Unemployment levels are at their highest for a generation, however Office Angels, has urged jobseekers to look beyond basic salary offered for a role. They are also urging jobseekers to consider all of the other benefits that come with a job.

This advice has come in response to new date from Office Angels and mysalarychecker.com, which has revealed that sales and telesales roles are in high demand across all industries.

This is because all companies look for successful sales people to help position their business for future growth.

Although, in comparison to general staffing administrative roles, sales salaries are at the lower end, salespeople and telesales advisors can earn a considerable amount through commission and bonus schemes.

David Clubb, MD of Office Angels told HR Magazine: "Next year is undoubtedly going to be incredibly tough, and jobseekers are going to have to be more flexible when applying for jobs. Candidates shouldn't just look at the salary of any given role but also consider the wider package and where the job may lead in terms of future opportunities. Commission, bonuses and other benefits can boost a mediocre salary and ensure that take-home pay is much higher.

"Our data shows that there are plenty of advertised vacancies available, although the large pool of jobseekers in the UK means that there will be strong competition for roles. Being prepared to accept a lower salary and then work hard to supplement that through performance-related pay can help candidates widen their search. Sales roles can also be crucial to career development, helping people who are new to the workforce to develop transferable skills which can help them in their future careers."

Picture: Aaron Tang

While the current economic gloom may have seen unemployment rise in the UK, research from Simplysalesjobs.co.uk has provided some good news for those looking for a new sales position.

» Read more: Sales vacancies strong despite economic downturn

Millions of pounds have been spent investigating and pursuing ways to grow sales, and no wonder; after all, sales are the lifeblood of any organisation. Yet only a handful of companies have been able to grow their sales steadily not just in good times, but in lean times, too, and in the face of ferocious competition.

For more on this story go to saleswork.co.uk.

Picture: Shawn Carpenter

According to The Sales Pro, the wealth of information online about companies and the people that work there – on websites, blogs and social networking sites – is making a marked impact on the sales process. In the last study into global sales effectiveness by CSO Insights*, nearly two thirds of sales professionals said that the Internet has had a significant impact on account research and a quarter said it has had a noticeable impact. For more on this story go to thesalespro.co.uk.

Picking up on all the many and various developments around modern selling employers, team leaders, staff and new recruits, there is one emerging theme that looks like the future, for many and the best paid sellers, if not for most or “the herd”. For more on this story go to modernselling.com. Picture: Nils Geylen

Managing a successful sales team is a difficult task. It often means dealing with a group of enthusiastic individuals, each with their own views, who work in a stressful situation and are potentially exposed to rejection on a daily basis. Effective management is a must, as are organisational and motivational skills but most importantly, a good manager will spend time with their staff in a variety of different scenarios. As we look forward into the New Year, it may be time to think about perfecting your management skills and learning to build trust and rapport with your employees for a fresh start in 2012.

It is essential to get the right people for sales positions and the recruitment process will need to be well planned to make that happen. As team dynamics are crucial, many businesses are now using psychometric testing prior to interviewing and using specific methods like behavioural competency questions during the interview itself. These and similar methods allow employers to get a good insight into the candidates' personalities plus their strengths and weaknesses.

Team building
The goal for a team is to collectively achieve more than a group of individuals could and this is where effective team building comes into play. There are numerous team building methods. Some are suitable for use during team meetings, some are social events and others are hosted and administrated by outside organizations. These are often residential events. Some companies require their new recruits to attend one of these events before starting their new jobs in order to establish how best to integrate them.

Sales staff are historically well paid and it is normal practice for them to receive a basic salary plus commission on sales, with the ratio being dependent upon individual business circumstances. Having regular reviews and offering performance related bonuses gives the opportunity for interaction with team members on an individual basis, as well as giving them more incentive to do well.

These one-to-one meetings should also address any issues a team member may have that could be affecting their performance either at work or elsewhere. Work related issues can be addressed by additional managerial support or training. As far as personal problems go, a good manager will have an 'open door' policy making them approachable for staff to talk to at any time.

All the information needed
Within the workplace, a team must be well armed with all of the information they need about the company, its products, strategies and services. As well as having an induction process in place, it is worth taking the time to create manuals for the sales team so that they have answers at their fingertips wherever they are. It also goes without saying that adequate means of communication will be needed. In most cases this will mean providing them with a mobile phone and laptop.

A team will function at its best when it is completely clear on what its objectives are. Targets should be a matter for team discussion and set realistically for each member. Unrealistic targets which cannot be met are likely to de-motivate the team and result in less productivity overall. In addition to targets, it is also important to agree on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for each person. For a sales team these could include factors like sales conversion rate (ratio of sales to calls made) and awareness of analytics e.g. customer retention rates.

