<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' ?>
<rss version='2.0' xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>
<channel>
	<title>Sterling Chase</title>
	<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/feed</link>
	<description>Driving Sales Excellence</description>
	<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 04:58:17 +0100</pubDate>
	<copyright>Copyright Sterling Chase Associates Ltd</copyright>
	<ttl>360</ttl>
	<item>
		<title>Getting Your Service People to Sell</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In today&rsquo;s world, regardless of the sector you are selling into, your competition has more than likely become more capable&nbsp;and more proactive in recent years. Your buyers will have unlimited access to information on your competitor&rsquo;s offer and, like it or not, your products and services are being commoditised and hence are at risk of being substituted much quicker than you&nbsp;would like.

To add to your nightmare, no matter how big your contracts are, your customers are also far more willing and able to switch supplier if what you offer is not completely unique and mission critical to their operation, or if they are not fully satisfied with what you supply to them.

Aim to add value in every interaction

We have a saying that, once you win an important customer or contract, if you are not adding incremental value to the relationship on a daily basis,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2021 12:03:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/getting-your-service-people-to-sell/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/getting-your-service-people-to-sell/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>3 Steps to Professionalising Your Sales Force – Embed, Embed, Embed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In this article, we outline 3 crucial steps that you can take to professionalise your sales force. In doing so, you can ensure that your sales people systematically:


	Create ongoing incremental value across their client bases and sales territories;
	Continuously improve in terms of their sales productivity and effectiveness; and
	Start to get the support and recognition they deserve from the wider organisation.


Background

Since I founded Sterling Chase 18 years ago, the role of the modern day sales professional has changed a great deal. Back then, the typical sales function consisted of sales people who had received little by way of structured professional development. They either played a numbers game by pushing the features, advantages and benefits of their products at as many prospective clients as possible or they facilitated peer-to-peer senior executive contact at the client decision maker level to feed the prospect&rsquo;s ego, instil a sense of a long-term commitment to a partnership and,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2021 10:47:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/3-steps-to-professionalising-your-sales-force-embed-embed-embed/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/3-steps-to-professionalising-your-sales-force-embed-embed-embed/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Calling all B2B Sales Leaders and Salespeople: It is time to reinvent</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We are selling in a world on an extended tilted axis. A world where many of our prospective buying organisations are yet again all but closed, and where the focus of buying for those that are still running anywhere near normal, is on an &ldquo;absolute necessity only&rdquo; basis. And, despite the fantastic work the world&#8217;s scientists done to produce vaccines, we are clearly looking at many months, if not even years before things get back to normal levels of commerce across most of the world&#8217;s industries.

This makes the outlook for the difficult job of B2B selling extremely challenging. So we have to ask ourselves &ldquo;what can we in the business of selling do to support organisations in their quest to improve the way they obtain and service their customers?&rdquo;; and &ldquo;what can we offer these organisations to help them be more competitive in this ongoing volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world?&rdquo;

Organisations that are facing, or are striving to avoid crisis,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:57:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/calling-all-b2b-sales-leaders-and-salespeople-it-is-time-to-reinvent/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/calling-all-b2b-sales-leaders-and-salespeople-it-is-time-to-reinvent/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>npower Sales Academy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Overview

As one of the big players in the UK energy market, npower&rsquo;s reputation thrives on their ability to innovate and adapt to market trends. To that end, the Industrial and Commercial Unit in npower was seeking a relevant, in-depth and effective professional sales development programme to sharpen the selling skills of their key account management and new business development teams.

Background

Sterling Chase was chosen as the preferred supplier for the design and delivery of the Sales Academy programme for the RWE npower Industrial and Commercial Unit. The unit provides energy management solutions to RWE npower&rsquo;s largest public and commercial sector clients.

The Sales Academy programme&rsquo;s objective was to transform the field and desk-based sales teams from being reactive relationship managers to proactive consultative business development managers. It encompassed desk and field-]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2021 12:08:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/our-clients/case-studies/npower-sales-academy/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/our-clients/case-studies/npower-sales-academy/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Driving Success Through Up-Selling &amp; Cross-Selling</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sales leaders often come to us asking for help to get their sales functions to up-sell and cross-sell wherever possible in order to drive up sales productivity, improve revenue performance and increase margins. While many companies have the opportunity to transform their value, they often fail to do so because they either don&rsquo;t see (or can&rsquo;t seize) the opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell.

