BUSINESS MATTERS. A charming feature of being human is that most of us respond better to recognition, appreciation, and compliments than to the pay packet’s contents.

Every year, business owners who value their staff show it at the end-of-year awards.

A few moments spent on stage or at a restaurant event. A team member receives a tribute and a handshake, gestures that are remembered far more fondly than a financial reward.

Sales are at the sharp end of all businesses. It doesn’t matter if the product is a fleet of Boeing airliners, waiting on restaurant tables, dealing with customers or selling chocolate bars to retailers.

The principle stays the same. As a former retailer, I recall only those salesmen who persuaded me to order goods that would benefit my business rather than boost their commission.

A salesman working for Cadbury’s told me that other representatives brought boxes of confectionery. They then left it to the harassed shopkeeper to display his company’s products.

Cannily, the salesman helped the retailer (and himself) by prominently displaying his delivery.

He did so to the disadvantage of his rivals by placing his company’s products in prime sections of the display cabinets.

Guess who received the fat cheque and the silver cup at his company’s annual knees up.

I know of several marketing businesses whose sales commission is not high. The motivating factor behind their sales success is the expensive holidays arranged for the more successful sales personnel.

The targets were achievable but required the kind of effort only a boss can put in.

Click the picture if you are interested in boosting your business profits

When your salary is commission-based, it is your business. The news media depend on advertising but fall short of helping their business advertisers in practical ways.

There is plentiful advice from ‘advertising features’, but this is rightly viewed by readers as self-promotion.

I do believe that a newspaper should allow recognition and award ‘Best Business’ recognition to those businesses that receive the most votes from happy customers.

A good start would be for the media to poll the community for their experiences as customers. Then it would be for a Press team to choose the ‘Five Star Best Business’ winners. Michael Walsh

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