Most Active Articles 2009-11-23T22:15:28.354-05:00 Business Exchange Business_Exchange@businessweek.com urn:com:businessweek:bx:topic:most-active:sales-enablement Barbara Bix bbix887 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:16611021513729054901-f01db1a9ee5073e87e177a95184db303 2009-11-10T08:56:43.558-05:00

Sales trainers and sales training firms have a big challenge over the next year: many customer training budgets have shrunk or been eliminated entirely; the trainers’ own revenues are significantly down—there has been plenty of downsizing; there are big changes in customer buying patterns; and sales training itself, due to advances in technology, is going through some of the biggest changes since the first commercially available recordings of sales trainers were produced.

Sales trainers and sales training firms have a big challenge over the next year: many customer training budgets have shrunk or been eliminated entirely; the trainers’ own revenues are significantly down—there has been plenty of downsizing; there are big changes in customer buying patterns; and sales training itself, due to advances in technology, is going through some of the biggest changes since the first commercially available recordings of sales trainers were produced. http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2009/11/09/inside-the-sales-training-industry-part-2-9-big-obstacles-to-overcome/ Dave Stein dstein194 3 3 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:10510285416658824209-661d22b7a2e99f0e8d5f7b8a79b8cf96 2009-11-07T12:50:04.504-05:00

This blog entry points out some of the challenges that exists in sales performance and suggests sales enablement tools that can address the challenge

This blog entry points out some of the challenges that exists in sales performance and suggests sales enablement tools that can address the challenge http://www.streetsmarts.com/resources/blog/2009/10/01/new-survey-outlines-continued-sales-effectiveness-challenges/ Dave Batt dbatt497 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:3442682089814543554-780fdca04d4cf6eaffc6b1d1c884d59d 2009-11-02T16:44:04.194-05:00

Below is a terrific article from Elearning! Magazine for SMB and Franchise Owners who want to rapidly leapfrog their competitors via affordable SaaS Solutions. Take note as your organization can become a performance leader. On-Demand Learning and...

Below is a terrific article from Elearning! Magazine for SMB and Franchise Owners who want to rapidly leapfrog their competitors via affordable SaaS Solutions. Take note as your organization can become a performance leader. On-Demand Learning and... http://bit.ly/nQefb Bob Brogan rbrogan557 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:16956794584673348152-0bf28d9cc88273cd811e83f574a9dbce 2009-10-23T14:57:57.771-04:00

I was on a phone call this morning with the CEO of a client company who was describing how he had just rejected a candidate for a critical sales leadership position, which would based in a remote location. Although this company doesn’t employ as...

I was on a phone call this morning with the CEO of a client company who was describing how he had just rejected a candidate for a critical sales leadership position, which would based in a remote location. Although this company doesn’t employ as... http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2009/10/23/three-hiring-related-truths-about-sales-effectiveness/ Dave Stein dstein194 3 3 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:5882093574561711288-85807dddbfd4eda19d03d3bb8dd8b388 2009-10-22T15:45:38.796-04:00

Below are excerpts from Luc K. Richard’s article “Top 5 Franchise Training Mistakes” published in Ezine Articles. The particular issues can easily be overcome by providing an on-line, collaborative Franchise 2.0 university. Successful franchise...

Below are excerpts from Luc K. Richard’s article “Top 5 Franchise Training Mistakes” published in Ezine Articles. The particular issues can easily be overcome by providing an on-line, collaborative Franchise 2.0 university. Successful franchise... http://bit.ly/xuHDq Bob Brogan rbrogan557 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:5022682181698844270-fb6ad7b09b5ceb1c54556c4970182d64 2009-10-20T11:27:19.115-04:00

At SMT’s conference last week in Orlando, Laurie Weed, Western Region Sales Development Manager at Ricoh, presented her company’s approach to ride-alongs (at Ricoh they’re called field rides) with sales reps. We’ve seen different approaches to this critical reinforcement process at ESR. I really like Ricoh’s for several reasons. First is that they actually do it. Second is that they have a process. Third, it’s a good one.

