How long does it take to improve sales performance?

Improve sales performance

By the time a business owner asks the question : ‘How long does it take to improve sales performance?’, what they really mean is: When will the headache go away?

The problem has grown big enough – or dragged on long enough – for them to feel the pain of a below-par sales performance. The implications are usually clear: not paying yourself enough this month, or worse, worrying about meeting payroll.

Read More

Falling out with an AI agent — and what it tells us about using AI in sales

AI in sales - AI hand holding a human hand

I’ve fallen out with an AI agent. How can that happen and what does it tell us about the risk of taking shortcuts when using AI in sales?

AI agents don’t have emotions.This means my “falling out” is a one way thing. If I go back to that same agent now it will treat me in the same even-handed, unemotional way it has done for the last four weeks.

This is probably a good thing.

Read More

Why your sales plan isn’t a sales plan (and how to write one that is)

scrabble blocks with the word planning on a pink and green background - sales plan

Most business leaders have a sales plan. Some are detailed forecasts. Others live “in my head”. And plenty are just targets dressed up as plans. This post sets out the six things that turn a growth number into a real sales plan, with side-by-side examples of the difference. Because the target is your destination. The plan is your route map.

Read More

Summers are getting longer. Your sales pipeline isn’t.

Long hot summer

With summer in full swing, sales pipelines are quietly grinding to a halt — and this piece makes the case for not letting it happen. Between record heat, the World Cup, and school holidays, there’s every temptation to coast until September. But with half the year already gone and December offering little relief, that leaves a very narrow window to hit revenue targets.

Read More

Why it’s so hard for business owners to diagnose sales problems

Most small business owners know something’s not working in their sales — they just can’t pinpoint what. When you’re deep in the day-to-day, it’s hard to see clearly. This guide walks through how to diagnose sales problems in your small business, why more activity rarely fixes them, and the simple diagnostic approaches that actually move the needle.

Read More

Time to Value: Why clients question the value you deliver. And how to fix it

You delivered great work. So why is your value still being questioned? For many B2B service businesses, this is where things start to unravel. The project lands, the work was delivered, and the client was satisfied. But a few months later, the relationship feels fragile. Procurement starts asking harder questions. A competitor appears with a…

Read More