Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008 - (Page 26)

TECHNOLOGY TRAINING INCENTIVES TRAVEL/MEETINGS “Salespeople work very hard to reach their goals, and when they get something different from what they ordered, it can be very disappointing even when the replacement merchandise is of the same type and approximate value.” product that’s so new and cutting-edge that it isn’t even commercially available yet. And sometimes, by working with the manufacturers, you can even get a discount that allows you to give away products that have a retail value higher than you’re paying for them. That’s a valuable way to stretch resources in tight financial times. SMM: What about the challenges presented by using merchandise, then? JB: Probably the most common mistake people make when choosing to use merchandise is that, unlike gift cards or travel vouchers, the product needs to be created, shipped and warehoused. At the beginning of an incentive program, some managers choose their reward items by going online or to a retail store. The problem is that by the time the program ends and the sales leaders go to source the product, they discover that many of the items they chose are highly allocated, and sometimes even discontinued. Then salespeople don’t get their rewards when they were supposed to, and if the product is discontinued, they end up with a substitute that might or might not have the same appeal for them. [THE PULSE] SOURCE: KRONOS OPTIMAL HEALTH NATIONWIDE SURVEY WE’D LIKE TO SHOW YOU HOW MANY SALES OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE GENERATED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, BUT WE’D NEED A BIGGER AD. ,501,637 ,548,86 If you’re looking to improve your sales performance, you’re looking for ACT! Premium. It helps your sales teams organize prospect and customer information, manage daily responsibilities and communicate more effectively. And it’s ﬂexible, so they’ll love to use it. No wonder ACT! has been the #1 selling contact and customer management software for the last 20 years. To start improving your numbers, act now. Buy ACT! Premium and get a 3-month free subscription to Swiftpage email marketing. Visit act.com/smmb or call 1-877-851-7475. Offer ends 6/30/08. © 2008 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage Software, the Sage Software logo and Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. 77 PERCENTAGE OF OVER-40 MALE EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN WORKPLACE HEALTH SCREENINGS WHO WERE CLASSIFIED AS OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. http://act.com/smmb http://act.com/smmb

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008

Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Brian Tracy University Smart Sales Sales Strategy Smart Marketing Marketing Strategy Smart Management Management Strategy The Minister of Culture Become a Value Merchant Incentives/Motivation Streamlining Business Travel Book Excerpt The Way I See It

Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008

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