Blog : Webinars and Video

I recently attended a conference in Las Vegas and had the opportunity to speak with the publisher of Selling Power magazine, Gerhard Gschwandter, who interviewed me for three video segments for his magazine's subscribers. We discussed the critical issue of business acumen for sales professionals in today’s complex selling environment. In fact, his first question was “Why do sales people need business acumen today more than ever?” We discussed how an understanding of a client's business -- especially how the company makes money -- can significantly enhance the level of conversation that sales personnel have with clients, leading to more wins and increased revenue.

With all the emphasis that sales organizations put on consultative selling today, I found the following statistic to be surprising - only 10 percent of sales professionals can actually read a financial statement or articulate the key financial metrics of a client’s business. If organizations truly expect their sales teams to secure meetings at the C-level, they must make sure that salespeople can clearly understand and articulate their client’s business issues – in other words, “walk the talk”. Join me in watching this short, five-minute video titled “Winning at Business Acumen, Part 1” (the first of three installments), and then let me know your thoughts on the subject.

Join me for the final video interview recorded at the recent Selling Power conference in Las Vegas. Gerhard Gschwandter, publisher of Selling Power magazine, and I discuss the importance of business acumen for sales professionals.

Salespeople are the lifeblood of an organization, so we need to educate and engage them in their companies’ successes by ensuring that they pay attention to products, product forecasting, product mix and inventory turnover. We discussed why it’s important for sales people to understand their clients’ financial picture to become better client advisors. We also examined the high cost of replacing salespeople. Join me in watching this short, five-minute video titled “Winning at Business Acumen, Part 3” (the final installment).

Experts at Halliburton, McKesson and Hyundai Motor America explain why it is important to educate your staff on the big financial picture so they will understand the direction your organization is taking. Join Raymond Green, CEO of Paradigm Learning, as he discusses the role of business games and simulations in the success of business acumen training at these organizations.

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Transforming Managers into Talent Leaders

Training executives from Southwest Airlines, as well as the cofounder of Paradigm Learning, discuss the important skill sets and behaviors that managers must exhibit to develop the crucial accountabilities of attracting, retaining and transitioning talent. Join Cathy Rezak, chairman and cofounder of Paradigm Learning, as she leads the discussion on current talent leadership issues.

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