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latest news from think!, inc.
Patti Elliott Named Chief Sales Executive for Think! Inc.
Marie Dudek - November 17th, 2009
Think! Inc., a global negotiation consultancy, has named Patti Elliott Partner and Chief Sales Executive. She will spearhead global business development for Think!
Patti has more than 25 years of sales leadership experience, and most recently was founder and president of Certified Selling, an international sales-performance organization. Prior to that she was a co-founder and president of The TAS Group, a sales methodology software company; a senior vice president with Expedia Corporate Travel; Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Corporate Travel, and Vice President of U.S. Sales for Galileo International, where she led multi-million dollar sales teams to their highest revenue growth.
Furthermore, Patti is the recipient of the Galaxy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence, and was named one of the 10 most influential women in the technology industry. Patti is credited with the online sales-effectiveness movement with the invention of Dealmaker®, a sales tool used by thousands of sales executives globally to achieve outstanding sales performance.
“We are delighted to have Ms. Elliott on our team. She is the consummate professional: ethical, hard-driving, and results-focused. Her credentials are amazing; she is one of the nation’s leading experts at successfully using process to achieve optimal sales results, as evidenced by her impressive career history. She is going to be an incredible asset to both Think! and our clients,” says Brian Dietmeyer, President and CEO of Think!.
In addition to her work at Think! Patti is a frequent international speaker at industry and client conferences, and her sales leadership knowledge has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes.
Dealmaker® Partner Network to Fundamentally Change the Sales Effectiveness Industry
Marie Dudek - September 29th, 2009
The TAS Group makes the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform available to selected partners Huthwaite, InfoMentis, and Think! Inc. as the industry standard for automation of sales methodology, process, and skills
Seattle – The TAS Group, the world leader in Sales Performance Automation, today announced the formal launch of its Dealmaker® Partner Network (DPN), an industry initiative to dramatically improve the benefit customers receive from sales effectiveness investments. Leveraging the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation Platform (www.thetasgroup.com/dealmaker.html), already in use by more than 15,000 sales professionals, the DPN is the first initiative of its kind in the sales effectiveness industry.
By using the best-in-class sales methodology, process, and skills intellectual property from the DPN Solution Partners and The TAS Group, customers will have access to a comprehensive range of sales effectiveness solutions. All delivered through the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation software platform, these capabilities offer sustained and predictable improvement in sales effectiveness. The DPN is further augmented by capabilities from additional partners to ensure that customers get the complete solution along with expert sales training, integration and support services.
The DPN offers the following categories of partners:
· Solution Partner. Companies that have top-tier, market-proven intellectual property that helps sales people sell more effectively. This includes the sub-categories of:
o Sales Methodology
o Sales Process
o Sales Skills
· Authorized Resellers. Companies that have strong go-to-market capabilities in their local market and are able to advise customers on the best approach to their specific Sales Performance Automation requirements.
· Systems Integrators. Companies that have proven expertise in integrating technology solutions into customer environments.
· Strategic Partners. Companies that provide enterprise-class CRM applications, global social networks, sale productivity, marketing automation and other capabilities. The open architecture of the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform facilitates integration with a wide range of solutions to serve customers’ sales effectiveness requirements.
“It hasn’t been easy for customers to get the most from their sales productivity investments. Bringing the best-in-class providers from the sales effectiveness market together with leading CRM providers through the Dealmaker Partner Network can radically change that,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We’re proud to make our Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform available to this initiative. We continue to invest millions of dollars in the platform each year, and we’re delighted that these high-caliber Solution Partners have chosen to invest in this program to deliver more value to a broader range of customers.”
Alongside The TAS Group, the three founding Solution Partner members of the DPN are:
- Huthwaite (www.huthwaite.com), creators of SPIN Selling, and one of the world’s leading sales training, coaching and performance improvement companies
- InfoMentis (www.infomentis.com), the global revenue collaboration leader that helps companies sell the way their customers buy
- Think! Inc. (www.e-thinkinc.com), the foremost provider of strategic negotiation solutions
Additional DPN founder partners include Bee Group (http://www.beegrp.com), a Dealmaker Authorized Reseller Partner, and Statera (http://www.statera.com/), a Dealmaker Systems Integrator Partner. Strategic Technology Partners include Oracle, salesforce.com, and Microsoft through their respective CRM partner programs.
