What’s Wrong With Six Sigma?
By Michael J. WebbSales Performance Consultants, Inc.February 2005 At a conference not long ago a speaker (who happened to be a friend) raised objections to applying Six Sigma in sales and marketing. The objections were oddly tangled, with some based on legitimate concerns and others based on misunderstanding. This article examines these concerns and misunderstandings […]
Why Your Sales Process Cost Matters, and What You Need to Know to Get it Right
By Michael J. Webb (pdf of this article) One of the most important management systems for the senior executive is the one that measures the costs of production. Executives must know not just the total cost of production, but also the cost of the stages of their production. Sales and marketing organizations need this every […]
What Is Operational Excellence in Sales and Marketing?
by Michael J. Webb (with Robert Ferguson) (pdf of this article) A reader from Microsoft recently asked me an interesting question: “What are the key parameters which define Operational Excellence in a sales and marketing organization?” I like the question, because Operational Excellence isn’t just a slogan or a matter of opinion. It is a […]
OK, Salespeople Can’t Find Enough Prospects. Now What?
The economic sea change we have all been going through makes companies pay attention to their sales process.
One company president I spoke with yesterday said his revenue shrank 25% in December (compared with the same month last year). Companies affected by the financial crisis (like housing, oil, or automotive) are trying to survive. They are worried whether their customers even have enough money to pay for things any longer.
Hopefully, your business can find enough customers to stay alive. Will your marketers find them? Can your salespeople find them? Will they be found fast enough?
OK, Salespeople Can’t Find Enough Prospects. Now What?
The economic sea change we have all been going through makes companies pay attention to their sales process.
One company president I spoke with yesterday said his revenue shrank 25% in December (compared with the same month last year). Companies affected by the financial crisis (like housing, oil, or automotive) are trying to survive. They are worried whether their customers even have enough money to pay for things any longer.
Hopefully, your business can find enough customers to stay alive. Will your marketers find them? Can your salespeople find them? Will they be found fast enough?
What Value Does Your Sales Process Create?
[i4w_actionset tagid=’1517′ autorun=1] By Michael J. Webb (pdf of this article) Most sales executives are challenged to produce better results these days. Jill Stillman, a sales executive I worked with a few months ago, seemed particularly frustrated. “There are only 100 firms in the country large enough to buy our services. I know them all. […]
Can Your Marketing and Selling Process Be Improved?
By Michael J. Webb, Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. Originally published in Marketing Times Spring 2005 (pdf of this article) Process improvement has revolutionized manufacturing over the past two decades, but is only now coming to sales and marketing. Yet it is coming, and it s something every marketing and sales executive should know about and […]
Book Review: "Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way" by Michael J. Webb with Tom Gorman
This book demonstrates that aligning your selling activities with the customer‘s buying activities wins more business, and lets you measure and analyze why.
Nurturing – The Secret to Doubling Your Sales Conversion Rate
Companies waste millions in their lead generation campaigns by assuming the goal is generating today’s prospects. They should nurture future prospects too.
Need to Improve Salespeople’s Behaviors? Don’t Bother with Sales Training or CRM Until You Face the Facts
Why traditional fixes work so poorly in sales and marketing, and what you can do to improve results now.
