BLOG: Hilltops IT gets a mention in Focus Magazine

Focussing on Vistage chief executives organisation and how membership has helped Hilltops IT (and other businesses in the Staffordshire) move their business' forward, Stephen Siggs is quoted: "Vistage has helped me to power my company to new heights. I joined in 2008 after hearing about the powerful results that members derive from Vistage groups. In less than a year I am already seeing key developments such as better projection and positioning of Hilltops IT in the marketplace, a better focus upon strategic growth and improved management of staff, customers and suppliers."

We also managed to get in a cheeky box shot of QuoteWerks sales quotation tool!

View the full article by clicking the link here: http://www.hilltopsit.co.uk/resources/business/200904%20-%20Focus%20Magazine,%20Vistage.pdf

QUOTEWERKS: Hilltops IT achieves Top 10 partner status for third consecutive year

Below is the main body of the Aspire Technologies Partner Awards 2008 press release. To view the complete original, then please see the QuoteWerks website here.

Hilltops IT says: thanks to all our new and existing QuoteWerks clients for your custom and helping us receiving the Top 10 award for a third consecutive year.

Aspire Technologies Announces 2008 Partner Award Recipients

Aspire Acknowledges Global Partners for Extraordinary Performance Delivering QuoteWerks to Companies Worldwide

ORLANDO, FL (Vocus/PRWEB) December 11, 2008 — Aspire Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of sales quoting software solutions for the global small and mid-markets, today announced the winners of the Company’s 2008 Channel Partner Awards. Recipients were chosen by Aspire based on exceptional performance in customer growth, satisfaction, overall dedication, total sales and commitment to QuoteWerks.

“Aspire Technologies consistently values strong, collaborative relationships with our channel partners,” explained Keith Carrington, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aspire. “Each 2008 recipient exemplifies the dedication, collaboration, support and performance QuoteWerks resellers and strategic partners continually offer our customers. We are proud to recognize their achievements in the successful implementation of our solutions around the world.”

“2008 QuoteWerks Solution Partner Top 10” awards were presented to (ranked first through tenth):
• Quintadena, Ltd. (United Kingdom)
• First Direct Corporation (New York, USA)
• Wizard Systems (United Kingdom)
• Hilltops IT (United Kingdom)
• Perennial Software (Ohio, USA)
• Ezisoft.net (Australia)
• BDG Associates (United Kingdom)
• Compu Financial Systems (Florida, USA)
• Hogan Data (Texas, USA)
• Twelve/Three Marketing (New York, USA)

The “2008 QuoteWerks Distributor” award was presented to Link47 Limited, the authorized
QuoteWerks distributor for the United Kingdom and Ireland.

“2008 OEM Partner” awards were presented to:
• ConnectWise (Florida, USA)
• Pool Design Software, Inc. (Florida, USA)

The “2008 QuoteWerks MVP” award was presented to Daniel Tollefson of Crest Landscaping in Oak Creek, Wisconsin for his continued commitment and contributions to the QuoteWerks Support Forum.

QUOTEWERKS: 10% off Winter Special Discount

QuoteWerks will be running a 10% Winter Special Discount off all purchases of new licenses, additional licenses, UMP (Update Maintenance Program), and edition upgrades from December 1st- December 19th.

The discount is available to all QuoteWerks users who purchase new licenses, additional licenses, edition upgrades, or UMP during this time. The discount is for a limited time only and will not be extended past December 19th.

The discount is QuoteWerks’ way of saying “Thank You” for helping us grow into the complete quoting solution we are today.

So don’t delay any longer and contact us on +44(0) 1782 564252 or +44(0) 844 357 7360 or sales@hilltopsit.co.uk and take advantage of this great discount today!

Details of QuoteWerks pricing for licenses, our QuoteWerks training and support options, plus much more are available on the Hilltops IT website.

BUSINESS TIPS: Managing your business through challenging times

Some useful thoughts and reminders on what makes a productive sales force and how to focus your team through the challenging economic climate. Re-produced for the original article by Frank Furness. For the original, please view the post here.

