Productivity Tools for Your Sales Force.

Press releases and articles

Ft. Lauderdale – August 29, 2008– The Bristol Strategy Group “Leaky Bucket” Study on sales-force productivity suggests that many businesses could improve their bottom line and sustainability by tightening up a few key areas of sales-force productivity. Ellen Bristol, president of Bristol Strategy Group, presented interim findings from her company’s ongoing study at last night’s meeting of the South Florida Technology Alliance in Ft. Lauderdale. About 140 business executives have p the study to date.

Overall, fewer than 8% of respondents achieved the highest level of sales-force productivity. Of the nine areas documented in the study, several could be easily addressed at low to moderate cost, with a rapid impact on the bottom line. For example, nearly half of all respondents, or 46%, do not give their sales people a documented prospect profile to facilitate qualifying opportunities. Only 22% offer sales people incentives for customer retention, in spite of the higher costs of new-customer acquisition. “In an economy like this one,” says Bristol, “almost anything that helps sales people get better results is a good investment. It’s not expensive to document the prospect profile, so why don’t more companies do so?”

Other productivity areas receiving poor marks in the study include ineffective performance metrics for sales people, and a reliance on higher-cost, lower-impact methods to manage nonproductive sales staff, such as over-reliance on product training or simply firing poor performers. According to Bristol, there are better, more impactful choices that can be deployed at relatively modest cost, producing a significant positive impact on sales efficiency and overall sales results.

Bristol also announced the official release of her company’s new, on-line solution for improving sales-force productivity, the SMART Way® Scorecard, and provided a free trial subscription to all attendees at the event. The SMART Way® Scorecard is an online scoring tool helps sales people select, and invest appropriate effort in, prospects and customers offering the highest potential for profit and repeat business. The SMART Way® Scorecard, based on the company’s flagship methodology Selling the SMART Way®, includes the basic scoring matrix plus a wide variety of productivity drivers, reports and analytics, all delivered to the user via interactive email; there is no software interface to learn and master. Developed in partnership with Chicago-based ProActContact.com, The SMART Way® Scorecard is a subscription service that can stand alone or complement an existing investment in CRM (customer-relationship management) software. For more information about the SMART Way® Scorecard, contact Ellen Bristol directly at 305-935-6676 or visit the company’s website www.bristolstrategygroup.com.

About Bristol Strategy Group
Bristol Strategy Group, based in Miami, Florida, provides consulting services and software solutions for improving sales productivity in commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the company’s flagship methodology Selling the SMART Way®. The SMART Way® model is based on formal process disciplines and quality metrics and has a powerful impact on sales performance. BSG is one of the few sales-consulting firms whose methods have been recognized as being aligned with the Baldridge National Quality criteria. Ellen Bristol, founder and president, is a thought leader on the topic of sales-force productivity and effectiveness. For more information, visit www.bristolstrategygroup.com or phone 305-935-6676.

About Business Automation Solutions
Business Automation Solutions, Inc. is a consulting firm that specializes in delivering sales, marketing and relationship technology solutions (SMARTS). The firm develops, implements and supports solutions that assist executives in building and sustaining personalized and profitable business relationships. Clients of the company’s corporate division, BusinessSMARTS™, include mid-market companies, across a host of industries. Clients of the company’s professional sports division, SportSMARTS™, include many of the nation’s premier sports and entertainment venues as well as professional baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams. Business Automation Solutions is headquartered in northern suburb of Chicago, IL. For more information, visit www.moreproductive.com or call 888-827-5628