Google’s new tool called “Knol”

Here’s a heads-up on a new tool from Google – it’s called “knol” and it will compete with Wikipedia communal encyclopaedia. It allows anyone to provide information about any and every topic.

You can now write about a subject that your knowledgeable about and add it with KNOL.
The knol pages will get search rankings to reflect their usefulness. Knols will also come with tools that readers can use to rate the information, add comments, suggest edits or additional content.

Revenue from any adverts on a knol page will be shared with its author.

Check it out!

SALESFORCE.COM something good coming…

LISTEN UP SALES EXECUTIVES – Will you love tomorrow’s Salesforce.com news?

Salesforce.com will announce a new offering tomorrow called “Salesforce to Salesforce” (S2S). The service offering facilitates the sharing of data between companies that use Salesforce. There are a number of ways that businesses can benefit from the new service – for sales it will allow you to capture data, cross-pollinate for leads that can be distributed to your channel. Hopefully, they won’t make any of the mistakes that Facebook made with Beacon. S2S is a very different product, but coming just days after the negative backlash that Beacon received, Salesforce will have to make sure it’s PR firm works overtime on positivity and the differences.

In my opinion, this goes way beyond CRM and something that can drive revenue for Salesforce and it’s constituency. We will be hearing a lot more about in the coming months. I expect a number of SaaS providers will be watching Salesforce to see how well they do.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

Top 10: Outside Sales teams weak points

If you’ve been managing sales people for any length of time you will recognize the most frequently sited weaknesses of the majority of sales people you hire. These are true no matter how long a sales person has been selling.

• 1. Don’t network enough, don’t like it  or don’t know how (prospecting)
• 2. Don’t ask the right questions (preferably open ended)
• 3. Not good at Listening
• 4. Don’t prepare
• 5. Don’t develop an account strategy
• 6. Don’t ask for the order
• 7. Don’t address the client at his/her level
• 8. Poor time management skills
• 9. Don’t properly forecast
• 10. Don’t pay attention to the details