3ac2eba8

Presentations Have Two Sides — Are You Ignoring One?

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:42:19 GMT

Should every presentation meet only the needs of the audience, or does the presenter matter as well?

In the countless number of presentations our team has helped create and deliver, the one thing we don’t hear talked about enough is the needs of the presenter. All the focus is generally on the substance of the presentation and the audience for whom it will be delivered. And while both of those components are important in delivering an effective and successful presentation, the comfort and skill levels of the presenter should also be taken into account.

Successful delivery of a live presentation has two sides to it. The event organizers and production teams who are responsible for ensuring presentations get on screen at the right time and the presenters and content teams who are responsible for creating and presenting the content of their materials. With deadlines on event organisers, pressure is placed extensively on presenters to be ready as early as possible. But the question that has to be asked is:

“Are we setting up presenters for maximum success, or are we focusing too much on the organiser deadlines and needs of the audience?

I believe more emphasis needs to be given to the needs of presenters. Here are some of the key factors from the speaker’s viewpoint to consider when preparing a presentation:

Time to Prepare: This one may sound obvious, but we can’t stress enough how important preparation time is when considering the needs of a presenter. Depending on the material and how versed the presenter is with it, the time needed to be comfortable and effective can vary widely. Are you giving your presenters enough time and breathing space to get their slides ready, get acclimated with their slides, and practice delivery?

When it comes to time, another critical success factor is how much time there is between slide readiness and the presentation date. The less time in between means less rebuilding of slides as there may not be enough time for the presenter to familiarize themselves with the new slides.

Familiarity with Content: Not all subject matter experts are going to be excellent presenters, and not all presenters are subject matter experts on every presentation they give. The important nuance for anyone organizing events or creating presentations is to figure out where your presenters fall on the spectrum of knowledge, ability, and readiness. In a perfect world, your presenter will be a healthy balance of all three, but when they are not you must ensure the presentation is designed in such a way to highlight their strengths and you must do so with a reality check on how much time your presenter has before they present.

Presenting Experience: Everyone has to start somewhere, so it is not uncommon for some presenters to have far more experience than others. Just because you are familiar with someone’s communication style from personal interactions, team meetings, or other settings outside of delivering a formal presentation does not mean those skills will translate over to delivering an effective presentation. Always check in with your presenters to see how many times they have spoken to audiences of the size you are planning to have in attendance, how versed there are in the content, and any other experiential issues that may become a factor and then adapt accordingly where possible.

Style/Preference: Just like everyone learns differently, so too do people have different presentation styles. While it may seem like an easier task to ask your presenter to adapt their style to the type of presentation, audience, or setup the results may fall flat. If your presenter is more detail oriented, then make sure your slides are packed with information for them to focus on. If they are more bigger picture thinkers who like to speak off the cuff, then having one word, high graphic slides might be the better option. Whether it is more detailed or highly graphic, the slides must look good.

Audio & Visual Needs: It may not always be possible to check in with your presenters on what their preferences are before an event, but it can make all the difference in setting them up for success or leaving them to make do with what you provide. Some presenters might be more comfortable with a handheld microphone versus a lapel mic, and others may opt for a headset. Are they comfortable presenting entirely from memory or would it be helpful to provide a confidence monitor or teleprompter? You might not be able to accommodate every request either, but at least there won’t be any last minute surprises.

Stage Layout: For in-person events, it is always best for your presenters to familiarize themselves with the stage set up so they can maximise their presence. This includes the little details like knowing where they will enter and exit, where they should stand once it is their turn to speak, being aware of lighting, and whether or not there will be a podium to stand behind or not. A misunderstanding with any of these logistical items can lead to an uncomfortable situation that negatively impacts the presenter’s delivery.

Room Setup: For in-person events, it is always best for your presenters to familiarize themselves with the room layout and setup as whole and not just the stage. Will they be sitting in a certain spot before it is their turn to speak or will they be backstage? Will they need to walk through the audience on the way to the stage? How many people will be in attendance, the positioning of their chairs, and placement of monitors and other visual aid devices might also impact how they tailor their delivery.

Rehearsals :

Anything important or memorable in life is should be rehearsed. Weddings have rehearsal dinners. Actors rehearse their lines until they know them like the back of their hands. Professional athletes do not just show up to their games without practicing. No matter the experience or comfort level of your presenter, do not make the mistake of skipping the rehearsal so that any issues and kinks can be addressed before going live in front of an audience.

It may not be feasible or logical to try and make sure every single item above is taken into account and positioned in a way your presenter prefers, but that does not minimize the importance of their overall comfortability with the entire process. Have an honest conversation with presenters and see how many of the items we covered work for them and which ones are not ideal. Anything that can be changed easily enough to ensure a great presentation as well as presenter experience should be adapted.

If you need a second set of eyes on your existing presentation material, or someone to help you understand the needs of your presenters better, please reach out to schedule a consultation with us today.

Beyond the Numbers: Reading Your Pipeline's Real Health

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:31:16 GMT

Five warning signs of unhealthy pipelines and what you could do next

Not all pipelines are created equal. It can be easy at first glance to assume a pipeline is healthy just because there are a certain number of opportunities or an estimated monetary value that meets expectations. But it's important to realize that what appears in a high-level overview does not always translate into profitable sales.

Here are some of the most common signs of unhealthy pipelines:

Narrow at the Top

When a pipeline is narrow at the top, it signifies that there are not enough new opportunities entering the pipeline. This is usually the result of insufficient time spent by the salesforce on prospecting activities or a lack of quality leads coming from Marketing or Partners.

Bulging at the Top

A bulge at the top of the pipeline is a sign of the exact opposite problem of being narrow at the top. It means there are too many unqualified opportunities stalled in the early stages of the pipeline. Whenever the pipeline is top-heavy, more rigorous qualification or additional enablement around solutions and qualification criteria is needed.

Bulging in the Middle

Having more deals stuck in the middle of your pipeline is not much better than having a bulge at the top, except that you can hopefully say most of these deals have been qualified. This is usually an indicator that there is a gap in teamwork amongst colleagues, sales reps are not engaging the right decision makers, or unqualified opportunities are being moved to show artificial progression. In this situation, focus on strengthening internal collaboration—bring in technical resources or executives earlier in the process. Ensure your reps are building relationships with actual decision-makers, not just influencers, and implement account planning sessions that map out each opportunity's path to close with clear next steps and validation criteria.

Bulging at the Bottom

If a bulge at the top or in the middle is not healthy, you can probably already guess that a bulge at the bottom is not much better. What makes this problem so much more painful than the others though is that your sales people have likely spent a considerable amount of time nurturing the deals through the earlier pipeline stages only to get to the end of the sales cycle and discover the deal can't close. To get this far and experience this problem likely means your salespeople are not asking for the business, are not dealing with the correct decision-makers, have not anticipated objections from the client such as price, have not effectively qualified the deal, or they are not able to effectively communicate the true value of the proposed solution.

Skinny Pipeline

The worst case scenario: not enough opportunities across all stages of the pipeline. If you find yourself in this situation, you probably need to take a good hard look at all aspects of your sales process. This includes demand generation activities, seller competence, internal sales processes, and strategic prioritization of goals, accounts, and activities.

Moving Forward

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms in your own pipeline, you're not alone. Sales organizations struggle with pipeline imbalance all the time as a normal course of business. The good news is that these issues don't have to become costly mistakes—so long as you diagnose them early and take corrective action.

Start by running a pipeline audit to identify which pattern you're seeing. Then focus on the two or three highest-impact actions specific to your situation. For example, if you're narrow at the top, block dedicated prospecting time in your reps' calendars before addressing anything else. If you're bulging at the bottom, institute deal reviews at the 75% stage to pressure-test whether opportunities are truly qualified before investing more pursuit time.

We've helped numerous companies turn unhealthy pipelines into effective deal machines. If figuring out where to start is the challenge, reach out to us today.

Is Your Pipeline Active or just Full?

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:50:36 GMT

The non-negotiables of a pipeline that actually converts

Most sales pipelines look healthier than they are. They're filled with opportunities that haven't moved in weeks, deals with no clear next steps, and prospects who stopped responding months ago. The pipeline might be full, but it's not active — and an inactive pipeline doesn't convert.

The inconvenient reality is that most pipelines are stuffed with poor quality or stale opportunities. This happens for multiple reasons: lack of prospecting, weak qualification, poor CRM hygiene, and deals that only surface to management when they're about to close — or fall apart.

The good news? It's never too late to fix it. A healthy pipeline needs to be both active and balanced. This post focuses on what makes a pipeline active.

So what do we mean by active? An active pipeline is one where opportunities are moving, qualified, and progressing through defined stages with clear actions. It's dynamic, not static.

Here are the non-negotiable attributes of an active pipeline:

Opportunities are getting off the starting block

Leads that never move past the early stages are wasted investment. When opportunities advance beyond initial qualification, it signals that your salespeople are doing the work — understanding the customer's business, validating the opportunity, and converting marketing's investment into genuine prospects. If deals are stuck at the starting line, something is broken.

Opportunities are progressing

Nothing should sit in one stage indefinitely. When deals stall, the likelihood of closing drops sharply. There are many reasons opportunities get stuck — poor CRM hygiene, lack of follow-up, or simply weak selling skills — but whatever the cause, stagnant deals are dying deals.

How long is too long? That depends on your sales cycle. If your average time to close is over a year, you might allow up to 180 days in a single stage. If your cycle is 30 days, anything beyond 5 days in one stage should raise a flag. Define what's reasonable for your business, then monitor it.

Opportunities are qualified

Qualification means establishing early whether this prospect is real. Do they have a genuine need? Are they ready to buy? Whether you use BANT, MEDDPICC, or your own framework, the principle is the same: don't waste time on opportunities that were never going to close.

At a minimum, a qualified opportunity should have:

One or more products defined
A credible monetary value
An identified opportunity team
More than one prospect contact, including at least one decision-maker and one influencer

If these basics aren't in place, the opportunity isn't qualified — it's a placeholder.

Opportunities have recorded activities

Activity is the pulse of a deal. If there's no record of calls, emails, meetings, notes, or next steps, one of two things is true: either nothing is happening, or it's happening off the books. Neither is acceptable.

Recorded activities give leaders visibility, keep salespeople accountable, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. If a deal has gone quiet, that silence should be visible — so someone can act on it.

Opportunities are controlled

Control means the salesperson is driving the deal, not chasing it. One key indicator of control is close date stability. If an opportunity's expected close date has shifted more than three times, control has likely been lost.

Slipping close dates aren't just a forecasting problem — they're a symptom. Either the deal was poorly qualified, the buying process wasn't understood, or the salesperson isn't in the driver's seat. Catch this early.

Late-stage opportunities have a close plan

By the time a deal reaches the final stages, there should be a mutual close plan in place — a shared roadmap between seller and buyer outlining the specific steps to get the deal done. This isn't just a salesperson's to-do list; it's an agreed sequence of actions on both sides.

A close plan should cover procurement steps, legal reviews, sign-off requirements, and any other hurdles between now and closed-won. Without one, late-stage deals often stall at the worst possible moment — when the finish line is in sight but the path to it is unclear.

Active pipelines are the lifeblood of any sales organisation. From first touch to signed contract, opportunities need continuous attention, clear next steps, and honest assessment. These six attributes aren't optional extras — they're the baseline for a pipeline that actually delivers.

If you're struggling to get a true read on the health of your pipeline — or you know it needs work but aren't sure where to start — reach out to us today.

The Top 4 Reasons Why Account Planning Fails To Become Part Of The Sales Operational Cadence

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:24:47 GMT

When it comes to sales, everything is dynamic. Prospecting, qualifying, influencing, closing - there is always something going on. In this process, one thing that's often overlooked is account planning. But why exactly does account planning fail to become part of the sales operational cadence? If you're looking for the answer, keep reading!

Reason #1: Account Planning is seen simply as another task rather than a high-value discipline

When a seller comes to work, they have a checklist of all the tasks they have to do that day or that week, many of which aren’t seen as high value. Unfortunately, account planning is too often seen simply as another item on the checklist and that’s if it even makes it onto the checklist. In the eyes of a seller, it has no value and is something they just have to do once they are told to and then it becomes a source of frustration rather than appreciated as a high-value process. See our blog on the Value of Account Planning.

Reason #2: Account planning is seen as a one-time event of filling in a template and never looked at again.

As we mentioned earlier, the world of sales is very dynamic. But on the contrary, account planning is viewed as simply a static document. But why is this so? The reason is simple. The account plan is often seen as redundant information captured once, left unchanged and unused. As a result, account planning is considered a waste of valuable time because it's just a document that is a copy and paste of information found in your CRM system, or other system of record. Too often account plans are created and saved as files on a hard drive, or maybe even printed documents lying in a pile of papers somewhere. So, it's easy to see why to many sellers, it only makes sense that a static document would have no place in the Sales Operational Cadence.

Reason #3: There is too much emphasis on the format of the account plan

Contrary to the reason above, there is too much focus on the account plan, specifically the format of the plan. Should it be a PowerPoint, an Excel file, a Word document, or a fancy online tool? They get bogged down in the best tool to use, or how many pages the plan should have instead of the strategic nature of the content of the plan. What does that lead to? They end up losing sight of what actually matters: the art and skill of account planning!