But with increasing competition, tightening regulation and hesitation among buyers across all industries, shareholders are now demanding more bang for their buck from the sales force. This means that sales companies across all industries need to be selling more in every sale in terms of value and margin. In a nut-shell, they need to be up-selling and cross-selling at every given opportunity.

Up-Selling &amp; Cross-Selling Explained

While there is some crossover between the definitions of up-selling and cross-selling, they are normally defined as follows.

&lsquo;Up-]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2021 14:52:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/driving-success-selling-cross-selling/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/driving-success-selling-cross-selling/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>10 Steps to Reducing Sales Team Attrition Rates</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many companies with high sales function employee attrition, or &lsquo;churn&rsquo; rates, resist investment in their people for fear of wasting money on people who are likely to leave anyway.

However, many research projects have shown that investment in a sales team&#8217;s development can completely transform the rate of attrition. This article explains how to use training and development as a critical tool for reducing the loss of your people and, in particular, the loss of your best people.

Background

With increased employee mobility combining with the advent of social media and online employment agencies, employees have not only become better informed over your company&rsquo;s standing as an employer of choice, but they are also now much more able (and likely) to apply for a job elsewhere as soon as they become aware and/or decide that it is worth switching.

Sales people are demanding and want good rewards for their efforts. However, they also want to enjoy their work.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/10-steps-to-reducing-sales-team-attrition-rates/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/10-steps-to-reducing-sales-team-attrition-rates/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>The 7 Secrets of Successful Sales Management</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our Client Development Director, Adrian Atwood, provides his 7 Secrets of Successful Sales Management.

1. Treat your time as a precious asset

Look after it. As a senior sales manager you only have two levers to grow you business, time and money. Put simply, you can&#8217;t buy time, so time is more precious than money.

Successful sales managers manage their time efficiently. They make conscious choices about how to spend their time efficiently, while they make conscious choices about how to spend their time effectively - both at work and on a personal basis - to achieve all round success.

2. Have a mission statement

With everything that the job entails in a senior sales role, it is easy to get distracted and be constantly bombarded with demands for your attention.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:38:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/7-secrets-successful-sales-management/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/7-secrets-successful-sales-management/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>What Makes a Great Sales Leader?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The key to achieving great sales results lies with an organisation&rsquo;s sales people. This includes and begins with having a great sales leader who is capable of leading his or her sales force towards greater performance.

But what makes a great sales leader?

While all great sales leaders are individuals with their own techniques and strategies, in this article we take a look at the traits and characteristics that are common in most great sales leaders.

1. A Strong Mindset

In today&rsquo;s tough business environment, great sales leaders need to have a tough and resilient mindset to be successful. Acquiring new and retaining existing customers has never been more difficult in these harsh economic times. This means that sales leaders need to be courageous and willing to take risks if their sales force is going to stand out from the crowd and drive performance.

2. Passionate

Great sales leaders are passionate about their sales team&rsquo;s performance and have a positive attitude to their work.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:25:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/what-makes-a-great-sales-leader/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/what-makes-a-great-sales-leader/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Key Account Managers Need to Be Sales Hunters AND Sales Farmers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Traditionally, Key Account Managers (KAMs) have been sales farmers. That is, they work hard to sow, nurture and grow their account relationships over a long period with the aim of reaching the coveted status of being seen as &lsquo;trusted sales advisors&rsquo;. This status has historically been viewed as the ultimate goal because it results in protected differentiation, premium prices and income predictability.

The problem in today&rsquo;s world is that this type of sales person is an expensive overhead for both selling and buying organisations, not least because KAMs often take years of investment before they deliver rewards. We also see that many sales farmers receive great customer satisfaction scores but go totally unnoticed at the senior decision-making level and lose 90 percent of the opportunities they bid for.

But in today&rsquo;s tough environment, the hard truth is that NEITHER the selling nor buying organisation can afford to wait years for their farmed relationships to bear fruit.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2020 11:39:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/key-account-managers-need-to-be-sales-hunters-and-sales-farmers/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/key-account-managers-need-to-be-sales-hunters-and-sales-farmers/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>A New World Approach to Transforming the Sales Team</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Traditionally, people have believed that you are either born to be good at selling or you are not.

