Sales, impossible targets?
"Sales are going well but accounts keep telling me that its not enough"

Sales - How many times do we hear managers and staff complaining about impossible targets, not hitting targets, dreading the next sales meeting? All so often comments such as "sales are going well but accounts/my manager, keeps telling me that its not enough"?

We could go on with a number of scenarios, but lets start with a couple of questions; is it actually the sale that is the problem? Perhaps payment on outstanding invoices hasn't been tracked, did the sales person actually do the calculations and understand the profitability of the offer being made, is that information being supplied by accounts, is the price list configured correctly and so on and so on. If you are unsure about any of these issues or feel your sales team do not know the answers then give us a call for an informal chat to see how we can help.

We have been engaged by companies with in-excess of a million pound turnover where sales directors and or staff have increased sales by more than 20% in a year only to find the company situation declining not improving. Sound familiar? We think we can help, why not call to see how we might assist with putting in place systems or offer training that could mean the difference between decline or growth.
 

Sales from strategy to delivery.
Maximise your chance of achieving sales targets..

Now here is a title that will cause a number of smaller business to either panic or ignore, or perhaps, happily smile. In the main, larger corporations have very clear processes and the staff are more often than not highly trained to ensure maximum chance of achieving the companies targets.

How about your business? Do you have a clear strategy, regular meetings (organised and with a useful agenda), a weekly, monthly or annual target? is this clearly communicated throughout the company and not just the sales team? Do you know who your customers are? Are the correct sales tools in place? do you have the correct information; such as a clear structured price list? The list may seem endless but it is achievable. We at Harlequin do not believe that sales people are just born to the job but that it is a clear process that can be taught. We can take you through in small steps to help you get control.
 

From Start-Up to SME
We have the experience to help.

Thinking of starting a new business, or perhaps need a hand to grow? We are here to help.

Harlequin Creative Limited have extensive experience of working with businesses through their first years of trading and onwards to strong growth. We have helped new businesses identify and address the critical areas of activity that create early growth and make businesses sustainable.

Even the smallest business needs a marketing strategy and business plan. It need not be complex, but it needs to be defined and adhered to; changes only made when they are clear and planned for a direct outcome. Let Harlequin Creative Limited help you evaluate your marketing options to identify the most cost effective route, and define your strategy as a series of steps that you can take as your business develops.

Be it Sales, Marketing or a combination of both we can all do with the ocassional refresher course or perhaps core training. There are many major companies offering training but we offer specialised training matched to specific needs particularly for the technology and high value technical equipment industries.

A key area for sales representatives is the ability to present information and product effectively, at a level that engages and informs the audience. This is absolutley critical, and we are not talking about Powerpoint or necessarily any other software solution, but the core of how to put together the information succinctly and in a way that leaves a positive experience such that the audience believes that the product or service will solve a problem and is being supplied by a professional organisation they can trust; and of course, not forgetting the assertion that the product has real value to the organisation.

Training sessions can be tailored to your requirements from a minimum of one day to extended training and evaluation, from one to one sessions to a maximum group size of eight to ten staff. We often find a mix of the technical, service and sales groups is very enlightening for all groups, as the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into development of the "small piece of software or hardware" can be an eye opener to the sales representative that tries giving away the software to close the deal! Obviously the converse of the pain of the sale and closure will also be clearer and support is then given with an understanding of the complexity of selling.