Aligning Your Buying and Sales Processes for Success

Traditionally, sales processes have been structured around internal goals, with stages focused on qualifying leads, pitching products, and closing deals. However, this approach can be difficult for the customer. If a salesperson offers a complex solution to a prospect who is still unclear about their specific needs there can be a disconnect between buyer and […]

Why a staged approach to business development benefits your business

One of the big truisms of business is the need to have a strong marketing and sales strategy. But for many SMEs, the resources and expertise required to develop and execute such a strategy can be out of reach, at least at early stages of their growth. This is where a staged approach to business […]

Sales enablement – what does it actually mean?

Sales enablement is about equipping your sales team with the right resources and skills to successfully engage with buyers and close deals. It is a strategic and ongoing process that aims to remove obstacles hindering your sales team’s success. It’s about providing them with the right tools, knowledge, and support to confidently and effectively engage […]

What makes a business development plan strategic?

We have applied the teachings of military theorists to business since the time of Sun Tzu. When thinking about our business development plans one of the most useful quotes comes from Heinrich von Bülow, ‘Strategy is the science of military movements outside the enemy’s range of view, tactics within it’. So, in business, Tactics are […]

Your planning needs support to be truly effective

Recently I have been supporting a small business who sent me a lovely testimonial about our time together. “You gave us a safe space to take a step back and reflect on our business, the customers we have and identifying who our ideal customers are. As a small business which has seen rapid growth, we’ve […]

The buying journey can be a twisty road

When planning our marketing strategy, we should always stop and look at the process from the potential customer’s point of view. The way customers experience the buying journey has evolved significantly away from being simply a linear progress to decision making. It has become a dynamic process covering different touchpoints and channels. Understanding and catering […]

Getting started with business development activity

In our last blog we talked about getting the temperature of your business development right, so that your activity is appropriate to the stage of evolution your business is at now. Whether you’re a startup, or a seasoned entrepreneur, mastering the art of business development is a critical part of achieving your goals. But where […]

Take your business development temperature

We’ve asked the question, “what sort of lead generation do you need” around different market sectors and targets, but how do you get started on your business development journey at an early stage of your business?  The temperature you apply to your lead generation is related to the budget and resources you have available, as […]