The Actuation Zone » Sales

What is Your Return on Relationship?

Brett Clay — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:54:45 +0000

Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer at Collective Bias and the author of the upcoming book, “Return on Relationship”, discusses current marketing trends including: what is “return on relationship, mistakes many marketers are making today, how marketers can leverage other resources to greatly expand their effectiveness, and other ways you can more effectively market your business.

www.ReturnOnRelationshipBook.com.

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Discipline and Delayed Gratification Are Keys to Success

Brett Clay — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:54:46 +0000

Joachim De Posada, PhD, author of Don’t Eat the Marshmallow, Yet describes the results of an important Stanford University psychology experiment that highlights key personality factors that determine success or failure in life. Listen as De Posada, who immigrated to the USA during the Fidel Castro Cuban revolution, describes the principles you can employee to succeed in business.

www.AskJoachim.com

Grow Your Business Using Twitter and Return on Relationship

Brett Clay — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:59:48 +0000

Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer at Collective Bias and Social Marketing Strategist for MARS Advertising, is one of the most-followed CMO’s on Twitter. He says the true value of Twitter & social media is engaging & building relationships & emotional connections with people–a principle he calls “return on relationship”. Listen as he reveals how he has built hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers for his brands.

www.TedRubin.com

Social Media Is Dead, Social Business Is In

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:07:43 +0000

Gerhard Gschwandtner, host of the Sales 2.0 Sales and Marketing Conference, says companies are tired of talking about social media, which has been a business-to-consumer marketing channel. He says we’re now entering the era of “social business,” which he defines as business-to-business marketing that aligns content, conversation, and collaboration around strategic business goals.

www.Sales20Conf.com.

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

The New Relationship Marketing, Not Just One-to-One

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:47:56 +0000

Mari Smith, author of The New Relationship Marketing, says the traditional concept of relationship marketing has changed from one-to-one relationships to building relationships with entire communities. Engaging with communities is not simply a matter of putting up a Facebook page, however. Mari describes where companies should be investing in their marketing and discusses best practices for building these capabilities into your own marketing.

www.RelationshipMarketingBook.com

The New Reality: Customers Are in Control. What To Do Now?

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:53:24 +0000

Rod Brooks, Chief Marketing Officer of PEMCO Mutual Insurance, says the new reality of marketing and sales is that customers are in control of your brand. To win in the marketplace, companies must reorganize their mission and operations around that reality. Brooks says “the voice of the customer” has become PEMCO’s most important strategic initiative. Should it be yours too? Listen as one of the leading marketers describes sales and marketing best practices in today’s fast-changing landscape.

www.RodBrooks.com

7 Star Customer Service (audio seminar)

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:53:41 +0000

Ruby Newell-Legner, an internationally recognized expert in customer service, has presented over 2000 programs in 11 countries and counts the Burj Al Arab, known as the only 7 star hotel in the world, among her clients. Listen as she reveals her 7 steps to 7 star service in this informative seminar. Improve your service and grow your business!

www.7StarService.com

Use Social Media And Events to Tell Your Story

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:02:23 +0000

Melissa Jurcan, CSEP, western region vice president of the International Special Events Society, has been a part of several major events, including Super Bowl XLII, 2001 MLB All Star Game, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship Game, international soccer and more. Melissa says, “Gone are the days that we advertise and simply repeat our marketing slogans and jingles. Today, marketers must engage prospective customers in “personal” conversations and tell their stories.”

