Page 201 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

• Ensure you have the right management information. It informs

decision making and shows people the indicators and issues that
they need to focus on.

• Establish a robust sales process. This will ensure the basics are

being covered, while emphasizing what matters and providing a
framework for action.

• Value relationships. Relationship management is central to a sales

culture because it leads to greater understanding of customers.
Thinking of customers in terms of your relationship together
takes them from being a statistic to being something that is
more significant and valuable.

• Segment your customers. This leads to greater clarity, insight, and

success. This is important in competitive, fast-moving markets,
and ensures offers are more likely to appeal because they are
matched with the right customers.

• Avoid complacency and develop an entrepreneurial approach.

This is hard to achieve because it relies on the other stages
being accomplished first. With the other measures in place, the
culture and focus of the business will inevitably change and
strengthen.

• Display strong leadership. This includes the need to communicate,

to act as a role model for the values that you believe are important,
to inspire trust, and to be personally effective.

194 • 100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS