Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

At this point in the sales market, there’s no such thing as a truly unique company or product. With hundreds of overlaps in product types, product features, company values, and overall pricing, it’s challenging to stand out from the crowd and even harder to do so without blowing your budget. Value chain analysis lets you pinpoint the costs and values of every aspect of your business so that you can put your best foot forward and increase your profit margin.

When someone mentions direct sales, your first thought might be of a well-intentioned friend hawking health powders and supplements for some multi-level marketing company. While technically direct selling, that image doesn’t come close to describing the impact of the direct sales model. If you’ve waited in line for the new iPhone in front of the Apple Store, you’ve participated in direct sales.

You’re looking for a sales position and scouring the job postings. But it seems like every role requires at least one year of experience, which you might not have. Before disqualifying yourself from a sales career, you should know that your experience doesn’t have to come from an actual sales job—you just need to understand how to transfer your current skill set to the position you’re applying for.

It may seem like technology is dominating the world of sales today. But no matter how many ways we find to digitize workflows, save time, and cut costs, nothing has been invented yet that can replace genuine human-to-human interaction. The buyer-seller relationship can be the cornerstone of customer loyalty. Plus, it’s a gold mine of opportunities for cross-selling, SPIN selling, and upselling.

We’ve all heard the saying “a good product sells itself.” If only that were universally true. People might line up for the release of the newest iPhone, but it’s not only because of the product itself. It’s also because Apple has spent decades building impeccable brand credibility, a unique customer experience, and fantastic customer support. The phone is a perk of a fantastic sales experience.