This traditional &#8220;wisdom&#8221; holds that selling skills can be honed over time, but they need to be based on a highly confident personality, a dogged determination, and a desire to be successful that drives every action.

Meanwhile, sales leaders have traditionally been thought of as &#8220;alpha&#8221; individuals who command the respect of their sales forces and drive income growth at any cost.

Times have changed

While these observations may have held true in the past, times have changed and many are now challenging such conventional views.

In recent years, buyers have become more &#8220;business-savvy&#8221; and have a much greater choice of suppliers than was previously the case. Legal and ethical concerns have been raised towards best sales practices in the media. Technological advances and social trends, such as an explosion in the use of social media, now ensure that brand-]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2020 10:53:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/a-new-world-approach-to-transforming-the-sales-team/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/a-new-world-approach-to-transforming-the-sales-team/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Sales and Marketing Need to Work Together!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The relationship between sales and marketing serves as one of the main sources of conflict for the modern day organisation. Yet it also offers one of the biggest opportunities for organisational growth in today&rsquo;s environment.

Sales and marketing in large firms often operate as separate divisions, performing different functions with little collaboration. This tends to result in each department developing separate objectives, cultures and perceptions.

This can have a detrimental impact on a firm. Differences in objectives, cultures and perceptions often lead to managers focusing on their departments becoming individually successful. In turn, this can lead to missed sales and promotional opportunities and hinder customer relationships.

Concerns have led many to call for greater integration between sales and marketing departments. Some have even called for the two to be merged into one division.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Feb 2020 14:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/sales-and-marketing-need-to-work-together/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/sales-and-marketing-need-to-work-together/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>The Death of a Salesman</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Why recruit a woman into your team? What selling skills can she really bring?

These types of questions have been hotly debated for many years, not just in sales, but in the whole field of business. And of course, many reasoned and well-thought out justifications for the presence of women in business have been presented and argued.

Reasons such as &lsquo;women are better listeners&rsquo;, &lsquo;women are needed to interpret the female consumers&rsquo; desires&rsquo;, and &lsquo;women can use their empathy to build client relationships&rsquo;, to name just a few.

But there is a big problem with this situation&#8230;

By even entering into a discussion about the economic and business benefits women can bring, we are implicitly agreeing that, were these economic benefits proved insufficient, it would be acceptable to rationalise excluding women from the workplace.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-death-of-a-salesman/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-death-of-a-salesman/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Fulfil Your Values and Align Your Beliefs to Increase Sales</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In recent posts we have talked about the importance of having a positive attitude and acquiring a superior set of selling skills to enhance your sales performance.

Indeed, it is true that the best sales people tend to be highly motivated individuals who have spent a lot of time and effort finely tuning their sales techniques and sales process.

But successful selling relies on much more than this&#8230;

This is because our fundamental values and beliefs have a significant impact on our approach to selling.

By paying attention to your values and beliefs (particularly those holding you back) and taking action (if necessary), you can lay the crucial groundwork needed for a successful career in selling.

Fulfil Your Values

Values are the things that are most important to us. They might include things like autonomy, respect, honesty, trust&#8230;or even having fun!

As a sales professional,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Oct 2019 14:32:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/fulfil-your-values-and-align-your-beliefs-to-increase-sales/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/fulfil-your-values-and-align-your-beliefs-to-increase-sales/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Great Selling Skills are Transferable Across Any Industry</title>
		<description><![CDATA[These days, great sales people are not the pushy, overconfident stereotype that most people think of when they hear the word &#8216;sales person&#8217; or &#8216;salesman&#8217;. The male-orientated, winner-takes-all environment that many associate with sales is dead for any organisation that wants to be successful, no matter what industry they sell into.

In today&#8217;s world, purchasing decisions and responsibilities have also become polarised between commodity purchases (which are dealt with by transactional procurement teams and based on price with low margins) and strategic purchases (which are dealt with by senior business sponsors and multi-discipline business improvement teams and based on value with high margins).

All of this means that, unless selling organisations are confident that they can win high-volume, low-price contracts by having the lowest cost base, they must establish capable business development teams that work together and use best-]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:52:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/great-selling-skills-are-transferable-across-any-industry/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/great-selling-skills-are-transferable-across-any-industry/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>The Importance of Identifying and Understanding Buyer Personalities</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In an earlier blog post, Steve Eungblut showed how important it is for sales people to be aware of their own personality. This is crucial for sales people to be able to adapt their communication style to fit their circumstances and to be aware of their own biases and blind spots. He also spoke about the importance of being able to identify and understand the personality of the buyer.

