Barrett Sales Trends Report 2016

What happens when we have so much information that it is impossible to even decide what to read? When we have so many things to do that we are rarely at one place at one time for more than a few minutes? We constantly check our phones, computers or tablets. We are online and connected 24/7. We have an overload of information, stuff, processes, stress… There’s a reason why ‘de‑cluttering’ businesses are growing in number around the world. People are seeking help to go back to basics, to a clearer and simpler life, with less stuff.

Organisations are run by people and our businesses have become overloaded and cluttered as well. When a company grows, the levels of management multiply and more co-ordination is needed; that in itself increases complexity, but it also increases clutter. Sales operations are complex systems, but like with whole businesses, people can add unnecessary clutter and complexity. There’s a need to go back to the essentials and for that we need clarity.

Sales operations loaded with dated processes, hard-to-work systems, and countless priorities cannot function efficiently. We need to de-clutter. We can’t oversimplify what is a complex system; we can’t transform every process into a linear one. But we can remove what it’s there just making noise, occupying space in our minds only causing stress and clouding our vision.

Less is more. The 12 Barrett Sales Trends for 2016 all have in common this thread about bringing things back to basics, bringing clarity and transparency to businesses and sales.