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November 17 | Customer Success and Adoption of Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation Software Leads to Record Revenue Growth for The TAS Group |
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SEATTLE, November 17th, 2009
Sales Performance Automation Company Benefits from Market Pressures to Make Sales
Training and Effectiveness more Efficient
The TAS Group (www.thetasgroup.com), the world leader in Sales Performance Automation, today announced record year-to-date recurring revenue growth of 156 percent in the first nine months of its fiscal year 2009. The company’s results mirror success stories of customeradoption of its Dealmaker software.
Because Dealmaker automates sales process and methodology to produce a sustained revenue improvement for its customers, it has benefited strongly from economic trends over the last year. “Companies are under extraordinary pressure to perform in a difficult economy and must use every tool at their disposal to help them sell more efficiently and effectively,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “They also have limited capital and resources to invest, and must justify and measure the return on investment for every expenditure. Dealmaker’s ability to deliver an 89 percent improvement in quota achievement while offering the measurement necessary to provide an accurate ROI picture meets these needs.”
Recent companies using Dealmaker to transform their sales organizations and produce great returns for their shareholders in a difficult market, include AMICAS and FleetPartners:
• AMICAS, the leading independent provider of imaging IT solutions in healthcare, implemented The TAS Group’s sales methodology and Dealmaker software, and has seen 33 percent organic bookings growth over the four quarters ending June 30, 2009.
• FleetPartners, a leading Australia-based fleet leasing and management company that invested in Dealmaker, has recorded a five-fold increase in new business writings for 2009 over 2008 and plans to further double this figure in 2010.
Moreover, travel restrictions due to budget constraints have made it difficult for companies to implement the traditional face-to-face sales training approach that has characterized the market for decades. “This change has forced a shift to technology-based sales performance solutions, and Dealmaker’s ability to provide an on-demand learning environment that is fully integrated into a company’s sales process, methodology, and existing CRM system enables training to take place virtually,” added The TAS Group’s Daly. “It also reinforces the use of these learnings on a daily basis as sales people sell, eliminating the typical 87 percent drop off in skills during the first month following a traditional sales training event.”
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.
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All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Stratz
Illuminate Public Relations for The TAS Group
206.300.9134
steve@illuminatepr.com
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Nov 9 | AMICAS Generates Record Bookings with Help from The TAS Group |
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SELLING POWER, SALES 2.0 Newsletter, November 9th, 2009
The TAS Group recently announced that its Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform would be available to Huthwaite, InfoMentis, and Think! Inc. for the automation of sales methodology, process, and skills. We caught up with The TAS Group's CEO Donal Daly recently and asked him to put the announcement into context.
Selling Power (SP): What is Dealmaker?
Donald Daly (DD): Dealmaker is a software service that embodies and enforces a selling methodology. Rather than force you to remember what to do in each situation, it tells you what to do next based upon what's currently going on in an account or opportunity.
SP: Why is it important?
DD: Neither sales training nor CRM have delivered all that much value to sales professionals. Sales training usually has some value as an intellectual exercise, but in most cases sales professionals will simply gravitate to what they know best and ignore whatever methodology they've been trained to do. And CRM has all too often been implemented as a management track tool, rather than something that helps drive sales. Dealmaker overcomes the primary limitations in both sales training and CRM by creating an interactive environment to help the sales professional navigate a sales opportunity.
SP: How successful has it been?
DD: It's well documented that CRM implementation has a 50 percent failure rate over a one-year period. People end up not using it or using it poorly. Sales training also has a pretty dismal adoption rate on average. Dealmaker, by contrast, has a 90 percent annual retention rate, which is astronomical compared to both CRM and the typical sales-training program, because it's a practical tool that actually helps people to sell.
SP: Has the weak economy changed that?
DD: Sales managers are now in the position where they absolutely must see a quick ROI, something that's difficult or impossible with sales training. Because it's relatively easy to show an ROI with Dealmaker – in terms of incremental sales – we're finding that the recession has made Dealmaker even more attractive to sales management.
SP: How is Dealmaker deployed?
DD: It’s a Software-as-a-Service application that's deployed across the Web. We roll it out with a blended learning environment. We teach the basic concepts by distributing materials that explain how the system works. We then schedule and conduct interactive sessions that teach sales reps how to use Dealmaker to help them close deals.
SP: Why are these partnerships so important?
DD: Until recently, the only sales methodology implemented in Dealmaker was TAS's own. While it's a useful methodology, particularly for competitive selling situations, some companies might prefer to implement a different methology. Huthwaite, InfoMentis, and Think! Inc. have three industry-leading, sales-training solutions that are now available in Dealmaker format.
SP: How does this benefit the sales team?
DD: Sales inside traditional industries were down 40 and 60 percent last summer. Companies need something now that they can implement to help increase sales. By using technology to integrate sales training into day-to-day behavior, we're helping sales teams become more productive while offering them additional choices in ways to make that happen.
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October 12 | AMICAS Generates Record Bookings with Help from The TAS Group |
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SEATTLE, October 13th, 2009
The TAS Group (www.thetasgroup.com), the world leader in Sales Performance Automation, today announced another customer success with AMICAS, Inc., the leading independent provider of imaging IT solutions in healthcare. AMICAS implemented The TAS Group’s sales methodology and Dealmaker sales performance automation platform in 2008 and has seen 33% organic bookings growth over the four quarters ending June 30, 2009, despite a challenging economic environment.
The TAS Group’s sales methodology, process, and Dealmaker on-demand software were used by AMICAS to transform their sales organization’s performance. Having previously used event-based training, Dealmaker’s ability to reinforce best practices for sales people on a daily basis proved to be a welcome change.
“Use of the TAS Group’s methodology has been an integral part of our sales success over the last year,” said Paul Merrild, senior vice president, marketing and business development for AMICAS. “We’ve always been believers in sales methodology and process, and Dealmaker’s unique on-demand technology adds the daily reinforcement that was missing in past approaches.”
AMICAS has also driven further growth through acquisition, having successfully acquired and integrated Emageon earlier this year. A key piece of any successful merger is to integrate sales approaches, and ensure that customers and prospects are handled with a consistent level of service in order to ensure that the combined company can fulfill the promise of value creation for its shareholders. Use of the TAS methodology has helped AMICAS to standardize on sales best practices with Emageon’s sales staff.
“We are proud to be associated with a cutting-edge customer like AMICAS,” said York Baur, CMO of The TAS Group. “Their commitment to sales excellence is exemplary, and it’s gratifying to see our sales methodology, process, and technology play a part in their success.”
AMICAS® is a registered trademark and service mark of AMICAS, Inc.
About AMICAS, Inc.
AMICAS, Inc. (www.amicas.com) is a leading independent provider of imaging IT solutions. AMICAS offers the industry's most comprehensive suite of image and information management solutions - from radiology PACS to cardiology PACS, from radiology information systems to cardiovascular information systems, from revenue cycle management solutions to enterprise content management tools designed to power the imaging component of the electronic medical record (EMR). AMICAS provides a complete, end-to-end solution for radiology practices, imaging centers, and ambulatory care facilities. Hospitals and integrated delivery networks are provided with a comprehensive image management solution for cardiology and radiology that supports EMR strategies to enhance clinical, operational, and administrative functions.
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.
# # #
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Stratz
Illuminate Public Relations for The TAS Group
206.300.9134
steve@illuminatepr.com
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September 29 | Dealmaker® Partner Network to Fundamentally Change the Sales Effectiveness Industry |
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The TAS Group makes the Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform available to selected partners Huthwaite, InfoMentis, and Think! as the industry standard for automation of sales methodology, process, and skills
SEATTLE, September 29th, 2009
The TAS Group (www.thetasgroup.com), 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 Partners. Companies that have top-tier, market-proven intellectual property that helps sales people sell more effectively. This includes the sub-categories of:
- Sales Methodology
- Sales Process
- 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, sales 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-inclass 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 CRM 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 thought-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 (www.esresearch.com). “For the first time, customers can leverage the value from multiple top-tier sales effectiveness vendors’ offerings, 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 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 ondemand 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.
# # #
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Stratz
Illuminate Public Relations for The TAS Group
206.300.9134
steve@illuminatepr.com
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September 21 | The TAS Group Named Top 10 Sales Force Automation Training Company of 2009 |
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TrainingIndustry.com’s third annual list recognizes the leading companies that provide training on sales force automation (SFA) tools
SEATTLE, September 21st, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in Sales Performance Automation, is proud to announce its selection as one of 2009’s Top 10 – Sales Force Automation Training Companies, according to TrainingIndustry.com’s recently announced third annual list.
“Recognition by TrainingIndustry.com is a tremendous honor, especially when you factor in that more than 100 companies were considered,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “Our offerings have helped over 650,000 sales professionals worldwide and this recognition underscores the favorable impact that our Dealmaker on-demand sales performance automation platform has had on our customers.”
TrainingIndustry.com’s annual list provides the marketplace with the most valuable and objective information on the leaders in sales training services that demonstrate best practices for creating sustainable value from training in the sales force automation (SFA) tools space. The selection process focused on more than 100 companies and included factors such as: Strategic Impact, Revenue Generated and Strength of Clients, among others.
“The TAS Group routinely stands out in the sales effectiveness marketplace, not only with their training offerings, but through a unique combination of methodology, process, and most importantly, technology,” said Susan Niemchak, managing director of Sales at Training Industry, Inc.
To learn more about TrainingIndustry.com’s 2009 Top 10 – Sales Force Automation Training Companies, visit http://www.trainingindustry.com.
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.
# # #
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Stratz
Illuminate Public Relations for The TAS Group
206.300.9134
steve@illuminatepr.com
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September 9 | The TAS Group Appoints Nicky Hartery to Board of Directors |
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Former VP Dell, EVP Eastman Kodak joins Sales Performance Automation Leader
SEATTLE, September 9th, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in Sales Performance Automation, today announced the appointment of Nicky Hartery to its Board of Directors.
Mr. Hartery is president and CEO of Prodigium, a high-end consulting company. Previously, he served as vice president of Manufacturing and Business Operations for Dell Inc.'s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations from 2000 to 2008.
“Nicky is globally recognized is an innovative thinker and outstanding business leader. During his time at Dell, Kodak, and Verbatim, his record has been exceptional, in positioning and growing global companies.” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We are proud that he has chosen to serve on the Board of The TAS Group alongside the other global companies he serves. Nicky’s extensive business management, sales, marketing and operational experience has already added significant value to the company.”
The TAS Group was formed in July 2006 when Select Selling Ltd. – a software-based sales methodology company – acquired OnTarget, the sales methodology division of Oracle and the creator of Target Account Selling, the world’s most successful sales methodology. Less than 18 months later, The TAS Group achieved primary positioning in ES Research’s ESR/Arena™ Chart, which positions sales effectiveness providers.
“The TAS Group is solving the most important challenge that all companies face today, and that is growing revenue,” said Hartery. “The company has a unique blend of intelligent technology and advanced sales methodology in its Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform that’s delivering dramatic value to customers all over the world today, and that I truly believe every company needs. I’m very pleased to be joining the Board of The TAS Group, and looking forward to contributing in any way I can.”
Before Dell, Hartery was an executive vice president at Eastman Kodak and CEO and president at Verbatim Corporation. He has served as a non-executive on the Board of CRH plc, the international buildings materials leader, since 2004 and its Senior Independent Director. CRH plc is listed on the ISE, LSE and NYSE with a market capitalization of in excess of €10Bn. CRH employs 93,000 employees in 3,700 locations around the globe. Hartery has been a Non-Executive Director of Eircom, Ireland’s premier telecommunications provider, since March 2009. He is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland (C.Eng. F.I.E.I.), an Electrical Engineering graduate from University College Cork, Ireland and holds an MBA from the University College, Galway, Ireland.
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.
# # #
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Stratz
Illuminate Public Relations for The TAS Group
206.300.9134
steve@illuminatepr.com
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July 27 | The TAS Group Announces Addition of Bee Group to it's Autorized Partner Program |
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New Reseller generates early success in SMB market
SEATTLE, July 27, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced the inclusion of Bee Group, Inc. in the company’s Authorized Partner Program.
