Dave Stein
Dave Stein
Dave specializes in helping his clients win critical B2B sales opportunities as well as helping them hire the best sales talent.Dave is co-author of Beyond the Sales Process. He wrote the best-selling How Winners Sell in 2004.
Recruit a Mentor
Tougher times call for stronger personal/professional support systems. Over the years, I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach and mentor many talented...
It’s Time to Throw Generic Onboarding Overboard
Mis-hiring isn't the root of all sales ills, but it sure continues to run like hell for first place. At ESR we're amazed here...
Are You Prone to B.S.O.S? (Bright Shiny Object Syndrome)
Funny how expressions all of a sudden seem to appear, sometimes from out of nowhere. For me, "bright shiny object" is one that I...
Sorry, We’re Not Impressed with Your Customer List
During ESR's sales training provider webcast this past Friday, I spent a good deal of time sharing ESR's observations from recent client evaluations. One of...
A Rational, Relevant, CustomerCentric Selling Approach
ESR has covered CustomerCentric Selling for years. I've gotten to know and respect John Holland, one of the company's co-founders. John sent...
Accelerating Revenue Through Learning – Here Are The Slides
Last week I delivered a webinar for ASTD's Sales Training Drivers. The subject was the 2011 ASTD Report: Accelerating Revenue Through Learning: Developing...
A Story About Learning Retention and Sales Skills Transfer
I received an unsolicited email today from Bob Branson, President of TACK-USA. (Disclosure: TACK-USA subscribes to ESR's research.) As I read through the email,...
An Inside View on Inside Sales
During the past few years, the challenging economy precipitated changes in approach for many sales organizations. There are two that are structural and therefore...
Hungry for a “Hungry” Sales Rep? Think Again.
Before you invest in any sales performance improvement initiative, make certain you understand the capabilities of every one of your salespeople. Improving sales...
A New Virtual Sales Training Offering from SPI
Eighteen months ago we began telling you that more and more sales training companies would be investing in virtual delivery capabilities. We even...
Four Sales Effectiveness Predictions for 2011
I was recently a guest presenter, along with Greg Brush of InsideView, on a webinar hosted by The TAS Group. I talked about ESR's...
The Most Popular Sales Thought-Leader Interviews of 2010
During the course of 2010, we've enjoyed a significant increase in the number of followers and subscribers to this blog. Since some of you...
Customer Retention: A Critical Selling Capability
My friend, Joe Galvin, of SiriusDecisions, recently introduced me to Matthew Hawk, Ph.D. (See photo.) Matt is an expert in customer retention,...
Sales 101 Alone Doesn’t Get The Job Done Anymore
When you think about it, those of us in sales are all after the same goals: winning more business, sooner, and at higher contract...
So How’s That Value Prop Thing Working Out For You?
The subject of value propositions comes up again and again in ESR’s discussions with our clients. Many believe they have a strong, differentiated value...
Right Now, Your Customer Is Learning How to Kick Your Butt
Getting sales leaders to understand the importance of a strategic approach to sales performance improvement is often an uphill battle. So, when I get...
Yet Another Misguided Sales Training Decision
A while back a well-known and well-respected company approached ESR about us assisting them in an upcoming sales training provider evaluation and selection process. ...
Promoting Your Best Salesrep to Manager? Not So Fast
The skills and traits for success in a sales management position overlap but are very different for success in a direct selling role. ...
Show Me The Money
Savvy sales leaders know that an effective compensation strategy is critical for retaining and motivating sales talent. Most salespeople are motivated, at least in...
Novel Idea: Senior Executives Stay for Duration of Sales Conference.
As I write this I’m attending a client’s annual sales conference at a resort in the Midwest. The client is a large insurance company. Although...