Category: Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

How to turn B2B sales chaos into profit

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Build a better business, Sales & Technology (how tech is helping, trends), Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Ah, B2B sales. The backbone of businesses across manufacturing, distribution, wholesale, and import – especially where Skynamo HQ is based in South Africa, where reps are dodging potholes in Joburg traffic or navigating the N2’s eternal roadworks to keep the deals flowing.

If you work in B2B sales in these industries, you know the drill: your field sales team is out there, hustling like champions, but back at base, it’s a different story. Spreadsheets that take hours to update, order forms scribbled on paper (or worse, lost in the boot of the bakkie), and stand alone accounting and ERP systems that feel like they were designed by someone who hates sales teams. Sound familiar?

Let’s take a closer look at your B2B sales processes – the manual ones that leave your team knackered and your bottom line limping. Let’s lean in to why those outdated sales systems are the silent killers of productivity (and profits), and how a hardworking B2B sales rep app like Skynamo flips the script.

Skip the queue: Show me Skynamo

Why manual B2B sales processes are a recipe for burnout

Picture this: It’s Monday morning in your Durban warehouse. Your top rep, let’s call him Thabo, has just wrapped up a marathon day on the road. He’s visited 12 customers across the Bluff to Umhlanga. He’s got orders scribbled in a battered notebook, stock levels he thinks are accurate from a phone call to the office, and pricing notes that might as well be in hieroglyphs. Back at the office, your admin whizz, Amanda, is buried under a mountain of order forms, cross-referencing them against a spreadsheet that’s older than she is.

Truth be told? This is barely hypothetical. Many of our clients operated their sales processes this way before Skynamo. This lack of cohesive data, lack of clarity, lack of control is the daily reality for countless B2B sales teams in manufacturing and distribution. Manual B2B sales processes rely on paper trails, endless phone calls, and gut-feel decision-making. And let’s be honest, in a world where your competitors are zipping around with apps that make ordering as easy as fast food delivery, sticking to the old ways isn’t noble; it’s negligent.

You might be interested in: B2B sales: How to close more deals in 2025

The core issue? Fragmentation. Your field reps are disconnected from real-time data.

They’re quoting prices that change by the time the order hits the desk.
Inventory checks? A game of telephone that ends in “Sorry, out of stock – try next week.”
Customer history? Buried in a filing cabinet that’s seen better days, or worse, emailed back and forth in a chain longer than the Wild Coast’s beaches.

For SMEs in wholesale or import, where margins are tight, these ‘quirks’ are eating your market share alive.

The toll on staff is brutal. Good field reps like Thabo burn out fast. That post-call adrenaline crash hits harder when every visit ends in admin drudgery. Studies from Gartner show that over 80% of sales reps fail to hit their targets due to time management challenges – likely due to a heavy sales admin burden. In South Africa, where talent retention is already a hot topic (hello, skills shortage), the risk of lost sales compounds as your sales rep walks out with all their contacts and customer history with them.

Explore: How field sales managers can tackle end-of-year fatigue

And profits? Oof. Manual processes reduce innovation and inflate costs through errors – think duplicate orders, underquoting, or chasing payments on deals that never materialised because the notes got smudged in the rain. For a mid-sized distributor moving R10 million in stock monthly, that’s R2-3 million circling the drain annually. No wonder your cash flow feels strained.

Outdated B2B sales systems cost market share and destroy relationships

Now, let’s talk about those “systems” that masquerade as solutions. You know the ones: clunky desktop software from the ’90s, bolted-on mobile add-ons that crash on 4G, or ERP behemoths that require a PhD in IT to navigate. In B2B sales, especially for field-heavy teams in manufacturing or import/export, these outdated sales systems promise the world but deliver a headache.

For sales staff, it’s frustration central. Training takes weeks because the interface is about as intuitive as assembling flat-pack furniture without instructions. Errors skyrocket. Reps feel micromanaged yet unsupported, leading to morale dips that show in absenteeism and turnover. I’ve heard tales from Cape Town wholesalers where entire teams mutiny over “one more update” that breaks everything.

Profit-wise, it’s a slow bleed. Disconnected systems mean delayed insights: You spot a hot lead two weeks too late, or miss a stock-out that’s costing you repeat business. According to Forrester, more than half of large B2B sales will be processed digitally. For your SME, that’s not just numbers; it’s the difference between expanding that warehouse or scraping by on razor-thin margins.

In B2B sales, where relationships are king, you need a modern sales tool that amplifies your team’s superpowers, not hobbles them.

Explore the best field sales app for sales reps and managers.

How a modern sales rep app revolutionises B2B sales

Alright, enough doom-scrolling through the pain points – time for the good news. Imagine if Thabo could snap a barcode, pull up live stock and pricing, capture an order offline, and have it beam straight to your ERP before he’s even back in traffic.

No retyping.

No “I’ll call you back.”

No drama.

That’s the magic of a modern sales rep app, and in the B2B world, Skynamo leads the charge.

As the top B2B field sales software, Skynamo is the all-in-one field sales and mobile ordering system tailor-made for B2B manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors with reps pounding the pavement. It slashes admin by 50%, boosts sales by 30%, and ramps up productivity by 25% – numbers backed by real users, not pie-in-the-sky promises.

But, how?

Skynamo pulls everything – mobile sales, customer relations, quotes, order capture, inventory smarts, reports, and GPS-powered field tracking – into one intuitive, mobile-first platform.

Full-colour product catalogues with barcode scanning mean no more fumbling through PDFs on a bumpy road.
It works offline for orders, quotes, visit logging, digital signatures, and notes.
Real-time stock availability, pricing details, and multi-pack quantities ensure Thabo’s quoting spot-on, every time.
GPS-optimised routes and auto-generated call reports (visits, time spent, distance, orders) turn data into dollars without the desk time.

And for B2B service teams?

Digital job cards with signatures, photo evidence, timestamps – all offline.
Generate quotes on parts or repairs instantly on-site, support end-to-end installations with warranty shares and training logs.

It’s seamless, reducing those “where’s the paperwork?” follow-ups that eat hours.

And for B2B sales managers?

Managers, rejoice. The desktop version gives you live dashboards and real-time reports on activities, performance, targets, and forecasts. Insights at your fingertips, centralised CRM with customer history, dynamic forms, email integration, and visit images. It’s visibility without the hovering, empowering you to coach, not chase.

The ripple effects? Staff love it. Less admin means more face-time with customers, building those deeper relationships that turn one-off orders into loyal accounts. Profits soar as errors plummet and upsell opportunities pop up like meerkats on the Kalahari. In B2B sales, where deals brew over months, this speed and accuracy can shave weeks off cycles, freeing cash for that next big import run.

Why Skynamo? Because good enough isn’t in our vocabulary

Okay, so there are other sales rep apps out there – so why switch to Skynamo? Simple: We’re not in the business of band-aids; we craft solutions that stick, evolve, and deliver ROI that makes your bank account smile. For South African SMEs in manufacturing or wholesale, where every rand counts and systems need to play nice with local challenges, Skynamo stands out year on year.

Deep ERP integration capabilities. We get it – your ERP is the beating heart of your operation, whether it’s Syspro, Pastel, or a custom beast from the ’00s. Skynamo’s dedicated integrations team has nailed over 700 successful hook-ups with ERPs, inventory, and accounting systems. No risky bolt-ons or data silos here – we’re talking seamless, real-time syncs that minimise errors and maximise uptime. So orders flow from your sales reps’ phones to your stock ledger without a hitch, pricing updating live, and reports pulling straight from the source.
Real support, from real people. Then there’s the incredible after-sales service from our support team. We’re real humans, not chatbots spouting scripted nonsense. No hidden fees, no “press 1 for frustration” – just dedicated teams in Cape Town and beyond, ready to jump in.
ISO-certified for optimal data security. Your data is safe with us.