This latter ability is probably one of the most useful in the sales person&#8217;s arsenal. A proficiency in identifying and understanding your buyers&#8217; personality will lead to a better qualification of opportunities, greater value creation, more accurate sales proposals, higher win-rates, and faster close times.

If you&#8217;re able to reliably identify and understand your buyer&rsquo;s personality, then you&#8217;ll be able to ensure that information is presented to them in a way that will let them easily make use of it. In turn,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 2019 16:44:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-importance-of-identifying-and-understanding-buyer-personalities/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-importance-of-identifying-and-understanding-buyer-personalities/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Separating the Great Sales People From the Average</title>
		<description><![CDATA[So what does it take to be a great salesperson?

In terms of fundamental selling skills, the list could be endless. To just scrape the surface, a great salesperson should be excellent at pitching and persistent in their approach to selling. They should have an advanced array of negotiation skills and closing techniques that enable them to sign off favourable deals in line with their forecasts.

They should also be confident and competent at crucial aspects of the sales process, such as cold calling, objection handling and writing winning sales proposals, while they should have a positive, &ldquo;get up and go&rdquo; attitude to selling.

But there&rsquo;s more to an outstanding salesperson than first meets the eye. What really separates an average salesperson from an extraordinary salesperson is a constellation of attitudes and behaviours that have a considerable impact on an individual&rsquo;s &ndash; and, indeed,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2019 12:17:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/separating-the-great-salespeople-from-the-average/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/separating-the-great-salespeople-from-the-average/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Why Do So Many Sales Proposals Fail?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Writing sales proposals can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Yet these proposals are often crucial to creating buyer urgency and accelerating the sale.

Sales proposals are therefore a critical component of the sales process that every B2B sales person should master if they want to increase sales and hit their targets.

But why do so many sales proposals fail to captivate the interest of senior decision makers?

Here we outline some of the key reasons why sales proposals fail and what you can do to ensure that you don&rsquo;t fall into similar traps when preparing your own proposals.

1. The sales proposal is too long

Sales proposals often fail to make the right impression because they are too long. This has the effect of diluting the powerful messages within the proposal or losing sight of the buyer&rsquo;s needs and desires. If a sales proposal is deemed to be too long,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/why-do-so-many-sales-proposals-fail/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/why-do-so-many-sales-proposals-fail/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Be Prepared to Enhance Your Negotiation Skills</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Good planning and preparation of the negotiation process is critical to the success of any B2B sales person. The increasing speed and complexity of negotiations in today&rsquo;s selling environment means that traditional &ldquo;off the cuff&rdquo; approaches to the negotiation process a thing of the past.

Here are six quick tips on how you can improve your negotiation skills through effective planning and preparation.

1. Set your objectives and an agenda

You must have a negotiation strategy in place with set objectives for every aspect of the negotiation. This is a crucial part of planning for negotiations and can either make or break an effective negotiation. By clearly defining your objectives you will be more focused and confident of achieving favourable terms at the end of the meeting.

Your negotiation strategy should also include a detailed agenda for every aspect of the negotiation.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2019 11:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/be-prepared-to-enhance-your-negotiation-skills/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/be-prepared-to-enhance-your-negotiation-skills/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>A Guide to Transforming B2B Customer Relationships</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With more choice and greater access to information than ever before, B2B buyers are increasingly switching to alternative suppliers or seeking to renegotiate deals at a lower price.

In this whitepaper we introduce the Sterling Chase&nbsp;INnOVATER Relationship Model &ndash; a simple 7 step approach that you can take to systematically work with your clients and your own people to turn around difficult relationships and create real value for your client base.

Fill in your details to receive your free copy now&hellip;]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2018 14:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-transforming-b2b-customer-relationships/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-transforming-b2b-customer-relationships/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>A Guide to Consultative Selling</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When it comes to B2B selling, buyers now expect suppliers to offer innovative business solutions that create tangible value and a significant return on investment.

This means that traditional sales techniques which push the features, advantages and benefits of products no longer work.

Today consultative sales techniques are required to diagnose, develop and shape the client&rsquo;s needs and desires before proposing solutions which provide them with real value.

