In any market, good or bad, there are sales opportunities to be made by all businesses. The important point that needs to be understood is that no matter what economic environment you are in unless you have an effective sales orientated organisation opportunities will be missed. Survival for any business is dependent on them selling their goods or services to maintain cash-flow and pay their way. Sales are the lifeblood of any business and success will only come if the whole organisation is in tune with the market and delivering what has been promised to clients and customers.

An organisations survival in any market depends on these five activities;

1. Continue talking to customers – without them you don’t have a business.

2. Obtain new customers and sales – you must replace, expand and build relationships.

3. Maintain prospecting & marketing – continually develop new markets & customers.

4. Improve strategies – competition & economic change is always with us.

5. Capitalize on increased market opportunities – identify & build on your competitive advantage.

Get the Full Picture

All too often the lack of sales results in training sessions for the sales staff. It needs to be recognised by management that unless the whole organisation is thinking sales the return on this training investment will only partly address the problem. By structuring a sales business in the correct way sales can be picked up in all areas of the companies activities (not just the sales department). It is important to get the full picture when assessing an organisations ability to continue making sales and have in place the necessary structures to achieve sales growth. An effective sales audit of any business will identify the things that are being done well and those that need attention. Discovering what needs to be done first also saves time and money and achieves results sooner.

The four categories required to be reviewed when conducting a sales audit;

1. Clients & Customers – this is where the income comes from.

2. Marketing & Prospecting – this is where the customers and clients come from.

3. Staff – this is where the promises made to customers and clients are delivered.

4. Training – this is where the skills are learned that tie the whole together.

These four elements all need to be coordinated, as one without the other is just not enough and opportunities will be missed. Consider these points when next faced with slow sales, loss of market share, more competitor activity and the need for more sales.