Reason #4: We fail to include the customer in the planning process!

Sales may seem like it's all about the numbers, but at the end of the day, it's really all about the customer. After all, without customers, there would be no sales! Yet, despite how crucial customers are to selling success, account planning is too often conducted without any involvement from the customer. Now isn't that surprising? Instead of engaging their customers in joint collaborative account planning, sellers conduct one-sided research, eventually diminishing the value of account planning altogether. Remember, there is no such thing as a one-man army, especially in sales.

Is Account Planning part of your operational cadence? Talk to us today about how we can help you embed account planning into your sales operational cadence.

From Aspiration to Attainment: Steer Clear of the 4 Riskiest Account Goal Setting Pitfalls

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:49:22 GMT

SMART goals prevent unnecessary mistakes.

When it comes to setting account goals, not a lot of thought is put into it, and when you look at a set of account goals on a typical account plan, you might see statements like:

Maximize our share of the customer’s wallet
Drive revenue growth from the account
Establish our organization as a thought leader
Become a trusted advisor
Become the preferred solution provider
Close opportunity X or Y

These sound great, right? They have all the right buzz growth words right?

So, what could possibly be wrong with those goals? What is missing? Well, there are a few things amiss here. Let’s take a closer look:

They are not Specific:

Most business professionals have heard the acronym SMART as it applies to goal setting. It is a framework commonly accepted to help craft tangible goals and a means for achieving them. But the very first letter, or step in the process, is what we are missing in the bullet points above. There is nothing specific about any of them. In fact, they are very vague. That’s before we even get into whether any of those goals are measurable, actionable, relevant, or time-bound.

Read more about S.M.A.R.T goals here: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/smart-goals

They are not Realistic

There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars when setting goals in business or personal endeavors. The harder something might be to attain, the harder we will push ourselves to get there. But there is a fine line between aspirational and realistic. This means goals need to be achievable and realistic. Can they be achieved within the time frames set? Do they require other things to happen first and therefore need to be broken down? Are they actionable? Have you allocated sufficient time to achieve them? These are key questions to ask yourself to ensure your goals are realistic and therefore achievable.

Focused more on yourself and not enough on the customer

If you look carefully at the goals we outlined above, they are 100% about the sellers without accounting for the needs of the customer. They are all about your products, your company, and what you want to achieve from the relationship. This will not benefit your customer and will not lead to sustainable account relationships and growth.

Failure to Consider the Customer’s Current Situation:

Similar to the point above is the failure to sufficiently take the customer’s situation into account. It’s great to decide what you want to achieve within a specific account, but setting account goals in a vacuum in which the customer’s viewpoints and existing circumstances are not taken into consideration can result in setting unachievable goals and set you up for potential failure to achieve any goals. Imagine deciding you want to do a million dollars worth of business from a particular account without having any knowledge of their financial situation. Affordability may become a stumbling block, or they may not be able to utilize everything you sell them. Therefore they will not be able to help you meet your target no matter how hard you try.

While these are not the only mistakes account managers make when setting goals they are the biggest and could potentially be the most costly. Ask yourself honestly how many of these you see happening in your own organization and what you can be doing to correct them. If none of them apply, I applaud you – but also caution you to take a deeper look.

Read about some additional mistakes account managers make when setting account in a previous blog:

If several of these stand out as potential issues in your organization, prioritize which ones will make the biggest impact if corrected and start there. But if the entire task seems too daunting, we are here to help!

Balancing the Style & Substance of Sales Kick Off Presentations

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:02:56 GMT

Whether it be a virtual, face-to-face, or hybrid kick off, one of the most critical components in achieving event objectives is content. From videos and panel discussions, to award ceremonies and presentations, content must be engaging, effective, and well designed. But the brutal truth about sales kick off content is that there is a belief it doesn’t matter – anything will do. There is little investment made in the appropriate time and effort into creating a world class experience for sellers and presenters when it comes to content.

In a world where your audience and participants are increasingly looking toward well-designed content, you cannot afford to keep looking at the creation process like a simple chore or leaving it entirely up to each presenter to simply show up with their presentations. We have worked with many companies to help them deliver world-class content on countless presentations and we want to help you accomplish the same.

One of the key ingredients to world-class content is that it must be reality-fueled. In today's fast-paced and attention-seeking world, it's easy to get caught up in the allure of flashy visuals, gimmicks, and over-the-top presentations. However, when it comes to delivering a truly impactful message, it is essential to ground presentations in reality.

Tips for creating reality-fueled content:

Know your audience: Understand their needs, challenges, and interests so you can tailor your message accordingly.
Craft a compelling narrative: Use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection and engage your audience on a deeper level.
Use real-world examples: Draw from relevant, relatable, and tangible experiences to illustrate your points and make them more memorable.
Keep it real: Don’t sugar coat things unnecessarily, never lie to your audience, and avoid fancy jargon and words.
Simplify and clarify: Break down complex ideas into digestible concepts your audience can easily understand and remember.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse: Practice your presentation until it becomes second nature. This will help you deliver your message confidently and authentically. According to Harvard Business Review, great presenters rehearse and put in hours of deliberate practice to refine their skills and messages.

And that’s not all…

When preparing a reality-fueled presentation, where the focus is on delivering a clear and authentic message, presenters must not only craft compelling content but also consider their own presentation style and capabilities. By bringing these elements together, presenters can enhance their ability to connect with the audience, establish credibility, and create a lasting impact. Let’s take a look at the basics here:

Presenters and content creators need to understand the speaker's presentation style. Every presenter has a unique style that reflects their personality, strengths, and communication preferences. Identifying and embracing your presentation style is vital to delivering an authentic and engaging performance.

If you are a content creator, leverage the presenter’s current capabilities. Understanding a presenter’s capabilities allows a content creator to leverage the presenter’s strengths and deliver a more impactful presentation. While it is important to adapt to your presenter’s style and capabilities, it is also crucial to consider the audience's preferences and receptivity. Adapt your style to align with their expectations and needs. Research your audience beforehand to gain insights into their demographics, interests, and knowledge level. Tailor your content and your style to ensure it's relevant, accessible, and relatable to your audience.

As a presenter, take stock of your own skills, talents, and areas of expertise. Are you a skilled visual communicator? Are you adept at simplifying complex concepts? Are you particularly knowledgeable about a specific subject? Capitalize on your strengths to deliver a reality-fueled presentation.

Final thoughts

While flashy visuals may momentarily grab attention, it is the content and authenticity of a presentation that truly leave a lasting impact. By focusing on delivering clear and genuine messages, presenters can establish genuine connections with their audiences, fostering engagement, trust, and motivation.