And the cherry on top? Constant improvements and development based on evolving user requirements. We’re not sitting on our laurels; we’re listening.

User targets that keep you focused, help you hit goals faster and feel in control.
Multi-pack denomination functionality so you can order in volumes your customers want.
Order AI turns WhatsApp messages, PDFs, and spreadsheets into orders – no retyping that WhatsApp special your rep just negotiated over braai.
Skynamo RADAR dives deep into product, stock, and customer behaviour analytics (RFM scoring, team targets) to spot trends before they trend. Profit margins per order line and multi-pack pricing keep your deals sharp.

These aren’t random updates; they’re born from chats with folks like you – reps in the field, managers in the boardroom. As B2B sales evolves, Skynamo evolves faster, so your team stays ahead of the curve, not chasing it.

How to Get Started? Upgrade Your B2B Sales Software Today

Ready to ditch the dusty ledgers and slow systems? First, don’t panic – this isn’t one of those “rip and replace” nightmares. Skynamo’s team works with you to map out your processes, integrate with your ERP (no matter how quirky), and train your team without disrupting the daily grind. The Skynamo Academy’s got your back with onboarding that’s smoother than a body builder’s body.

Start small if you like – pilot it with one team in Durbanville or a single territory in Gauteng. The app’s intuitive, so your reps won’t need a tech degree to get rolling. Most users are quoting and ordering within a day, and managers are pulling reports by week’s end. Plus, with real human support (not some offshore call centre), you’re never left in the lurch.

Cost? I won’t bore you with numbers (mostly because I’d rather you see the value yourself). Head to Skynamo’s pricing page for more on Skynamo monthly, annual, or RADAR options, or chat to one of us directly. The ROI speaks louder than any price tag: think 30% sales growth, 50% less admin, and a team that’s actually excited to clock in.

Talk to a Skynamo expert today.

FAQs

What are the biggest challenges in managing B2B sales teams in the field?

Field reps often grapple with manual processes like paper-based orders and disconnected systems, leading to errors and wasted time. Poor visibility into stock or customer history can also frustrate deals. Ready to streamline your B2B sales? Book a demo with Skynamo!

How do outdated sales systems impact B2B profitability?

Clunky systems cause delays, pricing errors, and missed upsell opportunities, potentially costing SMEs 20-30% in profit through inefficiencies. They also slow down sales cycles, hurting cash flow. Discover how modern B2B sales tools boost profits – schedule a demo with Skynamo.

Why is real-time data important for B2B sales teams?

Real-time data ensures reps have accurate stock levels, pricing, and customer insights on the spot, reducing errors and speeding up deals. This agility is critical in fast-moving markets like South Africa. See real-time sales data in action – book a demo with Skynamo.

How can B2B sales reps improve customer relationships in the field?

By spending less time on admin and more on face-to-face interactions, reps can understand client needs better and tailor solutions, building trust and loyalty. Tools like Skynamo that free up time make this possible. Want stronger client bonds? Request a demo.

What are the 7 steps of the B2B selling process?

The B2B selling process typically includes: 1) Prospecting to identify potential clients, 2) Qualifying leads to ensure they fit your offering, 3) Researching to understand their needs, 4) Presenting tailored solutions, 5) Handling objections with clear responses, 6) Closing the deal with agreements or orders, and 7) Following up to nurture long-term relationships. Streamlining these steps saves time and boosts success. Want to simplify your B2B sales process? Book a demo with Skynamo.

What is the key to B2B sales?

The key to B2B sales is building trust through strong, personalised relationships backed by reliable data and efficient processes. Delivering consistent value with accurate pricing, stock availability, and responsive service turns prospects into loyal clients. Ready to unlock better B2B sales? Schedule a Skynamo demo.

How Skynamo Supports Service Technicians in the Field

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Be a better manager, Sales & Technology (how tech is helping, trends), Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

For many manufacturers, the job doesn’t end once a product leaves the warehouse. Whether it’s installation, routine maintenance, repairs, or technical support, there’s often a service technician involved, and that adds a layer of complexity that many systems simply don’t cater for.

Field service is often where things fall apart. Technicians are expected to manage jobs, capture evidence, quote for parts, and report back, often with limited tools, poor connectivity, and little admin support. This is where Skynamo fits in. Originally built to simplify field sales, it’s now widely used by manufacturers with mobile service teams to bring structure, accuracy, and visibility into their service operations.

Here’s a closer look at the common challenges field service technicians face, and how the top service technician app helps solve them.

Problem: Evidence capture is time-consuming (and often incomplete)

Most service jobs require some form of documentation: photos of completed work, customer signatures, job notes, or completed checklists. Without the right tools, this either doesn’t happen at all, or it gets captured informally on phones, in WhatsApp chats, or on paper. It’s hard to track, easy to lose, and creates gaps in your records.

Skynamo’s solution: Digital capture

Technicians can log all of this directly in the app:

photos,
notes,
forms, and
signatures

These are stored against the customer profile, date- and time-stamped, and synced to head office automatically. It means less admin for the tech, and a proper record for the business.

Problem: The system is just too complicated (or non-existent)

Some service teams still use paper job cards, or Whatsapp, to try to manage their work. Others make do with legacy service systems or clunky service apps that were never designed for mobile use. Either way, adoption is low, and useful data doesn’t make it back into the system.

Skynamo’s approach: Easy, mobile-friendly app

Skynamo is mobile-first, designed specifically for people who work in the field. It’s intuitive, simple to navigate, and doesn’t require an IT manual to figure out. Most teams pick it up quickly, and actually stick with it, which is half the battle.

Problem: Quoting on site is difficult

A technician spots a worn part or a required fix, but quoting means they have to wait until they’re back at the office, or call the office, before they can check pricing, and email something later. That delay can lose the job, or at best, extend turnaround time.

Skynamo’s solution: Quote directly on your phone

The app gives field staff access to up-to-date product information, stock levels, and pricing. They generate and share quotes from their device while still on site. That speeds up approvals and helps teams convert service opportunities into actual sales.

Problem: Offline areas bring work to a halt

Factory floors, rural installations, remote customer sites, signal isn’t guaranteed. If your system only works when connected, you’re going to run into problems.

Skynamo’s approach: Works fully offline

Skynamo works fully offline. Technicians can complete forms, take photos, log jobs and even create quotes without internet. Once they’re back online, everything syncs in the background.

Problem: Managers don’t have visibility into what’s happening

If you manage a team of service technicians, you need to know:

Who’s doing what
Which jobs are done
Where follow-ups are needed
Where delays are happening

Without the right system, this information is hard to track, and decisions are often reactive rather than planned.

Skynamo’s clarity:

The system logs every visit, service, and quote, along with supporting evidence. Managers track team activity in real time, view completed work, and access reports that help with planning and resource allocation.

Skynamo is the top service app built for manufacturers, not just sales teams

Companies like Wood-Mizer, Tru-Trac, ITR Africa, and Megaroller use Skynamo to support both sales reps and service technicians. In many cases, the same person does both, so having a single app that handles quoting, evidence capture, reporting, and customer history just makes sense.