This program allows resellers like Bee Group -- as well as systems integrators, solution providers and ISVs -- to harness the power of The TAS Group’s Dealmaker sales performance automation platform and deliver market- and customer-specific solutions to the segment of their expertise. The latest addition to this growing program, Bee Group is taking Dealmaker to the small business marketplace.
“We’re thrilled to have Bee Group join our partner program as a reseller serving the SMB market segment,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “The positive revenue impact of Dealmaker’s sales performance automation is now available to companies that have often been underserved by top-tier sales effectiveness providers, so Bee Group’s entry here is a win for a whole new set of customers.”
As an Authorized Reseller Partner, Bee Group has made substantial commitments to ensure it can properly serve its market. Investments in product training and certification, service delivery, telemarketing and telesales infrastructure, and recruiting of additional staff underscore the substantial capabilities that Bee Group is making available to customers.
Early Customer Wins
The combination of Dealmaker’s capabilities and Bee Group’s expertise has already born fruit. In its first full quarter of operation under the program, the company has generated impressive early results, including wins with new customers like AMICAS, Inc.; Segovia, Inc.; and Palladium Energy, Inc. AMICAS is a particularly good example of the kind of value that the Bee Group’s partnership with The TAS Group can provide, having seen a 35% revenue increase as a result of the implementation of Dealmaker.
“We’re excited to be part of The TAS Group’s partner program and helping a whole new set of customers succeed with the Dealmaker platform,” said Bruce Ellis, founder and president of Bee Group. “Our executives have more than 50 years of combined sales leadership experience, and we look forward to bringing that expertise to bear to help our customers get the full benefit that Dealmaker can bring them.”
Parties interested in obtaining additional information on The TAS Group's partner program can contact marketing@thetasgroup.com, or call (866) 570-3836.
About Bee Group
Bee Group is a network of professionals specializing in sales effectiveness, organizational change, leadership and coaching. Focused on bringing sales excellence to small and medium companies, Bee Group utilizes a unique combination of sales leadership expertise and Sales 2.0 technology to deliver rapid improvements in revenue performance. With delivery and service capability across North America, the company serves dozens of customers in a variety of industries ranging from telecommunications and technology to energy and professional services. Headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, Bee Group has additional offices in North Carolina.
Visit www.beegrp.com.
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.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
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July 20 | The TAS Group Announces Free Target Account Selling Master Class Webinars On July 22 and August 5, 2009 |
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Offers Special Rates for TAS Alumni to Upgrade Their TAS Sales Methodology From Paper to On-Demand
SEATTLE, July 20, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced two
free Target Account Selling® (‘TAS’) Master Class webinars in July and August to help both TAS alumni and non-TAS customers focus on winning the deals they must win in the current opportunity-starved business environment.
The webinars are scheduled for 12 p.m. EDT on July 22 and August 5, 2009. The first webinar is geared to sales professionals and will focus on creating and updating TAS Opportunity Plans to help secure ‘must win’ deals. The second webinar is aimed at managers and will cover how to review and implement TAS Opportunity Plans to maximize a sales team’s chance of sales success.
The TAS Master Classes form part of The TAS Group’s free webinar program which runs every two weeks and features topics and advice for sales professionals to improve sales performance. “In this budget- and decision-constrained economy, there are fewer deals out there and increased competition for them, so sales organizations really must make sure they’re doing everything in their power to win them,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “The TAS Group wants to contribute with these free primers on opportunity management to help sales people get more deals across the finish line. “These webinars are ideal for those people looking to get an insight into a world-leading sales methodology, or for TAS alumni to refresh their skills. They will cover the essentials of Target Account Selling.”
The TAS Group is also introducing a special offer for TAS alumni to upgrade their TAS methodology from wallet cards, paper and spreadsheets to the Dealmaker® On-Demand solution. Dealmaker TAS Edition contains the Target Account Selling methodology and becomes an automated, daily-use activity for sales team to help consistently win more deals.
All TAS alumni and non-TAS customers are welcome to register for the webinars at
http://www.thetasgroup.com/webinars.html
Details of the Dealmaker TAS Edition offer for TAS A=alumni can be found at
http://www.thetasgroup.com/taseditionoffer.html
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.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
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July 13 | FleetPartners Records Sales Success With The TAS Group’s Dealmaker Sales Performance Solution and Target Account Selling Methodology |
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Australian Fleet Leasing Company Sees Value of New Business Contracts Increase 400% in 2009; Expects to Further Double this in 2010
SEATTLE, July 13, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced that its customer FleetPartners, a leading Australia-based fleet leasing and management company that invested in Dealmaker® for TAS Opportunity Management in 2008, has recorded a five-fold increase in new business writings for 2009 over 2008 and plans to further double this figure in 2010.
FleetPartners sought a sales performance solution with a solid methodology, consistent sales process and better forecasting, all embedded in a CRM system to encourage and reinforce selling best practice. Dealmaker® for TAS Opportunity Edition is the on-demand sales performance automation application that can be integrated with existing CRM systems from salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft to produce sustained, measurable results. Dealmaker combines a proven methodology, embedded in on-demand sales performance technology with effective on-the-job sales training.
“I was looking for not just a tool, but good methodology and a properly aligned sales process with clear qualifying steps and less subjectivity,” said Adam Trevaskus, director, Sales & Marketing for FleetPartners. “Dealmaker and the Target Account Selling sales methodology have really helped us embed our sales practices. The beauty is combining this into our CRM system, so that it gives us various diagnostics and metrics. It’s a great by-product of using the system. Even when we lost a tender, we could take our TAS plan to the customer, find out where we could do better and build this into our approach. We are much better now at judging whether or not to bid in the first place. Dealmaker takes luck out of the equation for us, and makes our people better at self-managing and more productive.”
“We are very pleased to see FleetPartners enjoy such stellar revenue growth,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “A 400% increase in our customer’s new business writings gets us very excited about our partnership with them through the sales performance automation process.”
About FleetPartners
FleetPartners is a leading fleet leasing and management company with a mission to be the recognized leader in hassle-free fleet outsourcing solutions in Australia and New Zealand. FleetPartners head office is in Melbourne, Victoria with sales offices throughout both Australia and New Zealand, supported by over 300 staff. Currently 60,000 drivers in Australasia drive passenger cars, commercial vehicles and trucks supported by FleetPartners fleet leasing and management services. FleetPartners is driven by service and focus on finding the solutions to individual needs, in partnership with businesses.
Visit www.fleetpartners.com.au.
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.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
|
July 7 | The TAS Group Releases Latest Version of Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation System With First Global Account Planning, Management Tool |
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New MarketView Component Shows and Analyzes the Future of All Accounts in One View
SEATTLE, July 7, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced the
general availability of the latest Dealmaker platform, Version 6.3, which includes the powerful new MarketView capability, enabling sales leaders to see both their total addressable market and assess the long-term health of all their accounts in one view.
MarketView builds on the powerful Performance Coach forecasting and analysis functions already in Dealmaker, and presents a consolidated picture of the long-term health of a sales organization’s key accounts. This flexible component of the Dealmaker for TAS Opportunity and Account Management Suite provides a range of ‘one world’ intelligent views for the sales leader:
- See all the account plans for teams across all products and services to uncover where the gaps and weaknesses are,
for better planning and to make early corrections for maximal revenue. - See all the regional or team account plans for each global account, aggregated into one view, for spotting the
opportunities for additional revenue growth and profitability. - Generate custom reports to compare key performance factors such as solution and industry penetration, for
broader revenue growth. - Share reports automatically with teams and across global account regions, for better internal alignment and
revenue acceleration.
With its unique combination of sales methodology and process, the on-demand Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform can operate in a standalone mode or can be integrated with popular CRM systems from salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft. Dealmaker augments these systems by providing a salesperson-centric set of capabilities that help significantly boost sales performance, including an average 89% improvement in quota achievement. Dealmaker also offers sophisticated, objective measurement and reporting on that performance that augments what CRM systems provide and dramatically improved sales forecast accuracy.
“MarketView gives our customers excellent visibility across their business, and is a great example of our work with customers like Xerox to enhance our Dealmaker platform,” said Donal Daly, chief executive officer of The TAS Group. “Being able to see where the gaps are for certain products and solutions across all accounts, and in all regions or larger orglobal accounts, will enable companies to target valuable additional revenues, and give them a real sense of what the future holds and what they need to do now to change it.”
Dealmaker 6.3 is available immediately.
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.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
|
June 8 | Germanischer Lloyd (GL) Pilots The TAS Group Solution For Global Sales Effectiveness |
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Ship Classification Society and Global Technical Assurance and Consulting Company Germanischer Lloyd (GL) Selects Dealmaker Based on Robust Processes/Fit, Technology and Technical/Implementation Expertise
SEATTLE, June 8, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced that ship classification society and global technical assurance and consulting company Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has appointed it to provide sales performance technology, methodology and processes.
Currently piloting The TAS Group’s Dealmaker® sales performance automation platform, GL chose The TAS Group for its industrial services business line ahead of competing providers Miller Heiman and InfoTeam.
GL selected Dealmaker® for TAS Opportunity and Account Management Suite, the on-demand sales performance automation application that can be integrated with existing CRM systems to produce sustained, measurable results. Dealmaker combines a proven methodology, embedded into on-demand sales performance technology with effective on-the-job sales training.
“The driver for us was the need to have a consistent global approach to account management,” said David Clitherow, GL’s vice president, Global Business Development. “The TAS Group’s Dealmaker was the standout offering for three reasons. First, we were looking for the most robust processes and a good fit to our business. Second was the technology -- Dealmaker will play a very large role in standardizing our processes globally and driving the right kind of behaviors. This will enable uniform global operations and increase collaboration internationally. Third, we were looking for world-leading technical and implementation expertise to help us make it work. Together we’re working to implement Dealmaker across our business, and the collaboration so far has been very effective. The TAS Group is actively helping us drive its use and adoption, which is key to our success.”
“We are delighted to add GL to our list of blue chip customers,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “It’s great to know they value our partnership throughout the complete sales performance cycle.”
About Germanischer Lloyd (GL)
Germanischer Lloyd (GL) is a ship classification society and an international technical assurance and consulting company for the energy sector. Both business lines follow the same approach of technical competence, uncompromising quality and first-class services around the world. The company employs more than 6,400 engineers, surveyors, experts and administrative staff in 80 countries. The global network consists of more than 200 locations around the globe.
Ship owners, shipyards, the maritime supply industry and some 130 flag states are the primary customers of GL's ship classification and maritime consulting activities. Germanischer Lloyd classes container ships, tankers, bulk carriers, multipurpose vessels, high-speed ferries and cruise ships as well as yachts and sport boats. With the classification of the gas tanker "MT Gaschem Nordsee", Germanischer Lloyd has passed the 80 million gross tons threshold in April 2009. More than 6,870 ships are currently surveyed on a regular basis by GL.
As an international technical assurance and consulting company Germanischer Lloyd serves the worldwide energy industries. The company provides assurance, inspection, and consulting as well as project management on a worldwide scale. The focus of its worldwide services are along the entire life cycle oil and gas - upstream, midstream, and downstream, renewables and energy installations onshore and offshore. This includes safety, integrity, reliability and performance management.
Visit www.gl-group.com.
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 Bracknell, England.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
|
May 26 | The TAS Group Bucks Trend, Reports Record Growth in Q1 for Dealmaker® Platform Offering Unique Combination of Sales Methodology and Process |
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More Than 800% Recurring Revenue Growth Demonstrates Market Need for Sales Performance Automation
SEATTLE, May 26, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales performance automation, today announced record recurring revenue performance during its fiscal first quarter ended April 30, 2009.
The growth of its Dealmaker sales performance automation platform drove recurring revenue for the quarter up by 865% on a year-over-year basis. Dealmaker also represented more than half the company’s revenues for the first time in a quarterly reporting period.
With its unique combination of sales methodology and process, the on-demand Dealmaker Sales Performance Automation platform can operate in a standalone mode or can be integrated with popular CRM systems from salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft. Dealmaker augments these systems by providing a salesperson-centric set of capabilities that help significantly improve sales performance, and offers sophisticated, objective measurement and reporting on that performance in ways that CRM systems don’t.
“The strong growth of Dealmaker is a great validation of our approach, and our ability to help our customers improve sales performance in a tough economic environment,” said Donal Daly, CEO and founder of The TAS Group. “While the traditional sales training market is estimated to be down 60% this year, our approach to improving sales performance through automation is clearly hitting the mark.”
Industry experts agree that The TAS Group’s unique technology-based approach to the delivery of sales methodology and process is leading the market. ES Research recently ranked the company at the top in its annual Sales Training Vendor Guide, and The TAS Group was also included in the 2009 Top Sales Methodology Training Companies by Training Industry, Inc. The TAS Group has also been included in Gartner’s recently published CRM Vendor Guide.
“We’ve served over 100 customers in the last 12 months,” Daly continued, “and they have helped us hone Dealmaker into a powerful platform it is today. We look forward to working with many more in the coming months as we help them gain a competitive advantage through the sustained revenue growth that only Dealmaker can provide.”
About The TAS Group
The TAS Group provides sales performance automation solutions 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 performance 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 Bracknell, England.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
 |
Apr 14 | The TAS Group scored highest in ES Research, Inc.'s Annual Sales Training Vendor Guide |
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Second Straight Year That Sales Effectiveness Company Takes Top Honor
SEATTLE, Apr 14, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness, today announced that it received the highest rating of all sales training vendors in “Sales Training Vendor Guide” from ES Research Group, Inc. (ESR). This guide rates The TAS Group as the top vendor in the field of 23 leading sales effectiveness companies that ESR’s research explored, making it the second straight year that the company was a leader.
ESR’s “Sales Training Vendor Guide” is based on ESR’s objective and proven research methodology, which taps into publicly available information, multiple in-depth interviews with vendor CEOs and/or other senior executives, as well as numerous ongoing interviews with vendor-provided references. ESR also collects vendor-specific data from surveys residing on its website and published in its ESR/Alert™ e-mail newsletter. Further, it leverages ESR’s network of sales training users, buyers and sales VPs and managers who have engaged with multiple vendors and are willing to share their experiences.
The TAS Group’s leadership position is a function of the two main criteria in ESR’s research: Solution Effectiveness and Breadth of Solution. Having invested millions of dollars in research and development to bring automation to the world of sales effectiveness, The TAS Group’s Dealmaker platform was key to both categories.
“When it comes to the integration of content, learning and technology that has been proven to directly support sales people, The TAS Group is leading the pack,” said Dave Stein, CEO and founder, ES Research Group. “Its Dealmaker product is an innovative solution that has achieved a leadership position in the market.”
“The TAS Group does an exemplary job of delivering a methodology that separates step-by-step process from skill-based techniques,” Stein continued. “This allows a best of breed approach to be implemented based on the client company’s requirements, without affecting the process.”
“We are pleased and honored that ESR has ranked us as number one for the second year in a row,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer of The TAS Group. “It’s great to have this independent validation of our approach and the value that we’re delivering to our customers.”
Interested parties may purchase a copy of ESR’s Sales Training Vendor Guide – Third Edition, at www.ESResearch.com/stvg.
About ES Research Group
Based in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, ES Research Group (ESR) is a business advisory firm that helps companies evaluate, select, implement and measure their sales training and sales performance improvement programs. ESR publishes the highly acclaimed annual Sales Training Vendor Guide comparing and contrasting 23 of the leading sales training companies. Visit www.ESResearch.com.
###
All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For further information, please contact:
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
|
Apr 6 | ES Research Group Survey: Social Media Tools Not Ready for Prime Time in Helping Sales Teams Win B2B Deals |
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Bottom Line: Sales Methodologies, CRM Most Effective;
Hoovers/OneSource, LinkedIn Most Useful of Social Media Tools
SEATTLE, Apr 8, 2009
According to a recent study by ES Research Group, Inc. (ESR), one of the nation’s leading research and advisory firms on sales effectiveness, social media tools such as Jigsaw, LinkedIn, Twitter, Plaxo, Facebook, Hoovers and OneSource may be useful for other purposes, but most of them aren’t helping sales teams close many B2B deals today. The survey was developed in cooperation with The TAS Group. In fact, based upon ESR’s research, sales methodologies used in conjunction with CRM systems are far more effective in this regard.
Based on a survey of nearly 400 sales professionals in the U.S., ESR’s “The New Social Media: Do They Enable B2B Selling?” report found that only LinkedIn (86%) and Hoovers/OneSource combined (61%) were used by more than half of respondents in their selling efforts. Facebook (50%), Plaxo (48%), Twitter (31%), and Jigsaw (26%) trailed in use. Note: Hoovers and OneSource are separate companies but were combined for survey purposes because of their similar services.
Of respondents actually using the tools for sales, Hoovers and OneSource were the only tools helping more than half (54%) of them win B2B sales sometimes or often. LinkedIn was next at 42% and Jigsaw followed at 35%. Worst were Facebook (15%), Plaxo (13%) and Twitter (13%). “The results demonstrate that with all the hype and buzz, most social network tools aren’t helping sales teams sell more yet,” said Dave Stein, CEO and founder, ES Research Group. “For example, Twitter has not come into its own as a salesperson’s tool. It is presently a marketing tool that can potentially benefit the sales organization by contributing to the generation and nurturing of new sales leads. For now, the use of sales methodologies integrated with CRM systems and other sales enablement tools are proving far more successful in driving sales.”
Other key findings include the following:
• LinkedIn is clearly the favorite among B2B salespeople surveyed.
• The established for-pay information services (Hoover’s and OneSource) came in second.
• Free/low-cost information sharing services such as Jigsaw will rise in popularity over time.
• Twitter is an anomaly. It will have a high degree of uptake, but in a very narrow market. Marketing will find the tool much more valuable than sales for the foreseeable future. Presently it is not a valuable mainstream medium for B2B salespeople.
• For the time being, Facebook is best reserved for the personal and family sides of one’s life.
The ESR survey of sales representatives in a broad set of industries examined the prospecting process, the selling process, and the storage and retrieval of customer and prospect information. “The New Social Media: Do They Enable B2B Selling?” contains ESR’s insights into each of the tools surveyed. Free highlights of the survey can be found at The TAS Group’s www.thetasgroup.com/esr.html. The full report is available for a fee at ESR Research’s www.ESResearch.com/socialmedia.
About ES Research Group
Based in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, ES Research Group (ESR) is a business advisory firm that helps companies evaluate, select, implement and measure their sales training and sales performance improvement programs. ESR publishes the highly acclaimed annual Sales Training Vendor Guide comparing and contrasting 23 of the leading sales training companies. Visit www.ESResearch.com.
###
Contact:
Vivian Engel (ES Research Group)
508.313.9585 x705
Vivian.Engel@ESResearch.com
OR
George Cohen (for The TAS Group)
GCC, Inc.
617.325.0011
George@gccpr.com
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Feb 17 | The TAS Group Wins Distinction as Top Sales Methodology Provider |
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Training Industry Inc. Recognizes Company’s Role as Industry Leader
SEATTLE, Feb. 17, 2009 –
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness, today announced its inclusion in Training Industry Inc.’s 2009 Top Sales Methodology Training Companies. As an objective and trusted information source for sales executives and professionals seeking sales training services, Training Industry Inc.’s recognition of The TAS Group’s acknowledges its position as an industry leader in providing on-demand sales effectiveness solutions to customers around the globe.
“We are pleased that a credible source like Training Industry Inc. has recognized our contribution to the sales training and methodology marketplace,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer for The TAS Group. “Our methodology has been in use for 20 years and has benefited more than 650,000 sales professionals in that time. We believe that this distinction recognizes the success we’ve created jointly with our customers.”
The selection was based on Training Industry Inc.’s proprietary Vendor Selection Capability Model, which defines 12 differentiating capabilities including experience and success in the market, geographic reach, strength and success of existing clients, and recognition as thought leaders in the market and utilization of technology. An important element of The TAS Group’s selection was the company’s leadership in using on-demand technology to deliver sales methodology and process enhancement as well as virtual training to its customers through its Dealmaker platform.
“The TAS Group has long been a leader in this category,” said Susan Niemchak, managing director of the Sales Training Industry Inc. “Its ability to encapsulate and enhance its methodology and process intellectual property in an on-demand software platform, and drive customer success with it, continues to put The TAS Group on the forefront in this important marketplace.”
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Feb 3 | Sales of The TAS Group’s Dealmaker Sales Effectiveness Platform Grow More Than 50% Over Previous Fiscal Quarter |
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Industry’s Only On-demand Sales Effectiveness Application Now in Use By More Than 11,000 Subscribers
SEATTLE, Feb. 3, 2009 –
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced that subscribers to its Dealmaker Sales Effectiveness Platform had grown to over 11,000. In use at over 50 mid- to large-sized enterprises globally, Dealmaker is an on-demand software application that automates and integrates the TAS sales methodology and sales process into popular CRM platforms from salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft.
These latest usage numbers underscore the rapid growth of the Dealmaker platform, which grew by more than 50% over The TAS Group’s most recent fiscal quarter ended January 31st, 2009. Dealmaker’s unique combination of sales methodology and process delivered as an on-demand software application can boost quota achievement by 89%, and lead to a 155% increase in sales proposal close rates, as confirmed by the company’s TAS Index survey of over 2,000 companies.
“Dealmaker’s success is a gratifying endorsement of our Sales 2.0 approach, and we’re pleased to be helping our customers achieve improved sales effectiveness in a tough economic environment,” said York Baur, chief marketing officer for The TAS Group. “The measurable and sustainable revenue improvement as well as the lower cost of our solution are fueling Dealmaker’s growth at an accelerating rate.”
The latest release of the Dealmaker platform contains a number of new capabilities driving growth. Principal among those is the Dealmaker Virtual Learning System, which enables customers to deliver on-the-job training to their sales professionals without the need for the expense and inconvenience of traditional face-to-face workshops. Combined with virtual coaching from The TAS Group, this blended learning approach provides the maximum benefit with minimum cost, and produces better long term results through the ongoing reinforcement and measurement that use of Dealmaker provides. These characteristics are resonating with a broad range of customers that are struggling to deal with the economic constraints that mandate better revenue performance with reduced resources, travel, and training budgets.
“We are confident that usage of our Dealmaker platform will continue to grow rapidly throughout 2009,” said Baur. “Expect us to use this momentum to fuel our multi-million dollar R&D investment and deliver even more value to our customers at this critical time in the market.”
Download PDF |
Jan 26 | The TAS Group Launches Second-Generation Dealmaker Sales Effectiveness Platform |
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Industry’s Only Automated On-demand Sales Effectiveness Application Includes
Virtual Training, ‘On-the-job’ Learning, Performance Measurement
SEATTLE, Jan. 26th, 2009
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced the launch of its second-generation Dealmaker Sales Effectiveness Platform, an on-demand software application that automates and integrates the TAS sales methodology and sales process into popular CRM platforms from salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft.
Per the company’s TAS Index survey of over 2,000 companies, this integrated capability can boost quota achievement by 89%, and lead to a 155% increase in sales proposal close rates.
Included in this latest Dealmaker release is the industry’s most comprehensive set of automated tools for sales effectiveness:
• TAS Opportunity Management Methodology
• TAS Account Management Methodology
• Dealmaker Sales Process
• Dealmaker Sales Forecast and Pipeline Management
• New Dealmaker Performance Coach
• New Dealmaker Virtual Learning System
• Expert Remote Coaching
While Dealmaker has been helping sales professionals sell more effectively for over three years, this latest release delivers what the current economic climate demands: improved revenue performance with reduced resources, and a reduced or eliminated travel budget. Its proven ability to boost sales performance helps companies win more deals in tight and highly competitive market conditions. Also, the Dealmaker Virtual Learning System allows the flexibility of either blended or entirely virtual learning, providing initial and ongoing training in short, easy-to-consume segments that are ideally suited to today’s on-the-job training reality, without requiring the expense of travel to traditional training workshops.