So, embrace the power of substance and authenticity to make your presentations truly impactful and memorable instead of hyper focus on the visual appeal. If you have a sales kick off coming up, reach out to us today to talk about how we can help you build reality-fueled content… with a little flash of course.

Embrace the power of substance and authenticity to make your presentations truly impactful and memorable.

Books Are Judged By Their Covers

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:59:56 GMT

Whether you like it or not presentation design matters

Have you ever sat through a presentation and wished you were somewhere else? You know what I mean; the presenter is just not able to capture your attention or keep it for any significant length of time. That’s not to say they are bad or the presentation lacks merit, just that there is a key element missing. There might be tons of useful information on the slides, but seemingly very little concern was given for how it should be visually arranged and presented, or how to effectively deliver it to the audience. In today’s environment of instant gratification and shiny objects, we owe it to our presenters and their audience to create presentations that deliver both quality content and a visually appealing experience.

Why is visual appeal important in a professional presentation?

Personal brand: Whether you believe it or not, your professional image, and quite possibly your brand, are at stake. A well-designed presentation will strengthen or even enhance your professional image. When it appears to the audience that time and effort have been invested into the preparations it will also help establish trust and credibility.

A more engaged audience: The visual appeal of your presentation can either capture their attention or leave them disengaged. First impressions are crucial, and your very first slide could be the very first time many in attendance come to know you, so don’t waste the opportunity to impress by ignoring the design elements in your presentation.

Increased understanding: A well designed presentation can help enhance comprehension and improve the audience’s level of understanding. There are many types of learners in the world (auditory, visual, tactile, or analytical) and adding this extra level of detail to your presentation can help break down complex topics into simpler terms, use visual aids to illustrate key points, and create logical flows making the information easier to digest.

Differentiation: In a world where everyone is looking to stand out from the competition, a captivating presentation can give you an advantage over those who are only focused on packing slides full of content without rhyme or reason. A good design will not only make you more memorable, but it will also help define and deliver your brand in a way that builds credibility and engagement.

You can’t undo a bad experience: Once you have missed the mark, it is hard to recover. If presentations are delivered in real-time, meaning once the words are spoken and the slides are clicked through, you cannot take it back. Audience perception and interpretation is no longer in control and lasting memory can be difficult to erase. And the inconvenient truth is that people will remember a bad experience more vividly than positive ones. Presentation design can help to ensure that audience experience and impressions are positive.

Don’t underestimate the impact of effective and high quality presentation design. Equally, don’t underestimate the value of working with individuals and agencies who specialize in slide design. There are lots of highly skilled designers and content experts. Make sure you reach out to one of them today.

And as a last thought, it can be easy to rely on any of the numerousAI tools popping up to help with slide design. Always remember that they are nothing more than tools that can help enhance a presentation, but will never replace the hard earned skill and talent of professional designers. If you need help with your presentations, reach out to us today.

Who is Designing your Presentations?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:05:31 GMT

Top considerations when deciding whether to design your own slides or engage an expert

Giving a presentation can be stressful, but preparing for one doesn’t have to be. Thanks to programs like Powerpoint and Keynote, anyone can throw together a bunch of slides in no time at all. But should they?

The effectiveness of the person delivering the content to the audience is only one piece of the puzzle in putting together an effective presentation. The quality and appeal of the content they are delivering are just as important. If you are no stranger to designing and delivering presentations, then none of this is probably new to you. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you might be better served in hiring a professional presentation designer instead of winging it on your own.

Professionalism:

This is not to say anyone would intentionally create an unprofessional presentation, but the truth is we just don’t know what we don’t know. Someone could be the greatest artist in the world yet not be qualified to paint their house, just like the most mechanically inclined person might not be great at fixing their own car. There is a reason specialized professionals exist, and there is no shame in leaning on someone with more experience. A top notch designer will ensure your presentation is polished and professional, helping you to deliver a visually appealing presentation that is sure to capture your audience.

Time Saving:

Whether you have created one presentation or a hundred, the process can still be quite cumbersome and time consuming. Unless designing presentations is your full-time job (in which case you can probably stop reading now), chances are there are plenty of other areas you need to focus on – many of which you are far more qualified to handle. Why spend time getting frustrated on something you don’t like doing or are not good at when there are better options. Think about it like this; you could mow your own lawn but is that really what you want to be doing on a weekend on the hottest day of the year? That’s why there are professionals!

Expertise:

There is much more involved in creating an effective presentation than just putting words and images on slides. Presentation designers have a deep understanding of visual styles and the principles of design. They can help you bring your slides to life in a way you would never have thought of yourself.

Customization:

A presentation designer can tailor your presentation to address any specific needs you may have while keeping the audience experience in mind. They can curate content, create custom graphics, animations, and other visual elements to help you stand out and leave a lasting impression.

Consistency:

Besides boring and unengaging, a disjointed presentation might be one of the quickest ways to lose the interest of your audience. You might have the best of intentions in packing your slides full of images you love, content you’ve repurposed, and any other elements you may personally be biased toward – because they are your own. But a good presentation designer will ensure all slides are consistent in terms of design, branding, and messaging. This will remove any gaps or redundancies and make you come across like the consummate professional you are.

If after reading all the benefits of working with a professional designer you are still not sure if you would be better off going it alone, please take the time to reach out for a chat. DIY (do it yourself) does not always translate into DIW (do it well) and life does not give us many opportunities to make second first impressions. Let a professional designer take the responsibility for capturing your audience’s attention and leaving your indelible mark on their minds.

Rethinking the Value of Traditional Sales Kick Offs

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 14:13:13 GMT

In today’s economic climate, should sales organisations still be investing in Sales Kickoff events?

In today's budget-conscious business climate, companies are constantly evaluating their spending and looking for ways to optimize resources. One area coming under scrutiny as of late is the traditional sales kickoff event.

These larger-scale gatherings bring together sales teams, leaders, and stakeholders to kickstart the year, share strategies, and motivate the sales force. However, in light of financial constraints, it is essential to reassess whether sales organisations should continue investing in sales kickoff events. Together, we will explore both sides of the argument to help you and your organization make informed decisions about the value and relevance of such events going forward.

The Traditional Value of Sales Kickoff Events:

Sales kickoff events have long been regarded as a valuable opportunity to align sales teams, energize them for the year ahead, and reinforce company values and goals. Some key benefits traditionally associated with these events include:

Knowledge Sharing: Sales kickoff events provide a platform to disseminate important information, such as product updates, market insights, and sales strategies. This facilitates knowledge sharing and ensures the sales force is equipped with the latest information to drive results.

Team Building and Networking : Bringing the sales team together in a conducive environment fosters team building, collaboration, and camaraderie. Interactions outside the usual work setting promote relationship-building and encourage cross-functional collaboration amongst various stakeholders.

