2006

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Although it’s not time to Party Like its 1999, There is Plenty to Celebrate

The ROI Guy

IT spending has experienced a healthy three years of budget increases since the beginning of 2004, giving many IT execs plenty of reasons to celebrate. Annual growths in 2006 is expected to top 6%, and although projections for 2007 show a more conservative sentiment, spending increases are likely to continue with consensus estimates of 5% to 6% expected according to IDC and Forrester Research.

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Promise a Lot and Deliver Even More

The Brooks Group

This past week Andy and I attended a conference entitled " The Future of Web Apps " in San Francisco. We attended this conference to help us improve our follow-up and reinforcement programs and get some new ideas to bring you more and better information. We accomplished our goal but I also realized that there is selling in everything. The CEO of Techcrunch, Michael Arrington, was speaking about what companies are doing wrong.

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Do not Deprive Yourself of Valuable Insight

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

Companies usually describe their sales process, if they even have one, by a sequence of sales stages describing key activities that are to be carried out by the sales person in the respective phase. I am not going to repeat my opinion on the pitfalls such a concept - focusing on the activities from the sales person’s perspective- can have in understanding where opportunities really are in the sales cycle.

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Does the Vista view include ROI?

The ROI Guy

With the official release of Microsoft Vista many corporations will be getting requests to upgrade, and puzzling over whether it makes fiscal sense. The major question to be answered: Does Vista derive enough savings to make the case for near-term migration, or should the organization take a wait-and-see approach? Frugal CIOs and CFOs want to understand how investing in the upgrade will yield immediate and direct benefits – particularly how it will help reduce IT costs, while at the same time im

ROI 40
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Streamlining Salesforce for Maximum Impact: A People-Focused Pocket Guide

Step inside the world of Salesforce consulting, stripped of fluff and jargon. Our guide provides a detailed exploration of five key success criteria, complete with actionable steps for immediate implementation. Elevate your Salesforce investment with insights on goal setting, system design, core object utilization, user adoption, and crafting a system tailored to your needs.

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Can Sarbanes-Oxley compliance generate any business ROI?

The ROI Guy

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) section 404 compliance requires companies to implement extensive internal controls and documentation. Many companies did not have sufficient control in place to comply when SOX was passed, so investments have been made in systems, personnel and auditing to assure compliance. In order to achieve a positive ROI, the SOX compliance must have net benefits that exceed the investment to achieve compliance.

ROI 40

More Trending

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Seven Steps to a Highly Successful Budget Presentation: Proving Past Success

The ROI Guy

IT spending is expected to grow again for the third straight year, with average 5-8% increases expected again for 2007. As a result, the IT budgeting process should be easier than in years past. Corporations have cash to spend, and for some businesses such as finance, technology, professional services, retail and others where IT is an essential component of competitive advantage getting executives to invest more in IT will be easier than ever.

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The ROI of RFID in the Supply Chain

The ROI Guy

Although RFID implementations are not without costs and risks, a number of companies in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution and retailing have achieved a 200-percent return on investment. Many organizations that produce, distribute, handle or sell goods are researching what RFID can do to improve operating efficiency, reduce business risk and drive additional revenue opportunities.

ROI 40
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ROI Calculators - do they work and are they credible?

The ROI Guy

ROI Calculators are typically used on vendor websites to provide a tool where visiting prospects can quickly determine whether the vendor’s solutions can provide quantifiable value. Typically the calculators have a few questions in order to get an idea about the prospects business and opportunities from improvement. Using direct research results or estimates, the tools can simulate the impact of the solutions and quantify the potential benefits, costs and ROI (ROI = net benefits / costs).

ROI 40
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What is the best time-frame to use for CRM ROI?

The ROI Guy

The longer you have to wait for benefits, the more risky the project is. As a rule of thumb, projects which take more than 12 months to achieve payback – where the cumulative benefits exceed the costs – is typical, even on CRM projects. Any project where the payback is more than 24 months out, I would suggest the team break into smaller, less ambitious projects – where the investment is smaller, and the initial benefits acheivements can help to pay for next round of investments.

CRM 40
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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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How important is improving data management/data architecture processes before implementing CRM in order to achieve better ROI in a faster timeframe?

