1. Communicate 
A Sales Manager needs to communicate with every area of the business. You might need to meet with Directors or department heads regularly so you know what impact sales will have on the entire business. It is particularly important to communicate with the Marketing team, you can advise them what your team is focusing on and what you need them to focus on, a joined-up strategy with work best for the business. Keep your sales team in the loop as much as you can, the more you can tell them, the more they will trust you and the more they can do. 

Momentum in the retail industry has continued to rise since last year, but the British weather continues to dampen sales. Can a new approach offer retail a way forward?

The Office for National Statistics has released a report showing that March 2013 was the second coldest on record. Feedback from department stores, clothing stores and household goods stores highlighted the notion that the cold snap had a negative effect on sales in the non-food sector.

However, Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, the financial data provider, has said that the economy had regained some of its momentum in 2013, adding “The upward trend in sales has followed a steady improvement in consumer confidence since late last year.”

The latest trend in retail sales is to offer customers a service across different retail channels such as shops, the internet and mobile apps. A move towards internet and mobile retails channels would certainly avoid the weather issue.

This “Multichannel” retailing is beginning to appear at the core of many sales strategies, offering customers a more rounded experience. But with multichannel retailing dictated more by the customer, than processes, how much can Sales Managers effectively forecast and plan?

Do manage retail sales? What are your biggest challenges?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

All sales roles differ slightly, but there are some aspects of those found within the FMCG sector which are likely to be relatively similar. If you are considering a career within FMCG sales, here’s a brief guide to what you can expect.

Competition
The FMCG industry is currently one of the most popular destinations for those looking to build a career in sales, partly due to the fact that it is a sector which performed comparatively well throughout the recession. Therefore, you’ll need to be driven and thrive on the competition if you want to make it to the top. You’ll need to be self-motivated and have a good commercial awareness of FMCG brands.

A Fast Pace
By its very nature, FMCG is a fast-paced industry, and this is reflected within the majority of sales teams. However, individuals who can keep on top of industry changes and contribute to a brand increasing their revenue or market share are likely to progress quickly in their sales career. Depending on the brands who you are working with, the FMCG sector can offer the opportunity to experience being part of a local, global or national sales team.

Originality
Working within an FMCG sales role can require thinking out of the box. This is often the place where innovative sales strategies are developed and creativity can be the key to success. You should have a passion for the industry as a whole, as well as for developing you sales skills, and be determined to stand out from the crowd.

What skills could you bring to an FMCG sales role?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

Behind the best sales teams there is often a great sales leader. However, if you wish to stay ahead of your competitors, then it is worth reviewing your leadership strategy on a regular basis and working to improve your sales leadership skills. Here are just a few tips on how to be a better leader to your sales team and ensure continuing sales success:

Play to Your Strengths
It is more than likely that not everyone in your team will approach sales in exactly the same way. Some sales leaders see it as their responsibility to ensure that team members conform to a particular sales strategy, yet it can also be worth considering how your team might play to their individual strengths. Getting to know members of your team and understanding how they work best can be key in ensuring that your team are as effective as possible.

Inspire Your Team
Sales targets are far from the only way of making sure that your sales team remain motivated. Those working in sales leadership should not only understand how to motivate a team, but also how to inspire them. Share your vision as well as your personal sales tips, techniques and experiences if you really want to get your entire team on board.

Delegate and Filter
As a sales leader, you will be bridging the gap between salespeople and sales managers. As such, it is important to recognise how much information needs to be relayed between teams, and what should be given priority. In any leadership role, being able to delegate effectively is also essential, and it is worth evaluating how well you do this on a regular basis.

Innovate
Sales methods and strategies are constantly evolving and, as a sales leader, you will need to make sure that you stay ahead of the trend. Don’t be afraid to implement a new approach – being a good leader is likely to involve taking a few risks. Never let yourself or your team get stuck in a sales rut and always be open to new ideas which might help to increase sales.

How do you make sure your team stay ahead of the latest sales trends?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

A big part of the sales manager’s role is to monitor the strategies being used to drive sales and recognise when a change needs to be made in the approach of a sales person or team. However, implementing a new sales strategy is not always easy, especially amongst those who have been working in a certain way for a long time. Here are a few suggestions as to how you can implement a sales strategy as seamlessly as possible.

Making the perfect pitch can prove crucial, whether you’re selling a product or service, or looking to win a new project with an existing client. Going the extra mile to impress your audience can be one of the best ways to get ahead of the competition. With this in mind, here are a few top tips to ensure that your pitch packs a punch:

- Know What You’re Pitching
Firstly, you will need to make sure that you know the product or service which you are selling inside out. You should be able to explain what you are selling and why, without using industry jargon. You will also want to ensure that you are able to clearly and confidently answer any questions which come your way at the end of your pitch.

- Know Who You’re Pitching To
A little background research can go a long way. Tailoring your sales pitch to cater for the specific needs and concerns of the person or company to whom you are pitching will not only help to present a convincing argument, but it will also demonstrate your personal expertise within the field. This can be essential in gaining the client’s trust and, therefore, their business.

- Be Enthusiastic
You must also make sure that you appear passionate about what you are selling. If you don’t believe what you are telling your clients, then they won’t either. That said, you should avoid speaking too quickly or talking for longer than you really need to. Keep your pitch concise and focus on what you have to offer.

