One of the most common issues that needs to be overcome through a sales performance improvement initiative is the subjectivity with which many salespeople pursue business. If left to their own, many sales reps see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, and, frankly, do what they want to do. This [...]
Filed under: Hiring, Research, sales training | 3 Comments »
Lots going on these days. I’ve got an important blog post queued up for Thursday to coincide with the launch of a powerful new book on selling, so I thought I’d give you a few thinks to read and think about: Charlie Green put up a cool info-graphic last week: How Trustworthy Are You? You [...]
Filed under: Book Recommendation, Interview, Presentations, Research, Sales Training Companies | No Comments »
In Q3 2011, ES Research Group, Inc. conducted an important survey to explore the impact that technology, evolving media, and new delivery methods are having on the people and organizations that develop, deliver, and purchase sales training. The results show that, over the past two years, rapid advancements in technology, combined with a sluggish economy, [...]
Filed under: Measurement, Methodology, Presentations, Research, Sales 2.0, sales process, sales training, Sales Training Companies, Technology | No Comments »
Sales training continues to transition from the traditional classroom modality to virtual. This trend started back in the 1960′s and 1970′s, driven by Nightingale-Conant, originally publishers of sales training audiotapes. Now, the breadth of media available as learning platforms now extends to nearly every electronic device at our fingertips. Some sales trainers and sales training [...]
Filed under: Research, sales training, Survey | No Comments »
Pretty scary, huh? It sure is, especially if you’re a sales manager looking for answers. Every day there is more bad advice posted on the Internet about what’s required for sales success, and it’s getting worse. I’m on dozens of sales trainers’ mailing lists. Among those emails, Google Alerts, my Twitter feed (“sales training” is [...]
Filed under: Professionalism, Research, sales training, Sales Training Companies | 6 Comments »
Today ES Research Group, Inc. announced significantly expanded and deeper coverage of more than three dozen sales training and sales performance improvement providers. This significant increase in intelligence and opinion about sales training providers and their products and services will help sales training buyers determine which training firm best meets their business and sales performance [...]
Filed under: Research | No Comments »
Last week I delivered a webinar for ASTD’s Sales Training Drivers. The subject was the 2011 ASTD Report: Accelerating Revenue Through Learning: Developing Sales Teams That Win, which ESR co-authored with ASTD. ESR sponsored the Report as well. That webinar presentation is archived here. Although you can download the slides below, I strongly suggest you [...]
Filed under: Presentations, Research, sales training | 1 Comment »
My friend, Joe Galvin, of SiriusDecisions, recently introduced me to Matthew Hawk, Ph.D. (See photo.) Matthew is an expert in customer retention, a critical, but often under-appreciated selling capability. Although customer retention is a subject I’ve been interested in since I first ran a client services organization years ago, my work with Minnesota Life Insurance [...]
Filed under: Interview, Research, sales training | 3 Comments »
The skills and traits for success in a sales management position overlap but are very different for success in a direct selling role. That means that if that salesrep, no matter how well they have performed, does not possess the specific skills and traits required for success in that management job, they are likely going to [...]
Filed under: Hiring, Leadership, Research | 10 Comments »
I just received a copy of Improving Corporate Negotiation Performance, a new study published by UK-based Huthwaite International and Connecticut-based IACCM—International Association for Contract and Commercial Management. Huthwaite, along with other leaders in the area of negotiation like Think Inc! and The Bay Group, vigilantly drive the critical point that negotiation shouldn’t begin when a [...]
Filed under: Book Recommendation, Measurement, Research, Sales Training Companies | 2 Comments »
Geoffrey James, former BNET Sales Machine blogger and now Inc. Magazine columnist, refers to me as "the world's top expert on sales training," a designation I'm proud to accept.
ESR publishes independent evaluations and comparisons of sales training companies and their programs and services. (Think Consumer Reports, JD Powers, or Gartner.)
We also coach CEOs of leading sales training firms as well as individual sales trainers on how to grow their businesses and be selected more often in opportunities where they meet customer requirements.
I'm proud that ESR is recognized as the leading authority on sales training programs and sales performance improvement.
For the past twenty years I've focused my career on the area of sales performance improvement, sales effectiveness and especially sales training.
Presently I write the regular sales training column for Sales and Marketing Management magazine.
I can be reached at
+1 (508) 313-9585 Ext 706