Skynamo is especially well-suited to manufacturers who carry out:

Heavy equipment servicing
Conveyor and industrial component repairs
Site-based training and installations
Ongoing maintenance visits

Service app features that matter to service teams

Job cards with full visit history
Notes, photo, and signature capture
On-site quoting and pricing visibility
Offline access to all key functions
Custom forms and checklists
Document sharing (e.g. warranties, manuals)
Route planning and visit scheduling

If you still rely on paper, WhatsApp groups, or complex desktop tools to manage field service, there’s a simpler way to do it.

Skynamo is the number one sales and service app that gives your field technicians the tools they need to work independently and professionally in the field. And gives your business the visibility to support them properly.

Want to see how it works in practice?

Book a demo with our team and we’ll walk you through it.

FAQs

Which mobile application does field service use?

Many field service teams use Skynamo: a mobile-first app built specifically for technicians and reps who work on the move. It helps with job cards, quoting, evidence capture, and works fully offline, so your team can get the job done anywhere.

How to download field service app?

You can download the Skynamo field sales and service app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once installed, your team can log in using credentials provided by your company’s Skynamo administrator.

What is a field service technician?

A field service technician installs, services, or repairs products at customer sites rather than in-house. Whether it’s setting up equipment, performing maintenance, or handling repairs, they’re often the face of your business, and they need the right tools to do the job efficiently. See how Skynamo, the top field service app, supports your teams in the field.

How much does field service software cost?

Skynamo – the #1 field sales and service app – pricing depends on your setup, number of users, and the features you need, including whether you also require ERP integration or advanced reporting tools. Month-on-month subscriptions are available. Get in touch for a quick quote tailored to your business needs.

The ultimate guide to better field sales for building and hardware brands

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Build a better business, Sales & Technology (how tech is helping, trends), Building & Hardware Industry, Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Volatile input prices, supply-chain shocks and a customer base that still values face-to-face advice make field sales the make-or-break channel for building and hardware-focused wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers. Yet too many B2B building and hardware sales reps still juggle paper catalogues, outdated price lists and after-hours admin.

This whitepaper outlines a practical, five-pillar framework, backed by data and real-world customer results, to turn an old-school sales field force into a modern revenue engine, powered by Skynamo’s mobile-first platform.

1. The industry landscape

South Africa’s construction value chain is anything but predictable. Research & Markets expects the sector to grow by a CAGR of 2.0 percent during the 2024 – 2028 period, with construction output expected to reach R190.66 billion by 2028.

In stark contrast, a recent industry tracker predicted a 0.5 percent contraction in the industry due to rising material costs and weak residential demand. According to Stats SA, the average construction materials price index climby by 6.5 percent year on year in the first ten months of 2024, and by 6 percent for civil engineering in the same period.

Callout: It is clear that margin pressure and product complexity are climbing for wholesalers, suppliers, importers and manufacturers of building and hardware materials.

Meanwhile, buyers still insist on human guidance before signing a purchase order. According to Deloitte, as much as 34 percent of B2B buyers prefer to buy from companies who are able to provide a good customer experience than from those who don’t.

That reality places a premium on well-prepared, data-armed field sales reps who can land the order on the spot and keep shelves full when supply chains wobble.

2. The top five challenges field sales reps face in this industry

Brands in the building and hardware space face several challenges when it comes to field sales.

3. The optimisation framework

Pillar 1: Data-driven territory and route planning

GPS-enabled sales rep apps show every account on a map and identify your customers’ locations. Skynamo customers report more customer touches with 30% higher quotas when reps plan stops in-app rather than in Excel.

Quick win: Segment customers by revenue and visit cadence; then lock-in “A-tier” stops into the rep’s calendar before anything else.

Pillar 2: Digital catalogue, real-time inventory and dynamic pricing

A single source of truth for stock and price prevents costly back orders. Skynamo’s offline catalogue lets reps quote confidently, even in concrete basements, then syncs once coverage returns skynamo.com.

Quick win: Integrate your ERP to surface live stock levels and automatic “buy-more-save-more” breaks inside the order screen.

Pillar 3: Mobile-first, paperless order capture

When reps capture orders on their phones, they flow straight into the ERP, which avoids finger errors and delayed invoicing. Boltfast’s Managing Director credits Skynamo for “improved visibility of reps in the field and streamlined processes”.

Quick win: Ditch handwritten carbon books; enforce digital signatures for every order to cut disputes.

Pillar 4: Field analytics and coaching loops

Sales managers need more than kilometres travelled. Skynamo tracks call frequency, conversion rate and average order size, and brings to light coaching moments and under-served areas.

Quick win: Run a weekly 15-minute “data huddle.” Share one insight, e.g., customers who haven’t ordered fasteners in 60 days, and set an action.

Pillar 5: Supply-chain resilience

When shortages hit, the winners are those who communicate fast and offer substitutes. Our supply-chain playbook recommends automated stock alerts, alternate-SKU suggestions and route rescheduling, an approach born from the worldwide 2022 disruption lessons.

Quick win: Preload substitute SKUs (e.g., fibre-cement board for gypsum) in your catalogue so reps can pivot in real time.

4. Technology spotlight: Why building and hardware leaders pick Skynamo

Offline capability: Quote in remote job sites.
Granular product images: Reps show customers bolt dimensions and colour options on screen.
Photo proof: Reps upload shelf-display images; managers comment in real time, as Safe-Top’s retail GM notes, turning visual merchandising into a collaborative exercise.
ERP integrations: From Sage and Syspro to Xero, to reduce re-keying.
Advanced Analytics: Out-of-the-box dashboards benchmark reps and highlight dormant SKUs.

Result: Customers that use Skynamo achieve 30 percent higher close rates and 130 percent bigger deals compared with pre-implementation baselines.

5. Your six-step roadmap to field sales excellence

Audit your current sales processes: Capture time, duplicate admin, return rates.
Define KPIs that match board-level goals (e.g., OTIF delivery, margin per route).
Pilot Skynamo with one region or product line; measure lead indicators weekly.
Train and coach reps on mobile workflows and data storytelling, not just button clicks.
Integrate ERP/finance for friction-free order-to-cash.
Iterate using RADAR insights; adjust territories, promotions and training every quarter.

It’s time to upgrade to Skynamo

In an industry where a delayed pallet can halt a multi-million-rand contact, your competitive edge is the speed at which field reps convert insight into inventory on the shelf. Adopt the five-pillar framework outlined here, and support it with Skynamo’s mobile-first platform, and your building and hardware brand can slash admin, raise hit rates and maintain customer loyalty.

Ready to improve market share? Ready to see Skynamo in action? Book a no-obligation demo and discover how Skynamo can help your team sell more, drive fewer miles and out-service the competition, whatever the market throws at you.

Better food & beverage sales – How to eliminate stockouts and overstocking

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Food and Beverage, Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

How to reduce food and beverage stockouts and overstocking

If your company handles the distribution, manufacturing, wholesaling, or importing of food and beverage in South Africa, then guesswork should definitely be on your agenda. But without the right tools, even the best sales team ends up flying blind which often leads to stockouts and overstocking. Skynamo field sales CRM for B2B sales reps connects your reps with everything they need to sell smarter, faster, and with absolute confidence.

In the food and beverage industry, where shelf life is short and customer loyalty is even shorter, stockouts are revenue killers. So how do you find that sweet spot where your reps always sell the right products, at the right price, with the right stock available? It starts with giving them full visibility. And that’s where we come in.

Skynamo gives your sales teams the 360 degree visibility they need in the field. With access to live inventory levels, updated pricing, multi-pack and multi-currency options, and a full-colour, interactive digital catalogue, right from their mobile device, their sales game just went up a level.