Likewise, the new Dealmaker Performance Coach brings automation to sales performance management that dramatically improves the effectiveness of front-line sales leaders. Built on the TAS methodology and process, and in use by over 650,000 sales professionals, Dealmaker Performance Coach tracks the individual performance of sales people. It offers them and their management insight into their performance against benchmarks and their peers, with a drill-down capability that points out specific areas for improvement. This feedback then allows for just-in-time reinforcement of the specific concepts that help overcome deficiencies in the form of training through the Dealmaker Virtual Learning System.
“We are very excited to offer these expanded capabilities to the marketplace at this critical time in the global economy,” said York Baur, CMO of The TAS Group. “Our proven ability to help customers improve revenue performance while saving them money over traditional sales training approaches allows us to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Combined with the CRM platforms of our partners, we’re able to deliver an integrated sales effectiveness solution that’s unique in the market.”
Available immediately, these enhanced capabilities are bundled together into two subscription-based offerings: Dealmaker TAS Opportunity Management Edition, and Dealmaker Opportunity and Account Management Suite. Deployed ondemand and supported by The TAS Group’s integration and consulting services, customers can enjoy an immediate impact on the effectiveness of their sales organizations worldwide.
2008
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Nov 18 | Sales Effectiveness Leader, The TAS Group Strengthens Management Team With Two Industry Veterans |
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CFO and CMO to Meet Customer Demand for On-the-Job Learning, ‘No Travel’ Training Through Dealmaker Technology
SEATTLE, Nov. 18th, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced
that two industry veterans have joined the company to strengthen its management team in the roles of CFO and CMO. These new hires bolster the company’s position as the leader in sales effectiveness solutions, and help drive the unique combination of sales methodology, process and technology of
The TAS Group into the market for the most cost efficient and effective sales improvement solutions. Filling these positions are the following:
• Jim Crisera, CFO. Crisera is a multi-faceted technology executive, who brings 17 years of financial and operational experience to The TAS Group. Previously, Crisera served as president, Promotion Division, at Innuity, a Software as a Service (SAAS) company focused on delivering online marketing services to small businesses. Crisera was also co-founder and COO of Vendaria, an online marketing services company, where he oversaw all financial and operational aspects of the business and helped secure venture and strategic funding. Earlier he managed investor relations at Wall Data and was a financial analyst at Attachmate, where he supported its international expansion and initial public offering. He started his career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche, after receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from the University of California at Los Angeles.
• York Baur, CMO. Baur is responsible for The TAS Group’s go-to-market strategy and all aspects of marketing, and brings over 20 years of technology marketing, business development and corporate development experience to the company. His previous roles include executive vice president of Business and Corporate Development at Zango, where he helped to create the world’s largest client-side contextual targeting network through organic growth and acquisition. As executive vice president and general manager at InfoSpace, he grew its search and directory business to be the largest independent Internet search network, and led the successful acquisition of Excite.com. He also spearheaded channel development, product strategy and corporate development at InterVu and Netpodium as vice president of Sales and Marketing. Baur additionally held executive and key management positions at Wall Data, Attachmate and Microsoft. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Southern California.
“I am pleased that we’ve added such proven talent to the company, and I look forward to working closely with this newly expanded team to take The TAS Group to its next level of success,” said Donal Daly, founder and CEO of The TAS Group. “We have an incredible opportunity in the market right now: Never has there been a more important time for sales forces to sell well, and our unique on-demand Dealmaker platform delivers sales effectiveness through on-the-job learning for sustainable results without travel. These new team members will help take that to market aggressively, and ensure that we maintain the product leadership that we’ve built to date.”
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Sept 22 | The TAS Group Launches Opportunity Management and Account Management Solutions for Oracle CRM on Demand |
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Brings Industry-leading Sales Methodology and Process Management together on the Oracle ® On-Demand Platform
SEATTLE, Sept. 22nd, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced that its TAS Select Live! for Opportunity Management, and TAS Select Live! for Account Management sales effectiveness solutions have been upgraded to support Oracle® CRM On Demand. Building on The TAS Group’s existing support of Oracle’s Siebel CRM offering, this latest capability marks the first time that the power of the Oracle CRM Platform and The TAS Group’s industry-leading sales methodology, process and technology are available in an integrated on-demand package. The TAS Group is a Certified Advantage Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork.
Joint customers can now enjoy the full benefits of The TAS Group’s proven account management and opportunity management methodology, process and technology solutions, including the following:
• Increased sales effectiveness and quota achievement
• More revenue through increased deal close rates and improved account penetration
• Improved forecast accuracy
• Reinforcement of best practices through daily use of the software
• Rapid global deployment through an on-demand architecture
• Reduced training and re-training expense through online training
“TAS Select Live! was designed as an on-demand solution to allow for easy consumption and reinforcement of our powerful TAS sales methodology and process in use by more than half a million sales professionals today,” said York Baur, EVP and CMO of The TAS Group. “Integration with Oracle CRM On Demand allows our mutual customers to get improved sales effectiveness and superior return on their CRM and sales training investment, with the benefits of easy deployment and management that software-as-a-service provides.”
According to the TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study, companies that implement as sales methodology and sales process into their CRM system see an 89% increase in sales quota achievement, and improved CRM adoption of 42%. With over 500,000 sales professionals trained in the TAS Group methodology worldwide, this announcement paves the way for companies to jump start their use of an integrated CRM solution.
“Our comprehensive CRM On Demand solution already delivers best-of-breed, industry specific CRM to customers, on the back of Oracle’s technology,” said Anthony Lye, senior vice president of CRM Products for Oracle. “The integration of The TAS Group’s methodology and process augments our platform to make it a complete sales effectiveness solution.”
To ensure customer success, The TAS Group also offers a complete set of consulting, integration, deployment, and training options through its worldwide sales and delivery capability. Pricing and more information is available from The TAS Group and its network of sales agents and independent consultants.
About the Oracle PartnerNetwork
Oracle PartnerNetwork is a global business network of more than 20,000 companies who deliver innovative software solutions based on Oracle software. Through access to Oracle's premier products, education, technical services, marketing and sales support, the Oracle PartnerNetwork program provides partners with the resources they need to be successful in today's global economy. Oracle partners are able to offer their customers leading-edge solutions backed by Oracle's position as the world's largest enterprise software company. Partners who are able to demonstrate superior product knowledge, technical expertise and a commitment to doing business with Oracle qualify for the Certified Partner levels. http://oraclepartnernetwork.oracle.com.
Trademarks
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Aug 5 | The TAS Group Customer, gen-i, Achieves Global Recognition From The Sales Executive Council |
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gen-i’s Sales Development Program, Sales Academy,
Identified as One of the Most Effective Ever
SEATTLE, August 5, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions,
today announced that the Sales Academy implemented by gen-i, a long-term customer of The TAS Group, has
been recognized by the Sales Executive Council (SEC) as one of the most effective ever seen by the SEC.
gen-i was formed when Telecom acquired gen-i and Computerland and joined forces under the gen-i brand. Today, the company has 3,000 staff across 17 locations, revenues in excess of $1.6 billion and a client list that spans 3,300 public and private sector organizations in New Zealand and Australia. The Sales Academy is gen-i’s sales development program for its own employees and uses opportunity management and account management solutions from The TAS Group.
The SEC, sitting at the head of a global network of over 500 sales organizations and thousands of executives, and having assessed hundreds of sales development programs over the last decade, has identified five components of a world-class sales development program, all of which the Sales Academy at gen-i is recognized as achieving. The five components are:
1. Training content aligns with corporate goals and strategy.
2. Training targets role-specific skill gaps.
3. Regular coaching sustains and builds on gains from training.
4. Certification requires demonstrated performance.
5. Success metrics are tied to business outcomes.
The SEC’s assessment is based on a three-year review between 2005 and 2008. In its letter to gen-i, the SEC further states that the Sales Academy establishes a systematic framework for long-term progress, efficiently focuses on closing the skill gaps that will have the greatest impact on company success, effectively reinforces classroom training with real-world application, and allows leadership to accurately assess the Sales Academy’s effectiveness over time.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be recognized as world-class by such a respected body as the SEC,” said John Woodyard, manager, Sales Academy at gen-i. “But we could not have achieved this without The TAS Group and our other partners. The TAS Group’s methodologies are at the core of our curriculum, and they truly act as a business partner – the support and guidance we get is first class.”
“The Sales Academy at gen-i is a stellar example of truly delivering business benefit through sales effectiveness
solutions,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We’re proud to have gen-i as a customer, we’re proud to
be associated with this recognition, and we’re proud of our team on the ground, which helped make this
happen.”
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July 15 | The TAS Group Announces new releases of TAS Select Live! for Account Management and TAS Select Live! for Opportunity Management |
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Upgraded On-Demand Sales Effectiveness Solutions Drive Revenue Growth Through ImprovedAccount Team Communication, Greater Alignment With Customer Needs
SEATTLE, July 15, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in sustained sales effectiveness solutions, today announced new versions of its pioneering sales solutions – TAS Select Live! for Account Management and TAS Select Live! for Opportunity Management.
TAS Select Live! (TSL!) is the first and only integrated sales opportunity and account management subscription service solution that delivers immediate and sustained revenue growth through a combination of sales process, sales methodology and the Dealmaker technology platform.
TSL! was first released in August 2007, and has experienced tremendous market adoption as the most advanced sales effectiveness solution.
“Because TAS Select Live is a subscription-based service, it provides a platform for complete partnership between The TAS Group and its customers,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “Our success is directly linked to the benefits they achieve using our solutions, so we’re absolutely delighted with the success our customers are experiencing.”
TSL! for Account Management (TSL! AM) helps sales professionals increase revenues from their major accounts through increased penetration of the account. It represents the first Sales 2.0 solution for account managers and uses the reach of the Internet to make it easier for sales professionals to build account plans, identify new sales opportunities within the account, and share the account plan in real-time with other team members and sales management. TSL! AM can be fully integrated with an organization’s opportunity management system and CRM system for maximum sales velocity.
New features in TSL! AM v2.0 improve account team communication for accelerated revenue growth include the following:
► Workplan Management for Account Objectives, Strategies and Actions
► Value Map – to Align and Prioritize Customer and Supplier Objectives
► Enhanced Account Organization Chart for Buyer Power Analysis
► Workflow Management for Account Plan Review and Signoff
► Complete Account Plan Printing and Export to Excel
► Advanced Customization and Configuration
TSL! for Opportunity Management (TSL! OM) drives improved deal closure rates, earlier and more effective qualification, increased average deal size and shorter selling cycles. TSL! OM is a complete, powerful and easyto- use opportunity management solution combining the following:
► Sales process optimization to guide the sales team through the right steps to complete a sale,
► Target Account Selling® sales methodology to coach on how to win the deal by delivering value to the customer,
► Objective intelligent sales forecasting and pipeline analysis to increase overall organizational effectiveness.
New features in TSL! OM v2.0 provide greater alignment with customer needs to improve close ratios:
► Competitive Strategy Analysis and Execution
► Buyer Decision Criteria Ranking
► Political Analysis – Organization Influence Mapping
► Customizable CRM System Integration Configuration
► Complete Account Plan Printing and Export to Excel
TAS Select Live! for Account Management v2.0 and TAS Select Live! for Opportunity Management 2.0 are both available immediately from The TAS Group.
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June 17 | The TAS Group Launches Revolutionary Sales Workshop 2.0 and Sales Enablement License Programmes |
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Cost-effective, Sustained Sales Effectiveness Solutions Through Embedded Innovation, Continuous Learning and Flexible License Program
SEATTLE, June 18, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions, today announced two major customer offerings, Sales Workshop 2.0 and Sales Enablement License Program.
Workshop 2.0 leverages The TAS Group’s TAS:Pedia sales knowledge portal to deliver core knowledge concepts in advance, during, and after training events. It is specifically designed for sales organizations that want to achieve sustained sales performance improvement, with reduced classroom training time and travel. Unlike traditional sales training programs, Workshop 2.0 is more than just a single training event. It serves as an ongoing partnership platform between the sales effectiveness experts and the sales organization, resulting in consistent revenue gains and lower cost of sales.
“We’re addressing two major requests from our customers with Workshop 2.0,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “First, we are increasing user adoption of the sales methodologies by providing a more effective sales effectiveness learning experience with TAS:Pedia, a technology-enabled learning and ongoing reinforcement program; and that increases user adoption – a significant win for our customers. Workshop 2.0 also reduces the amount of time that sales people need to be out of the field.”
The Sales Enablement License allows organizations to benefit from The TAS Group’s complete range of sales methodology solutions, complemented by TAS:Pedia. Solutions include opportunity management, account management, channel management and individual sales effectiveness methodologies, all for a significantly reduced per-user annual subscription fee.
In contrast to traditional license programs, the Sales Enablement License covers multiple methodologies and is paid on a subscription basis to reduce upfront costs. Licenses are transferable, so an organization can allow for sales force turnover and enable far greater simplicity in license administration and budgeting. Sales Workshop 2.0 and the Sales Enablement License program are available immediately from The TAS Group.
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Mar 11 | The TAS Group Sponsors the Sales 2.0 Network |
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World Leading Sales Luminaries Come Together in Super Blog to Share Wisdom, Experience, Insight on Regular Basis
SEATTLE, March 11, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions, today announced its sponsorship and co-ordination of the Sales 2.0 Network (S20N), a global, virtual thought leadership forum to discuss issues relevant to sales professionals in a Web 2.0 world.
The first manifestation of S20N is a “super-blog” authored by some of the industry’s most respected commentators and practitioners to share their wisdom, experience and insight. Each of the authors will contribute to the network on a regular basis and raise topics for discussion and debate among the broader community. Users can actively participate through comments and collaboration and subscribe to the network using freely available RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology.
“Selling is changing fast in this Internet-enabled world,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We thought it would be beneficial if we could assemble in one virtual place some of the world’s leading thinkers on the future of sales. So we created a forum where their combined wisdom could be collected and shared to foster discussion on a global scale, enrich the selling lives of the participants and enable learning from the wisdom of the broader community.”
Charter members of the Sales 2.0 Network and network authors include the following:
Greg Alexander, CEO – Sales Benchmark Index
Rick Bakosh, Managing Partner,
Sales Strategy/Sales Transformation – Accenture
Matt Cox, Senior Director, Global Sales Enablement – Symantec
Donal Daly, CEO – The TAS Group
Tom Dolan, President, Global Accounts – Xerox
Patti Elliott, President – The TAS Group
Joe Galvin, Vice President and Research Director – Sirius Decisions
Jonathan Sampson, Director, Customer Operations – Sun Microsystems
Dave Stein, CEO – ES Research
Key topics for S20N over the coming months will include:
“The Role of Technology as a Sales Enabler,” “Global Account Management in a Flat World,” “Just-in-time Virtual Learning for the Sales Professional,” “Metrics as a Map to Sales Improvement,” “Sales Talent Management” and “What’s This Sales 2.0 Stuff Anyway.”
Charter members of S20N will author blog posts and participate actively in the online discussions that ensue. Under the rules of the network, all participants will refrain from self-promotion on the network to enrich the collaborative and learning experience for subscribers.
The TAS Group manages the infrastructure to support S20N and monitors posts, comments and general etiquette. Scheduling and topics co ordination are managed by The TAS Group in concert with charter contributors. RSS is enabled and participants can subscribe to the opinions and have them pushed to their RSS reader, as and when they are published.
Subscription to S20N is free. To register, visit www.sales20network.com.
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Feb 26 | Xerox's Tom Dolan joins The TAS Group Board |
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High Profile Appointment Underlines Market Leadership of On-demand Sales Effectiveness Provider
SEATTLE, Feb. 26, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions, today announced the appointment of Thomas J. Dolan of Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX; www.xerox.com; ‘Xerox’) to its Board of Directors.
Dolan is president of Xerox Global Account Operations and a corporate senior vice president at Xerox. He will also be honored as Executive of the Year at the Strategic Account Management Association’s (SAMA) 44th Annual Conference, May 18-21, 2008 in Dallas.
“Tom is an outstanding thinker, with vast experience and global awareness,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We are really pleased and honored that he has chosen to serve on the Board of The TAS Group. Tom’s extensive sales, general management, leadership and deep passion for sales professionalism are already helping us chart the best course to continuously enhance our product and service offerings to our customers, and guide our company to a sustained market leadership position.”
The TAS Group was formed in July 2006 when Select Selling Ltd. – a software-based sales methodology company -- acquired OnTarget, the sales methodology division of Oracle and the creator of Target Account Selling, the world’s most successful sales methodology. Less than 18 months later, The TAS Group achieved primary positioning in ES Research’s ESR/Arena™ Chart, which positions sales effectiveness providers.
“Improving sales productivity is an important challenge for all companies around the world,” said Dolan. “Whether it’s about managing global accounts, increasing the sales pipeline or improving deal close rates, there really are no more urgent issues in today’s constrained economic times. The team at The TAS Group has an eagerness and vigor to solve these problems for its customers and a level of innovation in its sales effectiveness solutions that can deliver extraordinary value. I am excited to be a part of the future at The TAS Group and contribute in any way I can.
” Dolan joined Xerox in 1970 as a sales representative in Philadelphia and has since held a range of sales and general management positions. Before being named president of Global Account Operations, he served as president of Xerox Global Services, president of the Global Solutions Group, president of the North American Solutions Group and president of Xerox Business Services, which under his leadership won the 1997 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Dolan earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Manhattan College and attended Brooklyn Law School. He is chairman of the Board of INROADS, Inc., a nonprofit organization that develops and places minority youth in business and industry and prepares them for corporate and community leadership.
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Feb 19 | The TAS Group Delivers Ground-Breaking Approach for Enhancing Sales Effectiveness of Account Managers |
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TAS Select Live! for Account Management Provides ‘Recession Proof’ Sales Growth Solution; Drives Immediate, Sustained Revenue Growth
SEATTLE, Feb. 19, 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions, today announced TAS Select Live! for Account Management (TSL! AM), the groundbreaking approach to enhancing the sales effectiveness of sales organizations for account management professionals.
TSL! AM represents the first Sales 2.0 solution for account managers. In a globally connected marketplace, where buyers are moving at Internet-speed, sales professional need on-line, on-time, and on-message sales solutions – anytime, anywhere, anyhow. TSL! AM uses the reach of the Internet to make is easier for sales professionals to build account plans, share the information in real-time with other team members and sales management, and leverage the data in corporations’ CRM systems in an easy to use, easy to access system.
The new solution, which drives immediate and sustained revenue growth, is being introduced at a time of global economic uncertainty. To achieve even moderate sales targets, companies need to build larger sales pipelines. Using the built-in intelligence in the software, TSL! AM shows how to find more opportunities in existing accounts, drive enhanced visibility of opportunities and add much needed predictability into revenue streams.
Combining proven account management methodologies from the TAS Group, Dealmaker – the on-demand sales effectiveness software platform, and TAS:Pedia – the only sales knowledge portal for sales professionals, TSL! AM dramatically improves the ability of account management professionals to maximize the return from their existing customers and target accounts.
TAS Select Live! for Account Management
TSL!/AM is designed specifically for account teams to understand the customer’s business. With TSL!/AM, account teams can develop compelling ‘customer specific’ value propositions based on the customer’s business drivers and identify opportunities to create ‘mutual value.’ TSL!/AM allows for different methodologies depending on the customer scenario, and provides optimized approaches for a large enterprise as well as a portfolio of accounts.
Using TSL!/AM, account teams can update account plans easily in a few mouse clicks, share the plan with team members in real-time, integrate with the TAS Select Live! Opportunity Management solution and organizations’ CRM systems, and continue to learn through interactive use and the Account Management section of the TAS:Pedia sales knowledge portal.
TAS Select Live!
TSL! AM is based on TAS Select Live! for Opportunity Management (TSL! AM) announced late last year as TAS Select Live! -- a complete, powerful and easy-to-use solution combining the following:
► Sales process optimization to guide the sales team through the right steps to complete a sale.
► The world-leading Target Account Selling® sales methodology to coach on how to deliver value to the customer while achieving the sale.
► The Dealmaker software platform to facilitate easy adoption and continuous usage of the sales process and methodology at an individual and corporate level.
► Ongoing performance metric insight for continued sales effectiveness optimization.
► The TAS:Pedia learning portal, providing sales best practice reinforcement in the office or on the road via the Web using a PC or handheld device.
“As economic growth slows, sales organizations will be increasingly challenged to hit their numbers,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “Many are missing out on the most effective way to recession-proof their revenue growth – that is delivering more value and solutions to their existing customers. In concert with leading customers, our R&D team has come up with a truly innovative and effective solution. . We want our customers to gain the tremendous benefits this solution will bring and see how it will drive revenue, increase customer retention, help them identify new opportunities in existing customers, and achieve sustained competitive positions in their accounts by selling their complete product portfolio across the entire customer organization.”
TSL!/AM can be tightly integrated with salesforce.com, Oracle/Siebel CRM, Microsoft CRM or any other SOA-compliant CRM systems or can be used as a standalone application. TSL! AM is available immediately from The TAS Group.
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Feb 6 | The TAS Group Announces Record Growth for 2007 |
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Recognized as Market Leader by ES Research Group Essential Complement to CRM / SFA Solutions
SEATTLE, January 2008
The TAS Group, the world leader in on-demand sales effectiveness solutions, today announced record financial growth in 2007, and dramatically increased market acceptance of its “Sales 2.0” sales effectiveness solutions, TAS Select Live! and TAS:Pedia.
Overall revenue in Q4 2007 was 46% vs. Q4 2006, and revenue from the company’s “Sales 2.0” solutions – TAS Select Live! and TAS:Pedia – was up 620% in the same period.
“The TAS Group is the only company to recognize that the sales game has changed forever and only an integrated approach to sales effectiveness (methodology, process, software, web 2.0 reinforcement, etc.) enables companies to realize the competitive advantage of their sales force,” said Patti Elliott, president and co-founder of The TAS Group. “Our vision is to deliver sustained value to our customers, which has brought us rapid success. When we formed, we spoke to salespeopleand asked what they wanted. They told us they needed a solution that was powerful, yet easy to use, so they could make more money. Using advanced technology with built-in methodologies, we’ve given them that solution and put systems around it to support sales management, sales operations as well as HR and learning professionals.”
The TAS Group was formed in July 2006 when Select Selling Ltd. – a software-based sales methodology company -- acquired OnTarget, the sales methodology division of Oracle and the creator of Target Account Selling, the world’s most successful sales methodology.
Among The TAS Group’s many achievements in Q4 2007, was recognition as a market leader by ES Research Group, Inc., an industry analyst firm that focuses on the sales performance improvement industry and sales training companies. The TAS Group achieved primary positioning in ES Research’s ESR/Arena™ Chart, which positions sales training providers according to the breadth and effectiveness of their products and services.
The TAS Group has been recognized by ES Research as a leader in overall sales effectiveness and a thought leader in the application of technology to accelerate sales organizations’ revenue growth.
“The speed at which The TAS Group has executed on innovative solutions that drive increased sales effectiveness has been remarkable,” said Dave Stein, CEO of ES Research. “We believe that its approach, represented by TAS Select Live! and TAS:Pedia, is precisely what the market needs, and we are not surprised by the level of market acceptance.”
In Q4 2007, The TAS Group acquired 17 new customers for TAS Select Live! – the on demand sales effectiveness solution launched in August 2007. The company launched TAS:Pedia – the sales knowledge portal – in October 2007 and acquired 6250 subscribers by December 31.
“It’s much easier to predict the future if you invent it,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “We’ve designed a solution that delivers sustained, predictable and profitable revenue growth for our customers – and that’s very gratifying. By working closely with existing customers, our research and development team delivers solutions that delight them. Because we’re the only provider in the market with a multi-million dollar technology and methodology R&D center, we can deliver real advantage to customers.”
Other highlights for Q4 2007 included the following:
• Signed 100+ new contracts
• Grew total revenue by 150% over Q3
• Achieved 31% of revenue from new subscriptions
• Delivered 185 Sales Effectiveness Workshops in 26 countries
2007
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Oct 9 | The TAS Group Announces First UK Customer Tideway |
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Tideway Systems Implements TAS Select Live!
SEATTLE, Oct. 9, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sustained sales effectiveness solutions, today announced that London, England-headquartered Tideway Systems, the independent leader in application dependency mapping for enterprises, has deployed TAS Select Live!, the ground-breaking approach to enhancing the sales effectiveness of sales organizations, which was launched in August 2007.
TAS Select Live! is the first and only end-to-end sales opportunity management subscription service solution that delivers immediate and sustained revenue growth through a combination of sales process, sales methodology, enterprise class technology and ongoing performance metrics insight.
“Sales effectiveness solutions should deliver both immediate and sustained revenue growth, by helping companies align their solutions with their customer’s needs,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “Tideway Systems is very focused on its customers’ success and we’re delighted to embark on this relationship to help deliver optimum value to its customers and thereby drive revenue growth.
Peter Grant, VP of Sales at Tideway Systems, added: “Tideway is experiencing rapid growth, and with that comes a number of challenges: maintaining the growth in a predictable way, maximizing the value we add to our customers, decreasing ramp up time for an expanding sales force and managing our continued growth. TAS Select Live! is our blueprint for staying on track.”
TAS Select Live! is a complete, powerful and easy-to-use solution combining the following:
• Sales process optimization to guide the sales team through the right steps to complete a sale.
• The world-leading Target Account Selling® sales methodology to coach on how to deliver value to the customer while achieving the sale.
• The Dealmaker software platform to facilitate easy adoption and continuous usage of the sales process and methodology at an individual and corporate level.
• Ongoing performance metric insight for continued sales effectiveness optimization.
• The TAS:Pedia learning portal, providing sales best practice reinforcement in the office or on the road via the Web using a PC or handheld device.
TAS Select Live! is a complete self-contained enterprise sales effectiveness solution that can also be tightly integrated with salesforce.com, Oracle/Siebel CRM, Microsoft CRM or any other SOA-compliant CRM systems.
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Sept 26 | The TAS Group Launches TAS:Pedia |
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Streaming Movie-based Web Sales Knowledge Portal Accelerates Sustained Sales Performance; Methodology Content Downloads to Media Players, PCs, Smartphones
SEATTLE, Sept. 26, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sustained sales effectiveness solutions, today announced TAS:Pedia, a knowledge portal for sales professionals to accelerate sustained sales improvement and revenue growth.
“We are living in an ever-changing, fast-moving world where salespeople need flexible, contextualized and engaging ways to continuously upgrade their skills and knowledge – anywhere, anytime,” said Jonathan Sampson, director of Customer Operations, Sun Microsystems. “TAS:Pedia is designed to deliver just what’s needed.” It lets salespeople learn at their own pace, when they need it, wherever they are and in the way they want to consume it. TAS:Pedia will give true value to today's sales professionals.” Subscribers to TAS:Pedia receive the following:
Exclusive online access to the TAS:Pedia sales knowledge portal, including the core ‘best practices’ of proven sales methodologies from The TAS Group in streaming movies, audio, worksheets and other media.
Exclusive access to the TAS Master Class Webcasts, a curriculum of sales effectiveness learning experiences, and discussion forum, crafted to address specific sales challenges.
Customized, closed-loop learning curricula for sales professionals to reinforce with their managers.
License to download TAS:Pedia content to Apple iPods or iPhones, Microsoft Zunes or other media players, suitably equipped smartphones or personal computers.
“Video lives naturally on the web and is increasingly the preferred medium for users to consume content,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “TAS:Pedia delivers deep sales methodology knowledge through this preferred medium, in bite-size segments, componentized and readily consumable. Now our customers can stay on top of their game though the TAS:Pedia portal, on their favorite media device, smartphone or laptop – or in fact just about anyway they want. TAS:Pedia lets customers decide how and when they want to learn.”
TAS:Pedia is a virtual sales coach that never sleeps. It provides on-demand sales methodology and best practice reinforcement for sustained sales expertise. TAS:Pedia subscribers also get access to experts from The TAS Group through the TAS Master Class Webcasts, exclusive events for the TAS:Pedia community. TAS:Pedia accelerates the progression from sales learning to knowledge, to knowledge application – to revenue impact – quickly.
TAS:Pedia can be experienced directly from The TAS Group’s home page at www.thetasgroup.com. The TAS:Pedia Platform – Customization and Collaboration In addition to the benefits received by end-user subscribers to TAS:Pedia, companies can leverage the TAS:Pedia technology infrastructure from The TAS Group to deliver customized content for their own organizations. The TAS:Pedia platform can host a company’s own content; the content from The TAS Group can be customized on a per company basis, or entirely new content can be created by The TAS Group on behalf of a customer.
TAS:Pedia is available as an integrated component of TAS Select Live!, or as a sales learning reinforcement and adoption solution for existing licensed customers of The TAS Group.
TAS:Pedia is available immediately from The TAS Group at a monthly fee ranging from $15 per user.
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Aug 20 | The TAS Group Introduces Revolutionary Subscription Service: TAS Select Live! |
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End-to-end Solution First to Combine Sales Process, Sales Methodology, Enterprise-class Technology and Ongoing Performance Metrics Insight
SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sustained sales effectiveness solutions, today announced TAS Select Live!, which employs a ground-breaking approach to enhancing the sales effectiveness of sales organizations.
TAS Select Live! is the first and only end-to-end sales opportunity management subscription service solution that delivers immediate and sustained revenue growth through a combination of sales process, sales methodology, enterprise class technology and ongoing performance metrics insight.
TAS Select Live! is a complete, powerful and easy-to-use solution combining the following:
► Sales process optimization to guide the sales team through the right steps to complete a sale.
► The world-leading Target Account Selling® sales methodology to coach on how to deliver value to the customer while achieving the sale.
► The Dealmaker software platform to facilitate easy adoption and continuous usage of the sales process and methodology at an individual and corporate level.
► Ongoing performance metric insight for continued sales effectiveness optimization.
“Sales effectiveness solutions should deliver both immediate and sustained revenue growth,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “TAS Select Live! provides just that – a long-term lasting impact, not just a short-term quick fix. The subscription nature of the TAS Select Live! service embodies a long-term partnership between The TAS Group and our customers via the continued value we add through sustaining technology and supporting services. Helping the sales team perform isn’t a one-time event – it’s an ongoing commitment to a company’s success – and that’s what TAS Select Live! represents.”
Sales effectiveness is continuously optimized through the Ongoing Performance Metrics Insight, a look inside the sales activity to highlight sales bottlenecks, sales cycle analysis and improved best practices. TAS Select Live! is a complete self-contained enterprise sales effectiveness solution that can also be integrated with salesforce.com, Siebel CRM, Microsoft CRM or any other SOA-compliant CRM systems.
TAS Select Live! is available immediately from The TAS Group at a monthly fee ranging from $40 per user per month (based on 500 users).
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June 17 | The TAS Group Launches Dealmaker Quickstart for Oracle's Siebel CRM |
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Enables Rapid Access to Dealmaker Sales Effectiveness Solution for Siebel CRM Users; Delivers Greater Revenue, Increased CRM Adoption
SEATTLE, July 17, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced Dealmaker QuickStart for Siebel CRM (QSS), a software toolkit to accelerate the integration of Dealmaker with Oracle’s Siebel CRM.
Dealmaker is an intelligent sales effectiveness software application that enables full integration of the The TAS Group’s sales methodology with the world’s leading CRM systems.
QSS is a software toolkit to accelerate the integration of Dealmaker with Siebel CRM. Using the prepackaged integration utilities, organizations that use Siebel CRM can now easily set up Dealmaker and quickly configure the technical conversation between Dealmaker and Siebel to deploy a sales effectiveness application that is both fast and secure.
With Dealmaker quickly integrated with Siebel, sales organizations can expect sales revenue to increase through built-in sales methodologies from The TAS Group. That’s because Dealmaker’s quick response time and easy-to-use interface encourages sales people to employ the system, thus increasing the CRM adoption rate.
When Dealmaker isintegrated with Siebel, sales organizations see the following results:
• Increased user adoption through faster application response time and intuitive user interface
• Increased sales effectiveness through in-built Target Account Selling® methodology
• Increased return on CRM and sales training investments
• Increased sales forecast accuracy
QSS combines the qualities of an industry-standard service-oriented architecture (SOA) integration interface, productivity, ease of use, and flexibility with the qualities of an enterprise software application: security, integrity, scalability and availability --and it’s built for the Web.
“Dealmaker is designed from the ground up to be simple to use for the sales person, while still delivering the power of our proven sales methodologies,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “Now with QuickStart for Siebel, companies that use Siebel can integrate Dealmaker in a matter of weeks, leverage their sales training and CRM investments and improve their return on investment on both. When companies integrate sales methodologies with their CRM systems, we’ve seen dramatic increases in both sales achievement and CRM adoption.”
According to the TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study – a study that compiled the experiences of over 1250 participants from around the world -- companies that implement a sales methodology with a defined sales process and integrate both into their CRM system see an 89% increase in sales quota achievement and an improvement in CRM adoption of 42%.
QSS is available immediately beginning at $25,000.
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July 17 | Statera Selects The TAS Group as Sales Effectivenss Solutions Provider |
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Statera Achieves Immediate Return on Investment Using TAS Solutions Integrated With Microsoft CRM
SEATTLE, June 4, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced that Statera, one of Microsoft’s Gold Certified CRM partners, has selected The TAS Group as its sales effectiveness solutions provider. Statera, which implemented TAS Select™ in April 2007, has seen an immediate return on its investment, winning four key sales opportunities using the TAS Select™ sales methodology and process.
“The great thing about TAS is that it helps us understand the customer’s business objectives and identify how to best meet the customer’s needs,” said Brad Weydert, president of Statera. “Our view is that our customer’s success drives our success and TAS Select helps us design an approach that truly serves the customer. Because TAS Select is built-in to our Microsoft CRM implementation through the Dealmaker software application, it makes it easy to align our solutions with the customer’s needs. This is truly a win-win.”
“We are very pleased that Statera has selected our solutions to help it better serve its customers,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “TAS Select is a sales methodology supported by technology that helps companies increase revenue by ensuring that the right solution is sold to the customer – one that provides the customer with sustained benefit. Statera gets that – it’s very customer focused.” “We’re looking forward to continuing to help Statera serve its customers better and grow revenue by helping its customers succeed.”
Under this relationship, Statera will also be able to provide best-of-breed sales effectiveness solutions to its clients utilizing the products and services of The TAS Group. “We got a return on our investment in TAS in just four weeks and, where appropriate, we’d like to offer that benefit to our customers,” said Weydert. “Since Dealmaker is so well integrated with Microsoft CRM, we think our customers who use MS CRM could really enhance their sales effectiveness through this solution, and we’re delighted to be able to provide them with that opportunity.”
About Statera
Statera, a business and technology services and solutions provider based in Englewood, Colorado, helps businesses in the Western United States realize the promise of strategic initiative by engineering solutions that bridge the gap between people, process and technology. From strategy through implementation, deployment and support, Statera helps large and small companies implement best practice solutions. Serving vertical markets such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, media and entertainment, retail, telecommunications and the public sector since 2001, Statera’s core competencies consist of management consulting, infrastructure, productivity and business specific application development. Statera currently employs 200+ people with offices in Denver, Phoenix and Seattle. For more information, please call 720.346.0070 ext. 131 or visit www.statera.com.
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June 4 | The TAS Group Signs Strategic Relationship with Affinitiv |
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Leader in Sales Effectiveness Partners With Fast Growing Global Boutique Consultancy to Broaden Global Presence, Customer Support
SEATTLE, May 21, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Affinitiv, one of the world’s fastest growing boutique consulting companies.
Affinitiv is a dynamic boutique services company providing solutions to clients using its world-class client engagement and project management expertise. Affinitiv has offices around the world in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Serbia, as well as U.S. locations in Los Angeles and New York.
Under this strategic partnership, Affinitiv has dedicated a number of its senior consultants to providing best-of-breed sales effectiveness solutions to their clients utilizing the products and services of The TAS Group. Affinitiv and The TAS Group have already collaborated to provide sales effectiveness solutions to companies such as MTC Vodafone in Bahrain, Oger Systems in Saudi Arabia and du in Dubai.
“By extending the Affinitiv Partner Network – a select group of best of breed industry partners – Affinitiv’s goal is to ensure our customers succeed in growing their businesses,” said Zoran Vasiljev, CEO of Affinitiv. “I’ve personally used Target Account Selling® throughout my career, and I’m excited to be able to provide the complete range of solutions from The TAS Group to support our clients’ growth plans. The unique combination of sales methodology, sales process and technology solutions will enable us to provide our clients with solutions that help them to achieve sustained, profitable and predictable revenue growth.”
“Affinitiv is a very special organization and provides The TAS Group with extended reach in Asia, the Middle East and other regions,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “The quality of service it provides is extraordinary and we’re delighted that it has partnered with us. Affinitiv will leverage its own considerable expertise to deliver our complete range of opportunity management, account management and channel management sales effectiveness solutions to its corporate clients.”
About Affinitiv (www.affinitiv.com)
Affinitiv is leading a new breed of “Networked Companies.” Affinitiv is a Dynamic Boutique Services Company providing solutions to clients using its world-class Client Engagement and Project Management expertise and the Affinitiv Partner Network [APN], a branded membership network consisting of the best in our industry. Affinitiv also leverages the Affinitiv Investor Network [AIN] and the Affinitiv Talent Network [ATN] to further extend its offerings, expertise, and market reach for its clients. Affinitiv offers Business Strategies and Technology Consulting through its presence in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Clients engage Affinitiv to get Outstanding Service, an Outstanding Solution, and access to the best in the industry.
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Feb 27 | Sales Targets are missed by more than half the Sales Team in 50% of Companies Globally: The TAS Index Global Study |
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Sales Targets Are Missed by More Than Half the Sales Team In 50% of Companies Globally: TAS Index Global Study
Europeans Tops in Sales Effectiveness; Sales Management, Reps Disagree on What’s Working; Methodology Users Strong Performers
SEATTLE, Feb. 27, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today released results of its TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study 2007, which shows that in 50% of companies globally, less than half of the sales team achieves its sales targets. In addition, the report notes that American salespeople lack deal-closing skills compared to their European and Asian counterparts. It also finds that sales management and sales reps have widely differing perspectives on what’s working and what’s broken, salespeople employing sales methodologies perform much better than those who don’t, notes which industries have the most effective sales teams – and which are the worst, and more.
The TAS Index ™ is a global barometer of sales productivity and effectiveness. The TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study 2007 helps sales leaders determine the absolute and relative effectiveness of their sales organizations. See today’s other announcement, The TAS Group Introduces TAS Index: First Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark System.
The TAS Index is being made available to companies at no cost at www.tasindex2007.com
Not Making Quota According to the study, more than 50% of companies say that less than 50% of their salespeople make quota. Based upon this figure, it would appear that an enormous number of organizations are experiencing severe sales challenges.
“Sales is the engine that drives the economy, and clearly sales people are hired to make quota. The number of companies where this is not happening is quite staggering when you consider the associated expense and missed opportunity,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “With this degree of inherent uncertainty in their sales organizations it’s understandable that it can be hard for public companies to accurately forecast their revenues and actual results. However, companies can look to the underlying principles of the TAS Index to see how they might solve this important problem to achieve more predictable, profitable and consistent sales numbers.”
“The primary purpose of the TAS Index is to create a benchmark against which sales leaders, CEOs, CFOs, or other stakeholders can measure the performance of their company,” said Daly. “Based on the strong correlation between a company’s TAS Index score and quota achievement, we see strong value in organizations taking the survey and reviewing results within sales team members. Moreover, by doing so, they can uncover the relative strengths and weaknesses of their sales effectiveness within their own organizations.”
American Effectiveness vs. Europeans, Asians
While European salespeople scored similarly to Americans in terms of sales effectiveness (6.41 versus 6.35), they appear better at generating sales opportunities, deal close rates and maximizing value creation in those deals. American reps, however, are better at managing the sales cycle. Compared to their counterparts in Europe and Asia Pacific, Americans seem to be worse at closing deals, supporting their channel partners and disseminating a standard sales process throughout their sales organization. On the other hand, it would appear that European and Asian salespeople could learn a few things from their American colleagues when it comes to integrating the sales organization with the rest of the company. The report indicates that the Americans seem to have better alignment with marketing and the overall company strategy and are better at describing the value a company has to offer.
The top three things Europeans could teach Americans are defining the sales process, supporting channel partners and dealing effectively with competition. Asian salespeople, on the other hand, seem to the best in the world at qualifying sales opportunities, leveraging sales management for coaching rather than just chasing the sales team for details and maximizing the value from each customer.
Different Perspectives of Sales Management and Sales Reps
According to the study, the different perspectives of individual sales people and that of sales management can lead to sub-optimal sales effectiveness and immediate improvement opportunities. Nearly three out of four (72%) sales managers believe that their sales process is well defined, while nearly 50% less, just two out four (56%) of sales reps believe this is so. In addition, 48% of sales managers think they spend their time coaching (not chasing the reps for updates), while just 34% of reps agree. Conversely, 58% of reps believe they close deals when originally forecasted, while only 46% of managers agree. And 53% of reps believe they are effective at maximizing return from existing accounts, versus only 42% of managers.
“Where there is a misalignment between the sales force and sales leadership, there is usually a tremendous opportunity for quick improvement. Clearly sales management and sales reps don’t always have the same objectives – but it’s important that they see the world in the same way and pull in the same direction,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “The challenge is to enable sales management to help the sales individuals rather than just manage. When considering sales management systems or procedures, a focus on answering the ‘What’s in it for me?’ question from the reps can deliver uncommon alignment and productivity. The alternative is not pretty and results in deals being lost, money being left on the table and increased turnover in the sales force.” Methodology Usage and Related Sales Effectiveness
The study showed that companies that use a sales methodology more than half the time do much better than those that don't. In fact, among those salespeople, the number of people who make quota is 50% higher than those who don’t and the percent of sales proposals resulting in a sale is 77% higher. Strikingly, sales force turnover is lower by 39% when methodology usage is high. This has a really significant impact on a company’s cost and sales effectiveness as the average time taken for a sales person to ramp up to full productivity is more than three months in 83% of cases and more than six months in 50% of companies.
Top, Least Effective Sales By Industry
Salespeople surveyed were largely from the financial services, insurance, high-tech, medical devices/pharmaceutical, consumables and food and communications industries. Within these segments, sales people from financial services ranked best (7.1), while insurance salespeople ranked last (5.1) in effectiveness.
To get more details on the TAS Index or to participate in the ongoing study and obtain results for themselves at no cost, interested parties should visit www.tasindex2007.com.
About The TAS Index (www.tasindex2007.com)
The TAS Index ™ is a global barometer of sales productivity and effectiveness. The TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study 2007 helps sales leaders determine the absolute and relative effectiveness of their sales organizations. The questions that formed the basis of the index were designed to act as a guide to examine the key challenges for their sales organizations in 2007, how to improve sales productivity, how to assess their CRM systems, sales process and sales methodology, and to evaluate the sales velocity of their sales organizations.
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Feb 27 | The TAS Group Introduces The TAS Index - the first Global Effectiveness Benchmark System |
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The TAS Group Introduces TAS Index: First Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark System
Companies Can Use Index to Rank and Score Their Sales Organizations Against Global Benchmark and Identify Areas to Improve – At No Cost
SEATTLE, Feb. 27, 2007
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced the TAS Index, the first and only global measure of sales effectiveness. Based on input from more than 500 companies around the world, the TAS Index measures the effectiveness of sales organizations across areas such as deal close rates, sales cycle management, value creation and sales opportunity development. It analyzes the activities, behaviors and attitudes of sales organizations, their strategic alignment with their companies and the resultant sales velocity they can achieve.
The TAS Group is making the TAS Index available to companies without charge at www.tasindex2007.com.
In addition, the company also announced findings from its TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study. See today’s other announcement, Sales Targets Are Missed by More Than Half the Sales Team In 50% of Companies Globally; Europeans Tops in Sales Effectiveness.
“It has always been difficult for sales organizations, sales leadership and company executives to understand whether their sales teams are really good or not,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “They can only measure actual sales results, sales per head, revenue per customer or other such lagging indicators -- and then if it’s not working, it’s too late.”
The TAS Index Sales Effectiveness Benchmark has correlated activities, behaviors and attitudes to actual sales performance. It makes it possible to measure leading -- not lagging -- indicators, assess future performance and identify what weaknesses to fix before the damage happens.
“Companies need to be investing more in measuring the effectiveness of their sales departments in order to improve their top line,” said Dave Stein, CEO, ES Research Group.
“Measurement is subtly complex, however. It requires an in-depth look at sales performance history, a defined and measurable improvement goal, and continuous monitoring so management can fine-tune its performance improvement course of action. The TAS Index is a big step in that direction.”
Daly added, “We believe there is real value to be delivered to companies around the world by enabling them to measure their sales effectiveness – in absolute terms for themselves and also relative to their peers – when benchmarked against the rest of the world. That’s why we are making this available at no cost. Companies can identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop an appropriate improvement plan.”
Key Findings of The TAS Index
• More than half of sales teams fail to make quota in more than 50% of companies.
• EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) leads North America in sales effectiveness based on their average TAS Index score.
• Companies that use a sales methodology consistently are 50% more likely to make sales quota, and have 39% less turnover in their sales force.
• Revenue growth and customer retention are the main sales initiatives for 2007.
• The perception of sales performance varies widely between sales reps and their managers.
How the TAS Index Works
The TAS Index for an individual company is the measure of that company’s sales effectiveness, which translates to revenue generated for a fixed or variable cost. Whether a company is in growth mode, or in cost reduction mode, this fact always remains constant. The TAS Index derives this measure using the Sales Velocity Equation™ which, for a particular company, business unit or sales individual, incorporates the number of deals or qualified sales opportunities that are being worked; the value of each sales opportunity; the percentage of those deals that are closed; and the length of the sales cycle. To get more details on the TAS Index or to participate in the ongoing study and obtain results for themselves at no cost, interested parties should visit
www.tasindex2007.com.
About The TAS Index (www.tasindex2007.com)
The TAS Index ™ is a global barometer of sales productivity and effectiveness. The TAS Index Global Sales Effectiveness Benchmark Study 2007 helps sales leaders determine the absolute and relative effectiveness of their sales organizations. The questions that formed the basis of the index were designed to act as a guide to examine the key challenges for their sales organizations in 2007, how to improve sales productivity, how to assess their CRM systems, sales process and sales methodology, and to evaluate the sales velocity of their sales organizations.
2006
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Nov 17 | The TAS Group Presentation Rated #1 at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce '06 Event |
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Session Tops 139 Others With a 4.8 Out of 5.0 Attendee Score; Validates Revolutionary Approach to Market
SEATTLE, Nov. 17, 2006
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, today announced that its presentation at salesforce.com’s Dreamforce ’06 was rated #1 out of 140 by attendees at the October 2006 event. Overall, the session received a 4.8 out of a possible 5.0.
The session, “Growing the Top Line Without Growing the Sale Force,” discussed how companies could increase sales performance and grow revenues without increasing headcount. This is especially important when recruiting and retaining a quality team is so difficult. The session also introduced proven techniques that dramatically increase the sales effectiveness of sales teams. The presentation was delivered by Dave Roberts, director of Client Delivery Solution at The TAS Group, and supported by York Baur of Zango, a user of the TAS Group’s methodologies and Dealmaker software application.
“We’re truly grateful to the attendees for giving us such high marks for the session,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “To us it says that our revolutionary approach to the market is what our customers want. Given the options of recruiting and training lots of new sales people or improving sales productivity with current staffing, the choice is obvious. We continue to be encouraged by the response to both our message and solution offerings.” The TAS Group combines proven sales methodologies with the most advanced technology platform for sales effectiveness. Since 1989 it has helped 400,000 sales professionals around the world succeed through a network of 100 certified partners.
At Dreamforce ’06, it announced the extension of its Dealmaker for AppExchange to support the world’s leading sales methodology, Target Account Selling. Dealmaker for AppExchange delivers improved sales, accurate forecasts and a standardized sales process. The sales methodology application is fully integrated with Salesforce. Target Account Selling is the industry–leading opportunity management sales methodology in use by 400,000 sales professionals around the world. The new offering is immediately available for deployment at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange with additional implementation services from The TAS Group.
To see a video or Powerpoint of The TAS Group’s top-rated presentation at Dreamforce ‘06, interested parties may go to http://blogs.salesforce.com/dreamforce06/2006/09/growing_the_top.html
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Oct 9 | The TAS Group adds support for Target Account Selling® to Dealmaker integrated with Salesforce.com |
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Salesforce.com Customers Can Now Deploy Target Account Selling Within Their Salesforce Implementations; Offering Available Immediately
SAN FRANCISCO Salesforce.com Dreamforce Conference – Oct. 9, 2006
The TAS Group, the world leader in sales effectiveness solutions, and salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM), the market and technology leader in on-demand business services, today announced at Dreamforce ‘06 the extension of The TAS Group’s Dealmaker for AppExchange to support the world’s leading sales methodology, Target Account Selling. Dealmaker for AppExchange delivers improved sales, accurate forecasts and a standardized sales process. The sales methodology application is fully integrated with Salesforce. Target Account Selling is the industry–leading opportunity management sales methodology in use by 400,000 sales professionals around the world.
The new offering is immediately available for deployment at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange with additional implementation services from The TAS Group.
This release leverages The TAS Group’s purchase of OnTarget from Oracle to increase sales effectiveness through embedded sales methodologies in the intelligent Dealmaker software platform and is a key component of The TAS Group’s Intelligent Sales Effectiveness Platform (ISEP).
“The measure of the successful implementation of a sales methodology is increased profitable revenue, and the key to achieving that in a sustainable way is to deliver a solution that sales professionals want to use and helps them sell more without increased effort,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “When that happens, salespeople get what they want – increased sales – and sales management also gets what it wants – increased sales, accurate sales forecasts, sales process compliance and great metrics to manage the business. With the Intelligent Sales Effectiveness Platform, we let our Dealmaker application do the hard work, so salespeople and sales management don’t have to.”
Dealmaker integrates the Target Account Selling sales methodology with Salesforce for a customizable enterprise-wide solution. Its underlying sales process intelligence engine learns about what works, encapsulates best practices guidelines, reinforces sales effectiveness learning, and provides a superior ROI on both CRM and sales training investments. Dealmaker provides accurate forecasts, deal clarity and pipeline visibility.
“We’re very pleased that The TAS Group has made Target Account Selling (TAS), one of the world’s best known sales methodologies, available for salesforce.com customers,” said Matt Holleran, vice president, AppExchange partners, salesforce.com. “This is a great example of how the AppExchange can be used to increase the value that can be delivered to our customers.”
Dealmaker for AppExchange is one of more than 375 applications now available on the salesforce.com AppExchange, the world’s first on-demand directory and sharing service, found at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange.
Apex is salesforce.com’s breakthrough new on-demand platform and programming language that is redefining what a multi-tenant on-demand application can be. Apex enables customers, developers and partners to build powerful new on-demand applications that far go beyond CRM, and for the first time, to write and run their own code hosted with the security, reliability, upgradeability and ease of-use of salesforce.com’s industry-leading multi-tenant service. Customers can use Apex to modify the core features and functionality of their Salesforce deployments for their unique business needs and quickly and easily integrate new applications and components from partners and developers. Without any infrastructure investment, developers can now build and run a virtually unlimited array of applications with unprecedented power to innovate with the same creative freedom as salesforce.com’s own developers.
Leverages Purchase of OnTarget From Oracle to Increase Sales Effectiveness
Seattle Sept. 19, 2006
The TAS Group today announced the launch of its Intelligent Sales Effectiveness Platform (ISEP™), a combination of proven sales methodologies, implementation best practices and the intelligent Dealmaker™ software application.
The TAS Group was formed when Select Selling purchased OnTarget – the sales methodology division of Oracle. The multi-million dollar investment in ISEP underpins The TAS Group’s drive to fundamentally change how sales organizations worldwide approach and adopt sales training and sales methodology implementations by putting technology at the core of the implementation.
The complexity of many sales methodologies make them difficult to use – so, in some cases, sales teams don’t regularly use them. By combining world-class sales methodologies and easy-to-use software, ISEP guides salespeople through the sales methodology intelligently, offering interactive feedback along the way. ISEP is the first sales effectiveness solution that incorporates sales methodologies into an efficient and effective software environment. For existing OnTarget users, this means it is easier to reap the value of their previous investments. For new methodology customers, ISEP accelerates the methodology’s benefits and adoption.
“The measure of the successful implementation of a sales methodology is increased revenue,” said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “The key to achieving that in a sustainable way is to deliver a solution that sales professionals want to use, because it actually helps them sell more without increased effort. When that happens, salespeople get what they want – increased sales – and sales management also gets what it wants – increased sales, accurate sales forecasts, sales process compliance and great metrics to manage the business. With ISEP, we let our Dealmaker software do the hard work, so salespeople and sales management don’t have to.”
ISEP Components
Dealmaker is a software application that integrates sales methodologies with CRM systems for a customizable enterprise-wide solution. Its underlying sales process intelligence engine learns about what works, encapsulates best practices guidelines, reinforces sales effectiveness learning and provides a superior ROI on both CRM and sales training investments. Dealmaker provides accurate forecasts, deal clarity and pipeline visibility.
Five proven methodologies from the industry leading Target Account Selling solution have been incorporated into ISEP. These include Portfolio Management; Account Planning; Opportunity Management; Individual Sales Effectiveness; and Channel and Partner Management.
In addition, successful user adoption is driven through The TAS Group’s six-point implementation ‘best practice’ service.
The TAS Group also incorporates unmatched experience into its offerings, with more than 400,000 sales professionals around the world over the past 16 years employing its sales methodology solutions. With ISEP, the benefits of proven sales methodologies are amplified by the interactive nature of the Dealmaker software. The sales process best practices are available to salespeople in an online environment, integrated with their CRM system, and delivered to salespeople when they need it to help them progress and then close the sale.
The TAS Group will be demonstrating ISEP at salesforce.com’s Dreamforce event in San Francisco October 8-11 and Oracle Open World in San Francisco October 22-26. ISEP is available immediately.
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Aug 21 | Dave Gens appointed as CFO of The TAS Group |
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Sales Effectiveness Solution Provider Gears Up for Rapid Global Growth; Pro Brings Extensive Experience With High-Growth Firms
Seattle, Aug. 21, 2006
The TAS Group today announced that it has named David Gens CFO of the company. The TAS Group was formed in July 2006 when Select Selling acquired of the majority of the global assets of the OnTarget sales methodology division from Oracle.
“I am excited to be joining a seasoned team bringing the first holistic approach to sales effectiveness to the market by combining great sales methodologies with software solutions,” said Gens. “In addition, I’ve been extremely impressed by how the overall solutions provide incredible visibility into the sales process.”
Gens brings 17 years of experience with high-growth companies to this position. Prior to The TAS Group, he served as senior financial officer in three of Seattle’s fastest growing companies, including Ivey Imaging, 180solutions and Global Seafoods. He has led more than $100 million in financings over the years.
Gens received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Delaware and a master’s in business administration from the University of Washington.
“Dave’s lengthy and successful finance, operations, and administration experience in highly dynamic business environments is exactly what we need now to rapidly grow our company, said Donal Daly, CEO of The TAS Group. “Moreover, he has crucial global experience, which will be required as we continue to build on our client base in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific.”
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July 1 | The TAS Group is born as Select Selling acquired the majority of assets of On Target |
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Customer Information Update
July 1, 2006
On June 30, 2006 Select Selling acquired the majority of the global assets of OnTarget - the sales methodology division of Oracle Corporation - to form The TAS Group. From July 1, the combined business will operate as The TAS Group. The transaction did not include France or Italy, and the OnTarget businesses in those countries will continue to operate as they did before the acquisition.
Customers First: First and foremost, we are focused on leveraging our combined assets to deliver more value and more choices to you, our customers. By more, we mean the most complete range of proven sales methodology solutions, the most extensive local and global delivery capability, and the most advanced tools and software solutions in this market.
Most Complete Sales Effectiveness Solution: Since Target Account Selling® was created – TAS is now in its ninth revision – the OnTarget solutions have continued to evolve. Reflecting the changing dynamics in the marketplace and our customers’ increasingly sophisticated needs, we’ve added Enterprise Selling, Territory Management, Inside Sales, and Portfolio Management solutions. We’ve led the way in selling through partners and distribution channels with our visionary CHAMP® methodology – delivering dramatic success for our customers.
Now, as The TAS Group, we’re also providing the Select Selling models and methodologies; with Target Customer Selection – better aligning sales and marketing to provide a laser-like focus on prospect identification, QuickStart – introducing discipline in shorter sales cycles to complement the more complex selling solutions, Progressive Questioning – discovering and developing customer needs, and enhancing personal selling skills through the Sales Specialist Monitor, the 4MQ Qualification Model and the Complete Negotiation Model.
Sales methodologies are most effective when the sales team embraces them, and when results can be measured. Based on the Select Selling Dealmaker™ software platform, The TAS Group can now provide to its customers the most advanced tools and technologies available in the market – to ease usage, increase adoption and integrate our customers’ sales effectiveness solutions with their CRM systems.
The combination of the most complete range of proven sales methodology solutions, the most extensive local and global delivery capability, and the most advanced tools and software solutions in this market, provides you, our customers, with more value, more choices, and the most effective solutions to accelerate revenue growth.
Our Commitment to Your Investment: Whether you are an existing OnTarget or Select Selling customer, The TAS Group will enhance the value of your existing investment in our products and services. That’s our commitment. We have an extensive investment program underway to strengthen our current offerings by combining the best of both company’s products to future-proof your investment while still providing you with access to all of the products and services you have today.
Each customer will benefit from immediate access to a broader range of solutions. The Select Selling Dealmaker platform is being extended to support each OnTarget methodology so that existing OnTarget customers will have the option of integrating their sales effectiveness solutions with their CRM systems. Select Selling customers will have immediate access to the full range of OnTarget solutions.
All existing contractual obligations will, of course, be honored and your existing choice of product, support, delivery mechanisms, and consulting services will be safe. And our future direction will be determined by continuing to listen to you, our customers.
Increased Global and Local Delivery and Support: All of our customers will now have access to the most extensive global support network in this market. Select Selling, as a European originated company, brings an added dimension to the existing OnTarget support network in Europe. Our European business will be managed from the expanded European HQ in Dublin, Ireland.
In the Americas and Asia Pacific, we will continue to leverage the excellent OnTarget network of Independent Consultants enhanced by Select Selling’s capability in those markets. Through the second half of 2006 a cross-training program is being rolled out to optimize our ability to service our customers on both a local and global basis.
The TAS Group Vision: Our objective is to be the de facto provider of sales effectiveness solutions by 2008. Through the combination of the assets of these two companies, we believe we will quickly set a new benchmark for sales effectiveness solutions in the market. We want our customers to grow sales quickly and consistently and to achieve dependable measurable returns on their investments with us.
We are privileged to have the opportunity to lead this market, but recognize that it is an opportunity that you, our customers, have presented to us by your support over the years. We view each customer as an ambassador for The TAS Group. We’ve achieved excellent results so far by putting the customer first and as we progress on this journey, priority number one for us is to continue to strengthen that commitment.
Thank you for your continued support.
Donal Daly
CEO
The TAS Group
ddaly@TheTASGroup.com
www.TheTASGroup.com
