Continuous Sales Improvement

What’s the secret to succeeding at sales? In Continuous Sales Improvement, master sales trainer Eric Lofholm reveals the simple but powerful strategy he’s taught to tens of thousands of students that anyone can use to improve their sales performance. Eric’s message is that those who are not good at sales can become good, and those who are already good can become great simply by making small, continuous improvements in four key areas: self-improvement, sales skills, product and service knowledge, and technology. He gives readers a game plan for making improvements in each of these areas and provides hundreds of detailed strategies, practical exercises, and actionable instructions to use immediately to begin improving sales results. Each chapter includes a convenient at-a-glance summary, and there’s a quick-review guide so that readers can easily use Continuous Sales Improvement as an ongoing reference. Continuous Sales Improvement includes case studies from legendary figures in the history of sales, plus interviews with some of today’s top performers. It also includes tips for selling in specific industries, including real estate, insurance, financial services, and network marketing. Those who are a salesperson, a sales trainer, or just a business owner who wants better sales results, Continuous Sales Improvement is a must-have.

Make the most of sales and marketing Those who have direct responsibility for sales and marketing organizations, as well as those who want more knowledge about the best practices in these critical areas, will gain new and important insights from Dan Stowell's book. -- Bernard F. Sergesketter, vice president (retired), AT&T Forget the old-school approach to Sales and Marketing. These six winning practices put those departments back on par with the rest of the modern business world, and opens the door to higher profits. Based on studies in more than sixty companies -- many of them winners of the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award -- this resource spotlights six reliable, results-generating improvement techniques, and shows how to deploy them successfully in the sales and marketing departments of any organization. The author describes each winning practice in detail, explains how each applies to sales and marketing, and provides illuminating examples of how Texas Instruments, Federal Express, Xerox and many other equally successful but less well known companies have applied the six practices in their organizations. Includes practical guidance for avoiding common pitfalls, along with an action plan for implementation.

The goal of this book is to demonstrate to manufacturing, distributor, and service businesses that there are only seven critical business elements from which continuous improvement projects can be discovered, financially evaluated, and ranked before implementation. They are: Increase sales by increasing the percent of market coverage. Reduce expenses by reducing the percent of labor and non-labor expenses per sales dollar. Reduce lead times to reduce work-in-process inventory investment. Reduce setup costs to minimize product and component inventory investment. Maximize capital asset utilization percent. Minimize asset investment for invoice payment by controlling the collection period within the contracted time period. Maximize employee knowledge worker utilization by empowering them with financial and practical training related to these seven business elements. The information is uniquely organized so it can serve as a frequent reminder for both the experienced and inexperienced of the few principles and financially-based formulas that must be built into company culture if both customers and stockholders are to be satisfied. Project teams are shown how to discover and financially evaluate and rank a vast number of continuous improvement projects.

Forewords by Mikel J. Harry, Ph.D. and Dr. K.K. Nohria Continuous permanent improvement (CPI) is not a new ism. The purpose of this book is not to expound any new theory or tools, but to share experiences in implementing existing methods with a bias toward business results. In fact, one of the important lessons we have learned is that most existing models or methods, if adhered to in the right spirit, will give results. This book is a distillation of experiences and lessons learned from successes and mistakes in nearly three decades of experience, mostly working with business processes, systematic thinking, customer focus, quality, and performance measurements—in a variety of companies and industries as diverse as financial services, telecom, manufacturing, conglomerate, and management consulting. Not being about any specific companies or industries, the contents of this book can be applied in any industry—service or manufacturing or government or education or nonprofit. The target audience of this book is business, functional, and quality leaders. Business schools and students may also use it as a text or reference book for courses on business excellence or quality. It is intended to share the experience and results of organizations that have derived substantial and sustained business results by focusing on continuous permanent improvement. Its aim is to strengthen the belief of the reader in the strategic importance of CPI, because the stronger your belief, the bigger and more sustained will be your results. The book also covers challenges related to mind-sets and other change management aspects that leaders typically will need to grapple with. Some of the very effective improvement methods and tools are explained in simple language with real examples, with senior business leaders in mind.

“Sales Marathon” is a comprehensive guide for anyone who wants to improve their sales skills. With practical strategies for building rapport, understanding customer needs, and using psychology to make deals, this book is a must-read for sales professionals of all levels. Whether you are an experienced salesperson or just starting out, the Sales Marathon will help you increase conversions and achieve success in your sales career.