The ROI Guy

In a nutshell, the CRM system will use a large amount of information regarding prospects, leads customers, and orders, and create a large amount of data as various activities are entered and logged. Data integrity is essential. Without a good data architecture and integrity plan – what data is to be collected and integrated and how it is going to be used – the CRM solution may not prove as useful as possible, may prove unreliable, or may undergo overhauls midstream.

Data 40
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Business Value Selling and Sales Turnover - Continuous Working for Change

The ROI Guy

Many IT solution providers have recognized that selling the old way based on features, function and price just won’t cut it in today’s marketplace. The age of budget scrutiny, governance and accountability are upon us. As a result, customers are demanding business value proof prior to investing in that next upgrade or project. The statistics bear this out, with over 90% of customers requiring formal business justification on projects $50,000 and higher according to our research.

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Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy: TCA Champ - Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server?

The ROI Guy

Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy This blog is dedicated to the strategies and tools used by solution providers to better prove and improve the value of B2B solutions to frugal buyers - using diagnostic assessments, interactive white papers, ROI calculators and TCO comparisons. Wednesday, November 08, 2006 TCA Champ - Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server? As platforms continue to evolve in the technology industry, a central concern for IT executives is implementing the right systems to maximize the return on e

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Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy: Hard and Soft ROI - The differences and.

The ROI Guy

Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy This blog is dedicated to the strategies and tools used by solution providers to better prove and improve the value of B2B solutions to frugal buyers - using diagnostic assessments, interactive white papers, ROI calculators and TCO comparisons. Wednesday, November 08, 2006 Hard and Soft ROI - The differences and quantification Hard and soft ROI usually refers more specifically to various benefits which can be included and used in an ROI analysis.

ROI 40
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ABM Evolution: How Top Marketers Are Using Account-Based Strategies

In times of economic uncertainty, account-based strategies are essential. According to several business analysts and practitioners, ABM is a necessity for creating more predictable revenue. Research shows that nearly three-quarters of marketers (74%) already have the resources needed to build successful ABM programs.

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Maybe an Example Would Help

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

Yesterday’s entry was probably a bit to dry and theoretical for some of you. Maybe you were also among those who found a flaw in the formula or were missing the definitions of the different variables. To take care of the latter two observations, I have republished a revised version of the illustration for yesterday’s entry. For those that understand methods easier from looking at an example, here it is.

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Tell me where the opportunity is

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

In yesterday’s entry, I mentioned that assigning win probabilities coupled with a sales process is counterintuitive at the individual salesperson’s level of responsibility. You can look at it as a very abstract, somewhat awkward way for the sales person to declare where the deal is. Today, I will show you an alternative way on how to declare where an opportunity is.

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Do Not Stumble Over Your Weighted Forecast

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

A frequently used method to factoring into the forecast the fact that not all deals a sales organization works on are going to be won, is to assign a win probability to each opportunity in your list. If you then sum up all the expected order values multiplied by the respective win probability of all the opportunities in your list, you arrive at a weighted forecast.

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Readers’ Feedback and Comments

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

In the first week of the existence of this Blog, you might believe it or not, there are already actual readers out there giving me encouraging feedback by e-mail. Many thanks to those readers! If giving comments and feedback by e-mail is the preferred way for you too, this is the e-mail address where you can send your comments to: c_a_maurer @ ceoexpress.com.

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Supercharge Your Sales: 5 Steps to Effortless Selling

Sales teams often lose precious time hunting for updated sales materials, while marketing struggles to keep these assets accessible and current. It's not just about managing; it's about seamlessly finding, presenting, and sharing critical sales content. All of this takes place within an intuitive, unified platform. Dive into Showell's groundbreaking content management realm.

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Whither Forensic Forecasting?

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

You might agree with me, that sales people cannot be left alone when it comes to forecasting. There needs to be management adjustment. However as a sales executive be warned. Not all adjustments you make are reducing or eliminating bias and thus reduce forecasting errors. There is an easy test to determine whether you as an executive add value to the forecasting process.

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A Pessimistic Sales Forecast is not an Oxymoron

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

So far we have only discussed potential root causes for inflated forecasts. Despite their ingrained optimism, sales people under certain circumstances produce deflated forecasts, meaning they turn out to be lower than actual sales. If you were to plot a time series of actual versus forecasted sales, chances are that you discover that under forecasting (producing a deflated forecast) is a seasonal effect.