At SMT’s conference last week in Orlando, Laurie Weed, Western Region Sales Development Manager at Ricoh, presented her company’s approach to ride-alongs (at Ricoh they’re called field rides) with sales reps. We’ve seen different approaches to this critical reinforcement process at ESR. I really like Ricoh’s for several reasons. First is that they actually do it. Second is that they have a process. Third, it’s a good one. http://ow.ly/vs1a Dave Stein dstein194 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:1493572585748779715-e0c4963069069076bb3c7d6608b74cff 2009-10-21T12:10:57.976-04:00

Walk into one of Yoforia's three frozen yogurt stores in Atlanta, and you'll get a warm hello from a server, who will encourage you to try all four of the company's frozen yogurt flavors. The server might also describe the organic milk used to make...

Walk into one of Yoforia's three frozen yogurt stores in Atlanta, and you'll get a warm hello from a server, who will encourage you to try all four of the company's frozen yogurt flavors. The server might also describe the organic milk used to make... http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_70/s0910048462472.htm?campaign_id=alerts Leslie MacCallum lmaccallum946 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:13283194264640350120-1ad3c89470726caf179e73b77def118f 2009-10-12T14:59:37.745-04:00

Below is a reprint of Jim Sullivan’s insightful article “Training 2.0: Turn Traditional Learning on its Head” from National Restaurant News issue dated August 3, 2009. At Interactyx, we have extended this type of learning to the entire franchising industry and have dubbed it Franchise 2.0. Is your organization ready to realize the benefits outlined in his piece?

Below is a reprint of Jim Sullivan’s insightful article “Training 2.0: Turn Traditional Learning on its Head” from National Restaurant News issue dated August 3, 2009. At Interactyx, we have extended this type of learning to the entire franchising industry and have dubbed it Franchise 2.0. Is your organization ready to realize the benefits outlined in his piece? http://bit.ly/18Lql8 Bob Brogan rbrogan557 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:16569727485689630269-28c420b4f83fa6c165032a0b6dab9eb9 2009-10-07T15:33:26.803-04:00

I’ve been very concerned for a while about two things going on in the sales blogging/social networking community. One is wrong information. The other is endorsements of products provided to bloggers for review—without disclosure by those bloggers.

I’ve been very concerned for a while about two things going on in the sales blogging/social networking community. One is wrong information. The other is endorsements of products provided to bloggers for review—without disclosure by those bloggers. http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2009/10/06/sales-blog-readers-beware/ Dave Stein dstein194 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:1963732769691525091-27d651f20d448807b0aff2bf6d799305 2009-09-29T15:59:53.217-04:00

http://www.interactyx.com/blog/you-proposed-a-corporate-university-a-are-you-nuts-a Bob Brogan rbrogan557 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:2175901589176778176-80da88910740cf156a1d35e31466cd23 2009-09-16T12:07:27.549-04:00

With my nearly 20 years of professional experience within the franchising business arena, it is safe to say that the traditional and existing franchisor training has failed its two most important constituents: 1) Customers and 2) Franchisees.

With my nearly 20 years of professional experience within the franchising business arena, it is safe to say that the traditional and existing franchisor training has failed its two most important constituents: 1) Customers and 2) Franchisees. http://bit.ly/19MAEG. Bob Brogan rbrogan557 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:5242605375258341240-f0cf8985dace703cee7038879f9fa78e 2009-08-31T10:36:24.249-04:00

How does the sales organization view marketing, and what lessons can marketers learn from understanding this viewpoint?

How does the sales organization view marketing, and what lessons can marketers learn from understanding this viewpoint? http://www.silverpop.com/blogs/demand-generation/salesmarketing-alignment/viewing-salesmarketing-misalig.html Christine Cayer Needles cneedles157 3 3 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:4609744949946724611-6d4f99da45feb49003063a73081fb4c0 2009-09-01T15:13:43.392-04:00

The ultimate objective for corporate training professionals is to provide learners with a continuous learning experience to increase proficiency and expertise to achieve desired business results. No small task for small and medium sized businesses...