Why stockouts and overstocking are costing you

In the B2B food and beverage industry, stockouts are not only a missed sale, a missed opportunity, they can be seen as a breach of trust. Your customers depend on consistent delivery of your products to keep their shelves stocked, menus full, and clients happy.

If you can’t deliver, someone else will.

Overstocking, on the other hand, silently bleeds your business. It ties up working capital, clogs up valuable warehouse space, and increases your risk of spoilage or expired stock. And yet, many food businesses over-order just to avoid the risk of running out.

Here’s the problem: both problems are rooted in the same cause: a lack of real-time data at the point of sale.

The challenge of complex, outdated, manual sales processes

Food sales aren’t straightforward. You sell in multiple pack sizes, across several pricing tiers, in different currencies. You might offer the same product to an SME and a national franchise, but at different rates, discounts, and minimum order quantities. And with constant changes in price due to inflation, currency shifts, or supplier costs, keeping everyone on the same page is near impossible.

Paper price lists, static PDFs, and WhatsApp messages just don’t cut it anymore.

When your sales reps don’t have access to up-to-date information, they can’t quote confidently, check availability, or take orders with accuracy. It creates a ripple effect of errors and inefficiencies across your supply chain.

At Skynamo, we’ve built a mobile sales app tailored for field reps in the food and beverage industry. Our platform connects your team on the ground directly to your back office, giving them everything they need to close sales smarter, faster, and more accurately.

How Skynamo sales tech helps eliminate stockouts and overstocking

1. Live inventory levels linked to your ERP

Do your sales reps pitch products that aren’t in stock, quote prices that changed last week, or take orders that the warehouse can’t fulfil? With Skynamo’s seamless integration into your ERP system, your reps can see what’s available in real time, from any device.

That means they can check on-hand quantities while they’re with the customer, confidently confirm availability, and place accurate orders directly on their mobile devices without delays or double-checking with head office. Less back-and-forth, fewer mistakes, faster fulfilment.

And for your back-office team? No more duplicate entries or miscommunications. Orders flow straight from rep to ERP, cleanly and clearly.

2. A full colour, interactive digital catalogue on every device

Forget lugging around printed brochures or trying to search through PDFs. Skynamo gives your reps a beautiful, fully digital, full-colour catalogue at their fingertips.

Products are categorised, easy to browse, and always up to date. You can include detailed descriptions, allergen info, pack size breakdowns, pricing tiers, upload images from your gallery, and even promotional banners. It’s like having your own e-commerce experience, right there in your sales rep’s hand.

And yes, we support multi-pack denominations, and multi-currency pricing. Whether you sell by case, pallet, or unit, and whether your customers pay in rands, dollars, or euros, Skynamo handles it all. Your reps always know exactly what to sell and how to sell it.

3. On-the-spot quoting and ordering means less delay, more revenue

Nothing kills momentum like having to “check with the office” before confirming an order. With Skynamo, reps can create and share quotes and submit accurate orders while standing in the store, factory, or depot. They can confirm delivery dates, apply customer-specific pricing, and even flag promotional bundles, all in one go. Orders sync automatically to your ERP system, triggering the fulfilment process instantly.

The result? Shorter order cycles, fewer errors, and better service all round.

Want to know which food and beverage sectors greatly benefit from a sales ordering app?

4. Price changes? Promotions? No problem.

One of the biggest pain points in food sales is the constant change in product pricing and specials. With Skynamo, you don’t need to panic about last-minute price changes or manually sending updates.

Because our mobile app syncs with your ERP and pricing system, your reps will always see the latest approved pricing, promotions, and product availability. No more outdated price lists. No more “Oh wait, that special ended last week.” Just accurate, up-to-date info every time.

5. Less paperwork, more profits

Manual processes slow everything down. The time it takes to capture handwritten orders, call to confirm availability, chase down stock numbers, it all adds up to less time selling and more time on admin.

Skynamo removes the paperwork from your reps’ day. Orders, stock checks, customer notes, even GPS-stamped visit reports, it’s all automated. And because your reps spend less time buried in admin, they can spend more time growing relationships, spotting upsell opportunities, and closing bigger deals.

You might enjoy this: 5 Reasons SA’s food and beverage industry must embrace B2B technology today

6. Sales forecasts and analytics just got easier

With Skynamo, you move from being reactive, to proactive. Our sales app tracks sales history, buying patterns, and rep activity across your customer base.

This data intelligence gives these powerful insights:

Know when customers are likely to reorder and stock accordingly
Spot drop-offs or delays in buying behaviour and adjust inventory proactively
Forecast demand more accurately for different regions or product lines

And when you understand demand, you can align your stock levels accordingly, and successfully avoid overstocking slow movers and underestimating fast sellers.

7. Sales reps in the field support stock optimisation

When you give your reps the tools to see stock levels, place orders instantly, and flag gaps on shelves, they become a vital part of your stock optimisation team, not just a sales channel.

They can spot when stores are under-ordering, recommend the right case sizes for turnover, or highlight when a line hasn’t moved in a month. It’s real-world feedback from the field, connected to your business intelligence engine.

Eliminate waste. Close more deals. Keep shelves stocked.

As part of the FMCG industry where time is money, information is your edge. Skynamo gives your team that edge, right in the palm of their hand. No more guessing. No more over-ordering to “be safe.” Just accurate, on-the-ground orders powered by real-time stock and pricing data.

So if you’re tired of stockouts ruining customer relationships, or how overstocking wrecks your margins, maybe it’s time to give your sales team the tools to do better. Let’s fix your stock problems for good.

Book a demo with us today and see how Skynamo can streamline your sales, eliminate stock errors, and put profit back on your plate.

B2B sales: How to close more deals in 2025

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

The ultimate guide to B2B sales for wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, and importers

It’s 2025, and B2B sales have undergone significant changes. Traditional methods like cold calling and direct mail, while still relevant, are now complemented by advanced sales technologies and strategies.

More wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, and importers are investing in B2B sales teams – those that leave the office, hit the road, and see clients face-to-face.

To grow and remain competitive this year, it is vital to understand and adapt to these changes, and in this article we explore B2B sales in detail.

What is B2B sales?

B2B sales – or business-to-business sales – is simply that: one business selling its products or services to another business. B2B sales are different to B2C (business-to-consumer) sales, as B2B does not sell directly to the end user.

Field sales vs inside selling

B2B sales often involve one team with two arms – inside and outside sales.

Inside sales are where sales reps sell remotely. They are based in the office and reach their clients without leaving their desks.

Field sales, or outside sales, are where sales reps are ‘out in the field’, so to speak, and connect with potential clients and existing customers at their place of work.

The B2B buying process

The B2B buying process has become more intricate. It involves multiple decision-makers and extended touchpoints.

This complexity often leads to longer sales cycles, presenting unique challenges for businesses. To handle this environment effectively, companies should adopt a structured approach, focused on building trust and delivering value at every stage of the sales funnel.

(above graph is a recreation of the original by Gartner)

The B2B sales process: a step-by-step approach

A well-defined sales process serves as a roadmap that converts prospects into loyal customers. Here’s a structured approach tailored for field sales representatives and managers.

1. Prospecting

The first step is to identify potential customers. Make use of tools that allow sales reps to access up-to-date information on stock levels, pricing, and customer data, like Skynamo. This allows them to approach prospects with relevant and timely offers.

