Why the green shoots of recovery will strangle some Australian businesses
Melbourne, 9 September 2009 – Australian businesses are being warned that the recovery in the local
and global economy may not translate into better days for their operations, and might even be bad
news.
“Don’t let the green shoots strangle your business,” says Bryn Hughes, Director of Optimising the Sales
Force Australia 2009. “Too many firms will succumb to failure because they lose cohesiveness and
direction once the threat of a recession recedes.”
Hughes argues that a company’s sales force is particularly vulnerable. “A sales force is a company’s great
hope for growing its business through the upturn. But these people may well not perform as expected.”
Hughes cites exhaustion, alienation and the prospects of a better offer elsewhere as threats to a
company’s sales team. “Selling during a downturn is hard yakka, and many sales people will feel their
efforts were unappreciated by their employers. It is likely that many will use the upturn to move on as
more opportunities open up.”
Employers may also exacerbate the sales problem by losing focus, according to Wayne Stewart,
National Manager, Business Development, Corrs Chambers Westgarth. “During the downturn, many
managers have put in place new sales regime. The challenge is for managers to maintain these regimes
when times are looking better. Those who do persist will often achieve exceptional results. Sadly, the
evidence is that managers and staff turn their attentions to other matters and lose momentum. Two-
thirds of companies will effectively abandon their sales program, and these firms will fail to reap the
rewards the upturn offers.”
Sales leadership will be the foremost quality that managers will need to demonstrate, says Hughes.
“Managers must re-invigorate their sales team. They need to set realistic targets for their sales team and
provide attractive incentives. They must give the sales team the tools to succeed. They should provide
effective training about selling and around the benefits of the products and services being sold. This
needs to be backed up by coaching and team-building exercises.”
About Optimising the Sales Force 2009 Conference
28-30 September, Grand Hyatt Hotel Melbourne.
Optimising the Sales Force Australia 2009 seeks to provide sales leaders with tools to navigate uncertain
times, with some of the most prominent sales professionals presenting on best practice.
Requests for interviews with Bryn or Wayne: Kevin Fitzsimons, Keep Left PR, 0407 318 396
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