- Be Engaging
Visual aids can be a good way to ensure that your pitch is interesting and memorable. However, one of the biggest mistakes which you can make is to read directly from your notes or from a slideshow presentation – your audience will quickly switch off and stop listening to what you have to say. If appropriate, product demonstrations can also be a good way to engage with your audience. If you’re using technical aids, then give yourself enough time to set up your presentation before your clients arrive.

- Be Convincing
Confidence is key when it comes to making the perfect pitch. If you appear nervous then you are unlikely to be able to persuade your client to make an investment. Make eye contact with the people you are talking to, avoid fidgeting and don’t forget to smile.


What are your top tips for making the perfect pitch?


Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

We recently posted a poll in our LinkedIn group Sales Specialists UK asking which aspect of sales is more difficult? 75% of respondents said “making first contact with the prospect” was the hardest.

In recent years, we’re less expected to make first contact in person. We can now connect via email, phone and Skype from the comfort of our own home or office. But people still make judgements on others within the first few seconds of meeting them, so however you do it, make sure you get it right:

• If you’re emailing them, ensure that you double check that what you've written makes sense and has no errors, or you’ll be remembered for your mistakes. 
• If you’re phoning a prospect, do it in an environment where you can give them your full attention and if it’s on a mobile, somewhere where your signal won’t cut out. 
• If you’re meeting someone face-to face, think about your mood, what you’re wearing and your body language. 

Adam Horne, IT Sales and Managed Hosting Specialist Consultant at Hays, shares his thoughts on the IT cloud industry. An expert in all aspects of technical sales, including the IT, managed cloud hosting and infrastructure markets, he would be happy to hear from anyone interested in this post by email (adam.horne@hays.com) or on LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hayssales. 

• CompTIA have released their IT Industry Outlook 2013 report, which forecasts a growth rate of 3% for the global IT industry in 2013.
• IDC has found that cloud-specific skills will grow at six times the rate of overall IT skills as cloud trends develop in 2013.
• TechTarget and Computer Weekly have reported that 30% of IT professionals said their budget for cloud services is due to increase when asked about their priorities for 2013.

It’s important for sales managers to motivate their team in order to get results. A bored and uninspired team can get stuck in a rut and performance levels can suffer. But knowing how to motivate them can be a challenge.

We’ve put together a list of 10 ways you could motivate your sales team:

1. Clear direction: Giving strong management and leadership and offering supportive feedback can make a real difference to how your team work. If you’re a good sales manager, they’ll want to hit the targets you set. If you’re not, they won’t be as motivated.

2. Training: Make sure you’re getting the best out of your team by ensuring they have all the resources they need to succeed. Talk to them regularly about any training or career development courses they feel could benefit them.

3. Pay incentives: As mentioned in our previous post Salary vs. Commission, commission is an important part of a salesperson’s life. Setting a structured and well thought-out commission scheme can motivate competitive selling behaviour.

4. Team building exercises: Classic team building days out can really bring a team together. It’s all about discovering how people think and work together. You can use the insights you learn for future planning and team structuring.

5. Hire motivational speakers: The best motivational speakers have learned from experience and aim to influence, inspire change and boost morale. Getting advice from someone outside of the team can bring a fresh perspective.

6. Find out what motivates individuals: Recognising individual success, rather than a commission scheme can often motivate people more. Some people are motivated by money, others aren’t. Find out what’s going on in your sales team’s lives and ask them what they want as a reward.

7. Competition: Contests and ‘buzz days’ where the whole sales team spends the day calling prospects and customers in the office can generate excitement and add a new lease of life to a stale and repetitive sales process. Invite all levels of your sales team to compete, from new starters to the big boss, and see who might surprise you.

8. Public recognition: By publically posting conversion rates and targets, you can utilise a little friendly peer-pressure, as well as a desire to be recognised (and bragging rights!)

9. Get creative: Change the way you think about motivation. Hand out random prizes or certificates for things other than hitting targets, like ‘person who closed the impossible deal’, or ‘team member who went the extra mile’.

10. The little things: Never underestimate how much people will appreciate small rewards, such as buying lunch for your team, playing music in the office, or a team night out.

How do you motivate your sales team?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

A successful Business Development Manager should be the driving force behind generating new leads; devoting their time to business development and making their organisation a success. As a Business Development Manager, you’re likely to spend a lot of time visiting clients and attending networking events. But what kind of qualities should a good Business Development Manager have?

1. Charisma: A good Business Development Manager should be likeable. Charisma is an important quality that can help you accomplish things faster, develop relationships and imbue enthusiasm in others. It helps you work with your team as well as your customers.

2. Strong communicator: Communication is key. Delivering sales pitches and convincing prospects to buy new products can be tough if you can’t deliver your message effectively. If you can confidently get your message across, you will gain respect and the selling process will become much easier. Communication skills can often count for more than qualifications in this role.

3. Passion for product: You need to believe in your brand and have a real passion for whatever you’re selling. An obvious passion for what you do will be visible to your customers and help build a sense of trust, belief and integrity.

Do you have the required skills to succeed in business development?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.