2. Qualifying leads

Not all prospects are created equal. Assess potential customers based on their needs, interest, budget, timing, and decision-making authority. This ensures that your sales efforts are focused on high-quality leads, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

3. Needs analysis

Engage with prospects to understand their specific challenges and requirements. This customer-centric approach positions your offerings as tailored solutions, fostering stronger relationships and trust.

4. Presentation

Demonstrate how your products or services address the identified needs. Make use of digital catalogues and real-time pricing to provide accurate information. This enhances the credibility of your presentation. This is how Skynamo presents your products, pricing, and descriptions. Plus, you can place orders directly from the sales field.

5. Handling objections

Be prepared to address concerns regarding budget constraints, existing supplier relationships, or product features. Equip your sales team with data-driven insights and testimonials to effectively counter objections and highlight the unique value proposition of your offerings.

6. Closing

Once the prospect’s concerns are addressed, guide them towards making a purchasing decision. Clear communication and prompt responses are key to facilitating a smooth closing process.

7. Follow-up

Post-sale engagement is crucial for customer retention. Ensure timely delivery, provide support, and seek feedback to identify areas for improvement and opportunities for upselling or cross-selling.

Strategies to enhance B2B sales performance

To stay ahead in the competitive B2B landscape, consider implementing the following strategies.

Invest in mobile sales applications

Equip your field sales team with the best mobile sales applications, like Skynamo. This gives them real-time access to product information, stock levels, and customer data. This empowers them to make informed decisions on the go, reducing order errors and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Implement territory management

Assign specific geographical areas or customer segments to sales representatives. This strategic allocation ensures comprehensive market coverage, prevents overlap, and fosters accountability within the sales team.

Use data analytics

Harness the power of sales data and analytics to gain insights into customer behaviour, sales trends, and market dynamics.

Advanced analytics like Skynamo RADAR enable businesses to make informed decisions, optimise sales strategies, and identify new opportunities for growth.

Enhance sales training

Continuous training ensures that your sales team is well-versed in the latest products, market trends, and sales techniques. Regular workshops, role-playing sessions, and access to educational resources can significantly boost their confidence and performance.

Foster interdepartmental collaboration

Encourage collaboration between sales, marketing, and customer service teams. A unified approach ensures consistent messaging, streamlined processes, and a cohesive customer experience, all of which contribute to increased sales effectiveness.

Common pitfalls in B2B sales and how to avoid them

No sales team is without its risks, but B2B sales teams can easily avoid these pitfalls, if you know what to look out for. Awareness of potential mistakes can help to address them proactively.

Neglecting post-sale relationships

Focusing solely on acquiring new customers at the expense of existing ones can be detrimental. Implement a robust follow-up process to nurture relationships, address concerns, and encourage repeat business.

Overcomplicating the sales process

A convoluted sales process can deter potential customers. Strive for simplicity and clarity in your approach, ensuring that prospects can easily understand the value you offer and the steps to engage with your business.

Inadequate lead qualification

Pursuing unqualified leads can drain resources and morale. Establish clear criteria for lead qualification to ensure that your sales efforts are directed towards prospects with genuine potential.

The role of technology in modern B2B sales

Embracing technological advancements is no longer optional but essential.

Integration of sales and inventory systems

Your ERP system or accounting system is the backbone of your operations. Patchwork systems – or systems and apps that don’t talk to each other – often result in redundancy, human error, and duplication.

When you integrate your B2B sales solution with your ERP or inventory system, it synchronises sales orders with inventory systems and ensures real-time visibility into stock levels. This reduces the risk of overselling, improves the sales experience, and enhances customer trust.

Skynamo sets itself apart from the other B2B sales apps in that we have a dedicated team of integration specialists to ensure the most seamless integration.

The ERP and back-office systems Skynamo integrates with:

Sage
SAP
Syspro
Acumatica
Xero
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Most mainstream ERP systems

Automation of routine tasks

Automating administrative tasks such as order entry, report generation, and data updates frees up valuable time for sales representatives, allowing them to focus on building relationships and closing deals.

Real-time reporting and analytics

Access to real-time data enables sales managers to monitor performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions swiftly. This agility is crucial in responding to market changes and customer needs effectively.

Close more B2B sales deals with Skynamo

The B2B sales landscape will continue to evolve. This presents both challenges and opportunities for wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, and importers. Adopt a structured sales process, leverage modern technologies, and foster a customer-centric culture so you can confidently navigate this challenging but exciting environment successfully.

Talk to us about your B2B sales software and mobile ordering needs today.

FAQs

How to close B2B deals?

Closing B2B deals requires a combination of trust, timing, and technology. With Skynamo, sales reps can access real-time customer data, order history, and stock levels, ensuring they present the right offer at the right time. Strong relationships, clear value propositions, and seamless mobile ordering make it easier to move prospects from interest to purchase.

How to close more deals in sales?

To close more deals, sales reps need accurate data, quick access to information, and a streamlined ordering process. Skynamo’s mobile sales app gives field reps the tools to sell smarter—automating admin, providing live stock visibility, and helping them make data-driven decisions on the go. The result? Faster orders, fewer mistakes, and more wins.

How to crack B2B deals?

Winning B2B deals isn’t just about pushing products – it’s about solving customer problems. Skynamo equips sales reps with deep insights into buying patterns, sales history, and stock availability, allowing them to tailor their approach. By focusing on customer needs, building relationships, and providing a seamless ordering experience, cracking B2B deals become second nature.

What are the 7 steps of the B2B selling process?

The 7 steps of the B2B selling process are: 1. Prospecting – Identifying potential buyers; 2. Qualifying Leads – Assessing their needs and decision-making power; 3. Needs Analysis – Understanding their challenges; 4. Presentation – Showcasing the solution; 5. Handling Objections – Addressing concerns; 6. Closing – Securing the sale; 7. Follow-Up – Maintaining the relationship for future business. Skynamo enhances every step by giving reps the data, automation, and mobile tools they need to sell smarter and faster.

New Year, New Sales

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

The race to drive sales that thrive in 2025.

There is nothing quite like a new year to get us really revved up to set new goals. Just ask the people in the treadmill queue at the gym. Every. Single. January. Whether it’s setting your sights on a victory on your scale, or trying to scale up your sales victories, there is no time like Jan to plan.

It is, however, often a little daunting to know where to start. Especially when the 365 days of blank pages in your new leatherbound 2025 diary stare back at you somewhat accusingly.

Get your mind ready first

As many fortune cookies profess, a journey of a thousand steps starts with just one. No one has ever won a race from the starting blocks. So, how does one take that initial step? For the love of metaphors and our queuing treadmill friends – let’s liken planning our sales targets to running a marathon.

As anyone in sales knows, the sales game is a marathon, not a sprint.

Much like marathon running, and most things goal-oriented, the best way to start is with the end in mind (thanks Franklin Covey). So, what does that mean for us? Well, it means we take our first step with our sights on the end goal. This ensures our first steps – and subsequent decisions – are all moving in the right direction.

The “get set” part of “On your marks, get set, go!” is very important.

You’re in the starting blocks, at your mark. How do you get set? You prepare your mind. Call it visualisation, call it preparation, call it whatever you like, but knowing where you want to go is a surefire way to make sure you get there.

Imagine running a race without knowing how far it is, or where the finish line is. Exhausting? Yes. Pointless? Yes. Busywork? Yes. Do you want that? No.

So, if you are ready to start, get yourself a finish line, and get set.