Managing your business through challenging times

Right now most businesses and individuals are faced with challenging times. Every Television station, radio station and newspaper is reporting on the doom and gloom (how is it that they rarely report good news) and the more people hear it, the more they believe it. The good news is that everyone has a choice. Here are my strategies to manage your business through challenging times.

Cutting or apportioning costs - is there anywhere where costs can be cut that will have little detrimental effect on the business. Now is the time to take a good look at the balance sheet and staff and see who and what is giving the company the best returns and who and what are not, and then making some difficult but effective decisions.

Culling time wasters – we all know the Pareto principle, that 80% of your profits come from 20% of your clients. Every organisation has those wonderful 20% of clients who are great to deal with, always pay on time and will stay loyal through challenging times. These clients are pure gold! How well do you look after them and how many referrals do you ask for from them?

Here is an effective exercise – write down the names of your top ten clients and then write down ten things you know about each of these clients. Get everyone at your company to do the same thing and you might be surprised at how little they know about your top clients. How do they like to be communicated with (email, phone or face to face), how often do they like to be contacted, what are their prime motivators in doing business with you, who are their top clients (and plenty more).

This is the time to really take care of these top clients, make them feel special and let them know that you appreciate their business.

Next you have your 60% of clients who will stay with you if you look after them, but could just as easily move somewhere else if they feel neglected. Right now is the time to keep in touch and ensure that all your staff really takes care of these ‘steady eddy’ clients.

Eight percent of your problems, headaches and unpaid accounts will come from your bottom 20% of your clients. They will give you eighty percent of your hassles.Do you have a client that when you see a message from them or an email, you immediately tense up because you know it is going to be bad news. Now is the time to rid yourself of these clients and concentrate on your top twenty who will easily replace the business with no headaches and you will sleep easier.

The best decision I ever made was to stop working with two organisations that had given me a fair amount of work over the years, but more stress and hassles than you can imagine. Every time they booked me for a talk or training it would be a huge fee negotiation and then having to wait to get paid. I easily replaced them with clients that I enjoy working with.

Develop a 10 touch plan – how many times a year do you stay in contact with your clients, remember out of sight is out of mind. If you are not visible, your competition will be!The easiest way is to have an effective newsletter or ezine.

Sharpen your sales skills – right now is the time you should be sharpening the skills of all your sales people. This is not the time to cut costs on sales training, but rather the time to invest in your sales people and make sure that their skills are sharp and they will be bringing in the sales that will see you through the challenging times.

Upsell and cross sell – McDonalds are masters of this. By asking one simple question – ‘do you want to go large’ they upsell most of their customers. Are you doing the same with your customers?

Increase your marketing efforts – this is the time you cannot sit back and wait for the clients to call. You need to up your marketing efforts dramatically. Here are some ideas you can use:Create an awareness of your company:

• Sponsor a local sports team
• Sponsor local industry awards – donate a trophy for the best new business in your area with your local chamber of commerce. When the award is given, you will get great free publicity and be featured in your local newspapersLet people know exactly what you do
• Create brochures or marketing materials that are client focused and not ‘you’ focused.
• See your website as a sales and marketing vehicle. Ensure you have the right sales copy, your website is search engine optimised and you know the exact statistics of your traffic. If you need assistance in this area, please contact me for consulting that will have your website driving traffic and sales.
• Newsletter – let your clients know exactly what you do in your newsletter
• Provide ‘subject matter’ expert articles in clients trade press. Let your clients know that you can do it better than your competition
• Speaking as subject matter experts at industry conferences
• Speaking at individual client conferences and meetingsTaking actionMore face to face meetings and pitches than ever before with well qualified prospects.

Set Goals and stay motivated – now is the time more than ever to set your goals and stay motivated. Avoid all the negative press and people and reward yourself for your achievements.

Opt out of the recession – we all have a choice, mine is to opt out of the recession and concentrate on areas of my business that are profitable.