The Holy Grail:Can you cut sales costs and grow revenue simultaneously?
Stan K Ridgley, VP Americas, SalesAssessment.com
In sales and marketing, when it comes to growing revenue and cutting costs, we usually separate our thinking. Either we do one . . . or we do the other.
But not both. Right?
But why not both?
This concept of simultaneous cost-cutting and revenue growth requires us to stretch our minds a bit and to understand the dynamic that drives corporate-level decision-making with regard to a firm’s sales force.
The McKinsey Quarterly research report of March 17th 2009 contends that companies fear experimenting with the sales force for one big reason – your sales force is the engine that drives revenue. The thought of overhauling that engine fills senior executives with dread, even if the engine barely chugs along. Rather than take the bold step of restructuring, companies make patchwork repairs as often and for as long as they can. (more…)
Business today – a crisis or an opportunity
Isn’t it funny how different business leaders react differently to the current world economic situation. Sure, business overall is down and sure, there needs to be some right sizing as a result – but there is no reason for businesses to ‘batten down the hatches’ and prepare for a long siege – better than 90% of business is still operating as before!
So what’s really changed since the ‘credit crunch’?
There has been a (not unexpected) knee jerk cost cutting and job culling exercise across virtually all sectors. Maybe not a bad thing considering how inefficient many business were – sometimes a crisis brings the excesses into focus.
There has also been a knee jerk reaction from the bankrupt banks to stop lines of credit, causing misery for business and consumer alike – again, maybe not a bad thing considering how frivolously many people previously viewed credit.
The housing market has stalled – maybe again not a bad thing considering that prices were spiralling globally, putting ‘a place of my own’ beyond the reach of mere mortals.
Global interest rates have reached rock bottom – again, maybe not a bad thing when the banks (more…)