Strategic pursuits and the capture management process
While strategic pursuits, capture management, and bid management are all different disciplines, they are aligned to a common purpose – winning opportunities. Each is a critical step on that path, and in order to be in the best position to win each of these steps needs to be aligned and seamless in their handoff to […]
Continue ReadingBetter understanding B2B buyers – Part III – The changes in buying methods
Just when sales seemed to be more attuned to changes in customer sentiment, shifts in demand, and the needs of different buying methods, along came the COVID-19 pandemic. As we covered in Parts I and II the ensuing uncertainty has seen customers accelerate their shift to digital engagement, leaving sellers with more channels to cover […]
Continue ReadingBetter understanding B2B buyers – Part II – The shift in B2B buying steps
In Part 1 of this series we looked at the three types of buying motivation with a focus on ‘Fear Buying’ and what this means for sellers. In Part II, we’ll look at the steps buying organisations are starting to employ around decision making and also some key purchasing trends. Lessons learned from businesses who […]
Continue ReadingBetter understanding B2B buyers – Part I – The shift in B2B buyer motivation
While the steps in B2B buying ‘process’ have remained relatively unchanged in the past two decades; the motivations, sophistication and behaviour of buyers has certainly evolved. In 2020 the buying process ‘norm’ sees sellers contending with more influential procurement functions, multiple approval layers, buying ‘boards’, an increase in formal requests for tender, and probably the […]
Continue ReadingFortune 500 CEOs on COVID-19 driven business transformation what it means for B2B sales
How are Fortune 500 companies dealing with the coronavirus pandemic? Although there is still a great deal of economic ‘crystal balling’ going on at present, some fascinating research has just been released by FORTUNE following a survey of FORTUNE 500 CEOs. Some of the more interesting and telling findings include: 52% of CEOs are […]
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Educating is selling
Educating may be the pinnacle of selling. Educating the world at large, your target market, referral sources, clients, and prospective clients about why they need what you can expertly do for them is the highest and purest form of marketing. An education approach really helps with need recognition. If your market doesn’t know it has […]
Continue ReadingMore tips on nailing the sale – doing your best in pitch meetings and during shortlisting interviews
No matter how clever a professional or a ‘natural’ you are or how beautifully presented your tender or bid was, you’ll put in a far better performance – at a pitch, prospective client meeting, shortlisting interview or beauty parade, or whatever – with a little preparation. Maybe you’re great on your feet, maybe you enjoy […]
Continue ReadingBest practice referrals for professional services firms
Over the years JMA’s research has shown the most successful and profitable professional services firms benefit hugely from referrals (both from individuals external to their firm, and from internal referrals or cross-selling that occurs in-firm). In our latest study 70% of respondents rated their referral relationships or networks as “highly effective” and the number one […]
Continue ReadingMeasuring more of what matters in your professional services firm
Too often the “feel good” factors and recency of wins overtake facts when it comes to measuring the success of business development initiatives and financial health of many professional services firms. Properly dimensioning real individual contribution to financial success of any professional services firm requires assessment of more than simply personal fee production. (Measuring personal […]
Continue ReadingHow the best Professional Services firms WOW their clients (and the lessons ALL businesses can learn from them).
In a global study on what clients value from professional services, the majority of clients (68%) valued specialised skills and expertise. Professional services firms generally recognise that this is the top value and deliver on this well, however, most almost completely fail to recognise the next two more significant factors that clients wanted: a firms’ […]
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Feature article
Tender readability – tips to improve your tender presentation and some tender presentation no-nos
Tender readability remains a problem for some in the 21st century. I still see submission documents that cling to a handful of really old hat tender presentation and formatting techniques. I suspect this is because some of these ‘rules’ are viewed as being more appropriate to a ‘formal’ style of document such as a tender. […]