Fill in the form to download our&nbsp;Guide to Consultative Selling&nbsp;and learn our award-winning methodology&nbsp;Selling from the Left&reg;]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2018 14:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-consultative-selling/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-consultative-selling/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Should Sales People Be Given More Pricing Authority?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I was taught at Harvard that if you are responsible and accountable for a leadership or business task, you must have the full authority to make decisions. Well, shouldn&rsquo;t this be the same for sales people?

Sales people are responsible and accountable for hitting their numbers and maintaining client satisfaction. Yet research suggests that only 23% of sales strategies grant their sales force full pricing authority. In comparison, 29% of sales strategies give low pricing authority while 48% grant limited pricing authority to their people.

But how can sales people meet expectations if so few have full authority to make pricing decisions?

Arguments For Full Pricing Authority

Supporters of a sales strategy that delegates pricing authority argue that sales people are in a better position to negotiate prices than their superiors. This is because sales people have a superior knowledge of local market conditions, the client&rsquo;s needs and desires,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/should-salespeople-be-given-pricing-authority/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/should-salespeople-be-given-pricing-authority/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>4 Tips to Increase Sales with Consultative Selling</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When adopting a consultative approach to selling, as a sales professional, you should act more like a consultant than a conventional sales person. Rather than pitching the features, advantages and benefits of a product or service, a consultative sales person makes recommendations based on their buyers&#8217; most pressing needs and desires.

By acting like a consultant rather than a conventional salesperson, you will put yourself in a great position to create long-term relationships with customers that are based on trust. This adds significant value to each and every sale, making customers all the more likely to buy from you instead of a competitor.

Here are 4 quick tips that will enable you to master consultative selling:

Tip 1: Be a Problem-Solver:

Consultative selling requires sales people to approach selling in the same way that they would to solving a problem. You need to treat any customer pain,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Nov 2018 14:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/4-tips-to-increase-sales-with-consultative-selling/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/4-tips-to-increase-sales-with-consultative-selling/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>6 Sales Presentation Techniques That Will Inspire Your Audience</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In the world of business and sales, in particular, an outstanding set of communication skills and presentation skills can be vital to your success.

For sales leaders, the right presentation skills can be used to motivate and inspire sales teams to win more deals and increase sales.

For account managers and business development professionals, presentation skills are a crucial part of creating interest and building rapport with senior decision makers.

Here we provide 6 presentation techniques that will help you to refine your presentation skills and inspire your audience.

1. Keep the audience engaged and be passionate

High impact sales leaders and sales executives engage with their audience with conviction. They adapt their presentation skills to use a style and language that is familiar to their audience. This involves knowing your audience well and speaking with an energetic (but measured) tone and pace throughout the presentation.

By keeping your presentation enthusiastic and punchy,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:28:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/6-presentation-techniques-to-inspire-your-audience/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/6-presentation-techniques-to-inspire-your-audience/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Take Responsibility of Your Sales Performance and Selling Career!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A few good sales techniques and being motivated are no longer enough&#8230;

It used to be true that if a sales person had a great sales technique and was highly motivated they would be great at selling. Well, that&rsquo;s no longer true in the world of B2B selling.

People used to say &lsquo;she&rsquo;s a great closer&rsquo; or &lsquo;he&rsquo;s great at objection handling&#8217;.

However, being great at one or two individual sales techniques won&rsquo;t give you success in today&rsquo;s more complicated world. If you want to be successful, you have to have a whole armoury of sales techniques that form an effective and integrated selling system.

Buyers are far more sophisticated than they were a couple of years ago. This is due to the availability of online research and the pressure to measure and demonstrate value for money with every purchase. Whether they are buying &lsquo;price-]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2018 10:18:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/take-responsibility-of-your-sales-performance-and-selling-career/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/take-responsibility-of-your-sales-performance-and-selling-career/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>3 Steps to Creating the Right Environment for Closing Sales</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Closing sales on time has always been an essential part of the sales process&#8230;

Indeed, to be truly valued by your employer, you need to be able to close sales both in line with your forecasts and your sales targets.

But this challenging prospect has become much more difficult in recent years. Buyers have become more cautious as their budgets have been squeezed and they are under higher pressure to run multiple projects at the same time.

