In many sales organisations there are People, Processes and Systems that inhibit effective and efficient sales activities. The contents of this slide deck are taken from ‘real life experiences’. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

1. SS
Ten Slides in Ten Minutes:
Sales Prevention
[Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Prospects & Clients]
Presented by:
Bill Graham APM.APMP
April, 2014
bill.graham@sales-synthesis.co.za

2. 2
Opening Statement
In many sales organisations there are People, Processes and
Systems that inhibit effective and efficient sales activities.
The contents of this slide deck are taken from ‘real life
experiences’.
The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

3. 3
People
1. Non Team-Players: Unhelpful, Unapproachable, Negative, Apathetic, Uncaring, Caustic
2. Political Animals: Self-Absorbed, Personal Ambitions Conflict with Organisational Needs
3. Unskilled Resources: Poor Recruitment Practices, Nepotism, Cronyism, Poor Decision-
making, lack of business agility
4. Dated Resources: Mis-Aligned to Marketplace, Irrelevant, Ineffectual
5. No Positive Organisational Culture: Poor Recruitment Practices, Deadwood,
6. Guerrillas in the Midst: Competitor’s Ally, Disruptive, Disgruntled
7. Corporate Tourists: Retired at work, Focused on Personal Interests, Time-Wasters
Do not let HR become more powerful that the actual Business Units…

4. 4
Processes
1. Dated: Irrelevant, Administrative Overhead, Mis-Aligned to Best Practices
2. Bureaucratic: Cumbersome, Time-Wasting, Soul-Destroying
3. Silo’d: Disconnects across Business Units, Mismatched Data, Revenue Leakage,
4. Business Unit Relevance Only: Non-Functional for other Business Units, Meaningless to
Organisation, Manual Interventions
5. Informal: Confusion, Optional, Irrational,
6. Over-Governance: Debilitating, Regulatory Strangulation, Stagnation
Ensure that Processes are Reviewed on, at least, a 6-monthly basis…

5. 5
Systems
1. Outdated: Irrelevant, Administrative Overhead, Burdensome
2. Non-Integrated: Manual Interventions, Revenue Leakage, Time-Wasting
3. Monolithic: Feeding the Monster, Indivisible, Slow to Change, Glacial Inactivity
4. Inability to eBond: Islands of Data, No Linkage to Clients’ Systems, Insular Elements
5. Proprietary: Inability to Support International Standards, GRC (Governance, Risk,
Compliance) challenged, Restrictive Growth and Evolution
Systems are there for Support. Do not let them become Your Masters…

6. 6
Fear Management
The Simple Reality of Bad Business…
Silo’d
Business
Units
Bureaucracy
People
Processes
Systems
…allowing bad people to succeed… where others fear to tread…
Underpinning every problem
in a modern business

7. 7
A Culture of Fear Builds Barriers within an Organisation
Source: Sales Synthesis
Cascading
eMails
Cover your
@#$%
Isolation
Silos
Polarisation
Barriers Need
Filters
Yes People
Insipid Organisation
with no Backbone

8. 8
A Culture of Fear Builds Barriers with Customers
Symbiotic
relationship
with clients
Source: Sales Synthesis
Market
Management
Relationship
Building
Opportunity
Scouting
Industry
Knowledge
Trend
Challenges
Response
Impact Players
Personal
Challenges
Upliftment
Business
Solution/s
Benefits
Derived value
Business Acquisition
Kept to self
Internal focus
Non-innovative
Acquiesce
Insular
Self-preservation
Groupthink
Shallow
Acceptance
Fragility-based

9. 9
The Cliché Corporation Eventually Collapses…
'Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives; very few are able to raise themselves
above the ideas of the time.'
- Voltaire
People, Processes & Systems
Progress
Collapse
Status Quo
Fear Management
Positive Climate & Culture

10. Consider Other Aspects that Could Impact Sales…
To a ‘lesser extent’ other factors need to be considered
10
• Unclear business strategy
• Business Ethics
• Cultural Diversity
• Role and responsibility confusion
• Commuting Problems
• Remuneration Parity
• Buy-in to the Business Strategy
• Company Politics
• Respect for Executive Management
• Weak Leadership
• Poor – or missing - Support Systems & Tools
• Unfocused Strategic Market Development
• Lack of support for wellness initiatives
• Restructuring Periodicity
• Brand Acceptance
• Litigation
• Relevant Offerings Portfolio
• Etc…
Solution
Sales:
Value