Sales & Marketing Management

Tepid response to traditional corporate gifts has companies rethinking the concept

No business is done anywhere in the world until a sale is made. Sales teams are the driving force behind business success, playing a central role in revenue generation. Yet, high turnover rates and low morale are common challenges in sales departments across industries globally. Sales training is an essential intervention, not only improving performance but also significantly impacting employee morale and retention. With businesses losing billions annually due to staff turnover, investing in sales training can enhance sales outcomes while fostering a motivated, loyal and engaged workforce.

An author of young adult fiction and romance novels isn’t an obvious source of insight on what makes for effective B2B partnerships, but that’s what Sarah MacLean has provided. MacLean, the author of New York Times bestselling books such as “A Rogue By Any Other Name” and “Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover,” stated in an interview, “The best partnerships are not dependent on a mere common goal, but on a shared path of equality, desire and no small amount of passion.”

Independent distribution is critical for a variety of industries. Researchers estimate 75% of all sales are made through channel partners. However, companies that use channel partners face one big challenge: They have no direct control over their resellers.

It’s good to avoid a check-the-box approach to corporate gifting, but there is a list of tenets of corporate gifting that are smart to check off to enhance the impact.

Subtle shifts in the way channel leaders communicate with their partners suggest a greater focus on in-person interactions and stronger digital interactions.

Recruiting and retaining good channel partners is akin to hiring and keeping high-performing employees. As a result, strategies that help companies keep their best workers should also help keep mutually beneficial channel partnerships intact.

Editor’s note: Whether you go to market with an internal sales team or through channel partners, your sales reps are critical to your success. In this article, Gartner Senior Director Analyst Shayne Jackson explains why a company’s sales culture is directly tied to performance, and shares tips on how to assess your sales culture and make any necessary changes.

In the tech and finance industries, all eyes are on generative AI.

AI’s impact on commercial photography is immense. It presents a new frontier in how we capture, manipulate and display imagery. While some make dire predictions about the implications of AI (among the biggest concerns, a recent study illustrates that 71% of Americans fear AI-generated content could manipulate elections) and others speculate on the unlimited upside ahead, we are still at the beginning and where we end up will likely fall somewhere in the middle.