Motivation and Inspiration: Sales kickoff events often feature keynote speakers, industry experts, and success stories, which serve as sources of motivation and inspiration. Such experiences can reinvigorate the sales force, boost morale, and ignite a sense of purpose and enthusiasm.

Skill Development: Workshops, breakout sessions, and training programs offered during sales kickoff events allow sales professionals to enhance their skills and stay ahead of industry trends. This investment in continuous learning can contribute to improved sales performance throughout the year.

Reevaluating Sales Kickoff Events in a Budget-Conscious Climate:

While the traditional value of sales kickoff events is well-established, it is crucial for sales leaders to critically assess their return on investment, particularly in a budget-conscious business climate. Consider the following factors:

What your business needs now and in the near future: If sales production is in desperate need of improvement, the investment in a kickoff might not only be warranted but also required. If sales are doing well and there are other areas of your business lacking, then it might be time to shift priorities and resources.

Focus on experience and effectiveness: While flashy stages, lighting, audio, and hype videos can be beneficial, in times where our spend must be prioritized it is best to focus on lasting impacts that will change behavior and drive your business forward such as delivering world-class content & speakers, team building, celebrating success and choosing topics in your agenda.

Technological alternatives: With advancements in technology, virtual platforms and video conferencing have become viable alternatives to in-person events. Leveraging these solutions can significantly reduce costs while still enabling effective communication and knowledge sharing.

Targeted content delivery: Rather than relying solely on a single large-scale event, consider delivering targeted content throughout the year or smaller regional sales kick offs. This approach allows for more focused learning and ongoing engagement.

Event size: If you determine that a kickoff is beneficial but are struggling with budgetary concerns, think about the attendee list. Can you limit attendance to strictly the sales team or other specific departments without upsetting people? Maybe holding a series of smaller events to include everyone would be more cost effective than one grandiose production.

Measure impact: Establish clear metrics beforehand to evaluate the event's effectiveness in achieving the desired objectives for the purpose of determining the execution and style of future sales kickoff events

As you can see, the question is not whether sales organisations should continue to host sales kickoff events or not, but how we can do so more cost effectively without reducing the impact. When thinking about your sales kickoff event, think outside the box. Be creative, consider what your business needs
at that time, explore technology platforms, consider running smaller regional events, and make sure you build in verifiable outcomes.

Ultimately, the decision to invest in sales kickoff events should be based on your organization's priorities, financial constraints, and desired outcomes. Balancing the benefits of traditional sales kickoff events with the need for cost-conscious strategies can help you navigate the changing landscape while
still fostering sales team alignment, motivation, and growth.

If you are still not sure what the best path for your organization is, reach out for a free consultation today!

Presentation Design: Do it Yourself or Hire an Expert

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:53:13 GMT

Thanks to programs like Powerpoint and Keynote, anyone can throw together a bunch of slides in no time at all. But should they? DIY (do it yourself) does not always translate into DIW (do it well)

60% of employees reported that they struggle to create engaging and visually appealing presentations. Source: Slideshare. Giving a presentation can be stressful, but preparing for one doesn’t have to be.

The effectiveness of the person delivering the content to the audience is only one piece of the puzzle in putting together an effective presentation. The quality and appeal of the content they are delivering are just as important. If you are no stranger to designing and delivering presentations, then none of this is probably new to you. But for anyone that struggles to create visually appealing presentations, let’s take a look at some of the reasons you might be better served in hiring a professional presentation designer instead of winging it on your own.

Professionalism:

Time Saving:

Expertise:

Customization:

Consistency:

Are we too obsessed with the audience's viewpoint when preparing a presentation?

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 11:29:03 GMT

Should every presentation you craft and deliver meet only the needs of the audience, or does the presenter matter as well?

Successful delivery of a live presentation has two sides to it. The event organizers and production teams who are responsible for ensuring presentations get on screen at the right time and the presenters who are responsible for creating and presenting the content of their materials. With deadlines on event organisers, pressure is placed extensively on presenters to be ready as early as possible. But the question that has to be asked is:

“Are we setting up presenters for maximum success, or are we focusing too much on the organiser deadlines and needs of the audience?

I believe more emphasis needs to be given to the needs of presenters.

Here are some of the key factors from the speaker’s viewpoint to consider when preparing a presentation:

Time to Prepare: This one may sound obvious, but we can’t stress enough how important preparation time is when considering the needs of a presenter. Depending on the material and how versed the presenter is with it, the time needed to be comfortable and effective can vary widely. Are you giving your presenters enough time and breathing space to get their slides ready, get acclimated with their slides, and practice delivery?

Familiarity with Content: Not all subject matter experts are going to be excellent presenters, and not all presenters are subject matter experts on every presentation they give. The important nuance for anyone organizing events or creating presentations is to figure out where your presenters fall on the spectrum of knowledge, ability, and readiness. In a perfect world, your presenter will be a healthy balance of all three, but when they are not you must ensure the presentation is designed in such a way to highlight their strengths and you must do so with a reality check on how much time your presenter has before they present.

Presenting Experience: Everyone has to start somewhere, so it is not uncommon for some presenters to have far more experience than others. Just because you are familiar with someone’s communication style from personal interactions, team meetings, or other settings outside of delivering a formal presentation does not mean those skills will translate over to delivering an effective presentation. Always check in with your presenters to see how many times they have spoken to audiences of the size you are planning to have in attendance, how versed there are in the content, and any other experiential issues that may become a factor and then adapt accordingly where possible.

Style/Preference: Just like everyone learns differently, so too do people have different presentation styles. While it may seem like an easier task to ask your presenter to adapt their style to the type of presentation, audience, or setup the results may fall flat. If your presenter is more detail oriented, then make sure your slides are packed with information for them to focus on. If they are more bigger picture thinkers who like to speak off the cuff, then having one word, high graphic slides might be the better option. Whether it is more detailed or highly graphic, the slides must look good.

Audio & Visual Needs: It may not always be possible to check in with your presenters on what their preferences are before an event, but it can make all the difference in setting them up for success or leaving them to make do with what you provide. Some presenters might be more comfortable with a handheld microphone versus a lapel mic, and others may opt for a headset. Are they comfortable presenting entirely from memory or would it be helpful to provide a confidence monitor or teleprompter? You might not be able to accommodate every request either, but at least there won’t be any last minute surprises.

Stage Layout: For in-person events, it is always best for your presenters to familiarize themselves with the stage set up so they can maximise their presence. This includes the little details like knowing where they will enter and exit, where they should stand once it is their turn to speak, being aware of lighting, and whether or not there will be a podium to stand behind or not. A misunderstanding with any of these logistical items can lead to an uncomfortable situation that negatively impacts the presenter’s delivery.

