Latest insights

Beliefs shape behaviour, including sales behaviour. See this visual summary of views that salespeople in the UK and South Africa hold on six beliefs about field sales and the sales industry. All of us hold beliefs that shape our everyday behaviour. Whether there’s reasonable grounds for holding those beliefs or not, they will shape the way we engage with things and people around us. Similarly, beliefs we hold about ourselves will influence how we respond in certain situations.

Our recent research among field sales professionals in the UK and South Africa highlighted five situations in which sales reps are tempted to spin the truth when visiting prospects. We were glad to discover that a fair number of respondents see the value in being truthful while prospecting. On a more concerning note, however, we recognised that those who admitted to twisting the truth at times did so because they face unnecessary

Effective communication, or the lack thereof, is crucial to sales team synergy. Our recent surveys show that too many businesses still struggle to get this right. We highlight the three frictions that contribute to ineffective communication between rep-manager relationships and how businesses are overcoming these. The common thread that runs through the 6 factors that negatively affect rep-manager relationships indicated below, is a lack in effective communication. Whether

Over 40% of field sales professionals feel micromanaged by their managers, according to a recent survey. Catherine Naudé shares why she, despite resisting being micromanaged herself, wants her manager to track her whereabouts. I’ve always believed that micromanaging people kills their initiative and turns them into followers. No wonder

In a survey of over 400 field sales professionals we asked what they did during a typical week, concluding the time spent on admin could be better used on other sales activities. The comment that pops up most often when talking to sales managers is how much salespeople dislike admin. They want to be with their customers and prospects, selling. Not tied down to a desk, writing up reports and filling out forms and spreadsheets. Below you can see how over

Most Field Sales Reps Still Lack Access to Mobile Sales Technology Our recent survey of UK field sales representatives found that only 30% have access to mobile sales apps and the benefits they offer. Successful field sales reps act as trusted consultants — guiding customers through buying decisions, providing accurate quotes, and submitting orders quickly and efficiently. Customer satisfaction depends on consistently delivering these services. To do this effectively, sales reps need

Can you be sure that sensitive business data you entrust to third-party sales apps are secure? Consider these 5 questions before entrusting business data to service providers. 1. Which data is collected? Business apps require very intimate access to sensitive company data, like customer information, product price lists and employees’ personal details, in order to provide an effective service. The more value an app-based service

The 21 songs that get reps rocking on the road from our recent surveys, got Skynamo’s sales office all nostalgic. Even the young ones among us seem to love the oldies! Have a listen to the Golden Oldies playlist that got our office shuffling. Our research among South African and British sales professionals revealed the

Looking after customer data is a huge responsibility for any business and it’s easy to spend all our time worrying about digital security protections, but in the end breaches can come down to something as mundane as who’s dating your sister… Security is the same the world over whether it’s someone pick-pocketing you, breaking into your flat to get your Xbox or stealing thousands of credit card details from an airline e-commerce site. Every burglar from the common to the high tech relies on the same thing: Humans doing human things.

Sharing ideas is a means by which you can model and participate in value creation in your sales team while growing your own competencies. Yet, some salespeople remain hesitant to share their ideas with others in sales meetings. Why is that? Does sharing your own ideas seem too risky; do you think your opinions being shot down by your manager or team members will expose how little you really know? Or, are you part of a highly competitive team, where everyone tends to keep all their best ideas to