LinkedIn/in/MelissaaJurcan

15 Million Sales Jobs To Be Displaced By Technology

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:10:38 +0000

Male Speaker: The actuationzone.combrought to you by changeleadershipgroup.com. Brett Clay: Hi.This is Brett Clay. I'm here with Gerhard Gschwandtner the CEOSelling Power Magazine and the conference host of the Sales 2.0 Conference here in-- that was held just now in San Francisco, California.Hi, Gerhard. Gerhard Gschwandtner: Hi, Brett. Brett Clay: Gerhard, tell us what do you -- what's the biggest change that'shappening in sales today? Gerhard Gschwandtner: There are a lot ofchanges and everybody's a little bit worried about what will happento them in the future. Let me let the cat out of the bag.Of the 18 million sales people that are employed across the United States today,those jobs will more often transform and what we have been doing todayis going to disappear. And by 2020 there will be only about3 million sales jobs left. Brett Clay: So those are three millionof the 18 million jobs that exist today. Gerhard Gschwandtner: Right.Brett Clay: And so of the people that doing what they're doing today onlythree million will be left. The other 15 million willbe doing something else. Gerhard Gschwandtner: Absolutely, andthere's a new breed of sales person of which I called Sales 2.0 Person.Sales people need to move up online and they need to be very skilled inusing the web, using social media. And 70 percent of all purchasing decisionsare already made online before they actually see a sales person. So the big challenge is if sales peopleare not where the customers are which is on the web, then you're going to lose. Brett Clay: So what were the big ideas that-- you've been running the Sales 2.0 Conference for three years now, I believe,so now it's sort of getting mature in a way. What are the new ideas this year versus,say, last year? Gerhard Gschwandtner: Well, I wouldn'tsay that Sales 2.0 is an immature state. I think that as everything we are evolvingand we have unprecedented growth compared to last year's conference hasgrown by over 50 percent, and we don't know how that accelerationcontinues and what will happen next year. All I know is that year over year,every time we do it, we see that there's a dramaticshift in the way sales leaders are thinking about the sales organization.By that I mean this year the biggest change is the shift from operationalefficiency towards creating a customer centric enterprise.Brett Clay: Okay, excellent. So what is it -- what are some of thecritical success factors and how do you define creating a customercentric enterprise? Gerhard Gschwandtner: Well, the bigchallenges for an enterprise to realize that the silos that stand in the way ofserving the customer need to come down. And last year we have talked about howto align sales with marketing and now we wanna align sales marketing and serviceand later we wanna align the entire company and design it around the customer.Just think about how many touch points customers experience in theirjourney towards buying. So they experience the website, the insidesales team, the outside sales team, the credit department, the finance department,the invoicing department, the contract department, the trainingdepartments, service, delivery. So the -- in an average sale there are atleast 18 different touch points so what you wanna do is identifythose touch points. Secondly, associate each touch point witha metric that is driven by the customer where you know how you're performing inthe eyes of the customer and not in your own eyes.And then you need to have a technology where it gives everybody in the companya unified view and vision of where the customer's at. Brett Clay: Great.Well, thank you so much, Gerhard. Great conference and we look forward toa lot of growth and adoption as the world of sales changes dramatically.Gerhard Gschwandtner: Awesome. Thank you, Brett.It's a pleasure. Brett Clay: Signing off from Sales 2.0with Brett Clay and Gerhard Gschwandtner. Male Speaker: The actuationzone.combrought to you by changeleadershipgroup.com.Copyright 2010 Brett Clay. All rights reserved.

Driving Excellence and Innovation in the Sales Profession

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:48:01 +0000

Willis Turner, president and CEO of Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI), a professional society, says salespeople and marketers need to strive for excellence in their professions through continuous learning and education. Listen as Willis talks about driving sales and marketing excellence in the “sales 2.0″ world.

www.SMEI.org

For recaps of the Sales 2.0 Conference, click the links below:
Sales 2.0 Day 1
Sales 2.0 Day 2

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

The Nature of Selling is Changing Dramatically–Are You?

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:03:35 +0000

Anneke Seley, author of Sales 2.0, and CEO of Phone Works, a sales consulting company, says the sales profession is moving into a new era referred to as “sales 2.0″. She says inside sales and sales operations organizations are at the forefront of these changes and can provide dramatic improvements in both top-line revenue growth and sales efficiencies. Listen as Anneke describes these important trends!

www.PhoneWorks.com

For recaps of the Sales 2.0 Conference, click the links below:
Sales 2.0 Day 1
Sales 2.0 Day 2

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Using LinkedIn? You Haven’t Even Begun to Tap Its Power

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:06:51 +0000

Wayne Breitbarth, author, The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success: Kick-Start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search, has trained nearly 10,000 businesspeople on how to effectively use LinkedIn. Listen as he gives some great tips and demonstrates that most of us haven’t even begun to tap the power of LinkedIn to grow our businesses and careers!

www.PowerFormula.net

How to Get People to Agree–And Close the Deal

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:59:19 +0000

Michael Fraidenburg, president of “The Cooperation Company,” a consulting firm specializing in alternative dispute resolution, and author of the book, ”Intelligent Courage,” provides powerful tips for resolving disagreements and closing deals. Perhaps the best gem is his 3-step process: 1) observe the emotion, 2) identify the needs driving the emotion, 3) convert the needs into negotiable offers. Check out this information-packed interview!

www.CooperationCompany.com

Cloud Computing: Hype or Reality?

