Blog

Are you ready to close the sale?

Closing is a vital part of selling, yet no closing technique will overcome a poor sales process. For example if the customer sees no benefit in your solution, or does not think it is a worthwhile return on his investment, or if they think your solution is no better than other cheaper alternatives, they are…
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Thinking Time – An Under-Rated Commodity?

Advances in digital technology mean that many managers are expected to be available 24/7, but how useful is this expectation in a leadership context? Thinking time is an underrated commodity today – but it’s one that managers should fight for, both for themselves and for their team. (more…)
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Buying Signals

The ability of a salesperson to identify buying signals is an important skill, yet they are often missed. Positive signs that the customer is interested in buying need to be acted upon as they give the salesperson the opportunity to gain commitment and close a sale. (more…)
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Conflict Is Good For You

The ability to work well with other people has long been recognised as fundamental to the success of a team. Good teamwork produces a synergy which, in turn, leads to greater creativity and more innovation as well as improved productivity from the team members. (more…)
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7 Principles of Effective Training

It is not just trainers who need to understand how people really learn. Every manager, supervisor and team leader also needs to understand this, as they are responsible for ensuring their team members gain the knowledge and develop the skills necessary for high performance in a changing business environment. So in this article we will…
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Overcoming Feedback Fears

If you are a manager or a supervisor, then part of your role is to provide your direct reports with feedback in order to help them develop and progress. If you are to do this well then it is important that you understand why people can find it hard to receive feedback. This understanding will…
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The Human Touch

Most organisations train their customer service staff to use a script so that specific greetings, phrases and company slogans are recited to all customers in a cheerful, upbeat voice. Unfortunately, this means that customers rarely receive the guidance and support they need because the customer service team are unable to handle situations that require them…
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How to Get More Done In Less Time

Why is it that some people seem to get twice as much done as others – even though they both have the same amount of time in which to do those things? The answer is highly productive people do eight simple things that allows them to reach their deadlines without fail, despite juggling multiple projects.…
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Lessons from Starbucks

The well-known high street coffee shop, Starbucks, recently hit the news for its reaction to a racist incident in one of its US stores as it decided to close the entire business for a day to give training to every employee. So what did they do and did it work? (more…)
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The Masterful Meetings Habit

Most meetings at work do not deliver the benefits they could, or should, deliver. They are too long, too dull, not focused enough… and that is just for starters. So how can you improve the effectiveness of your meetings? Here are some tips to help you. (more…)
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