Monthly Archives: November 2015

Ep. 109 – The Fourth P of Sales: People, Part 1

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FourPs-ImageSalespeople are a critical resource for almost every business. It’s important to remember, however, that individual salespeople aren’t the solution to creating a professionalized sales process. To do their jobs well, they need to be part of a larger, highly optimized system. Too often, companies assume that they just need to hire someone with sales training. That’s wrong. To see great results in sales, you need to hire the right people.

In this solo podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan examines the final “P” in the series: People. To catch up on the “Four Ps of Sales,” check out: Overview; “Process” (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3); and “Performance”; “Pay” (Part 1 and Part 2). Continue reading →

Calculating Your Price Points: Competitor Matrix & Finding What’s Missing

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Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/

Pricing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Unless you’re in that enviable position of being a true innovator in a completely untapped market, or you have a uniquely unfair advantage when it comes to cost, your prices points will be heavily influenced by your competition. The more homework you do on your competitors, the more insight you’ll have when it comes to finding the correct price for your product or service. Continue reading →

Ep. 108 – Examples of the Third P of Sales: Pay, Part 2

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FourPs-ImageHow do you determine fair compensation for a sales rep? It’s a meaningful question for any company looking to expand their sales, because ultimately those sales reps will determine how much revenue you can generate. Finding that right number is a balancing act of base salary, incentives, the sales cycle and many other factors. It can be tricky to get it right.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan considers one example for creating optimized pay in a sales organization. As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. To catch up on the “Four Ps of Sales,” check out: Overview; “Process” (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3); and “Performance”; and “Pay” (Part 1) Continue reading →

Ep. 107 – The Third P of Sales: Pay, Part 1

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FourPs-Image“Sales is a secret startup weapon!” exclaims host and business coach Tom Ryan. In today’s episode, Tom explores the third major element of the “Four Ps” of sales: Pay. The first big sales question startups generally ask is: “How much should we pay for sales?” It’s a big decision, and one that deserves some careful thought, even for established companies.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan guides listeners through the fundamental concepts behind establishing the right compensation for their sales teams. As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. To catch up on the “Four Ps of Sales,” check out: Overview; “Process” (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3); and “Performance.” Continue reading →

Calculating Your Price Points: Considering Costs

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Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/

When it comes to determining the price for your product or service, cost is the obvious starting point. It’s only after you have your costs completely nailed down that you can really start to make serious plans for pricing. With a clear understanding of your costs, you can quickly react to changes that impact your bottom line, such increased costs for raw materials or bringing on new employees.

On a basic level, costs are easy to identify. For instance, let’s say your company is a bakery that makes organic cookies and snacks. Ingredients will be one of your most obvious costs. It’s fairly easy to work out your per-unit needs for each ingredient, and to scale that up to the bulk price your supplier will charge. Continue reading →

Ep. 106 – The Second P of Sales: Performance

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FourPs-ImageNow that we’re laid the groundwork for the “Four Ps of Sales” by thoroughly examining “Process,” it’s time to dive into the second P: “Performance.” Understanding the optimization of performance means having a firm grasp on your expenses, your gross revenues, and your overall revenue goals.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan guides listeners through the fundamentals of sales performance. As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. To catch up on the “Four Ps of Sales,” check out: Overview; “Process” (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). Continue reading →

Ep. 105 – Process: The First P of Sales, Part 3

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SIB-Blog-1In today’s episode, Tom wraps up the to simple questions that define the “Process” step of the “Four Ps of Sales.” Learn how sticky notes can help you determine the critical path for your sales sequence, and how to distinguish between a theoretical and realistic sales capacity.

As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. Click here to listen to part one, and here to listen to part two. Continue reading →

Calculating Your Price Points: The Value of Peers … and Beers

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A flight of craft beers. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ckgolfsolutions/

A flight of craft beers. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ckgolfsolutions/

How do you determine the magic price point for your product or service? It’s a challenging question, and one that doesn’t always have a clear-cut answer. In this series of articles, I’ll be helping you understand some of the best techniques for discovering the right price to charge your customers.

The best way to start this process is by talking to people who are in a similar position. You need to find and connect with your peers. Continue reading →

Ep. 104 – Process: The First P of Sales, Part 2

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FourPs-ImageIn part one of this multi-episode series about the Four Ps of Sales, host Tom Ryan gave us an overview of the first few elements of step one, the “Process.” In this episode, we pick up right where we left off, exploring the 10 easy questions that will help you optimize your sales process.

Learn about the importance of connecting with the buyer’s advisors, why your sales channel matters, and the fundamental requirements of making any sale. As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. Click here to listen to part one. Continue reading →

Boosting Your Membership Retention: Demonstrating Value

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IMG_2329As an entrepreneur, you always want to make sure you see a solid return on your investments. This is true whether you’re talking about a traditional financial investment, or something harder to quantify, like an investment of time. When you look back at those investments, you want to see positive results. At a minimum, you want to see that you’ve gotten more out of those investment than you put in.

The same is true of your customers. Continue reading →