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 01:11:43 +0000

[San Francisco, USA] Brett Clay and Owen Allen report their observations at the end of the five-week, world-wide tour of Windows Azure Platform University. It’s not hype–Windows Azure Platform really does relieve resource constraints and enable businesses to quickly respond to opportunities.

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Collaborate With Customers to Create High Value

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:36:35 +0000

[Atlanta, USA] Brian Metz, director of business development at Agile Thought, says business development managers need to collaborate with customers, rather than “charge in with recommendations.” Brian also sees businesses looking toward cloud-computing and mobile technologies to exploit growth and efficiency opportunities.

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Globalization: The View From Moscow

admin — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:57:00 +0000

[Warsaw, Poland] Globalization means companies from around the world compete for the same opportunities. So what does globalization look like from the view of a Russian company competing for business in the USA? Anatoly Gaidai, technology director, Aplana Software Services in Moscow, says companies must know their competitive strengths and weaknesses and define a unique position in the market. Aplana doesn’t try to compete with American or Indian companies, says Anatoly. Rather, Aplana focuses on clients where they can provide unique value.

Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

To Succeed, Focus on Business Objectives and Be Agnostic to the Solutions that Achieve Them

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:41:11 +0000

[Sydney, Australia] Brett Clay interviews Neil Workman, Principal Consultant at Fujitsu Systems, after the conclusion of Windows Azure Platform University in Sydney, Australia. Neil says high-value is created by focusing on business objectives and shepherding customers through the changes required to achieve them. He also says that to be a trusted adviser to c-level executives, you need to be willing to recommend competitive solutions if those solutions best achieve the executive’s business objectives.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Actuation Around the World

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:46:39 +0000

[San Francisco, USA] Brett Clay, the host of The Actuation Zone, and Owen Allen, Principal at SharePoint Directions, LLC are embarking on a 5-week, around-the-world tour to train Microsoft sales people, system integrators, and independent software vendors on Microsoft’s Windows Azure Platform cloud-computing offering. During the tour, which includes events in Sydney, Singapore, London, Munich, Warsaw, Atlanta, Toronto, and San Francisco, we’ll be reporting our observations and the observations of others on what is changing across a number of dimensions including the local business climate, local social trends, and information technology trends. Listen to our first report as we depart San Francisco for Sydney.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

The Marketing Tactics That Are Working, Now

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 01:00:04 +0000

TJ Walker, the author of the USA Today #1 bestselling book, “TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations,” says the days of traditional media techniques turning products into overnight successes are over. He says today’s marketers must build audiences online by constantly posting new content that attracts readers, listeners, and viewers. Listen as TJ shares his hard-earned expertise.

What They Don’t Teach at Stanford Business School

admin — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:00:26 +0000

Larry Chiang, author of What They Don’t Teach You at Business School, says you can have an Ivy League business school network without attending Stanford Business School or HBS. He also says you can do it in less than 20 mins per week using social media and hosting events.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

No More Cold-Calling!

admin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:00:11 +0000

Joanne Black, author of No More Cold-Calling, says building a referral system is far more effective than cold-calling. But, to do it correctly, it needs to be a priority, you have to have a process, and you have to get comfortable with asking for referrals.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

How to Gain Access to Crazy-Busy Buyers

admin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:36:42 +0000

Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling, says today’s crazy-busy people are behaving differently under their tremendous pressures. To gain access, salespeople must already have identified the prospective customer’s burning priority before making the call. Then, says Jill, getting in the door is a SNAP!
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

Using Video in Your Business is Easy…and Powerful

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:32:34 +0000

TJ Walker, the author of the USA Today #1 bestselling book, “TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations,” says there is no excuse not to be using video in your business. He also says anyone can quickly prepare a pretty good speech. The key to both, says TJ, is to just…get started.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

What Your Sales Manager Won’t Tell You

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:42:09 +0000

Speaker, consultant, and top sales blogger, Mark Hunter, tells what your sales manager won’t tell you about how to grow your business: fire your customers, don’t give them such good service, and dump social media! Brett Clay interviews Mark Hunter, at the National Speakers Association national conference in Orlando, FL.
Available in HD and full screen: Click Here

To Grow Your Business, Stop Discounting and Start Selling

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:06:42 +0000

Speaker, consultant, and top sales blogger, Mark Hunter (The Sales Hunter), says the current sales environment has revealed to many sales VPs that their sales organizations are really order-taking customer service organizations. Mark challenges senior executives to make the tough, important changes in their sales organizations that will enable them to grow their businesses, including: firing their order-takers, firing their customers, eliminating discounting, cutting back on customer service, and pulling back on social media! (Listen to both interviews)

Small Businesses Must Embrace Online Marketing

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:29:46 +0000

Brett Clay, award-winning author of Selling Change and the host of The Actuation Zone, talks with Jim Blasingame, host of the Small Business Advocate radio show about small business marketing. Jim says small businesses must profile and target their customers, rather than trying to pursue every name in the phone book. Brett talks about the changing media and marketing landscapes and how small businesses must change the way they market.

