Posts Tagged ‘sales’
Your firm is missing revenue if junior staff isn’t billable
The best use of technical staff is to be billable, right? One needs more technical and managerial experience to be effective at sales, right? Yet, there are 3-4 times more junior staff then senior staff. If you could get that many more people driving sales just how fast can you go? Lucky for me I…
Read MoreWho Says Only Senior Managers Can Generate Sales?
Who brings in the business in your firm? Usually it is the senior managers. Think about how strong business would be if everyone– CEO, CFO, Project Manager, and junior Engineer/Architect/Scientist– also contributed. What do each of you have in common? Each of your livelihoods are impacted by your contribution to generating revenue. You are either billable…
Read MoreCEOs and CFOs can endear their creditors by sharing their sales process
CRMs have been a tough sell for many professional services firms because they were seen as adding work. So, I often end up implementing a simplified system that mainly used the Opportunities tracking module. I think that the newer cloud based systems have overcome many objections and their use is finally starting to sink in.…
Read MoreTo broaden sales participation, the CEO must remove barriers
As a principal in charge of the largest division of a 130 person firm, a first step in implementing a highly efficient sales program was to make sure everyone knew the latest sales methods and spoke a common sales language. Since operations and finance managers were a potential barrier to broaden sales, all senior managers went…
Read MoreProfessional services industry trends and solutions
The industry sales model is changing. It is moving solidly to a seller-doer model and away from having dedicated sales responsible staff. The SMPS Foundation conducted and published a research report in 2013 called A/E/C BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – The Decade Ahead that supports this. In the last ten years, twenty one-percent of SMPS member firms…
Read MoreIn a successful organization, sales is part of everybody’s job
In a successful organization, sales is part of everybody’s job. Most firms have only a few persons who are actively engaged in generating revenue. There is often tension over being billable and helping to secure the next project. This is not limited to management. Staff at all levels feels this tension, so the action of…
Read MoreYou don’t need to be senior to stimulate healthy sales behavior
Consider doing this. As a CEO, ask your staff to have a conversation with their clients that has nothing to do with the project. As a Marketing Manager or Coordinator, when staff tells you they are conducting a client visit for a proposal, ask them to bring back something about the client, like what that client person…
Read MoreMeasure little steps while climbing a mountain. There are rewards along the way.
Long term and consistent revenue growth is central to a healthy business and career. Career growth can only occur if there is a place into which to grow. To be healthy long term, a company must retain quality staff. And staff won’t stick around if they cannot find a place in which to grow. How…
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