are missing the target or have a low conversion rate, seek the help of a sales training expert. Contact KONA Customised Training and Consulting today to learn more about the different services that can help your company acquire more sales.

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The 4 Most Impactful Sales Enablement Trends for 2019

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
The modern age is now adding a new flavour in the business industry. Considering how the new generation of consumers is reshaping the way companies promote their business, products, and services, acquiring sales seem to be in a clearer perspective this 2019, especially for sales enablement leaders. As heads of a growing function, sales enablement leaders are learning more about how to succeed in their roles with each passing year. Sales organisations have come to appreciate the value that sales enablement solutions can offer, particularly in shortening the length of the sales cycle and increasing pipeline opportunities. In this article, we will discuss the most impactful sales enablement techniques that you should utilise in your business. To start with, here are the four sales enablement trends that you should watch out for this 2019:

1. Sales Coaching and Learning

Gone were the days when salespeople gain all the knowledge and techniques they have to use on the field. Today, most companies are giving time and effort in nurturing their sales team before deploying them on the field. In 2019, most companies will further demand and expect deeper integration of learning and coaching tools into their existing sales enablement platforms. Doing so will help these companies avoid increased turnover, slower ramp time, and fewer sales. Sales coaching is now the common ground of most sales representatives since this enables them to move fluidly in the market.

2. Customer Relationship Management

CRM is the single greatest spend on your sales stack. If your enablement strategy isn’t anchored to it, then you need to rethink your CRM. To fully apply effective CRM, you should weaponise your core sales management with its essential requirements. Start from prompting necessary information on a prospect to connecting with prospects via social media platforms.

3. Generation Z

While Millennials is still a driving force that marketers and salespeople must focus on, there is a new generation emerging that both marketers and salespeople need to be aware of as well: Generation Z. This generation is entirely different from previous generations, at least in some aspects. For example, they were born with access to incredible technology and grew up using social media, smartphones, online shopping and all kinds of other techniques daily. They also care a lot about global issues and their impact on the world, particularly when it comes to environmental issues.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make a significant effect on sales teams, which is why it should be on your list of sales enablement. The time savings are inarguable, but the rise of AI has other effects as well. AI increases the value of human skills that can’t be replicated by traditional sale management tools. In 2019, expect that AI-powered roleplay tools will analyse facial expressions to provide insight into the real emotional responses of an audience. Contact us if you are interested to know more about how our Sales Training program can help your sales department create a meaningful sales enablement for your business today.  

Sales Trends That You Need to Know About In 2019 — Infographic

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
Another year has come to an end, and this is the perfect time for companies to reflect between their achieved goals and failed attempts to increase sales. With the influence of modern technology in the world of sales, various tools, platforms, and strategies have evolved and became more accessible to businesses and sales teams across different industries. For 2019, what will be the sales trends that salespeople should watch out for? In this infographic, we will discuss notable trends that are either new or developed techniques inside the sales industry. Fasten up your seatbelts because here are the sales trend that you need to know in 2019: Sales Trends That You Need to Know About In 2019 - Infographic

Preparing New Sales Reps for Success: The Importance of Training After Coaching

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Sales representatives are the people who have a significant influence on how the prospects will respond to each campaign you initiate, and more importantly, how your sales will perform in the long run.  

To ensure optimal results, your sales team must possess a number of skills, especially in the area of communication and relationship building. The best salespeople aren’t always the slickest talkers — they’re the most effective listeners.

Instead of doing all the talk and trying to stay one step ahead, an effective salesperson carefully listens to the client’s needs. As for your sales representatives, it also takes time of quality training for them to hone and utilise their skills efficiently.

In this article, we will discuss the importance and benefits of sales training after coaching that is very relevant for startup businesses and small businesses this 2019. Moreover, since 2019 seems to be a fast-growing year for different companies, here are the critical importance of coaching and sales training that you should consider:

Sales Training Supports Coaching 

Coaching and training go hand-in-hand, as training provides employees with the knowledge and techniques to develop their skills, while coaching helps instil these skills by assisting employees to apply them at work appropriately. By providing annual training for skills improvement, and then evaluating how well your sales team used what they’ve learned, you will be able to identify more effective ways to sustain productive training for your company.

Creates an Interactive Environment for Learning 

Once a preliminary training program is underway, push the agenda onward and upward. Begin by providing ongoing educational opportunities that keep your entire staff up to date on changing protocols, regulations and technologies. When employees are consistently offered opportunities to acclimate, grow and lead, they’re more satisfied with their work and committed to the organisation.

Boost Productivity

By helping your sales representatives to work smarter, they can better understand and balance their time during working hours. This also means that they are less likely to suffer from too much stress because they are more able to approach each task more strategically, thus providing them more time which they can spend on other self-enriching activities.

Improves Emotional Intelligence 

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capability of individuals to recognise their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately. Guiding your sales reps with how they should balance their emotional understanding in times of crisis will shape them to be cooperative in solving a problem, rather than being incapable of coming up with certain sales issues.

It Helps Bring in New Clients and Appease Current Ones 

When combined with a rigorous training program, sales coaching has the added benefit of inspiring and motivating sales representatives to feel more comfortable about taking risks which can lead to big deals and clients. Great coaching can also improve your customer service which can, in turn, appease your clients and raise awareness about your business through word-of-mouth.

If you are looking for a professional sales training company that can help you prepare your sales representatives, contact KONA Customised Training and Consulting today to learn more about our different services that can help your company.

Ways on How to Quickly Hit Your Fiscal Year Sales Number – Infographic

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Every business has a fiscal year. A company’s fiscal year is its financial year; it is any twelve-month period that the company uses for accounting purposes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says a fiscal year is “12 consecutive months ending on the last day of any month except December 31st.” The IRS distinguishes “fiscal year” from “tax year,” stating that a tax year can be either fiscal year or the calendar year.

It is no doubt that the end of a fiscal year is considered one of the toughest times for any sales organisation. Whether you’re planning for next year or selling to meet end-of-year numbers, the crucial part of your sales assessment is with surviving your last month’s designated fiscal year goal. However, today, you can conquer this sales dilemma in your business. In this infographic, we will discuss different ways on how you can maneuver your sales number into a successful fiscal year, and not worry with your year-end results from your sales.

Ways on How to Quickly Hit Your Fiscal Year Sales Number - Infographic