“We’re excited about what the Dealmaker Partner Network means for our CRM customers,” said Anthony Lye, senior vice president of CRM Products for Oracle. “Bringing these vendors and capabilities together means our customers will have a broader array of choices and a more comprehensive sales effectiveness solution to complement their Siebel and Oracle CRM On Demand applications.”
“Sales effectiveness initiatives should make it easier to manage your business to grow revenue. Combining the proven value of SPIN Selling, and our other intellectual property with the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform, will enable us to further accelerate business growth for Huthwaite customers.” said John Golden, CEO of Huthwaite Inc. “The moment is right for the convergence of methodology, skills and process which can now be achieved by combining our expertise and research-based methodologies with the Dealmaker platform. We’re also very excited about the ecosystem aspect of the Solution Partners’ cooperation which represents real though-leadership and customer-centered innovation within this industry. This is a fundamental upgrade for the sales effectiveness market.”
“The biggest challenge that our customers have is the significant amount of human interaction needed to ensure adoption. By leveraging Dealmaker, our customers will be able to shift their time from inspection to coaching.” said Wendy Reed, CEO of InfoMentis. “This is an important development for the sales effectiveness market. We believe the standard being set by the Dealmaker Partner Network will become the ‘new normal,’ and the benefits that accrue to customers adopting the sales effectiveness platform will be dramatic.”
“The sales effectiveness market has been crying out for collaboration and a systematic approach to improving revenue,” said Brian Dietmeyer, CEO of Think! Inc. “Working with the other DPN partners, we’re excited to be able to bring our Strategic Negotiation solutions to a broader market, delivering sustained and predictable revenue improvement through the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform.”
The benefit of the DPN to customers has also been recognized by analysts that monitor the sales effectiveness industry. “This initiative from The TAS Group leapfrogs what others in this market have done,” said Dave Stein, CEO of ES Research Group, Inc. “For the first time, customers can get the benefit of offerings from multiple top-tier sales effectiveness vendors, all seamlessly integrated with the automation that we believe is critical to long-term success.”
“Customers are increasingly looking for a well-rounded, on-demand system to help them achieve their sales performance automation objectives, and the Dealmaker Partner Network gives us the unique ability to offer them that,” said Bruce Ellis, CEO of the Bee Group, Inc. “We now have a palette of solutions to offer our customers, and do a more complete job of meeting customers’ rapidly evolving needs, including virtual delivery, automated coaching, objective metrics, skills training, all integrated with the CRM system they’re already using.”
The TAS Group plans to further expand the Dealmaker Partner Network in the coming months to further round out its suite of capabilities. Companies that have an interest in joining the Network are encouraged to contact the company to enquire further and discuss their potential fit in detail.
About The TAS Group
The TAS Group provides Sales Performance Automation to companies that want to achieve sustained, predictable and profitable revenue growth. It exists to guide and motivate global sales teams to win profitable business faster from target customers through a combination of methodology, process and technology. The TAS Group has helped over 650,000 sales professionals succeed and has global presence serving organizations in all major global economies with native language speaking, culturally attuned sales effectiveness experts, and solutions available in up to 14 languages. The TAS Group delivers proven sales methodology and process with its Dealmaker on-demand sales performance automation platform, which integrates with popular CRM products from salesforce.com, Oracle, and Microsoft. The TAS Group hosts and moderates the Sales 2.0 Network (S20N, www.sales20network.com), a global, virtual thought leadership forum to discuss issues relevant to sales professionals in a Web 2.0 world. The only sales effectiveness organization with continuous multi-million dollar investment in its own methodology and technology R&D center, The TAS Group is headquartered in Seattle, with international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, and Reading, England. Visit www.thetasgroup.com.
Velocity magazine article “Who is in charge of the care and feeding of your value proposition?”
Marie Dudek - August 31st, 2009
Value as a living ecosystem
The Strategic Account Management Association’s (SAMA) Velocity magazine asks, “Who is in charge of the care and feeding of your value proposition?” To help answer this question, writer Brian Dietmeyer of Think! Inc. explains why your value is a living, breathing thing — an ecosystem that needs proper feeding and watering — and how to reassess it.