The ultimate objective for corporate training professionals is to provide learners with a continuous learning experience to increase proficiency and expertise to achieve desired business results. No small task for small and medium sized businesses... http://www.interactyx.com/blog/stop-inefficient-corporate-training-procedures Bob Brogan rbrogan557 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:2694848136990411264-3416b76c68572c97193dbe567b06fdfe 2009-08-31T10:49:54.825-04:00

Lead scoring is one of the greatest opportunities and challenges when it comes to implementing and tuning marketing automation processes and systems. Adam Needles provides tips for getting beyond the basics...

Lead scoring is one of the greatest opportunities and challenges when it comes to implementing and tuning marketing automation processes and systems. Adam Needles provides tips for getting beyond the basics... http://www.silverpop.com/blogs/demand-generation/lead-scoring/advanced-lead-scoring-secrets.html Christine Cayer Needles cneedles157 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:6757338590399414898-6847a4bc4713b39674f6d17c7593f2e7 2009-08-04T20:12:20.037-04:00

Ventana Research recently released their Sales Performance Management Value Index 2009 research paper which benchmarks four leading SPM solution suppliers and their solutions.

Ventana Research recently released their Sales Performance Management Value Index 2009 research paper which benchmarks four leading SPM solution suppliers and their solutions. http://leapcomp.com/2009/08/ventana-research-sales-performance-management-value-index.html Ventana Research vresearch293 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:11661077059940412543-cd9bd915b64d28116ffda3f43292e766 2009-05-13T12:01:34.836-04:00

Want to improve the bottom line? Start at the top. This blog discusses concrete actions B2B companies can take to accelerate sales.

Want to improve the bottom line? Start at the top. This blog discusses concrete actions B2B companies can take to accelerate sales. http://www.bbmarketingplus.com/blog/ Barbara Bix bbix887 5 4 1 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:7358076884117397665-2438cb0cf4fdf22c9dc8b9200d24d0bb 2009-08-19T15:43:29.432-04:00

The highly dispersed nature of any company's sales organization is a fact of life for every business. Whether you sell direct, via manufacturer's reps, wholesalers, distributors or retail, the ability to engage these channels is the second leading...

The highly dispersed nature of any company's sales organization is a fact of life for every business. Whether you sell direct, via manufacturer's reps, wholesalers, distributors or retail, the ability to engage these channels is the second leading... http://www.interactyx.com/blog/sales-leadership-stop-making-excuses-engage-your-channels-and-deliver-success Bob Brogan rbrogan557 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:12927774325414544433-1240e70ee20d0106efe873c9ce486431 2009-05-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

...then your sales elasticity is likely higher and you should focus more on sales enablement in the...

...then your sales elasticity is likely higher and you should focus more on sales enablement in the... http://marketingmeasurementtoday.blogspot.com/2009/05/elasticity-of-sales-enablement.html 8 7 1 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:3299214510069513025-d4d649ab8a8cdbbed995ce34724e56bd 2009-05-13T11:54:58.762-04:00

It’s clear that marketers can deploy social media to shorten the sales cycle—and despite the current debate, that measuring success will be no harder than it is for comparable conventional marketing programs.

It’s clear that marketers can deploy social media to shorten the sales cycle—and despite the current debate, that measuring success will be no harder than it is for comparable conventional marketing programs. http://www.bbmarketingplus.com/pubs/article_5_5-2009_test.html Barbara Bix bbix887 7 7 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:18385745479190806869-68599507c67f1d3f3338538d58b21753 2009-05-12T21:04:00.000-04:00

optimum impact. SalesView maximizes sales team productivity by delivering a one-stop shop for prospecting needs and accelerates the sales cycle by enabling sales people to call the right prospects at the right time. About InsideView InsideView is

optimum impact. SalesView maximizes sales team productivity by delivering a one-stop shop for prospecting needs and accelerates the sales cycle by enabling sales people to call the right prospects at the right time. About InsideView InsideView is http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1975951891&f=9791 4 3 1 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:13497717981113671365-ef45fbab5e44743e01bfe8ae0a56b45f 2009-06-04T13:37:27.334-04:00

Seth Godin Discusses the sales funnel.

