Latest insights

Organisations need to be serious about creativity if they want to drive sustainable business success across global markets. People often forget that business is a creative pursuit. Every business, be it a technology giant such as Microsoft, or a tiny corner store serving one community, stems from a single idea. A creative idea can be born with intent but lost amid deadlines, bottom lines, and business demands. Organizations still define success today by return on investment (ROI) and numbers. But they strengthen it by building a culture of creativity. In the era of the always-on business, customer and employee, this

Following the report of the first slowdown of sales growth recorded by the Skynamo Industry Thermometer in August 2021, the results for September have indicated very little movement month-on-month. The Skynamo Industry Thermometer is a free-to-access resource that benchmarks industry sales activity and sector health on a monthly basis. It reports average order values and volumes from approximately 1000 South African manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors across 26 industries using the Skynamo field sales app. Zane van Rooyen, Product Marketing Manager at Skynamo says that the company’s Industry Thermometer

Skynamo recently caught up with Keegan Hall, Head of Marketing and Product at Ethitech, to hear how winning the Skynamo-sponsored sales event has impacted their national team. Ethitech — a South African distributor of medical technology — proudly won the competition held earlier this year. Skynamo offered to pay R50,000 towards a sales conference as our contribution to rebuilding the South African economy after the devastating effects of the pandemic. Ethitech was the South African winner out of many entrants from across the country, and they whisked away 22 of their admin, marketing, management, and sales staff

…and it’s not all bad news. Skynamo has just released its one-of-a-kind global field sales report. Skynamo, the leaders in field sales technology, are constantly seeking to understand the industries they serve. This includes a large number of building and hardware companies. For this reason, they carried out extensive research recently, resulting in the benchmark report. Why is this good for us in the building industry? This benchmark report gives some surprising insights into how our sales teams compare in terms of challenges, technology used, and sales rep productivity. There is also some insight into the state of

We must look at how we can help co-workers to be resilient and stay engaged in these extraordinary times. Mental health has been identified as the biggest threat of 2021 as the pandemic’s effect continues to weigh on South Africans. This is reflected in data released by the SA Depression and Anxiety Group. It shows a 267% increase in calls to its hotline to 2,200 per day, from 600 prior to lockdown. And this does not include email, text and social media outreach messages. After a gruelling 18 months of Covid-19, lockdowns, remote work and increased anxiety, many companies have seen a drop in employee satisfaction.

Every entrepreneur is familiar with the hectic process of setting up a new business. Problems seem to leap out from any and every angle, whether it’s a spotty supplier, hardware malfunctions, or unsuitable staff. It’s easy to forget about the importance of refining sales and marketing processes when caught up in such a whirlwind. However, entrepreneurs must be diligent in their small business field sales efforts to set themselves up for continuous success. This involves aligning with a higher purpose, prioritizing a digital-first approach to sales, adopting lean planning and agile methodology, and creating a culture

Planning for the future of your business once you are no longer at the helm may be one of the last things on your to-do list, but it shouldn’t be. All businesses will experience a transition at some point, and making sure that you have a system in place for business succession helps to ensure longevity and stability even when you are gone. So, how can you go about ensuring that your business outlives you? Let’s find out. Methods to ensure your business succession plan works These methods will not only help you in your creation of a business succession plan, but they will also help you to turn your business into a

As consumers have become more and more comfortable with online shopping, there has been an undeniable digital transformation in field sales. With the change in interface, digital expectations have changed, and today customers demand an online experience that mimics their past face-to-face shopping interactions. Online behavior and a greater reliance on mobile devices for research and shopping mean this digital transformation in field sales requires radically different strategies. Whether in the B2C or B2B market, companies today are finding that personalized approaches and a wealth of knowledge are key to online

So, you’ve accomplished the seemingly insurmountable task of launching your business. Through the days and nights of hard, relentless work you have likely encountered the issue that all business owners and entrepreneurs encounter – how do you balance the needs of both your business and your family? Navigating the demands of building and maintaining a successful business can make it feel like your family has taken a back seat. Indeed, striking the perfect work-life balance becomes a herculean task, but it doesn’t have to be. One key to living a happy and rewarding life is to prioritize both business and family. But

Investing in readymade sales force automation (SFA) could seem unnecessary if you have the available in-house tech knowledge and only need to make small tweaks to existing systems. But if you want to do something complex or specialized, buying a readymade solution might make more sense in the long run. Considering building it? Before making any decisions on whether to invest in the creation of new software, there are some factors you need to consider. Ask yourself questions like: What does it need to do and what capabilities does it need to have? What is the need for it, and is it a short term or a longer term need?