Citigroup, Inc. - HQ: New York, NY

2010 Sales: 111 Billion

January 25th, 2011

Looks like banks are spending big bucks on social media. The article states that "by 2012, about 40 percent of financial companies are expected to spend between 2 percent and 10 percent of their marketing budget on social media".

Read about how you might be able to help Citi's new social media czar, Frank Eliason.

Rockwell Collins, Inc. - HQ: Cedar Rapids, IA

2010 Sales: $4.67 Billion

January 20th, 2011

This maker of parts for aerospace and defense is hiring again - 4% or 800 people. Most of those hires will be engineers. As our loyal readers know, we like to find stories of growth, expansion and hiring. They usually make excellent companies for salespeople to call on.  

With 800 new people joining the company this year, we see opportunities for B2B sales in many areas - namely in HR, talent management, workforce management and training to name a few.

T-Mobile USA - HQ: Bellevue, WA

2009 Sales: $22 Billion

January 20th, 2011

We like this article because of the big plans the CEO has outlined. A statement from the article reads that Philipp Humm "plans to drive $1 billion in savings by reducing customer care, migrating to a self-service and IVR system, simplifying rate plans...."

Sara Lee Corporation - HQ: Downers Grove, IL

2010 Sales: $10.79 Billion

January 28th, 2011 

Salespeople know that when a company reorganizes itself, it can present new sales opportunities. If you already have Sara Lee as a customer, this is your chance to keep your solution in tact within both units.  

For new sales, you can craft a compelling message to both sides to prepare for their independent operations in 2012. You will have an opportunity to offer services to both the domestic business, as well as the new international business. 

Don't Sell Me A Blue Car

Marilyn August is my own personal sales and marketing coach. Here are 3 free resources from Marilyn:

1. In her short article, Don't Sell Me A Blue Car, Marilyn describes a personal experience that reminds us to focus on the customer. Hopefully, it can help you in a sales call today.

2. Marilyn has developed a free ME-Q (Money Emotional Quotient) self-test. It can reveal your hidden thoughts and beliefs around money.
 

3. If you're more of a "audio" person, have a listen to this 40 minute interview I did with Marilyn. In the interview, Marilyn teaches you the 3 Keys To Avoiding Costly Money Objections. 
 

January 5th, 2011

A.M. Best has published their annual rankings of the top 25 global insurers. The company provides readers with two lists:

• 25 of the largest insurers by total assets
• 25 of the largest insurers by net premiums written 

Use this helpful list to create your own target list of accounts.   

Each week, AOL posts the top 10 companies hiring for the current week. If you like to target companies that are growing, make sure you bookmark this page and come to it often. It could help you identify (and land) your next big account!

Top 100 Consumer Goods Companies
   

Last month, Consumer Goods Technology issued their 100 top companies in Consumer Goods. What we really like about the list is how they also sliced and diced it to include various sub-categories. We hope you find it helpful too.