Incentivising Sales People is a real can of worms
Pay them too much for little work and get little work out of them
Reward them too little and you demotivate them
Cap their earnings and you cap their work and sales
Give them a blank cheque and the business cannot afford it

So what do you do?

Well thankfully we have Andy Neal from Astute Sales Solutions join Dave and Marie to discuss his top tips on how you can get the right balance.
Dave and Marie bring in their experiences to Andy so its not all focused on how great Sales people are and as a result this podcast is a well rounded view on how you can motivate all players and not just the Sales Team but the Sales Team feel like they get a good deal.

What are your experiences in Sales and Sales Incentives?

From time to time things go wrong and when it does what do you do? Well having the right insurance policies can make the difference, but which one(s)?
To tackle this tricky, specialist area Dave and Marie speak to Andy Lees from 
Secure insurance services about the different types of insurance you should consider getting for your business to ensure you are covered properly.
Andy uses his many years of experience to inform us all on what we can cover and how.

What insurance do you have for your business?

Part Deux... we pick up the conversation ...

How aware are you of other people and their feelings?

Through education we can begin to understand others and therefore collaborate which drives a business forward in to growth.

To continue this educational journey Dave and Marie are joined by Sandra Pollock OBE from Open Mind Training & Development and Katie Neeves from Cool2BTrans .  These ladies have a warmth around them as well as a breadth of knowledge to help us learn what we need to be aware of.

This second instalment in the two parter covers tricky subjects or why BAME shouldn't be used. How to become a Trans Ally and how you can help to educate yourself.

How aware are you of other people and their feelings?

Through education we can begin to understand others and therefore collaborate which drives a business forward in to growth.

To commence this educational journey Dave and Marie are joined by Sandra Pollock OBE from Open Mind Training & Development and Katie Neeves from Cool2BTrans .  These ladies have a warmth around them as well as a breadth of knowledge to help us learn what we need to be aware of.

With awareness and education we can build better working environments which promotes collaboration and therefore generates growth for the business.  This was such a large topic and the ladies were so helpful we had to do a two parter.

How good are you at generating Sales Leads?
These leads are needed right? Without them how are we to keep the Sales Team busy? How else do we get money in to the business for sustainability as well as growth?
In this episode Dave and Marie talk through some great tips on how you can generate Sales Leads with the highly experienced Andy Neale from Astute Sales Solutions.
Andy has a vast array of experience working in and advising on Sales and Sales Management techniques. He talks through his top tips on generating Sales Leads and appropriate leads

What are your favourite routes to generating leads?

What do you know about HR? Does it matter within an organisation?  How can HR help you running your business?
To tackle these questions and many more Dave and Marie invite Marion Parish from the Accidental Manager back on the show to talk through how HR can help look after your biggest asset, your staff. Even if you're a solo-preneur it is worth having a good idea on how understanding HR matters can make a difference to your business. Why? Well you will have customer who you can help and advise as well as seeing the benefits to your business as it grows.
Marion is a thoughtful professional who really understands the challenges of small businesses and helps them through tricky paths.

What tips do you have to help on HR Matters?

January and the new calendar brings us also the need for Self Assessment. Many business owners find this part of Finance Management a bit of a mystery, so Dave asks Marie to explain how this is all covered.

Marie picks through her Do's and Don'ts on self assessment. The Do's are great ways to ensure you get ahead of the curve and not drop it on your accountant at the last minute else you could end up with some nasty surprises, as well as giving them an impossible task.

Marie also breaks down some of the mystery associated with Self Assessment forms so you can gain from that experience. Dave does chip in with his helpful experience as well as insights in how the delivery will go.

What worries you on Self Assessment? Does your accountant explain what is covered and make it easy for you to complete it?

This is the New Year's Eve Podcast!
By now you should have a new plan for the forthcoming year but if you're struggling with ideas or need a a sense check the you've covered all bases we've put this podcast together to help you listeners a chance to cross check your plan.
Dave and Marie go through their top tips on planning the forthcoming year and activity you should be considering as you review your work completed in 2020.
Remember sort out someone who can hold you accountable for your actions, your plans and help you with success. Unsure who can help? Drop them a line on info@nextstepsfor.biz for ideas
Additionally, remember Keep On Keeping On
Finally, wishing you all a Happy New Year, may 2021 be your year!

It's Christmas!!!
So out on Christmas Eve, it only seems right n proper for Dave and Marie to summarise what's been happening in a Round Robin.
Shout outs to the 19 guests we've hd over the 45 episodes (35 for the core podcast and 10 on the Chaos Chronicles).
So gather your eggnog, put on the fire, turn it up as you remember the odd year we've had, but the great topics we've covered.
Which episode is your favourite?

We've all dabbled with Social Media, sometimes with a bit of a plan, but how well is it planned?
As it is such an important and necessary strategy, Dave and Marie have brought in their favourite Social Media Queen Karen Cureton, Director of Cureton Consulting. She kindly provided her advice on how to set up your social media planning for the coming year.
Karen covers some much planning advice and how you can bring it in to your plans.