Room Setup: For in-person events, it is always best for your presenters to familiarize themselves with the room layout and setup as whole and not just the stage. Will they be sitting in a certain spot before it is their turn to speak or will they be backstage? Will they need to walk through the audience on the way to the stage? How many people will be in attendance, the positioning of their chairs, and placement of monitors and other visual aid devices might also impact how they tailor their delivery.

Rehearsals :

The 4 Most Common Mistakes Account Owners Make When Setting Account Goals

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:22:29 GMT

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

We’ve all heard it and laughed about it because we would never fall into the trap of repeatedly making the same mistake. Would we?

Not intentionally, I hope. Yet many account owners approach their account goals the same way they always have instead of adopting better practices. And while the four most common mistakes might not be as detrimental to your business they will certainly drain company resources and reduce the effectiveness of your salespeople.

The 4 Most Common Mistakes:

1. Mistaking Tactics for Goals:

I see this mistake quite often when it comes to goal setting. Tactics are actions you can incorporate into your strategy for achieving goals. For example, would ‘closing a specific opportunity’ be a tactic or a goal? To answer that question, first, ask yourself why you want to close the opportunity to begin with. The answer is usually something about achieving a quota or achieving an account revenue goal. Therefore, closing an opportunity is a strategic tactic for achieving a financial account goal.

2. Too Many Account Goals Across Too Many Categories:

Setting too many goals can result in not knowing how to prioritize work or targets. Setting too many goals – whether in one or several areas – won’t allow sales professionals to focus their time and energy on the goals that matter most.

3. Insufficient Time to Achieve:

Another mistake applicable to any goal you set in work and your personal life is underestimating the time required to complete the goal. It's one of the single biggest reasons many goals are missed. And it's one sure way to demotivate yourself or your team. Failed goals often result in personal feelings of failure and the belief we are inadequate. And all it needed was simply to be realistic about how much time the tasks will take to complete.

4. No Review Process:

It always amazes me how many people do not take the time to periodically review their progress in relation to their goals. Goals can take time to achieve and adjustments will almost always need to be made along the way. This is why it's important to take stock of everything you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you've learned. Have priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity?

Make no mistake, setting account goals is both an art and a skill and is vital to the long-term success of your accounts, yet it is often overlooked. Your account goals are integral to your account plan. The better you define your goals, the better you can serve your customers, coordinate your team, and drive growth in your accounts.

What we have explored in this blog only scratches the surface of the challenges account owners face when it comes to account goal setting. Do you want to get a better idea of how to set account goals and how to build world-class account plans? We can help. Contact us today to help you start better defining the health of your account plans and addressing some of the many challenges that you face in establishing effective account management.

The Challenge with Pipeline Data & Reporting

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:36:56 GMT

Your sales pipeline is your business's lifeline

Sales leaders are under immense pressure to make sure they have quality pipelines with enough coverage to hit the numbers. If your pipeline is strong and the deals are flowing, it means the business is growing. But whether you have a strong pipeline or not, the challenges with managing the pipeline are similar, especially when it comes to reporting and data hygiene.

Top Challenges with Pipeline Data Today

CRMs and dashboards make it easy to create complex metrics however, poor pipeline management hinders actionable insight. The greatest technology in the world is not going to be helpful if no one is looking at the data and reports, or if they simply don’t understand how to translate the information into a plan.
Sales leaders lacking pipeline hygiene have trouble communicating and forecasting. Without a clear understanding of what good pipeline health looks like, it becomes much more challenging to drive performance and hold other departments accountable. With a lack of accountability comes a lack of order and efficiency. Before you know it, all your salespeople are doing their own thing and it becomes increasingly difficult to get everyone back on the same page.
We tend to have too many metrics, which can lead to metric tension. Pipeline metrics can be confusing if they are not built by hierarchy. A sales rep may be responsible for reporting certain metrics from their pipeline management to their direct manager, while that manager will then have to go and report a different set of metrics to the CEO or executive overseeing the sales department.

Recommendations

Create a monthly cadence where the sales leaders and operations team balances sharing pipeline insight, and top line goals. Alongside this, consider instituting designated pipeline days throughout the month where sales reps can focus on cleaning up the pipeline and better understanding opportunity risk associated with not having a firm control of their sales leads.
Standardize reporting with 3 to 5 reports focused on facilitating pipeline clean-up for both managers and sales reps. Also ensure that regular check-ins are scheduled and conducted to monitor progress and review any notable findings from the reports.
Build credibility with the rest of the organization by creating more accurate forecasting that aligns with other key functions. As with anything in life or business, people respond best to an initiative when they understand not only the why behind it, but also how it is going to directly impact them in the process.
Build metrics focusing on efficiency that look at progress through the pipeline and effectiveness (selling at the right level). No one wants to waste their time or resources speaking with prospects who are not the actual decision makers. The faster your salespeople can get in front of the right person, the higher their conversion ratio will be and the shorter the sales cycle will become.

Your sales pipeline is one of the most important parts of your business. The better you know your pipeline, the better you can manage and predict your business.

Do you want to get a better idea of the health of your pipeline and improve forecast accuracy? We can help. Contact us today to help you start better defining the health of your pipeline and addressing some of the many challenges that you face to establish your sales pipeline metrics and cadence.

Why You Should Set Account Goals

Fri, 19 May 2023 20:59:30 GMT

Its time to give yourself an 'A'

The first question that has to be answered is ‘is goal setting important? According to a Dominican University study, those who write goals accomplish significantly more than those who do not write their goals.

No matter whether it's personal or professional, goals provide direction, motivate people, improve focus, encourage innovation, and provide opportunities to learn and grow. But what does it mean to have goals when it comes to Account Planning? Think about it as defining the end state. It’s less about what we want to achieve and more about what it looks like if we have already achieved it. This approach to account goal-setting can transform behaviour, attitude, and actions towards the discipline of planning as well as execution of the plan.

Give Yourself an ‘A’:

If you have seen the movie Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pheifer, you will know she plays the role of an English school teacher in a rough neighbourhood. She is given a class of youngsters who are more interested in parties, gangs, and crime than they are in learning. How does she redirect their behaviour? How does she get them to think differently about themselves, their lives, and their learning? She gives them an A right out of the gate. For the first time, these youngsters got a taste, a view of success, what it felt like to be an A student and accomplish something they had never thought possible. And so, the change began. It's time to give yourself an A. Give yourself a fighting chance to grow your accounts to their full potential.

Challenge your Status Quo:

Your account goals define your purpose for being in the account. Why are you there? We know you're there to generate growth and revenue for your own company. We understand that this is a given. But your purpose goes beyond that.

