Mistakes salespeople make in hard times

• The Professor of professional selling Neil Rackham emphasizes the value of value in his first talk in Singapore in over twenty years
• Sharing observations and analyses of common mistakes salespeople make, Rackham taps into the psychology of marketplace behavior and deliberates the effectiveness of Chief Revenue Officers

Singapore, September 12,  2009 – In his first professional visit to Singapore in over 20 years, celebrated author and global thought leader on sales effectiveness, Neil Rackham, shared insights on the changing dynamics in the marketplace today including common mistakes made by salespeople in hard times. “Neil Rackham?Live in Singapore?was presented by Huthwaite, the world’s leading sales performance improvement organization.

The celebrated thinker, author and speaker in the space of sales and marketing also deliberated the premium placed today, on the integration of sales and marketing functions and the imperative need to create value to stay ahead during the session.

In his talk centered on the need to create customer value in challenging times – incidentally the title of his presentation – Rackham discussed, among other things, the actual and perceived value of services (and products) by customers. Dedicating a section of his session to the birth and identity of the Chief Revenue Officer, Rackham celebrated the marriage of both sales and marketing in the role of a CRO but cautioned against the creation of such roles for novelty rather than true commercial benefit.

Tapping into the psychology of marketplace behavior, Rackham also questioned perceptions of who or what a sales force is, in today’s context, identifying three common mistakes typically made by salespeople:

Less is sometimes more – Calling into question the natural inclination to cast the net wider in the hope of more ‘hits? Rackham spoke against chasing more opportunities in difficult times. He instead advocated strategic selling by maintaining focus on selected opportunities thereby enhancing the quality of the sales, for both clients and companies.

Sell, don’t negotiate – Lamenting passion without control, which some salespeople use to push their agenda, Rackham reminded his audience to truly sell – a product, its services, benefit and therefore value – to customers rather than just negotiate a sale.

Selling on price rather than safety – Noting that in hard times, price becomes even more of a bargaining tool, the guru of spin selling cautioned salespeople on losing sight of the product in favour of just selling on price, thereby limiting the value of the product or service being sold.

Citing research conducted over the years and psychographic analyses of customers and salespeople, Rackham underlined his talk by emphasizing a most intangible- but intrinsic – part of the salesperson -customer dynamic: the relationship.

Best known as the creator of SPIN Selling, a sales effectiveness method that has revolutionized the world of sales and defines consultative selling to this day, the global thought leader on sales effectiveness encouraged his guests to personally get involved in the day’s discussion.

A seminal thinker, writer and speaker on sales and marketing issues, Rackham has written over 50 influential articles on marketing, selling, channel strategy, including Managing Major Sales, Getting Partnering Right: How Market Leaders are Creating Long-Term Competitive Advantage and Rethinking Sales Force, which are required reading at many of the world’s leading business schools. Three of his

books have been on the New York Times best seller list and his works have been translated into over 50 languages. Neil has also been Chairman and CEO of three international research and consulting firms, including Huthwaite.

About Huthwaite

Huthwaite is the world’s leading sales performance improvement organization. Founded on scientifically validated behavioral research, our methodologies which include the internationally renowned SPIN® Selling, guarantee sales success. Huthwaite assesses your organization’s needs and develops customized sales performance improvement and coaching programs that drive real business results. For additional information on Huthwaite, please visit www.huthwaite.com.

Press Contacts:

Shorbani Roy / Donna Garcia Vanessa Seymour-Lee
Rice Communications (Singapore) Huthwaite (Australia)
Tel.: +65 6221 8729 Tel: +61 2 8437 7601
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Email: shorbani.roy@ricecomms.com
donna.garcia@ricecomms.com
Email: vseymourlee@huthwaite.com.au