Aim for the finish

In both sales and running, you want to plan your first step in a way that will ensure you reach your final one. Whether it is stretching or cold calling, the finish line is what helps you tie your shoelaces on those wintery mornings, or what gets you out of bed after a week of sales rejections.

So, what’s your finish line? No, seriously, I want you to think about it for a minute. What do you want the end of this year to look like for you? Stop reading for a second. Pause, and picture it.

Get a clear picture of it in your mind. Now, make it clearer.

Next, imagine how that accomplishment will make you feel.
Finally, memorise it. Write it down, stick it on your fridge, display it as your screensaver, do whatever you have to do to remind yourself every day, with every email, every interaction, every cent spent along the way, why you started this race in the first place.

Then, step toward it consciously and progressively each day.

Keeping your finish line in mind is equally helpful to turn rejection into redirection. Just because a runner stumbles during a race, doesn’t mean the finish line moves. Or that the race is over. So, when you don’t close that sale, instead of looking down at where you stumbled, it’s a helpful guide to look up at where you are going. Cliché, yes, but effective.

The steps in between

Sales is a numbers game. So should your goal setting be. Quantify your finish line so that you can quantify your progress. A marathon is quantified. What I mean by this, is that it has allocated times, preset distances, certain qualifying criteria and categories, etc.

When we have set measurements, we set ourselves up to succeed.

So, what does this mean for sales? Let’s say you want to double your sales in 2025. Big goal.

It either means you need to double your efforts:

call more people,

make more customer visits,
widen your geographical area.

Or, that you need to double your efficiency:

automate admin,

automate stock prices and inventory level updates,

digitalise your product catalogue,
automate sales analytics and call reports, etc.

And remember, you can alternate between these different levers to success along the way.

Related: The best apps for sales reps

Essentially, you need to ask yourself, “What do double yearly sales look like quarterly, monthly, and all the way down to daily actions?” If doubling sales requires double efforts, it means you need to send twice as many emails, reach twice as many people, and likely burn out twice as fast.

Or, you can work smarter-not-harder by implementing the best sales tech for sales reps and managers to help you do this.

Remember to take water breaks

‘Hydrate’ and recalibrate as needed. Set check-in points along the way to see how far you’ve come and how far you have left to go. Once we’ve started our marathon, it can be become surprisingly difficult to stop if we didn’t plan our breaks beforehand.

Consciously set reflection points along the way to ensure that you are on the right track. If you are running a marathon and fail to notice the 10km mark, you are not likely to pace yourself correctly and could fail to finish. Schedule these mini–strategy realignment sessions in your diary. And make sure they happen, so that you always prioritise progress over motion.

So, all in all, sales is a race. It involves training, preparation, hydration. Heck, even perspiration. But being willing to plan properly now, means being able to cross the finish line as a winner.

Commitment issues? Choose to commit how you see fit.

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Do you, sales team, take us, Skynamo, to be your lawfully wedded sales tech until contract do us part?

I do… think that this level of upfront commitment can be quite overwhelming. There is nothing like staring down the barrel of a contract to make even the warmest feet feel kinda cold.

At Skynamo, we want a relationship with potential customers based on choice. Not blind commitment. We want future customers to feel like they have the chance to get to know us first, before they go “all in”.

Introducing Skynamo Monthly

Say hello to our all-new Monthly contract offering.

We hereby offer our customers a level of commitment they are comfortable with. We want Skynamo customers to get the most out of our offering and stay because they love us, not because they have to.

We want them to choose us, not because of the contract they signed but rather the deals they have signed since using Skynamo. We want to be bonded by their growing bottom line, not by a signature on a dotted one.

Love at first sign:

With all the above said and done, sometimes when you know, you know. That is why our month-to-month contract option is just that: optional. Just because we want our customers to choose us, doesn’t mean they can’t choose to commit to us.

Whilst having freedom and options are great, having security and consistency is also a solid choice.

We may be “Mr Right Now” for some, but with those for whom we are “Mr Right” now, we go ahead and happily (and mutually) enjoy the commitment.

Benefits of commitment:

Commitment is scary. Change is scary. But committing to change… makes them both, a whole lot less terrifying.

So, whilst you can choose less commitment, there are benefits to being more committed.

Change management is the ‘couples therapy’ to making any good sales team/ sales tech relationship work. Setting up these new tech system processes with a longer-term contract involved and having this change management practices in place means you are more likely to avoid industry’s high failure rates.

As you are giving your team and tech the time to go through the turmoil of change and come out the other end and be able to deliver results.

So, within Skynamo’s new approach to contracts there is still an incentive to choose a long-term commitment. But the key is; that it is a choice. We want to meet businesses where they are at. As we know nothing in business is one size fits all and you should be able to choose a level of commitment that’s suits your specific business needs at the specific time. Regardless of a customer/future customer level of commitment Skynamo remains dedicated to the success of all of our partnerships and projects.

At the end of the day, whether it’s no strings attached, or a white picket fence you want, we’re confident we will give you the freedom to choose.

Here’s to more sales tech contracts making sense.

For you, and your business.

Best Apps for Sales Reps

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Sales reps are the backbone of any business, whether they’re pounding the pavement or connecting with clients digitally. But let’s be honest: life on the road or juggling multiple accounts isn’t always smooth sailing. Here are some of the best apps for sales reps that help solve the daily grind, from missed opportunities to endless admin tasks.

The challenges sales reps face

Before diving into the apps, let’s set the scene. Here are a few common challenges sales reps encounter every day.

Time management: With meetings, travel, follow-ups, and admin tasks, reps often struggle to prioritise their time effectively.
Lack of organisation: Keeping track of client details, sales targets, and notes can become overwhelming without the right tools.
Communication breakdowns: Coordinating with team members and clients is tricky without seamless communication channels.
Inconsistent reporting: Let’s be honest – nobody ever hired a sales rep for their admin skills. Reps frequently wrestle with spreadsheets and clunky systems.
Limited insights: Without real-time data, reps lack visibility into stock levels, customer history, and sales performance.

Fortunately, there’s an app for that—several, in fact!

Best Apps for Sales Reps

Here is a breakdown of sales rep apps that we’ve found work wonders for reps in the field.

1. Skynamo

Of course, this is where it all begins. And where manual admin ends. Skynamo ensures sales reps spend more time selling, and less time battling admin. When it comes to sales apps tailored for reps, Skynamo is the ultimate game-changer. Specifically designed for field sales teams, Skynamo blends intelligence, automation, data insights, and user-friendly features to tackle the challenges above.

Key features of Skynamo

Order capturing: Reps can capture orders from anywhere, at any time. Ordering on the go eliminates manual entries later on, forgotten orders, and improves accuracy.
Digital catalogues for easier sales: It doesn’t get easier than this. Point and click. No more out-dated printed catalogues. Only the latest info, prices, and products on your device.
Real-time data access: Skynamo syncs seamlessly with your company’s CRM or ERP system, so reps have instant access to customer histories, stock levels, and pricing.
Route optimisation: The mobile sales app helps reps plan the most efficient routes, saving time and reducing travel costs.
Offline functionality: Working in remote areas with spotty internet? No problem. Skynamo works offline and syncs automatically once you’re back online.
Sales reporting: Forget the spreadsheet slog. Skynamo simplifies reporting with automated updates, giving managers and reps a clear picture of performance.

Why reps love it

Easy to use, even for the least tech-savvy among us.
Boosts productivity by automating repetitive tasks.
Provides valuable insights that enable data-driven decision-making.

If you’re serious about equipping your team with the best app for sales reps, Skynamo should top your list.

