In The News

David Sables, CEO, and the Sentinel Team appear regularly on and in various media, commentating and giving insight on industry issues. David is a regular columnist within ‘the Grocer’ magazine, as well as being a contributor to Forbes.

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So how was Christmas for you? You were hoping for an iPad, and got a cookbook. Well, maybe you didn’t get what you wanted but still, look on the bright side, you could be Dalton Philips. The pressure facing Morison’s now is palpable. It’s not incredible that a lead retailer can underperform in the key season. What is unusual, however, is that it seems the top four have all had... Read More

Right now, many suppliers will be arguing with customers over payments for the joint business plan. Commitments weren’t met, and results failed to generate the money you are being harassed to just pay anyway. Too many suppliers pay up because not to do so would affect the deal for the next year: a spiralling nightmare. So here it is JBP season, everybody’s having fun... It gets worse though; suppliers are... Read More

Communication skills are trainable, yes, but with any new skill it takes practice until you get proficient. If done effortlessly and totally naturally, then your technique will be dynamite. Like when learning to drive a car, you know you've got it when you don't need to think about it. Unconscious competence, they call it. It's a long way from conscious incompetence where you know you can't do it, but at... Read More

Here's a thing. Have you noticed that astute young sales directors and wise old experienced ones seem in agreement that the 'art of selling' has died in grocery? Both types see that our current sales forces are technology-obsessed, process-driven and that their sales skills are diluted across such heinous disciplines as finance and logistics. They would argue that amid this horror show the importance of wowing a buyer and developing... Read More

Seeing the despairing face of the Asda food hall manager, I paused. He was sitting at his desk, looking at a hand-written report. I always waited for a nod before walking in. This guy was a nightmare - the type who'll keep you waiting an hour then shout at you for being late. That day he was clearly under pressure: this could be explosive. As I took one step into... Read More

Looking back, visionary joint planning has proved elusive. Suppliers have never really committed to it because it's never long before the customer starts demanding short-term gains and the whole thing collapses. Many want to take a longer-term collaborative view, but retailer pressure is inevitable.  We employ many ex-buyers as part of the Sentinel team. Gamekeepers turned poachers, they are perfectly qualified to teach planning, selling and negotiation. I've noticed they... Read More

I'm often asked what makes a good salesperson. It's obvious, isn't it? Great salespeople are likeable, respectable, not up themselves, positive, persistent, skilled communicators, great with facts, persuasive with figures and ambitious team players. Plus, you need an element of dynamism and cynicism. Shall I continue? They are tough but caring, flexible but strong, and it helps if they have good product with relevant short-term proposals and a long-term plan... Read More

From time to time, I see it as my duty to dismantle some of the old myths of selling. How about this one: ‘ABC — Always Be Closing’. What on earth does that mean? Don’t buy it. This is an Abstract Bleedin’ Cliché, and At Best Codswallop. If you check online you will find 50 types of closing techniques, all of which reek of pressure sales. This is not banking... Read More

How to sell? Well, that rather depends : on what you are selling. There’s the ‘technical sell’ in engineering, the ‘pity sell’ if you are door-to-door, the ‘pressure sell’ for double glazing or, of course, the ‘mis-sell’ if you’re in banking! In grocery we generally have suppliers wondering why they struggle to get the ‘visionary relationship sell’ instead of their workaday ‘transactional sell’. Suppliers see their inability to maintain a... Read More

Read these words: footfall, basket spend, purchase frequency, cash cycle, margin mix, promotional mix, shelf productivity, stock investment, stock cover, waste reduction, mark-downs. Feeling a bit nauseous? Don’t assume the only way to motivate your customer is by conceding margin and paying fees. The buyer’s commercial motivation is driven by all these business fundamentals. But do you have the capability to play them to your advantage too? Reach for your... Read More