By Robert S. Brodo, Executive Vice President and Abby McKenna, Project Manager, Advantexe Learning Solutions
June, 2010
Through the economic rollercoaster of the past few years, successful organizations have actually increased revenues and financial performance by finding innovative ways to differentiate for their customers. It is no longer acceptable for sales professionals to make generic pitches to prospective customers in the hopes of closing big deals. In a time of uncertainty like we currently face, it’s important to build trust and establish long-lasting relationships with customers to ensure continued business, and many sales professionals are being asked to engage in Vertical Selling – the process of selling higher within their customer organizations – to do so.
In thinking about your organization and sales professionals, do you think your sales team is selling to the right level of real decision makers within their customer organizations? Are your sales professionals truly considered trusted advisors to customers? Are they looking at strategic accounts with a long-term perspective rather than focusing on closing an immediate sale? Do they have the skills to determine the real needs of their customers and position your products and services to meet those needs? Do sales leaders have the skills and tools they need to coach and develop their sales professionals in this area?
In this month’s AdvantEdge, the research team at Advantexe Learning Solutions digs deeper into the concept of vertical selling to uncover the benefits and challenges associated with this process. Read more about it after the jump.
Advantexe Learning Solutions – in partnership with one of our technology clients – conducted a survey regarding the hot issues currently facing CEOs and CLOs.
By Robert S. Brodo, Executive Vice President
My iPhone buzzed three times from the same client while I was in a meeting; I figured it had to be important so I called him back as soon as I could. One of our Technology industry clients was calling me in a panic for help designing a survey to measure the integration of Human Capital Management and Technology and his boss told him he had three days to get it out and compiled for an internal market research report. “What’s the urgency?” I asked, and was told that everyone in headquarters was alarmed by the latest sales results showing that PC-based software solutions were 35% off the planned target. During the same week, the catastrophe in Japan was unfolding, adding to the turmoil and fueling uncertainty around global business recovery. Together, we designed and distributed a business survey that was sent to more than 1,000 global executives including the Chief Executive Officers and the Chief Learning Officers of their organizations. The results and analysis of the survey are contained in this month’s edition of The AdvantEdge™. Get all the details after the jump.
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“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.”-Hesiod, Greek Poet (~700 BC)
