| February 1, 2012 | | CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF |  |  | |  | | - How company leaders can promote better customer service
Customer service is strategically important because it is critical to how consumers view a company, write John DeVine, Shyam Lal and Michael Zea. Leaders should consider a number of factors in approaching customer service, including the emotional effect on consumers, economics and whether an initiative can be applied across an organization. Top customer-service companies also form teams to regularly review service, they write. The McKinsey Quarterly (free registration) (1/2012)       |  | Earn 2X rewards points on gasoline purchases with The New Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster:
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  | | | Sales Strategies |  | | |  | - 6 risk-management lessons from big-business failures
Eastman Kodak's bankruptcy filing emphasizes the need for sales organizations to manage risk, writes Andrew Rudin. A number of mistakes -- including picking the wrong strategy, executing a plan incorrectly or acting unethically -- could hurt your sales organization, he writes. "[N]o business calamity is more corrosive to shareholder value than broken trust." CustomerThink (1/31) - How to right-size your sales force
It's important to consider where your company is in its life cycle when choosing the size of your sales force, writes George de los Reyes. The life cycle of your industry and the products that you are selling should also be factored in. For example, a company that is introducing a product in an expanding industry might want to add to its sales team, he writes. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales Force Effectiveness blog (1/31) |  | How to Get the Package You Need—Without Breaking the Bank
A robust benefits package can be the difference between someone choosing to work with you versus a more established competitor. But with the cost of benefits rising each year, providing a benefits package that helps you attract, retain and motivate talented people gets harder all the time. Download, 5 Ways To Manage The Rising Costs of Benefits. |
 | | | Daily Data Points | | | |  | - Study examines the relationship between sales and procurement
Salespeople generally consider procurement professionals to be knowledgeable, and vice versa, according to a report by Greybeard Advisors. But the report also reveals disconnects between the two departments -- both sides express skepticism as to whether the other has an understanding of the total cost of ownership. Thomas Regional (1/31) |  | |  | | | Pi Sigma Epsilon is the only national, professional fraternity for college students looking to improve their sales, marketing, and management skills
Since our founding in 1952, we’ve impacted the lives of over 50,000 people on campuses across the U.S. To learn more about how we can give you a business advantage for life, visit pse.org | |  | |  |
| | | On the Road | | | |  | - Travel tips from a national sales manager
Sue Reiss, a national sales manager who will be on the road for about half of this year, has developed some strategies for making travel more pleasant. Among her tips are packing wrinkle-resistant clothing and avoiding keeping identification and other important items in the same place.  USA TODAY (1/30) |  | Costs are rising in China and Japan, prompting high-tech firms across Asia to consider new sourcing locations so they can remain efficient, while focusing more on service. What will be the impact of this behavioral shift? Learn about the findings in this free white paper. |
 | | - How to get more done in less time in Excel
Microsoft Excel is full of useful features you might not be aware of, Helen Bradley writes. For example, you can quickly add the values of multiple cells by clicking on one cell and then holding the "control" key while clicking on the next one, she writes. It's also possible to have the program round large numbers so they are easier to work with, she writes. PC World Business Center (1/25) - Is there a positive relationship between the sales and marketing teams in your organization?
| Yes |  58.62% | | Sometimes |  25.86% | | No |  15.52% | - Approximately how much of your time is spent traveling for work?
 | 76% to 100% | | 51% to 75% | | 26% to 50% | | Less than 25% | | I rarely travel |
- Jumbo contact lens helps elephant see more clearly
A Dutch veterinarian fitted a 45-year-old Asian elephant with a contact lens to help fix a scratched cornea. Anne-Marie Verbruggen had fitted horses with contact lenses, but this was her first attempt with an elephant. "The main difficulty was her height. ... I used a ladder to get close enough," she says. Spiegel Online (Germany) (1/26)  | The ability to recognize risks is a great beginning. Using the insights strategically will separate sales winners from losers."
--Andrew Rudin, managing principal of Outside Technologies, writing at CustomerThink  |
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