The Skynamo advantage

While there are many apps available that are invaluable in their own niche – such as Slack for team comms, or Whatsapp for quick chats, few can match Skynamo’s ability to address multiple challenges simultaneously. Here’s why.

1. Data-driven decisions

Skynamo’s integration with your accounting or ERP system provides real-time insights, enabling reps to make informed decisions about which products to pitch or which clients to prioritise.

2. Efficiency on the go

From route optimisation to offline functionality, Skynamo is designed for reps who need to stay productive regardless of where they are.

3. Simplified reporting

Automated reporting saves reps hours of admin work, allowing them to focus on what they do best: selling.

4. Customer Relationship Management

By providing a centralised view of each customer, Skynamo helps reps nurture relationships, close deals faster, and deliver better service.

How to choose the best app for sales reps

While Skynamo offers unmatched functionality for sales reps, it’s important to complement it with other tools that address niche needs. Here’s a quick checklist for evaluating apps:

Ease of use: Is the app intuitive and user-friendly?
Integration: Can it sync with your existing tools? See Integrations.
Scalability: Will it grow with your team’s needs?
Support: Does the app offer reliable customer service? See Support.

Get the best app for your field sales team today

Sales reps are at their best when they’re equipped with the right tools. Whether you’re managing client relationships, planning your day, or reporting on your wins, the right apps can make all the difference. And if you’re serious about boosting your team’s productivity and performance, Skynamo stands out as the best app for sales reps.

So, what are you waiting for? Equip your sales team with Skynamo, the app built for sales reps on the go, and watch their productivity soar—because every great sales story starts with the right technology.

FAQs

What is the best app for sales reps?

The best app for sales reps is one that simplifies their day-to-day tasks while supercharging their productivity—and that’s Skynamo. With features like real-time data access, route optimisation, offline functionality, and automated reporting, Skynamo ensures reps spend more time selling and less time battling admin. It’s the go-to app for sales teams who want to work smarter, close more deals, and stay ahead of the competition.

What software do sales reps use?

Sales reps use a variety of software to meet their needs, but the smartest reps rely on Skynamo. Unlike generic tools, Skynamo is built specifically for field sales teams, integrating with CRMs and ERPs to provide instant access to critical data. From capturing orders on the go to providing insights that inform smarter sales strategies, Skynamo covers all the bases, ensuring reps always have the tools they need to succeed.

How do I find a sales rep online?

You can search for sales professionals through platforms like LinkedIn. However, a smart strategy is ensuring your team is equipped with Skynamo to identify new leads, maintain customer relationships, and stay competitive. With Skynamo’s data-driven approach, your sales reps can focus on building meaningful connections that drive results.

Can sales reps make good money?

Absolutely! Sales reps can make excellent money, especially when equipped with a tool like Skynamo that maximises their efficiency and effectiveness. It automates repetitive tasks, provides real-time insights, and enables smarter decision-making. Skynamo empowers reps to close more deals faster. With the right app and determination, sales reps can turn their hard work into significant financial rewards.

Did you get more in 2024?

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Team Skynamo - Blog, Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Looking back and thinking forward.

With resolutions, mood boards and SMART goals a plenty, the wiff of a new year is in the air. But before we pop bottles, start chanting “3.. 2… 1…” and proudly conclude ‘new year, new me!’, there are lessons from the “old year, old you” not to forget, but on which we should rather reflect.

The definition of insanity

The is a reason that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome” is an age old adage. While we usually think of this in more personal terms, like getting back with one’s ex or eating another tub of ice cream and expecting not to feel ill again, its premise has a lot of professional promise.

Looking back does not have to mean holding one’s self back. Sure “what got you here, won’t get you there”, but… it still got you here. So, whilst it’s exciting to spend this time of year thinking about goals for 2025, we will circle back to that in the new year. Before circling back, let’s look back. Before we put together beautiful presentations with motivational titles like “Thrive in 2025”, let’s look at how we could’ve gotten more out of 2024.

Is it a joyous occasion to sit around a boardroom table and spend time thinking on what went wrong or what could have been done? No. But I would make sure you have good snacks and some sort of emotional support animal on standby.

In all seriousness, however, it is important.

The reality is that a mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it, otherwise it’s called a lesson. So, rather remove the threat of insanity and reflect on mistakes so as not to make them again. The entire exercise can be the cathartic art of turning mistakes into lessons.

Making what worked, work harder

Looking back is not all doom and gloom, there is also room for bloom. So, get the hard truths, the mistakes turned lessons, ironed out first. Next, you get the chance to revel in all that worked, and strategise on how to make it work even harder.

Let’s face it, 2025 plans, strategies and presentations are essentially New Year’s resolutions in a suit. We are one stock image library away from creating corporate Pinterest boards, as we love to set new goals, new ambitions, new standards, personally and professionally.

New. New. New.

New is great. But perhaps, sprinkled in with all the resolutions, we should incorporate some thinking around evolutions. Be it product, strategy or team evolutions. What existing elements that are working for your organization, should you build on, rather than start over on?

Data-driven dreaming

Whilst a whimsical sounding concept, it is entirely practical in nature. The reality is, none of the above, whether it’s learning from the mistakes or building the wins, is possible without the historical data to do so.

Whilst reporting is not a romantic concept, when you need it, you will fall in love with the fact you have it. Having a solid system in place to collate your data and provide insights from it, is the difference between thriving in 2025 and barely surviving it.

It is not enough to simply remember what happened in 2024 because, firstly, who could? We are remembering to collect kids, lock doors and whether you turned the iron off. Frankly, who has the time? Secondly, who should?

You should not have to remember exact figures from a 6 month-old sales report. You should have technology and systems in place to do this, otherwise you may just as well have left the iron on.

From proper data, one can dream. One can learn from mistakes. One can set goals. And indeed, thrive in 2025.

Summer Time-Out

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Because the best deserve a break.

Sho! Is there anything greater, than this time of year?

A time of joy and festive cheer.

A time when the weather is great,

A time when we use any excuse to celebrate.

Before we launch into a new genre of thought leadership poetry, enough with the rhyme.

Seriously though, whether it’s the smell of sunblock in the air or Michael and Mariah becoming the soundtracks to our lives again, December hits different.

You wouldn’t push a pull door

Whilst December vibes hit different, they can also hit back. Let’s face it, when the clock strikes December, most people go ‘out-of-office’ long before their inboxes do.

So, pushing for productivity during this period is just that.

A bit of a push.

A push for more focus on ROI than SPF. A push because everyone would rather be working on their tans than on their tasks. A push because there’s this “its 5 o clock somewhere” vibe that transcends time itself.

So, here’s a radical idea: don’t push. Pull. In fact, dive right on in. Submerse yourself, your team and your tasks in all the sand covered, ice-clinking goodness that is December.

Setting your team up to sizzle and not fizzle

Sounds ideal, right? Just diving into December with the same reckless abandon of a beach trip on Boxing Day.

But there is nothing quite like the sentiment “January profits are made in December”, to go straight from easy breezy to queasy. However, fret not, whilst this is true in many regards, one could and should stretch this thinking.

You have a full 12 months to set yourself up for future success. You have had all of 2024 to help you start off 2025 with a bang. Not just the last 31 days of it. 31 days, as mentioned above, during which your team is either literally or at the very least mentally OOO.

Because you know what’s worse than sunburn in December? Burnout. No amounts of aloe vera will help you with that.

But let’s look forward and not backward, hindsight can be 2025. So, use this time to think about how you can create a 2025 so strategic, so effective, that come this time next year, your team is sizzling and not fizzling.