Account goals define a new way to reach new levels of achievement within the account. Giving yourself an ‘A’ and then aiming to keep it will challenge you and your colleagues to aim higher, do things you might never have before, and create an ‘art of the possible’ mindset rather than a ‘wait and see’ mindset.

Hyperfocus on the ‘A’:

With the bullseye clearly in sight, you can aim and prioritize your selling efforts in the right direction, helping you to keep everyone focused on the end game and ensure everyone aligns themselves and prioritizes their task to maximize every opportunity to achieve the A.

Setting account goals has never been more important. With contracting markets, internal pressures, and less time available, what you focus on and where you spend your time have never been more important than it is right now. Don’t go another day without setting or reviewing your account goals. If you want to build world-class goals into your account planning cadence, talk to us today!

I’m sure we have all heard the word goal before unless you have been living under a rock, but what does the word really mean in relation to account planning?

I like to define it as the end state. It is not a statement of what we want to achieve but rather something we have already achieved. Then you work backwards from there by figuring out which effort and work needs to be directed.

So why set account goals?

Your account goals, they define your purpose for being in the account. Why are you there? I know that we know that you're there to generate growth and revenue for your own company. We understand that, that is a given. But your purpose goes beyond that. So your goals should be defining your purpose for being in the account. Your goals should also be defining the way to reach new levels of achievement within the account.

Goals also help keep the account team focused on that end game, on that end state. And therefore goals ensure that people align themselves and prioritize their tasks, including yourself, and therefore enable better or more effective use of time and resources.

Don’t go another day without setting or reviewing your account goals. If you want to build world-class goals into your account planning cadence, talk to us today!

The Secret Ingredient To An Effective Sales Process

Fri, 19 May 2023 20:54:24 GMT

If you’re in sales, you will have heard the term Sales Process. But do we really need a sales process and what does it mean for your business?

A sales process is a predefined set of several repetitive steps sales teams follow to maximise every opportunity by conducting the right actions at the right time. There are internally focused activities as well as customer facing actions that must be taken to ensure prospective buyers and stakeholders remain engaged from the early opportunity stages right up to when the deal is closed and beyond.

A good sales process will ensure both the customer as well as doing what’s necessary to effectively run your business are at the centre of its design. According to a study conducted by Vantage Point, defined and executed effectively, a sales process has been shown to increase sales revenue by 18%.

The next question that has to be asked is, how exactly does it do that? The secret ingredient to a good sales process is something we like to call ‘Verifiable Outcomes.’ While there are multiple factors to a well defined sales process, verifiable outcomes will be one of the most vital components to get right. You

may have heard the term ‘Sales Stage Exit Criteria’ it's the same thing.

Verifiable outcomes are the critical seller and customer facing activities that must be completed before a deal is moved to the next sales stage.

Why Verifiable Outcomes Matter?

Firstly , they are leading indicators that create a predictive view of sales activities allowing for course correction if the exit criteria are below expectation or incomplete.

Second , they are verifiable which means they can be documented, captured in a system or are visibly completed actions that inform sales managers whether or not the criteria has been achieved.

Third , they boost pipeline confidence. Consistent execution and measurement of verifiable outcomes gives sales managers and business leaders confidence that an opportunity is viable and winnable.

And finally, verifiable outcomes capture customer engagement. True leading criteria must include some reaction from the customer that either confirms or changes the status of an opportunity.

What should you do now?

Take a look at your sales process and ask, for each stage across your opportunity lifecycle, what actions must be completed by your sellers and buyers before a deal can move to the next sales stage? Here are some examples to get your started:

Sales Verifiable Outcomes

Opportunity qualified based on chosen qualification methodology (ANUM, BANT, etc.)
Confirmed the customer buying process
Resolved final procurement objections

Customer facing verifiable outcomes:

Customer confirms a need or desire to address issues
Customer confirms business value and proposal meets commercial and business requirements
Customer provides all final signatures

Think of the verifiable-outcomes-driven sales process like Waze or Google Maps, not only do you know where you’re going but how you’re going to get there, how long it may take, what obstacles may be on route and how likely you are to arrive on time.

Aside from increased revenue, an exemplary sales process multiplies the number of new customers acquired; there is improved communication between the sales team, the customers, and the company is able to measure and predict its business effectively.

Do you have a well defined sales process? Reach out to us if you want to talk about creating a sales process or strengthening an existing one.

The 5 Myths of Account Planning

Fri, 19 May 2023 20:37:50 GMT

When it comes to account planning there are a number of misconceptions

In order for a sales team to be highly effective, it is important to break the cycle of old beliefs that often seem to tell us there is no value in the account planning process. In order to change the narrative, let’s take a look at some of the most common myths!

Myth #1: Account planning is a one-time event where a document is filled out and never looked at again.

Fact: This is probably the most common myth and also the most fundamental foundational mistake we see in the attitude and perception of what account planning is. Account planning goes well beyond just filling in a document. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Account planning is a continuous process where the goal is to create a preference for your company within the account, achieve revenue targets, and increase customer satisfaction. It should be viewed as an ongoing discipline and not a one off task.

Myth # 2: Account planning is the sole responsibility of the account owner.

Fact: This myth is another big reason account owners stumble and fall in the art, skill, and discipline of account planning. Yes, the account owners are ultimately responsible for conducting account management, completing account plans, and maintaining those account plans, but they cannot and should not do it alone. They should be leveraging and partnering with other stakeholders in their organization such as pre-sales, marketing, and executive leadership. All team members and even the customer should be considered as active participants in this process.

Myth #3: It’s only the supplier’s view of the customer and the potential opportunities in that customer account.

Fact: This is a crucial mistake. If you are going to conduct account planning without learning about your customer, without conducting the correct amount of research on your accounts, and that includes speaking with the people inside your account, you are at risk of creating unrealistic account goals. Unrealistic could mean you are maybe setting the revenue targets too high because affordability for the customer is unrealistic or setting the targets too low and leaving money on the table. You could be focusing on the wrong products, the wrong problems, or simply talking to the wrong people. When you pay proper attention to your accounts, everyone on the team can be working on goals that are SMART.

Myth # 4: Account planning is only the goal of achieving revenue targets in your accounts.

Fact: If that's the only goal you set for yourself in your accounts, you are not setting yourself up for long term success. Or, best case scenario, you will create an opportunistic approach that’s very reactive, resulting in smaller, sporadic rather than proactive, sustainable engagement with the account. Your goal should include things like enabling customer success and advancing your own status in the account.

Myth #5: Account planning is the strategy or goal to close an opportunity.

Fact: The thing that frustrates me about this myth is that it is a reflection of a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset. This is not what account planning is or how it should be used. Closing an opportunity is a strategic tactic to support your financial targets in your accounts. But closing opportunity X or Y is not a goal. It's an execution tactic. If you are focused solely on the revenue targets and the opportunities, you are doing so at the risk of creating healthy sustainable account growth and relationships.