This means that prospects have less time to focus on any one solution and are scrutinising buying decisions in greater detail. Consequently, closing sales has become much more difficult in today&rsquo;s economic climate.

By creating the right conditions for a successful close, however, you can defy these trends. You can ensure commitments from your prospects to sign deals and win sales faster and at a higher value than your colleagues AND competitors. In turn,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:16:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/3-steps-to-creating-the-right-environment-for-closing-sales/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/3-steps-to-creating-the-right-environment-for-closing-sales/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>The Importance of Trust in Your Customer Value Proposition</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In today&rsquo;s tough selling environment, B2B sales people need to develop trusted relationships with senior executives much faster to open and close high-margin sales.

To accelerate trusted relationships with senior executives, however, sales people need to take a strategic, consultative approach to selling which aligns their solution with the needs and desires of their prospects.

This challenging paradigm renders the accelerated achievement of being recognised as a &lsquo;trusted advisor&rsquo; a critical aspect of the B2B sales process.

Sales professionals can no longer solely rely on the features, advantages or benefits of their solutions to make a quick sale. In today&rsquo;s climate buyers are making purchasing decisions based on emotion AND hard-nosed business logic in equal amounts. This elevates the value of trust in selling relationships.

To establish your status as a trusted advisor, the following conditions must be met:

1.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2018 13:11:00 +0100</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-importance-of-trust-in-your-customer-value-proposition/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-importance-of-trust-in-your-customer-value-proposition/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Lead the Sales Process to Transform Your Selling Performance</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Leading the sales process can, quite simply, transform your sales performance.

By taking control and leading the sale at your own pace, you will significantly improve your sales forecasting accuracy and the certainty with which you hit your sales targets and earn your sales commissions.

You will be able to take control of your own destiny and will be viewed by peers as a leader who makes things happen. Furthermore, you will be able to control the pace of the buyer&rsquo;s decision-making process in each and every sale.

So, how does a sales person successfully lead the sales process?

To take charge and lead the sales process, it is essential that you:


	Create a compelling event in the future to get action now.
	Plan the sale backwards to lead the sale forwards.
	Be proactive in your leadership of the sales process.
	Develop a champion in both companies to really make things happen.


Now let&rsquo;s take a look at each of these crucial elements in turn.

Create a compelling event in the future to get action]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/lead-the-sales-process-to-transform-your-selling-performance/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/lead-the-sales-process-to-transform-your-selling-performance/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>How to Succeed in the First 30 Seconds of a Sales Meeting</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The first 30 seconds of your first meeting with a senior decision maker has a major impact on the outcome of your appointment.

If you&rsquo;re a Key Account Manager or Director, it can determine your success with the account relationship on an ongoing basis.

If you&#8217;re a Business Development Professional, these first few seconds can be the deciding factor on whether or not you will win new business.

The Challenge

So what factors make these first 30 seconds so crucial?

For a start, senior execs are busy and tend to trust their instincts. This means that you need to make a high impact in the first few seconds of the meeting in terms of building rapport, credibility and a sense of potential value in return for the exec&#8217;s invested time.

In today&#8217;s selling environment this is getting much more difficult and needs be achieved even earlier in the meeting. This is because most execs are having to work much harder in today&rsquo;s economic climate.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Feb 2018 10:42:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/how-to-succeed-in-the-first-vital-30-seconds-of-a-sales-meeting-with-a-senior-executive/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/how-to-succeed-in-the-first-vital-30-seconds-of-a-sales-meeting-with-a-senior-executive/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>The 10 Critical Selling Skills and Traits of High Earning Sales People</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What makes a super sales person?

Well, experience from our sales training events suggests that it&#8217;s more complex than most people think.

There are some critical selling skills and traits that have been around since the dawn of selling.

Top-flight sales professionals have always had to demonstrate the following 5 traditional selling skills.

Traditional Selling Skills

1. A supreme work ethic, high levels of drive, and a competitive determination to win.

2. A good knowledge of the target market, the capabilities of the selling organisation, and competitors.

3. Great individual sales techniques, such as questioning, influencing, objection handling, closing, and negotiation skills.