Keeping a sales team happy and motivated is a full time task, but it is one that can be made much easier by getting to know each member well. Offer frequent praise for positive input and congratulations for achievements and always make sure that if criticism is required, it is done constructively. Above all, aim to minimise stress levels within the workplace as much as possible and make the effort to plan relaxing treats for the whole team with the subject of work banned for the duration.

Picture: Joi Ito

Sales was once a profession largely carried out on the road with attendant images of dynamic suit-wearing professionals driving all over the UK and beyond, sealing deals on handshakes and living out of their briefcases. Face to face communication and personal time spent servicing accounts was key and much engagement was done individually with a healthy corporate entertainment account to hand!

Today, however, the application of technology has begun to change certain elements of the sales industry beyond recognition. This isn't a phenomenon that's exclusive to sales as a sector. Technology is revolutionising business and consumer markets everywhere we look, from powerful customer management databases to managing business operations, social media tools for business communication, e-commerce platforms for online trading and web-based conference calls.

Power of the internet
At the heart of these changes lies the power of the internet and the steep change it's made in the way salespeople and customers manage and control information flow. Nowadays, anyone with a search engine can find as much information themselves as a salesperson can give although quality and accuracy of content is obviously a concerning factor. Information flows are no longer top-down from salesperson to potential customer. The buying process has become more conversation based, with the customer ever more informed.

Experts believe that this transformation is set to continue, as new technologies appear that continue to alter traditional buyer and seller relationships. Every time a new adopted technology appears, buying behaviours change and evolve. With change moving at an ever faster pace, the pressure on companies to adapt and evolve, keeping abreast of what's new and responding to it, becomes greater. Training of sales staff becomes more important, as does market research, speedy product development, organisational intelligence and responsive leadership.

Patterns and personas
For the new social media driven buyer, organisations need to firstly understand new buying patterns and personas, which are predominantly more customer oriented. Greater and more meaningful customer insights are required and research must focus on qualitative data, as well as hard MI. Salespeople need to be smart, reactive and intuitive about what makes their customers tick in the information age. They must also understand changing buyer journeys and the nature of rapidly developing market readiness. Five year marketing and sales strategy plans simply won't be enough. Planning must be fast and responsive to change and processes must allow opportunities to be capitalised on by smart sales staff.

At the same time, organisations must always be seeking to understand customer buying patterns, customer readiness, changing markets and the impact of new technologies. Behaviours, goals and patterns will change and evolve at increasingly fast paces. Smart organisations need to be set up to understand and respond to this. For example, how is social media being used and capitalised by salespeople? What is the strategy for monetizing this channel?

Of course, even in the midst of rapid change, some old factors hold true. The customer is still central, they still have needs and a good salesperson will use available channels to satisfy these needs with their products and services and build a mutually satisfying and profitable relationship. Salespeople will still need to advise buyers during their journey and uphold the brand experience.

What sort of things should salespeople be getting their heads around today? Digital marketing is a key area, with online advertising and social media activity providing paid-for and 'free' conversation that shares information and can then be used to drive sales and build a company's brand. There is also content marketing which will mean recognising the importance of good quality content online to move buyers towards a purchase decision.

For sales directors, training delivery for staff is essential. Often, it will need to be online, daily and possibly app driven. Building closer links with marketing, digital development teams and PR is key to driving forward effective usage of the new available channels. Making sure sales staff are comfortable with new technologies and engaging with potential customers via social media channels is also hugely important.

As with all business, the maxim remains that you either sink or swim. Change is a constant and good organisations will recognise the opportunities that come from new technologies such as the opportunity to reach new markets and reduce the cost to sell via social tools. Organisations that embrace change and find ways to respond to it, or even drive it, will remain competitive. Those who attempt to ignore change and hope it goes away will be disappointed!

Photo: Adam Jenkins

According to Zoom Info, prospecting for new business is not an easy task. Many get weighed down by the thought of having to call someone they do not know, who is not expecting their call. Ugh! However, for those of you who are new to the game or looking to re-evaluate your approach, here are four tips to make your lead-generation process more effective. To read the rest of this story go to zoominfo.com. Picture: Elisabeth

According to Drew's Marketing Minute, most of us don’t have the luxury of selling ocean front property, the coolest laptop, the latest in tractor technology or porsches. But in most cases, while it may not be sexy to many - someone really wants it.

To read the rest of the story go to drewsmarketingminute.com.

Picture: David

Ever notice that some tele-sales reps consistently out sell other reps? Why is that? Why do some reps continuously lead the pack in terms of sales and revenues and others don’t?

Sure, knowledge and experience play a role in their success, but when you scratch the surface you quickly discover that highly effective tele-sales reps all have one thing in common: they are exceptionally good closers.

For more on this story go to Salesopedia.com.

Picture: David Mellis