Could a Word or Phrase Increase Your Business By 10X?

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:27:36 +0000

Sam Horn, “The Intrigue Expert”, and author of many books, including POP: Stand Out in Any Crowd, and Tongue Fu!, says finding the right name for your initiative, products, or business can be worth millions of dollars and inspire thousands of people. Listen as the legendary Sam Horn essentially delivers a seminar on how to create one-of-a-kind branding that can eliminate competition and propel your business to new levels.

Face the Hard Questions That Can Save Any Company

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:02:40 +0000

Author Jeffrey Hayzlett, hailed the “Celebrity CMO” by Forbes Magazine and famous for his outspoken appearances on numerous television shows such as CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Fox Business News, and NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump, asks the tough business questions and suggests the changes that executives and business owners need to be making, right now, to grow their businesses.

To Grow Your Sales, Sell Change, Not Solutions

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:26:15 +0000

Author, Brett Clay, joins fellow host David Wolf on Small Biz America Radio to discuss his book, Selling Change, named the “best business book of 2010″ by Independent Publisher Book Awards. Brett says the old approach of selling solutions to customers’ problems is not profitable in today’s globalized, Internet-empowered markets. To survive and thrive, salespeople must become change agents that help customers achieve their goals.

Having the Right Marketing Mindset for Success

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:42:56 +0000

Marketing consultant and coach, Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing, says having the right marketing mindset is critical for successfully building your business. He says most people dilute their marketing efforts using haphazard approaches. To be highly effective, executives, marketers, and salespeople must have the right marketing mindset and must execute systematic, highly focused campaigns.

How to Get the Attention of “Crazy Busy Buyers”

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:49:10 +0000

Today’s corporate buyers are “crazy busy”, says Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies. To capture the attention of crazy busy buyers, Jill says salespeople must align their messages with buyers’ top priorities. Jill’s new book offers four SNAP rules: keep it simple, be invaluable, always align, and raise priorities.

How to Close 90% of Your Business

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:51:17 +0000

Jeff Koser, co-author of Selling to Zebras, says you can close 90% of the business you pursue. How? By only investing your time and resources pursuing zebras. What’s a “zebra”? A zebra is a prospective customer that scores high on your qualification criteria. Jeff says, “Don’t waste your time and resources hunting deals you can’t win. Focus on hunting zebras—and you’ll close 90% of your business. Both your REVENUES and your PROFITS will soar.” Listen how to find your zebras!

Sales Managers Must Drive Discipline, Accountability, and Control

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:39:55 +0000

Ken Thoreson, managing partner at Acumen Management Group, Ltd, says sales managers need to create an environment of professionalism throughout their sales organizations. Professionalism starts with the attitudes and behaviors that sales managers display. Ken says managers need to focus on three key factors to run an organization professionally and to meet the goals of the business: discipline, accountability, and control.

You Can’t Save Your Way to Prosperity, You Must Sell Your Way

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:17:28 +0000

Grant Cardone, author of the forthcoming book, If You Are Not First, You are Last, and a regular contributor on Fox and Friends, Business Week, and The Huffington Post, busts the myth that you can save your way to prosperity. He says the current economic environment presents the perfect opportunity to grow your business—but, only if you focus on selling. He also says you can only grow through “only practices”. What is that? Listen to find out!

For Extreme Growth, Find Your Niche and Focus Your Message

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:39:25 +0000

Mike Coraluzzi, the president of No-Time Marketing Systems, LLC and the host of the Extreme Business Growth radio show, says 2010 could be your best year ever. Mike says companies can double their business by honing their focus and matching their marketing to it — at a time when most companies are pulling back and taking their eye off the ball.

Welcome to The Actuation Zone

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:45:06 +0000

Host, Brett Clay, explains what The Actuation Zone is all about and why you should tune in! While the Actuation Zone explores a wide range of topics including leadership, management, sales, and professional development, the underlying theme is “putting change into motion.”