You might be asking yourself what the right goals are for your accounts after realizing that closing opportunities is not one of them. So, if you want to debunk these myths in your organization and learn how to set realistic and profitable goals, reach out to us today.

Account Goals: It's Not Just About The Money

Fri, 19 May 2023 20:37:48 GMT

If you’re in sales, just to make money, you may not be as successful as you would like to be.

Sure you may hit your numbers, but the real value in what you do should be how much your product or service helps your customers. When you do the right thing by your customers, you build long-term relationships within the account and raise your profile. To truly assess your effectiveness, have you considered how you are setting your account goals?

To ensure long-term success in your accounts, you need to think beyond the revenue goals. Make sure you include:

Relationship Development Goals:

People are an integral part of success for any organization, and this holds especially true for account management. If your account plan has any chance of success, you must factor in relationship development goals. People relate to people, it’s that simple. If an account is going to reach its maximum potential, then there must be a plan to gain access to or strengthen relationships in and around your accounts.

These include:

Customer relationships: Who do you need to gain access to and how? What existing relationships do you need to improve or strengthen and what actions will you take?
Colleague relationships: Who inside your own company do you need to proactively engage and build a relationship with to help you with your account(s)?
Partner relationships: Which business partners will you work with on this account and what activities will you conduct to strengthen these relationships and engage them in your account(s)?

And don’t limit your relationship goals to the business functions you are comfortable with. Challenge yourself to develop a multi-stakeholder strategy. This approach increases your chances of success within the account.

Enabling Customer Success Goals:

These are goals revolving around helping your customers achieve their goals. These can be related to the value you promised your clients during the buying journey as well as initiatives and outcomes your customers are trying to achieve. There are two words of caution with these account goals:

#1: You cannot make the customer's goal your own goal, because there are too many factors outside of your control. You can have actions and state your goals in a way where you are supporting them in achieving their goals.

#2: You have to think ahead of time about what you're promising your customers and make sure you can deliver on it. If you're selling product A and you're telling your customers it can save millions of dollars, it better deliver on that promise or you are unlikely to see that customer come back for future purchases.

Expansion Goals:

The third category of goals you should have in your account plans is related to the advancement of your company’s status and your own status inside the account. This applies to existing customers as well as new ones, and whether there are active opportunities or not in the account. These goals include activities around; increasing your company’s brand, expanding your product footprint, and raising your own profile in the account so that they know who you are and what you’re about.

And finally, Financial Goals:

Financial goals are always part of account planning but should not be the only metric for measuring the success of your selling and relationship strategies. With that said, closing an opportunity is not an account goal, it's a strategic tactic to achieve your financial goals in the account. Financial goals aligned with the other three goal categories will increase your chances of creating sustainable growth in your accounts.

Your account goals are integral to your account plan. The better you define your goals, the better you can serve your customers, coordinate your team, and drive growth in your accounts.

Do you want to get a better idea of how to set account goals and how to build world-class account plans? We can help. Contact us today to help you start better defining the health of your account plans and addressing some of the many challenges that you face in establishing effective account management.

3ac2eba8

Presentations Have Two Sides — Are You Ignoring One?

Should every presentation meet only the needs of the audience, or does the presenter matter as well?

Beyond the Numbers: Reading Your Pipeline's Real Health

Five warning signs of unhealthy pipelines and what you could do next

Is Your Pipeline Active or just Full?

The non-negotiables of a pipeline that actually converts

The Top 4 Reasons Why Account Planning Fails To Become Part Of The Sales Operational Cadence

From Aspiration to Attainment: Steer Clear of the 4 Riskiest Account Goal Setting Pitfalls

SMART goals prevent unnecessary mistakes.

Balancing the Style & Substance of Sales Kick Off Presentations

Tips for creating reality-fueled content:

And that’s not all…

Embrace the power of substance and authenticity to make your presentations truly impactful and memorable.

Books Are Judged By Their Covers

Whether you like it or not presentation design matters

Why is visual appeal important in a professional presentation?

Who is Designing your Presentations?

Top considerations when deciding whether to design your own slides or engage an expert

Professionalism:

Time Saving:

Expertise:

Customization:

Consistency:

Rethinking the Value of Traditional Sales Kick Offs

In today’s economic climate, should sales organisations still be investing in Sales Kickoff events?

The Traditional Value of Sales Kickoff Events:

﻿ Reevaluating Sales Kickoff Events in a Budget-Conscious Climate:

Presentation Design: Do it Yourself or Hire an Expert

Thanks to programs like Powerpoint and Keynote, anyone can throw together a bunch of slides in no time at all. But should they? DIY (do it yourself) does not always translate into DIW (do it well)

Professionalism:

Time Saving:

Expertise:

Customization:

Consistency:

Are we too obsessed with the audience's viewpoint when preparing a presentation?

Should every presentation you craft and deliver meet only the needs of the audience, or does the presenter matter as well?

Here are some of the key factors from the speaker’s viewpoint to consider when preparing a presentation:

The 4 Most Common Mistakes Account Owners Make When Setting Account Goals

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

The 4 Most Common Mistakes:

1. Mistaking Tactics for Goals:

2. Too Many Account Goals Across Too Many Categories:

3. Insufficient Time to Achieve:

4. No Review Process:

The Challenge with Pipeline Data & Reporting

Your sales pipeline is your business's lifeline

Top Challenges with Pipeline Data Today

Recommendations

Why You Should Set Account Goals

Its time to give yourself an 'A'

Give Yourself an ‘A’:

﻿

Challenge your Status Quo:

Hyperfocus on the ‘A’:

So why set account goals?

The Secret Ingredient To An Effective Sales Process

If you’re in sales, you will have heard the term Sales Process. But do we really need a sales process and what does it mean for your business?

Why Verifiable Outcomes Matter?

What should you do now?

Customer facing verifiable outcomes:

The 5 Myths of Account Planning

When it comes to account planning there are a number of misconceptions

Myth #1: Account planning is a one-time event where a document is filled out and never looked at again.

Myth # 2: Account planning is the sole responsibility of the account owner.

Myth #3: It’s only the supplier’s view of the customer and the potential opportunities in that customer account.

Myth # 4: Account planning is only the goal of achieving revenue targets in your accounts.

Myth #5: Account planning is the strategy or goal to close an opportunity.

Account Goals: It's Not Just About The Money

If you’re in sales, just to make money, you may not be as successful as you would like to be.

Relationship Development Goals:

Enabling Customer Success Goals:

Expansion Goals:

And finally, Financial Goals:

Reevaluating Sales Kickoff Events in a Budget-Conscious Climate: