The most recent Business articles from Infomatics

Meeting the SME challenge

Jackie Kingsley — 2003-03-31T23:00:00.000Z

Jackie Kingsley, Infomatics, Monday 31 March 2003 at 23:00:00

Jackie Kingsley asks the experts about the secrets of selling to small businesses.

On the face of it, the future for those in IT sales who are thinking of switching their attentions to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) looks bright.Datamonitor predicts that...

Putting a spring in the sales team's step

Infomatics staff — 2003-02-25T24:00:00.000Z

Infomatics staff, Infomatics, Tuesday 25 February 2003 at 00:00:00

With a possible upturn around the corner, lacklustre sales teams will be left standing by those full of vim and vigour. We look at ways of re-injecting energy into the sales effort.

Many industry forecasters can see at least a chink of light at the end of the darkest tunnel in IT sales history....

That's show business!

Infomatics staff — 2003-02-25T24:00:00.000Z

Infomatics staff, Infomatics, Tuesday 25 February 2003 at 00:00:00

Whether you're jetting off to Hanover or handing out cheese cubes at MouseMat Expo 2003, you'll be glad of our show survival guide.

CeBIT, the IT world's biggest trade show, is upon us once more, ushering in a new season of marketing conferences and sales events.Our survival guide, compiled by battle-hardened conference veterans,...

Who goes around, comes around

Martin Wake — 2003-02-25T24:00:00.000Z

Martin Wake, Infomatics, Tuesday 25 February 2003 at 00:00:00

Martin Wake explains why winning back lapsed customers could be the secret of your success.

"It is always easier to repeat sell to an existing customer than to anyone else," according to John Frazer-Robinson, co-author of High-Performance Sales Management (David Grant Publishing)....

Channel links urgently required

Mark Simmonds — 2003-02-25T24:00:00.000Z

Mark Simmonds, Infomatics, Tuesday 25 February 2003 at 00:00:00

Vendors and their channel business partners need to unite to support IT directors in their boardroom battles over technology spend, argues Mark Simmonds, general manager of Anix Group.

Confidence in technology's ability to deliver real value to business is at an all-time low.What we need are vendors who appreciate the need to sell business solutions, not just boxes,...

Trust us, we're flexible!

Infomatics staff — 2003-02-25T24:00:00.000Z

Infomatics staff, Infomatics, Tuesday 25 February 2003 at 00:00:00

New research has found that managers are less than trusting of their employees working on the move.

As the Government's introduction of additional family-friendly policies in April of this year would suggest, flexible working is here to stay.But such a radical change in our ways of working...

Home working: your flexible friend

Jo Cooper — 2003-02-11T11:06:05.000Z

Jo Cooper, Infomatics, Tuesday 11 February 2003 at 11:06:05

Working from home, and having greater say in the hours you work, sound like great ideas to most of us. But are such policies really feasible in the high-octane, always-on world of IT sales and marketing?

The government's new family-friendly policies, to be introduced in April of this year, once again put the spotlight on the much-debated issue of flexible working.In a recent survey of 4,000...

Banking on IT sales success

Mike Kelly — 2003-01-02T24:00:00.000Z

Mike Kelly, Infomatics, Thursday 2 January 2003 at 00:00:00

Mike Kelly has been helping IT companies sell to retail banks for the past four years. Here he shares some of his expertise on how to sell up a storm on the high street.

Ask any IT sales person to construct a wish list of their top 10 most desirable customers and, chances are, a retail bank will appear somewhere near the top.On the...

Close - but no cigar

Jerry Lloyd-Williams — 2003-01-02T24:00:00.000Z

Jerry Lloyd-Williams, Infomatics, Thursday 2 January 2003 at 00:00:00

As 2003 begins, Jerry Lloyd-Williams takes a fresh look at how a difficult market has brought about changes to the art of closing an IT deal.

The IT industry is going through a blip. Or is it a downturn? Maybe it's a recession? Or is it simply a slowdown?Whatever its economic fortunes, one thing is clear...

Poor content, poor portal ...

Mike Davis — 2002-11-25T24:00:00.000Z

Mike Davis, Infomatics, Monday 25 November 2002 at 00:00:00

It is still good quality content that makes for a successful enterprise portal, argues Mike Davis.

An enterprise portal offers a single interface to multiple, digital information sources or systems. Normally operating via a browser, it uses programs known as portlets to connect to the other...

To get really frustrated, press 3

Gavin Webster — 2002-10-30T10:55:30.000Z

Gavin Webster, Infomatics, Wednesday 30 October 2002 at 10:55:30

Companies with high volumes of customer interaction should consider moving from the call centre model to customer self-service, argues Gavin Webster.

Call centres have certainly commanded plenty of attention over the past 10 years, and have been the single greatest technology investment for financial services organisations over that period....

There may be trouble ahead ...

Jonathan Eales — 2002-10-29T17:31:35.000Z

Jonathan Eales, Infomatics, Tuesday 29 October 2002 at 17:31:35

Vendors which follow the spend will survive the downturn, argues Jonathan Eales.

The tech sector may be tough, but business goes on. Buyers are becoming cannier in their spending, just as sellers are having to work harder at walking the tightrope between...

B2E: the future looks rosy

Ian Dunford — 2002-10-23T23:00:00.000Z

Ian Dunford, Infomatics, Wednesday 23 October 2002 at 23:00:00

Business-to-employee applications represent a significant opportunity for companies looking at UK marketplaces where customers are ready to invest.

In the current climate, businesses are struggling to justify investment in long-term IT initiatives.The arguments for implementing customer relationship management (CRM) may be strong, for instance, but organisations are beginning...

Call centres: this time it's personal

Keith Symondson — 2002-04-25T09:30:38.000Z

Keith Symondson, Infomatics, Thursday 25 April 2002 at 09:30:38

There needs to be a balance between technology and the human will to provide a personalised service, argues Keith Symondson.

Visit your favourite website or call your bank and you're greeted with: "Welcome back, Mr Clark! We have recommendations for you" or "Hello Mr Clark....

UK customers get nine wishes

Informatics Digest staff — 2002-02-15T10:47:31.000Z

Informatics Digest staff, Infomatics, Friday 15 February 2002 at 10:47:31

Survey reveals UK Plc's requirements for customer care.

A survey of 800 companies has revealed UK Plc's nine key requirements for looking after its customers.The customer relationship management (CRM) wish list, compiled in consultation with the likes of...