On November 29-30, 2018, in Washington, D.C., the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held the Workshop on the Continuous Improvement of NASA's Innovation Ecosystem. The workshop was requested by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of the Chief Technologist with the goal of identifying actionable and implementable initiatives that could build on NASA's current innovation culture to reach a future state that will ensure the agency's continued success in the evolving aerospace environment. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Welcome to the comprehensive B2B sales guide titled "Stop Selling Stuff and Start Selling Business Outcomes." In today's competitive business landscape, simply selling products or services is no longer enough to meet customer demands and drive success. B2B buyers are increasingly focused on achieving specific business outcomes and measurable results. This guide is designed to help B2B sales professionals make a shift in their approach by placing a strong emphasis on delivering tangible business outcomes to customers. Instead of merely selling features and functionalities, the guide will provide you with the strategies, tips, and recommendations to understand, align, and communicate the value of your offerings in terms of the outcomes they can enable for your customers. Throughout this comprehensive guide, we will explore a wide range of topics and chapters, delving into the various aspects of business outcome selling. We will start by understanding the principles and benefits of adopting this approach and how it compares to traditional product-based selling. From there, we will dive into identifying your target market, conducting market research, and segmenting your audience based on desired outcomes. You will learn how to gather valuable information about your prospects' industries, competitors, and challenges using online resources, social media, and industry reports. We will also explore the significance of leveraging existing customer relationships to gain insights and refine your approach. As we move forward, we will discuss the art of building relationships and trust, developing consultative sales approaches, and building rapport with prospects. We will delve into mapping business outcomes to customer needs, customizing your sales pitch, and crafting compelling value propositions that resonate with your prospects. Furthermore, we will explore strategies to overcome objections, address risks, and negotiate for successful outcomes. You will gain insights into building business cases, managing stakeholder buy-in, and presenting business outcomes effectively to secure buy-in from decision-makers. Throughout the guide, we will emphasize the importance of nurturing long-term customer relationships, incorporating customer testimonials and case studies, and continuously improving your sales approach based on customer feedback and market dynamics. We will discuss the significance of leveraging technology, data, and analytics to gain insights, streamline processes, and adapt to evolving customer needs. In addition, we will explore the importance of managing change, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and building strategic partnerships to enhance your business outcome selling efforts. We will provide recommendations for staying ahead in an ever-changing landscape and share insights into the future of B2B sales. Whether you are a seasoned sales professional or new to the field, this guide aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to transform your sales approach and achieve success by focusing on delivering tangible business outcomes. The strategies, tips, and recommendations provided in this guide are based on industry best practices and real-life experiences, enabling you to adapt and apply them to your specific industry and target market. So, let's embark on this journey together and learn how to stop selling stuff and start selling business outcomes. By embracing this approach, you can differentiate yourself in the market, build stronger customer relationships, and drive meaningful results for your customers and your business.

In a fast-moving era of increased international competition, frontier markets must devise innovative ways to meet demanding sales targets and maintain profitability. These efforts will only succeed when local businesses abandon the concept of sales as a checklist of persuasive arguments that lead a customer to make a purchase and accept that building enduring customer relationships is the key to achieving sales goals. To understand what it means to sell successfully, sales representatives must develop a solid foundation in selling skills and an understanding of the critical elements needed to achieve sales goals. By delving into the foundational concepts related to leveraging sales as a tool for organisational profit, the authors give readers important insights into the critical elements of the sales process, including consultative selling, sales force management, qualities of effective leadership in sales, and the use of technological tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems. This book includes insightful contributions from leading sales and marketing practitioners across the continent of Africa on characteristics of successful salespeople and how to recruit them, the crucial role of sales leadership, sales team training methods and strategies for developing customer relationship management programs. Case studies tie theory to practice and short quizzes help readers test their understanding of the material. Written in an accessible and reader-friendly format, this book is primarily aimed at undergraduate students with a secondary audience comprised of postgraduate students and business practitioners. ENDORSEMENTS: "Successful corporate marketing strategies are formulated around the delivery of value to consumers while maintaining a competitive advantage. Sales Management: A Primer for Emerging Markets offers innovative ways to locate, nurture, and develop long-term win-win relationships with key stakeholders. Readers will be rewarded with achievable concepts that will lay the foundation for developing a pattern of profitable sales. Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students as a well-crafted textbook drawing on real-world experience, for academicians as a reliable teaching tool, and for practitioners in the world of business seeking tested guidelines for marketing success." ~ Amon Chizema, Professor of Corporate Governance & Strategy; Birmingham Business School; University of Birmingham, UK "Sales Management: A Primer for Frontier Markets is a “must read” for future and current managers seeking innovative strategies for ensuring long-term repeat business with customers and consumers while maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Discussions on consultative selling, the role of ethics in sales, and the stages of the personal selling process have been specifically detailed and grounded in peer-reviewed case-study findings. A highly recommended read for undergraduate and graduate students, academicians, and business managers pursuing up-to-date insights into selling, customer service, marketing management, small business management, and retailing." ~ Patrick Awotwi, Commercial Director; The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana and Author of “Consider it Sold: A Seller’s Point of View”