Incentivising is key in any sales environment where Sales Managers want to ensure they retain their top talent. Ken Craig, partner at Rawlinsons accountancy firm explains how to reward staff while side stepping the tax man.

A recent report from Health.com lists sales as one of the 10 professions where workers are most likely to experience major depression in any given year. Depression affects about one in ten of the population and can affectabsolutely anyone.

As we move into a new year I can't help but feel excited, the year of the Olympics and the excitement surrounding it, represents the huge opportunity to do business I feel is still available to UK PLC. The media will tell us differently, but then it has always been easier to to announce a company going into administration or the loss of 50 jobs than to celebrate a huge contract win or the creation of thousands.

Investing in your top sales people has always been important, but with a changing economic environment it has never been more important for Sales Managers to ensure that they hold on to their top talent. Mark McCarthy of Meta-Lucid explains further the importance of this part of the sales managers role.

The wealth of information online about companies and the people that work there - on websites, blogs and social networking sites - is making a marked impact on the sales process. In the last study into global effectiveness by CSO Insights, nearly two thirds of sales professionals said that the internet had a significant impact on account research and a quarter said it has had a noticeable impact.

Some 800 of the UK's top sales professionals explored and enhanced their skills at this year's 'Successful Selling' conference, which was held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 20th October. Keynote speaker Michael Portillo presented an overview of the current economic position underlined with the role of sales professionals in solving the problem

Former BBC Dragon James Caan's Entrepreneur's Business Academy has bought together leading thought leaders and experts in all areas of business. Founder of the Academy with Caan was Bev James, who is also MD of The Coaching Company. In this video, and as part of SalesPro TV,  Bev explains the importance of the role of coaching in forming high performance sales teams.

We live in an ever connected and competitive world, yet one which seems to give us little quality time to connect with clients in meaningful productive ways. As we become more successful, quality time with clients seems to become a scarce commodity. So how can we begin to 'gain time', manage our client relationships more effectively and efficiently to ensure we maintain and increase business success and enjoy loyal and trusted client relationships?

Most Sales Profesisonals will have attended an exhibition before, they will have coducted these within their own industry and therefore understand the benefits of trade shows. So why has there never been an exhibition for our own profession and industry?

Is it me or has the stigma attached to pursuing a career in sales beginning to change? Sales in the UK has somehow worked itself into building a reputation and streotypical image around shysters, del boys, making a quick buck and selling your own grandmother to hit a target.