Click here for the full article.
“I Can Get The Same Thing Cheaper” and Other Negotiation Myths
Marie Dudek - July 14th, 2009
iLinc and Think! Inc. proudly present this timely webinar on Wednesday July 22, 2009 at 11am PST / 2pm EST.
Did you know that 97% of verbal negotiation tactics used during the B2B sales process follow a predictable pattern? In fact, the strategies that purchasing decision-makers use follow two patterns:
1) making direct comparisons to a competitor; and
2) articulating problems with the standard pricing.
As a business looking to stay competitive in today’s economy, how can you combat these “comparison” and “give away” tactics? How can you anticipate—and change—the nature of negotiation you have with customers?
iLinc and Think! Inc. bring you an exclusive webinar that completely redefines B2B negotiation. Register now to learn:
- How you can make your negotiation efforts simple and systematic
- The “right data” to research as you prepare for negotiation
- The biggest problem that salespeople face
- Where the blame for a buyer-friendly result really lies
Want to keep “tired tactics” from overpowering your value propositions and driving your conversation with prospects? Sign up for this live event and re-gain control of your sales potential today.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 11am PST / 2pm EST
Space is limited, so register here today! http://bit.ly/16SHEt
IACCM Webinar: B2B Negotiation in Today’s Economy
Marie Dudek - December 8th, 2008
Tim Cummins, President and CEO of IACCM, and Brian J. Dietmeyer, President and CEO of Think! Inc., will take you through recent research and findings and how to apply these learnings to your upcoming negotiations. With the focus on the global economy at such a high level today, each and every deal you negotiate is critical now, for you, your organization and your ongoing business relationship with the other party.
Click here to access the recorded webinar.
velocity article: enable your growth strategy
Marie Dudek - November 25th, 2008
Achieving return on investment from spending $7.2billion
Corporate growth strategy comes alive at the deal level. Beyond mergers and acquisitions, either field sales or account managers drive growth strategies one deal at a time by the way they sell and negotiate.
Are you getting the “bump” you want from your sales training investment?
Click here for full article.
“I can get the same thing cheaper” (and other negotiating myths…)
Brian Dietmeyer - October 7th, 2008
How to Anticipate and Prepare for 97% of Verbal Tactics
Think negotiation is random and unpredictable? What if I told you 97% of verbal tactics globally follow a very, very predictable pattern? That’s what this research over the past three years just showed us. Actually, it astounded us! Read it and pass it on to your co-workers…
Brian Dietmeyer is a contributor to the Sales 2.0 Network
Marie Dudek - September 22nd, 2008
Sponsored by The TAS Group, the Sales 2.0 Network is sharing sales insight, hindsight and a little foresight. Check it out at www.s20n.com
Article in TrainingIndustry.com Intelligence Center e-newsletter
Marie Dudek - August 14th, 2008
In today’s market everyone wants to know … Are you going to make your number?
Recession, economic concerns, a slow-down in demand…….clearly, we are in the midst of change, and it is the agile organization that will fare the best during today’s challenging times. After many years of growth, organizations are having to focus and become more efficient and very aggressive in multiple areas in order to survive and grow their business.
To gain insight on how sales leaders are responding to today’s challenges, we tracked down sales executives from 14 national and regional companies to see what they are doing to rev up their company’s performance. These companies included manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. Our objective was to learn, and through this article, share insights that might be helpful to executives in all industries.
Click here for full article
Chief Learning Office Article: Is Your Sales Training Effective?
Marie Dudek - June 4th, 2008
by: Lindsay Edmonds Wickman
American corporations invest heavily in sales training, spending approximately $7.2 billion each year, according to the Journal of Personal Selling. However, most organizations don’t know if that significant investment is actually paying off.
“You have to think of sales training differently because it has a different impact on your company,” said Brian Dietmeyer, president and CEO of Think! Inc., a global negotiation strategy consultancy. “You should expect a return on investment [because] sales is the growth engine of any company.”
To read the rest of this article, click here
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