Just like the coin flip, we can’t control all the variables in sales. But with better data providing deeper insights to the performance and productivity of the sales organization, we can improve our odds of success beyond 50/50.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/07/Decision-Making-More-Than-a-Game-of-Chance
The Excellence in Practice category recognizes organizations for results achieved through learning and performance solutions. Awards are presented for proven practices that have delivered measurable results, and Citations are presented for practices from which much can be learned. Here are this year's citations in the area of sales enablement.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/06/Sales-Enablement-Excellence-in-Practice-Awards
For many sales managers who ask themselves “Why should I coach?”, the answer seems a little counterintuitive and confusing.
Here’s their logic. Their sales representatives applied to join the company of their own free will. They then happily accepted an employment offer, and then participated in and graduated from a comprehensive training program that involved both knowledge and skills. Once on-the-job, they know what is expected from them in terms of their sales targets and ethical behaviour, are well paid, have an incentive program available, and go on conferences. Selling is their job and any job worth doing is worth doing well.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/ASTD-Blog/2013/03/People-Are-Mistaken-for-Employees-Sales-Coachings-Biggest-Barrier
Most sales training managers are well into planning for the year ahead. Priorities have been set and budgets finalized, so it’s a good time to not only think about what sales training needs to accomplish, but also to review some of planning fundamentals.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/03/Considerations-for-Creating-Sales-Training
Findings from a recent Corporate Visions survey reveal a lack of visual storytelling techniques among marketing and sales teams—specifically, that only 13 percent of salespeople use an interactive writing surface such as a whiteboard to support their customer conversations.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/02/Survey-Says
Here are a few more reasons why m-learning is especially useful for today’s modern sales teams.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/02/Selling-Has-Gone-Mobile-Should-Sales-Training-Follow
When Jim Rohn said, “All the information you need to succeed already exists, the problem is you haven’t exposed yourself to it,” it was one of the most challenging and eye-opening statements I had ever heard. I immediately made a lifelong goal to read a thousand books.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/01/Sales-Moves-by-Jeffrey-Gitomer-1-16
Dave Stein’s December post, “Higher Education,” on the Sales & Marketing Management website reminds sales trainers that for competitive sales campaigns to succeed, they will likely need to provide learning opportunities that move beyond the basics.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/01/Moving-Sales-Training-Beyond-Sales-101
What trends do you think will shape your sales enablement efforts in 2013? In the first of two blog posts, Dario Priolo, Chief Strategy Officer for Richardson, notes four of nine trends—mobile, social, cloud/integration, and big data/metrics—that sales organizations should get on board with in 2013.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/01/Recent-Richardson-Blog-Offers-Trends-to-Watch-in-2013
Brandon Hall Group, a research and analyst organization, recently announce the winners of the 2012 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Technology Awards. Now in its 19th year, the program honors winners with more than 70 Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in 30 categories, including best sales training and sales and marketing technology.
http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog/2013/01/Brandon-Hall-Group-Announces-Winners-of-2012-Excellence-in-Sales-Technology-Awards