4. Confidence and focus when dealing with senior prospects.

5. Consistently professional behaviour and an ability to sell within their own organisation.

However, in today&#8217;s more challenging selling environment - where corporates are driving to professionalise their sales forces -]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jan 2018 11:17:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-10-critical-selling-skills-of-high-earning-sales-people/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/the-10-critical-selling-skills-of-high-earning-sales-people/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Closing in Line with Your Sales Forecasts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Business development roadmaps for value creation

To grow as a business development professionals or key account managers, you and your people should plan and propose &#8216;customer journeys&#8217; to prospects and existing clients which map out the journey for the relationship in terms of the value it will create for both the buying and selling organisations.

These business development and account management roadmaps should:


	Be applied at the senior decision-making level at every level.
	Include milestones for immediate, medium and long-term wins for the client.


This means that your people should present solutions that address the most pressing needs of senior buyers over a predetermined timescale. Ideally, these needs should be driven by eternal pressures for change that face the client.

If your business development and account development roadmaps are aligned to a set of external pressures and compelling external events, your client(s) will drive the close at each stage of the roadmap.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Dec 2017 13:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/closing-in-line-with-your-sales-forecasts/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/closing-in-line-with-your-sales-forecasts/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>A Strategy to Improve Your Negotiation Skills</title>
		<description><![CDATA[To achieve a win-win position when negotiating with a client, you have to:

a) Sell your own position in the context of what drives your client;

and

b) Treat the negotiation as a key element of the sales process - NOT simply as an afterthought.

When delivering sales training, we teach our delegates a methodology called Selling from the Left&reg;

This system of selling really helps to put you in a great position when it comes to negotiating. The model is a five-stage process that works from the left to the right.

The first three stages represent the client&#8217;s world (on the left) while the final two stages represent your own position (on the right), as follows:

1. Your Opponent&#8217;s Drivers for Change:

The first stage to the model is agreeing with the client the pressures which they face to deliver a solution. Here it really helps if these are external pressures (i.e. outside his or her control).]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/a-strategy-to-improve-your-negotiation-skills/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/blog/a-strategy-to-improve-your-negotiation-skills/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>10 Steps to Becoming a Great Sales Leader</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As a sales leader, the key to achieving a sustainable shift in your company&#8217;s sales results rests with you. Regardless of market conditions, you need to develop and apply an array of competencies and behaviours that will determine whether you are a poor leader, an average leader or a great leader of the sales function.

So what makes a great sales leader and how can you develop great sales leadership skills?

Well, my team and I have worked with, trained and coached hundreds of sales managers and sales directors. At all levels, we have seen that the same qualities differentiate the great from the good.

Here are 10 steps that you can take to become a great leader of the sales function.

1. Think and Act Strategically (&amp; Have a Plan)

In any leadership role there is a risk that you will get dragged down into the &#8216;noise&#8217; of tactical &#8216;firefighting&#8217; and dealing with issues that are regarded as &#8216;urgent&#8217;.

However,]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/10-steps-becoming-great-sales-leader/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/10-steps-becoming-great-sales-leader/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>A guide to driving sales excellence</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When it comes to developing your sales force, you need to have the right systems, processes and skills in place to satisfy your clients and stakeholders.

Download our&nbsp;Guide to Driving Sales Excellence&nbsp;to learn how to make sure your company&rsquo;s next sales development initiative has a sustained business impact and generates a significant return on investment.

Fill in your details to receive your free copy now&hellip;]]></description>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-driving-sales-excellence/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/insights/whitepapers/a-guide-to-driving-sales-excellence/</guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>BT global telecommunications</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Overview

As one of the leading telecommunications service providers in the world, BT&rsquo;s Global Services and Global Government units were seeking an applied professional sales development programme to accelerate the development of new sales pipeline and new contracted revenues in key public and commercial sectors.

Background

Sterling Chase was chosen as the preferred supplier for the design and delivery of the Key to the Executive Washroom programme for BT&rsquo;s Global Services and Global Government units.

The programme&rsquo;s objectives were to accelerate the development of new sales pipeline and new contracted revenues in key public and commercial sectors and raise the professional standards of its field sales forceby working towards externally recognised (at both a national and international level) applied professional sales and sales management qualifications at level 5 of the NOS/QCF frameworks.

Solution

Some of the key elements of the programme involved:


	Pre-]]></description>
		<link>https://www.sterlingchase.com/our-clients/case-studies/bt-global-telecommunications/</link>

	<guid>https://www.sterlingchase.com/our-clients/case-studies/bt-global-telecommunications/</guid>
	</item>
</channel>
</rss>