• Home  
• About the Conference  
  • Conference Overview
  • Who Should Attend
  • Agenda-at-a-Glance
  • Speakers
  • Sponsors
  • Exhibitors
  • Conference FAQs
  • Rates/Cancellation Policies
  • Register
  • Download Brochure
• Agenda  
  • Agenda-at-a-Glance
  • General Sessions
  • Breakout Sessions
  • Tracks
    • Sales Force Effectiveness
    • Sales Performance Measurement
    • Sales Compensation
  • Pre-Conference Roundtables
  • Workshops
  • Speakers
  • Rates/Cancellation Policy
  • Register
  • Download Brochure
• Networking Events  
  • Welcome Cocktail Reception
  • Social Event
  • Pre-Conference Roundtables
• Sponsors/Exhibitors  
  • Sponsors
  • Exhibitors
  • Exhibit Hall Hours
  • Sponsor/Exhibitor Packages
  • Download a Sponsorship Kit
• Hotel & Travel  
• Contact Us  

General Sessions

Monday, October 15, 2007 11:55 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.

Strategic Investments That Work - Improving Sales Productivity and Results

Ted Briggs, National Thought Leader-Sales Effectiveness & Compensation, Watson Wyatt Worldwide
Joseph Clarkson, Central Division Practice Leader-Sales Effectiveness & Compensation, Watson Wyatt Worldwide

Sales and marketing organizations in today's companies are under constant pressure to perform and to achieve. Striving to meet objectives, gap analysis is a constant process and leaders are frequently pursuing initiatives to improve performance: process development, training, automation, reporting, and job competencies—even sales compensation plan redesign. These initiatives are expensive in time and money, not to mention distracting to current job needs. In this general session, Mr. Briggs and Mr. Clarkson highlight findings from Watson Wyatt's recent survey on strategic sales initiatives and their impact. Always entertaining, the duo's presentation will feature post-mortem recaps of projects both successful and unsuccessful, along with advice on dos and don'ts when it comes to creating true impact on future business results.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 8:15-9:00 a.m.

Injecting Science into the Art of Selling: Essential Elements of Sales Process Adoption

Bill Golder, Executive Vice President-Sales and Sales Operations, Miller Heiman

Standards and process permeate nearly every functional area in business, from accounting, finance, and operations to IT, human resources, and even marketing. Despite the tremendous benefits that standards and process can deliver, sales organizations have been much slower to move down this path. Miller Heiman research shows that top-performing sales organizations take a much more scientific approach to selling and sales management than others. While there will always be a certain art to selling, top-performers prove that sales process excellence creates a significant competitive advantage. Join Mr. Golder as he discusses measurable benefits for sales managers, account teams, and top executives, gives recommendations for securing commitments to build a foundation for a major process change, reveals the four elements of sales process adoption, and exposes critical factors for successful sales process adoption.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:40-3:25 p.m.

Measuring and Maximizing Sales Performance

William A. Schiemann, Ph.D., CEO, Metrus Group, Inc.

Why do most sales organizations suboptimize performance, given their high investments in recruiting, selection, training, and rewards? This session will present an alternative sales equity performance model, identifying key drivers of performance, retention, and customer loyalty. Learn how to optimize the overall sales performance cycle through the development of a strong sales equity performance model. Understand, from case examples, how to identify and measure the primary levers of sales performance. Identify why and how you may lose your best performers, and how to detect and correct before it happens.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 8:30-9:15 a.m.

The Sales Model of the Future

Lee Levitt, Director-Sales Executive Practice, IDC

Leveraging extensive corporate IT buyer and best practice research, Mr. Levitt will explore current sales engagement models, specifically focusing on the disconnects between buyers’ evaluation and purchasing processes and vendors’ sales practices, and examining both the significant costs and lost opportunities that result. He will present IDC’s "Sales Model of the Future," providing a detailed analysis of the changes in organization and processes that provide better alignment between buyer and seller, delivering increased purchases, higher sales productivity, greater customer satisfaction, and ultimately more innovation between buyers and sellers. Attendees will come away with an action plan that they can undertake immediately to begin the implementation of this sales model of the future.