Her Story

Sue Barrett is the Founder and Managing Director of BARRETT (est. 1995), one of Australia’s leading sales consulting firms specialising in sales strategy, sales force design, assessments, sales training and sales coaching.

Sue says that, ‘Selling is everybody’s business and everybody lives by selling something’. Her and her team have worked with hundreds of Australian and international companies and thousands of people, developing, challenging and teaching.

Her most significant achievement is being the first in Australia to put the profession of Selling on the University Agenda with the Barrett Sales Essentials Program now accredited as a Diploma of Business and Certificate IV in Business Sales at Swinburne University of Technology.

Sue Barrett says you need to be able to sell – ethically, honourably and effectively.

“To us ‘selling’ is about the fair exchange of value. Organisations have to do more than just ‘do a deal’. They have to engage with their increasingly informed clients, proactively identify opportunities and have a meaningful dialogue around service, relationships and results.”

Sue has been the lead sales writer for the smart company website since 2007. She is one of the leading voices commenting on sales today, teaching, presenting and writing on a wide range of topics about the world of 21st Century selling. Her presentations and articles include sales philosophy and culture, sales leadership and coaching, sales training/skills, resilience, neuroscience in selling and more.

Sue completed a Bachelor of Science Degree at Monash University, and worked as a lead consultant for a major consulting recruitment firm specialising in sales recruitment. She has two young sons, is a competitive swimmer and hockey player, and a keen practitioner of yoga and meditation.

Strategies for Success

1. Collaborate and engage in Self Mastery: look beyond the quick fix and show how we can all be masterful.
2. Become a Pioneer. See trends, innovate, and share ideas and experiences.
3. Cultivate knowledge and insights. This leads to the creation of wisdom in self and in others.
4. Take your idea and sell it well. If you have an idea, capability, product, service or opportunity that you want to take to market then you need to be able to sell – ethically, honourably and effectively.
5. Culture is important. Create a sales driven client centric culture across your entire business and remind everyone that Selling is everybody’s business and everybody lives by selling something.