While sales force automation software increases sales productivity, it can’t teach your sales people how to sell. The best CRM or contact management system won’t turn a poor salesperson into a super star. And there is no technology that replaces the need for strong sales management.

Companies need to invest in their sales team development just as professional sports teams practice their craft every single day. Even the best sales team can improve their performance. Below you’ll find advice from sales consulting experts for achieving sales success.

Consulting Advice to Train Your Sales Force

Building Your Sales Metric Management System In 4 Easy Steps
Every sales manager is searching for revenue from their salesforce, but the recipe to achieving the revenue target comes from the development of their unique sales metric management system.

The Two Most Powerful Words That Will Make You Sell More
Sales people are searching for the secrets to selling success…These two words are the drivers that will take their income to a new level.

LinkedIn Is a Waste Of a Sales Person's Time!
There are many misconceptions about LinkedIn. It's not just for job searches or networking. It is a unique lead generation platform.

How to Hire the Right Vice President of Sales
Your Vice President of Sales is the key to your company growing revenue, but focusing your selection process on their salesmanship will lead to hiring the wrong candidate.

Sales Manager: Job Title or Specialized Skill
Many business executives focus their search for sales management candidates from within their industry. They are restricting their ability to find the right person for the role.

The Epidemic That Is Killing Sales Pipelines
Sales pipelines everywhere are stuck, not because of the economy, but rather due to a decision-maker affliction.

The Sales Person's One-Word Job Description
Everyone is searching for answers on how to sell in a down economy. Many feel that the sales game has changed, but in reality the economic challenge has forced sales people to improve their skills and refine their approach.

The Unprecedented Sales Management Challenge for 2009
Sales managers are facing a set of challenges that they've never experienced before. They think their team is focused on generating sales, but they are completely distracted.

"I Do!" Design An Offer That Commences The Sales Marriage
The offer phase of a sales talent screening program takes preparation and finesse. The good news is that there are many parallels to sales that can be applied to this phase.

Motivate Your Sales Team to Crush the Tomato
Motivation is one of the biggest keys to developing successful teams. Every day strong skilled teams are beaten by lesser skilled ones loaded with heart and desire. But who creates the motivation for that to happen?

What Is Leadership?
People are often told to "be a leader," but what does that mean? How do people know how to act as a leader when no one defines it for them? There is a simple mantra that defines leadership.

Your Sales Need a Little R & R
Every sales person needs to improve their approach in tough economic conditions. A little R & R is in order and it's no vacation!

Compensate to Motivate
Channeling the energy of a sales team can be challenging. How you compensate them determines where they invest their time and the results you get.

The Second Dimension of Screening Sales Talent
Companies, when they interview, focus their attention on learning about the candidate. However, equal importance should be placed on the candidate interviewing them so that both sides can make a solid decision on the relationship.

Sales Candidate Attributes: Desired or Required
Companies spend tons of money trying to attract sales talent through job boards, yet they impair that campaign with what they put in their ad.

Motivating the Passive Sales Candidate
Enticing sales people who are not looking for a job to be receptive to another opportunity is challenging. The key is to figure out which of the two motivators springs them into action. Is it fear or greed?

Secrets Buried in a Sales Person's Resume
The vehicle that introduces sales people to companies is a resume, but there are secrets hidden in the resume that hiring managers should know before they interview a candidate.

Priming the Sales Applicant Pump
Many confuse the purpose of a job advertisement with a job description. These are both valuable tools, but are not replacements for one another.

The Sales Person's First Day
In the service and technology industries, it is not uncommon for prospects to request pilot programs before committing their full business. Yet, there are important steps for the sales person to take before agreeing to the engagement.

Try Before Buy
In the service and technology industries, it is not uncommon for prospects to request pilot programs before committing their full business. Yet, there are important steps for the sales person to take before agreeing to the engagement.

The Sales Person's Kryptonite
RFPs can leave you feeling powerless. Before you decide to respond to your next RFP, read this article. You can regain the power!

Will You Pass the Flinch Test?
There is a little test that professional buyers give to every sales person. It is a test to see if they are confident in the price they presented. They call it the flinch test. Will you pass the test?

When the Sales Doesn't Happen
In a perfect world, every buying process would conclude with an award of the business. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. There are lessons to be learned in sales gone awry.

Why Can’t I Hire The Right Sales People?
A disconnect exists between sales managers and recruiters that causes challenges for both. Together, they can resolve this issue by creating their company’s Sales Talent Screening Program.

What's The Plan?
If you don’t have a destination, how can you develop a map to get there? This may sound like a question for a driver, but it is also a question for sales people.

The Most Underutilized Strategic Advantage
Sales people are always looking for a way to differentiate themselves to win an account. Few use one of the most powerful tools in their bag, the right reference.

12 Keys to Tuning Up Your Sales Force
Not sure if your sales organization is up to snuff? No matter how exceptional your team, there is likely room for improvement. From ensuring the entire sales team understands your company’s business objectives, to setting appropriate compensation plans, here are twelve keys to help ensure that your team is focused on the right things every day.

5 Keys to Ensuring a Spectacular Sales Training Engagement
Sales training is critical for the success of the sales team. Before setting out to find a sales trainer, take the time to assess your selling organization. Here are five keys to ensuring you find the right sales trainer for your sales team.

Can’t Sell Today
As a sales manager you’ve heard a million excuses why it is simply impossible to sell. It’s Monday morning, time for the weekly sales meeting, where you’ll hear a few new whoppers. Get a laugh from this diatribe from a fallen sales hero.

Close Doors, Not Sales
You have probably been told that the key to sales is closing. We take a different approach, one that focuses on a mutually beneficial relationship. In this article, a new perspective on “asking for the business” is shared.

Finding the Right Home for Your Sales Skills
Want to find a new sales job? Think it is all about more money? Think again. There is much more to finding the right sales job than just earning potential. This article will show you how to find the right match for your skills.

Finding The Right Sales Talent For Your Company
Hiring sales talent is one of the most critical activities a company performs. However, few are adept at hiring the right people for their firm. This article shows you how to hire the right talent.

Migrating from Vendor to Partner
There is no bigger insult to a sales person than being called a “vendor.” Are you the reason why prospects see you that way? In this article, you will learn how to be seen as a partner.

Successful Selling and the Theory of Relativity
Are you as successful as you can be? Are you limiting your personal growth? In this article, you will learn how to remove all barriers that prevent you from maximizing your success.

The Secret to Overcoming the Price Objection
If you are in sales, not a day goes by without hearing the dreaded price objection. Or is it really an objection at all? In this article, you will learn a new approach to resolving the price concern.