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Imposed Optimism in Forecasting

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

How does this story fit into the context of the last entry about the usefulness of the metaphor of a Sales Pipeline for our list of known opportunities? Further development of the Leaking Sales Funnel Concept will eventually lead us to an alternative way of forecasting. So that later you can appreciate the benefits of a Funnel Based Forecasting Process, I want to first make you aware of flaws in forecasting process that can be observed today in the field.

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No new contents today but more functionality

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

For those who hate having to check regularly if there is new contents by visiting The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource, I have added some “push” functionality". You can now subscribe to the RSS feed of The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource by activating the respective link on the side bar. Once activated, this will allow you to read this Blog with a news reader.

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1st, 2nd, and 3rd Party Intent Data: Which Is Right for You?

How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

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Is the Pipeline a good metaphor for our list of opportunities?

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

My short answer is no. After having given you some hints that should help prevent you from suffering from “Sales Executive’s Tunnel View” when faced with too thin a pipeline, let us allow ourselves to be a bit more philosophical today. I promise that this discussion will provide the platform for more practical topics I plan to bring to you in subsequent entries.

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The Principle of Getting More From What You Have

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

In the last entry, we used the rule of thumb that only a fraction of the deals a Sales Executive and his/her team are currently working on will actually close. We have discovered that increasing the number of deals in a business with long sales cycles does not necessary produce the desired outcome of higher sales or even making the numbers. The rule of thumb can actually be expressed in a mathematical formula saying: The Sales at a point in the future from now (t + x) are equal to the sum of the

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Pumping up your Sales Pipeline

The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource

I still have to meet the sales executive who is happy with her/his pipeline. When you ask them for the reason of their concern, the answer usually is: “it is not fat enough”. How do they know this? Obviously from experience. They know that only a fraction of the deals they and their people are currently working on will be won. The rule of thumb often heard in the High Tech Industry is that one out of three deals is usually won.

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Technology Sales & Marketing - Party Like its 1999?

The ROI Guy

Technology Sales & Marketing - Party Like its 1999? A Q&A with me on latest IT sales and marketing metrics, trends and best practices Is 2006 shaping up to be a good year for IT spending growth? The latest survey results were just released by IDC, and it looks like there is some cause for celebration. Worldwide annual growth in global IT spending is expected to be 6.3% in 2006, with annual growth in software sales leading the way at 7.0%.

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Salesforce’s 8th State of Marketing Report

Discover today’s biggest marketing trends in the 8th edition of Salesforce’s “State of Marketing” report. Salesforce surveyed 6,000 marketing leaders worldwide to discover how marketers are: Embracing AI to operate more efficiently Removing silos and leveraging AI to enhance the customer experience Innovating to meet evolving customer needs Preparing for the retirement of third-party cookies By submitting this form, you agree to have your contact information, including email, passed on to the sp

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The ROI Guy - Untitled Article

The ROI Guy

I received a question recently regarding VoIP: How do I do an analysis for VoIP on my network? The client had 24 sites, of which 5 were bigger sites (200-300 users) and the rest had 10-20 users. Management wanted a cost saving analysis and the team prepared a brief 2 month benefit calculation on thier own, but they needed more in order to get approval, and management was pushing back.

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Is there a benefit to route analytics / mapping tools?

The ROI Guy

Surprisingly routing issues are the most frequent culprit regarding network failures and issues. These problems result in support calls to the service desk, and generate performance and service level issues. As a result, the network team jumps through hoops to try and locate the source of the issues and resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Route analytics tools can help network administrators trace the cause of issues, measure end-to-end service levels and performance, discover routing an

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What is a good benchmark for network management staffing?

The ROI Guy

For benchmarking of resources, we typically try to ballpark the number of network devices each resource can handle as follows: * high complexity network devices - 15 to 20 per staff member * medium complexity network device – 60 to 75 per staff member * low complexity network device - 250 to 300 per staff member Where * high complexity devices include enterprise switches and IP PBX switches, * medium complexity assets include LAN wired and wireless routers, and * low complexity assets include hu