Seth Godin Discusses the sales funnel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McmEyr0oWew Juha Lassila 劳尤豪 jlassila845 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:3405715334125423089-3eeab9185595d42b2b7394f90f1f070f 2009-07-03T22:55:24.134-04:00

A recent evaluation by Ventana Research of the handful of software vendors in the emerging sales performance management market ranked the participants very closely.

A recent evaluation by Ventana Research of the handful of software vendors in the emerging sales performance management market ranked the participants very closely. http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid11_gci1360821,00.html Ventana Research vresearch293 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:1758939607201640688-50cfc81b0fed31be8479476de484e177 2009-06-26T01:45:41.660-04:00

Ventana Research today introduces its 2009 Value Index for Sales Performance Management, the third of a new category of quantified, research-based Indexes. This new Value Index provides research-based metrics that will enable organizations to ascertain the value to them of applications and tools for addressing Sales Performance Management, which is the practice of managing the effectiveness and efficiency of sales-related business activities and processes to a common set of customer and revenue goals and objectives.

Ventana Research today introduces its 2009 Value Index for Sales Performance Management, the third of a new category of quantified, research-based Indexes. This new Value Index provides research-based metrics that will enable organizations to ascertain the value to them of applications and tools for addressing Sales Performance Management, which is the practice of managing the effectiveness and efficiency of sales-related business activities and processes to a common set of customer and revenue goals and objectives. http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/ventana-research-unveils-the-2009-value-index-for-sales-performance-management-105475.php Mark Smith msmith670 0 0 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:4533111770184565061-cd1b44f9fbba6e46431f071a26e725b7 2009-06-20T12:25:25.330-04:00

I did a recent review of the many different vendors for sales force automation (SFA) to get a perspective on what has changed in the last six months. Also to ensure I did not miss anything in the myriad of announcements as I was judging an industry award contest for SFA. Of course SFA is nothing new as it has been in the market for probably at least two decades. I remember working with Saratoga Systems and their product called SPS in the early 90’s and there were plenty of other products that had been operating from the 80’s. I am no stranger to SFA as I have been involved with the use and improvement of this application for over 15 years. Of course everyone talks about salesforce.com but the previous leader in the market was Siebel who dominated the market in the late 90’s and until their acquisition by Oracle. And if anything has been proven out in over two decades in the SFA market is that those vendors who do innovate and expand this application will become part of the legacy and not part of the future. One thing I have seen in common from these vendors over the last couple of decades is that they are denial and do not fundamentally accept the facts from the past and what their customers really need to be successful and advance their complete set of needs in sales.

I did a recent review of the many different vendors for sales force automation (SFA) to get a perspective on what has changed in the last six months. Also to ensure I did not miss anything in the myriad of announcements as I was judging an industry award contest for SFA. Of course SFA is nothing new as it has been in the market for probably at least two decades. I remember working with Saratoga Systems and their product called SPS in the early 90’s and there were plenty of other products that had been operating from the 80’s. I am no stranger to SFA as I have been involved with the use and improvement of this application for over 15 years. Of course everyone talks about salesforce.com but the previous leader in the market was Siebel who dominated the market in the late 90’s and until their acquisition by Oracle. And if anything has been proven out in over two decades in the SFA market is that those vendors who do innovate and expand this application will become part of the legacy and not part of the future. One thing I have seen in common from these vendors over the last couple of decades is that they are denial and do not fundamentally accept the facts from the past and what their customers really need to be successful and advance their complete set of needs in sales. http://www.ventanaresearch.com/blog/commentblog.aspx?id=3199 Mark Smith msmith670 1 0 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:9321973986242754642-b6631734e714bdc29e06ece86d7b08b2 2009-05-12T08:36:00.000-04:00

These tools we have like blogging and podcasting and video and the use of social platforms are interesting, but to be useful to a sales marketing

These tools we have like blogging and podcasting and video and the use of social platforms are interesting, but to be useful to a sales marketing http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UnboundEdition/~3/aQ56c719p0Q/ 3 2 1 0