Work smarter, not harder.

Make decisions, choose technology, choose structures that enable you to begin with “the end in mind”. So, by December 2025, your team can be taking a break instead of breaking down.

To the sizzlers

To those of you, the converted, the tech-stacked and strategy-jacked, the smarter not harder workers among us. You’ve put the jingle sells into jingles.

We see you, we salute you.

You have gotten more out of 2024 and now you get to celebrate that. May your out-of-offices be funny and may your pool days be sunny.

What in the Mo is TOMO?

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Team Skynamo - Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Great question. We’d love to tell you.

If there is one thing, this time of year, that we truly need “mo’” of… it’s motivation. With leave days loading and the blue skies calling us to ditch our desks, how does one motivate yourself, not to mention your team?

Well, here is the thing about motivation, it’s layered. It is not as simple as incentivising with targets, or planning more pizza parties. Through unpacking the principles of Primed to Perform and Total Motivation (TOMO), our leadership team has come to recognise this multi-layeredness (or, mo’-ness) of motivation.

Look for the Book

Primed to Perform is a book by Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor and is a must read, not just for management teams, but individuals as well. Getting a greater understanding of what motivates us, is as beneficial to an individual as it is to an organisation. Tough to motivate others when we don’t quite understand what motivates ourselves, no?

Well, this book, is a page turner for people from all the above categories. Once you start peeling back the layers of limiting beliefs around motivation, you can’t stop. At a very high level overview, the book unpacks the notion that there are both positive and negative motivators and essentially your Total Motivation (TOMO) is the net effect of these. Play, purpose and potential contribute to one’s motivation whilst economic pressure, emotional pressure and inertia detract from it.

In the interest of keeping this piece, Mo’ business and less book club, we’ll focus more on what our team learnt through the process of unpacking TOMO. To learn mo’ about the motivator and the intricacies of the book… get yourself a copy! (It’s worth it)

Mo’ about our team and TOMO

The Mo’ you know, the Mo’ you grow, so our leadership team went through a 6-part training course on TOMO. And here are some of their key take outs:

Firstly, from the point of view of our People Ops team on why they chose ToMo:

The ideas are simple enough and they don’t use jargon that might make you feel stupid. 

So, we know the nature of work has changed right? And so should the world of work accordingly. We aren’t in the industrial revolution anymore and carrot and stick also doesn’t work anymore. And that’s what the book is about – you can’t motivate someone with only punishment or rewards anymore. The reason we brought it in is not only to have managers rethink how they think about their job and how they do it, but also be able to take these ideas to their teams and start influencing them.

Linda Walters – People Ops Manager

Secondly, a couple of highlights across our leadership team:

ToMo is more than a number. It is the thinking behind what it means to be human and how humans are motivated. Understanding of human motivation has come a long way since the 70s. ToMo is a great way of understanding what drives motivation and reducing it all to a single number that can be measured.

Sam Clarke – CEO

 Often, we are so busy with the business of work and we forget what has an impact on our purpose and how this motivates us to be a better performing company. I’m paying much more attention on measuring this with my team, especially making sure we are all Playing at work. Trust is one of the biggest contributors in getting this element right.

Brian Howe – General Manager UK

Simply setting expectations of teams and individuals and then empowering them to organise themselves and determine how to get the work done actually gets the work done.

Justin Marshall – Head of CX

It is the first (simple) business framework that takes the people in the business, the full human experience, and align their goals with that of the business.

Diederik Hattingh – Senior Development Manager

Businesses make it or fail based on its people. Understanding what motivates people helps to motivate them. 

Wim Morris – Chief Operating Officer

I really like the Primed to Perform framework as it gives a foundation and language for a high-performance culture that isn’t just “exceed your target or you’re fired”. It actually tells us what to do to have a healthy high performing team. Play as a motivator is my “favourite”, as often people don’t associate their day jobs with “Play”: something that is exciting and fun and fulfilling. This changes that narrative and tells you that you are going to better at your job if you actually find a way to “Play” in it. The fact that we have words for these important elements of ToMo has meant that we have started speaking the same language about the things we see in our business.

Lizl Barnard – Chief of People

To summarize all the above and why ToMo is Mo’ than you bargain for, a core nugget that stood out from the team’s feedback of ToMo was this :

ToMo is finding the joy, meaning and reason in the work that you do.

And frankly what pursuit is mo’ important than this?

Less is Mo’re

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Team Skynamo - Build a better business, Wholesale distributors and manufacturers

Sometimes it’s as simple as that.

We live in a culture that’s all about more. More hard work, more hours, more sales, more emails, more meetings. More. More. More. What if, just for a moment we gave “less” a try.

More hard work

The journey of overdoing “more” is paved by buzz words and zeitgeisty business trends. We hear things like “high performance culture” and we think we must do more to reach these heights. And sure, growth is needed, abundance is great, big fan of expansion.

However sometimes if we apply – dare I say it – more foresight, we may see that there is such a thing as too much “more”.

We do more but think less.

We stress more but achieve less.

We‘re more busy but less productive.

If all we do is add more to our diaries, inboxes and cortisol levels, we may eventually end up doing more, but achieving less.

They call all of this more-ness, ‘busywork’

/ˈbɪzɪwəːk/

It’s defined as “work that keeps a person busy but has little value in itself.”

That thought terrifies me. It feels like I might be gaslighting myself into thinking I’m productive when I’m actually just busy.

However, think about it. The more I do, the less I strategise and plan and see the bigger picture. I add more targets, I add more team status meetings, I add more presentations.

And, my day clogs up, and I feel very productive. I do this almost mindlessly. It would take more thought to intentionally plan my day and clear my diary, but with the intention of achieving more.

Feels very Mark Twainish in its irony.

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” -Mark Twain

I don’t have time to think about working smarter, so I’m working harder.

Think about it. Let’s say you want to sell more in Q4 than Q3. Logically then, we need to do more customer visits, we need to sell more products, we need to work more. Which adds up. Makes sense.

So, we add on zeros and percentages and green and red arrows to our target spreadsheets, and we rationalise that more effort means more profit.

But…

The art of less

I know this heading sounds like something a lazy person would say to rebrand laziness. But what if we said we want to achieve more in Q4 by doing less.

Now, this requires more thought. This requires the art of strategic thinking. This requires rethinking. Questioning the way we do things.

Not just asking can we do more? But rather, can we do better?

It’s like the saying, “What got you here, won’t get you there” (thanks Marshall Goldsmith). If you think of work through a ‘journey to destination’ lens, it’s easy to think we must just put our heads down and walk more to get further. When actually, if you just look up, there was a shorter path all along.

Work smarter > Work harder

Words to work by. Live by. Think by.

To do less by thinking more, is all about a smarter way. It’s not the ‘easy way out’. But it is easier, thanks to technology.

We live in a digital age whereby technology can not only help us find a shorter path but also help us find the right path.

Technology can ease the burden of work a little, so we can think more. It can do the tasks, the admin and even provide the insights. Rather than spending our time, skillsand resources on collating information, we can spend it on applying that information and on learning and growing from it.

Now, that’s smart.

Access to less

As we have established, it’s initially easier to just “do more” to get more, while the idea or process of trying to get more by doing less can seem overwhelming. So, how does one do it? You give yourself time.

Take time to rethink and re-strategise your process. Time to consider if there is a way to implement technology, or any other options, that can simplify these processes. Make them more streamlined.

If the answer is ‘yes‘? Which it will be. Say yes to whatever helps you achieve more with less.