Dave Stein's Blog for Sales Leaders

Mis-hiring isn’t the root of all sales ills, but it sure continues to run like hell for first place.  We’re amazed here at how many companies we speak with have no formalized hiring process. No profiles. No pre-determined, structured interview questions. No training for interviewers.  No simulations.  No assessment tools.  No reference checks.  No background [...]

Filed under: Hiring | 6 Comments »

As a result of some recent research ESR has done for client projects (working with sales trainers as well as buyers of sales training), we have some information we’re able to share with you.
Sales training revenue. Sales training revenue is off across the board, ranging from a 10% decline in previously rapidly growing companies, to [...]

Filed under: Sales Training Companies, Technology, sales process, sales training | 1 Comment »

For those of you who read Part 1 of this series and asked for more, thanks for your feedback, and here it is.
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 [...]

Filed under: Buyers, Economy, Hiring, Measurement, Methodology, Sales Training Companies, Technology, coaching, sales process | 9 Comments »

I finally got around to meeting my telephone and e-mail colleague, Tom Martin, face-to-face a few weeks ago.  Tom is someone I hold in high regard for his experience, integrity and deep understanding of the sales training industry.
Tom is a 20-year veteran of the sales methodology and training industry, with a diverse set of global [...]

Filed under: Buyers, Interview, Methodology, Opportunity Management, Sales Training Companies, sales process | 14 Comments »