Body: In the last few years some organizations have found that their sales processes have become more challenging while the performance of some of their sales professionals who were past stars has deteriorated. Selling complex products and services, versus selling commodities, has always been more difficult and sales professionals must have different skill sets, as illustrated below:

COMMODITY-TRANSACTION SALE
• Simple product or service—perceived as a commodity by the buyer
• One or two calls—perhaps telemarketing
• One or two apparent decision makers
• Low risk
• Relationships less important—buyer views the sales professional as vendor
• Technique selling
• Price quote
• Price and availability more important

COMPLEX SALE
• Complicated product or service
• Multiple consultative calls, demonstrations, and presentations—perhaps technical sales support
• Multiple decision makers—executive committee or board-level decision
• High risk
• Relationships very important—buyer may view the sales professional as a business consultant
• Value-based selling
• Proactive sales proposal or response to a Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Return on investment (ROI) very important or required

In this Microsoft white paper, written by Bob Kantin of Salesproposals.com, Michael J. Nick of ROI4Sales and Tim Sullivan of Sales Performance International, you will learn how with a consultative sales process, a sales team will produce better ROI analyses for its customers, and improved sales proposals that are customer-focused. A consultative sales process is an essential first step in turning your sales team into a competitive advantage

Download this White Paper and help your organization be better prepared to analyze, consult, differentiate, communicate, compete, and win.

The internet and big box retailers have changed the way products from MP3 players to garden tillers reach the market. Customers now have a direct pipeline, via the internet, to the name on the label and are going back to the manufacturers instead of the retailers for product support.

How can you distinguish your brand given this new market dynamic? Download this white paper to find out.

Powerful, flexible and easy to use, VerticalResponse Surveys help you gain a deeper understanding of your customers from just a few clicks of a mouse. Choose from our pre-built survey templates or create your own. Point-and-click to select your audience and invite response, or place a survey link on your site. View reports to analyze feedback, or create alerts and find out instantly what your customers are saying. Get 100 survey responses free with your trial – sign-up for VerticalResponse Surveys today!

Voice2insight (V2i) is a US based outsourced call center/data entry agency, where field sales professionals/subscribers call V2i’s automated system; leave a detailed message (with minor voice and written prompting) regarding their meeting, and then move on to their next task or customer visit. In the meantime, V2i staff transcribe the call details into a proprietary application, which then delivers the information via secure web services into the subscriber's e-mail in-box and SFA application.
 
By the time the rep returns to the office, the account record information has been captured and recorded, tasks have been assigned and, the future meetings have been scheduled. This is not a virtual assistant…the V2i service specifically focuses on the task of capturing and entering the relevant call data thus helping the sales reps achieve the "highest and best use of their time" -selling

Download 4 brief case studies from 3M, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Dexter & Chaney and FFF Enterprises (a Healthcare company).

With all the recent buzz concerning Socialprise applications, at what point will they begin to deliver returns? Advantage, Inc. and InsideView recently issued a press release documenting the immediate short-term gains that Advantage, Inc. has realized from their recent Socialprise implementation. Read the paper now to learn more.

The convergence of social media and enterprise applications – dubbed the Socialprise – is opening up new avenues on sales intelligence for today’s sales professionals. Find out how you can leverage this trend to zero-in on the prospects that ultimately materialize into actual opportunities by downloading our whitepaper on the Socialprise.

If you’re like most organizations, you invest thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in technologies and programs that promise to drive your business forward. And, if you’re like most organizations, you probably find yourself asking: What is really working? What are the keys to front-line success? How can I make things better?

Successful Sales Enablement is not an accident. Those organizations that generate the most impact are those that take the time to understand the key components of Sales Enablement and how to leverage these strategies and tactics in a way that drives true front-line value.

This whitepaper - courtesy of nine year Sales Enablement veterans, SAVO - outlines the essential building blocks of Sales Enablement. SAVO offers actionable tips on what you can do to drive front-line and top-line impact. For anyone looking to implement Sales Enablement in their organization, or for those looking to benchmark against a proven approach, this whitepaper is a must-read.