DEFINITION of 'Investment'

An asset or item that is purchased with the hope that it will generate income or appreciate in the future. In an economic sense, an investment is the purchase of goods that are not consumed today but are used in the future to create wealth. In finance, an investment is a monetary asset purchased with the idea that the asset will provide income in the future or appreciate and be sold at a higher price.

The building of a factory used to produce goods and the investment one makes by going to college or university are both examples of investments in the economic sense.

In the financial sense investments include the purchase of bonds, stocks or real estate property.

Be sure not to get 'making an investment' and 'speculating' confused. Investing usually involves the creation of wealth whereas speculating is often a zero-sum game; wealth is not created. Although speculators are often making informed decisions, speculation cannot usually be categorized as traditional investing.

Read this article:
Investment Definition | Investopedia

British Dictionary definitions for investment Expand

(economics) the amount by which the stock of capital (plant, machinery, materials, etc) in an enterprise or economy changes

(biology) the outer layer or covering of an organ, part, or organism

the act of investing or state of being invested, as with an official robe, a specific quality, etc

(rare) the act of besieging with military forces, works, etc

Word Origin and History for investment Expand

1590s, "act of putting on vestments" (a sense now found in investiture); later "act of being invested with an office, right, endowment, etc." (1640s); and "surrounding and besieging of a military target" (1811); see invest + -ment. Commercial sense is from 1610s, originally of the finances of the East India Company; general use is from 1740 in the sense of "conversion of money to property in hopes of profit," and by 1837 in the sense "amount of money so invested; property viewed as a vehicle for profit." For evolution of commercial senses, see invest.

investment in Culture Expand

The purchase of property with the expectation that its value will increase over time.

Read the original here:
Investment | Define Investment at Dictionary.com

Free commission offer applies to online purchases of select iShares ETFs in a Fidelity brokerage account, which may require a minimum opening balance of $2,500. The sale of ETFs is subject to an activity assessment fee (of between $0.01 and $0.03 per $1,000 of principal) and is subject to a short-term trading fee by Fidelity if held less than 30 days.

$7.95 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades in a Fidelity account with a minimum opening balance of $2,500 for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other conditions may apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for details.

ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Unlike mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than their NAV, and are not individually redeemed from the fund.

For iShares ETFs, Fidelity receives compensation from the ETF sponsor and/or its affiliates in connection with an exclusive, long-term marketing program that includes promotion of iShares ETFs and inclusion of iShares funds in certain FBS platforms and investment programs. Additional information about the sources, amounts, and terms of compensation is described in the ETFs prospectus and related documents. Fidelity may add or waive commissions on ETFs without prior notice. BlackRock and iShares are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc., and its affiliates.

Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time, and you may gain or lose money.

Fidelity does not provide legal or tax advice. The information herein is general in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation.

Based on two surveys: The PLANSPONSOR magazine 2014 Recordkeeping Survey ( Asset International Inc.), based on defined contribution plan assets administered and number of participants of recordkeepers, as of 12/31/2013; and Cerulli Associates The Cerulli EdgeRetirement Edition, Q1 2015, based on an industry survey of firms reporting total IRA assets administered for Q4 2014.

Kiplinger's magazine, December 2014. Results based on ratings in the following categories: total commissions, investment choices, tools, research, website, mobile, and advisory services. Criteria not equally weighted. In 2014, Fidelity tied for #1 with Charles Schwab in a survey that ranked 10 leading discount brokers.

Investors Business Daily, January 2015. Fidelity was named a top five broker among Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, TradeStation and Scottrade. Fidelity scored among the highest in research tools, investment research, educational resources, and portfolio analysis and reports. Results were based on having the highest Customer Experience Index within 11 subcategories, as scored by 10,480 visitors to the IBD website.

Fidelity won 18 of the 2014 U.S. Lipper Fund Awards, which honor fund management firms and individual mutual funds that have outperformed peers based on risk-adjusted, consistent return. Lipper designates award-winning funds in most individual classifications for the 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods. In total, 15 Fidelity mutual funds won 18 awards. See our press release for a list of winning funds and details on the Lipper Rating System. Fidelity Investments and Lipper are not affiliated.

Guidance provided is educational.

Before investing in any mutual fund or exchange-traded fund, you should consider its investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus, offering circular or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917

Read the original here:
Fidelity Investments - Retirement, Funds, and Online Trading

Right now, a lot of investors are wondering about the uncertainty of rising interest ratesthe causes, effects and possible ramifications. Many people have been saying for weeks and months now that a rate hike is imminent and that September is the anticipated takeoff. read

Americans are utilizing the retirement savings features of IRAs more than ever. However, Roth IRAs are still underutilized, due in part to a misunderstanding of how the vehicle can be strategically used for retirement planning. read

Depending on your residency, as much as 41% of the gain on the sale of that collectible car might go to the combination of federal and state income taxes. Yet, tax planning for them has escaped all but the most sophisticated. read

Tsinghua University in Beijing has been ranked as Asias third best university, leading a strong Chinese cohort. read

One might be forgiven for thinking from all the media headlines that when the U.S. Federal Reserve eventually raises interest rates the world will be going to hell in a handcart. Whatever happens at the Feds meeting this week (16-17 September) - hike or not - history shows that rate tightenings dont always spell disaster. read

Last week, homebuyers gave acollective shrugto higher mortgage rates. Not that rates are higher.Theyre not. They will be, but house hunters have more important things to worry about. Not so much the Fed. This week, Janet Yellen & Co. will decide whether to raise rates for the first time in almost a decade. read

Later this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will consider including Chinas currency (known alternately as the yuan, renminbi, RMB) in the basket of currencies that make up its Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). SDRs were created about 50 years ago largely as substitutes for disappearing gold reserves. Currently, the SDR currency basket includes the U.S. dollar, British pound sterling, Japanese yen and euro (which, as a regional currency rather than a national one, has no sovereign authority[...] read

Try being a market optimist these days. I guarantee, youll be mocked and derided. Somebody will mutter something about the Fed, insinuating that you are a blithering idiot who has no clue about market manipulation. read

Continued here:
Forbes - Investing Information and Investing News - Forbes.com

Unfortunately, a wide nasal cavity syndrome due to reduction or resection of the inferior turbinate (and/or middle turbinate) is still frequently seen. In our opinion, it is a nasal crime.

Source: Functional Reconstructive Nasal Surgery, by Egbert H. Huizing & John De Groot, 2003, page 286.

This site was founded by Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS) sufferers in 2005, and is a leading source of information about ENS on the Internet. The primary goal of this website is to act as a center of information for ENS sufferers in the hope that this information empowers them to cope better with this problem.

ENS, we believe, is one of the most misunderstood, devastating, iatrogenic problems in American medicine today. We encourage all visitors to visit our forum, to share information about your symptoms and surgery. We hope this site helps to shed light on this silent, preventable problem. Among other features, this site includes:

We warmly welcome and encourage your involvement; your grass-root efforts on behalf of ENS are strongly encouraged. Thank you for taking interest in our website. We hope you find the information you need and wish you happy browsing and good nasal health.

See the rest here:
Welcome To The Empty Nose Syndrome Self-Help Website

Motivation is the force that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what causes us to take action, whether to grab a snack to reduce hunger or enroll in college to earn a degree. The forces that lie beneath motivation can be biological, social, emotional, or cognitive in nature.

Researchers have developed a number of different theories to explain motivation. Each individual theory tends to be rather limited in scope. However, by looking at the key ideas behind each theory, you can gain a better understanding of motivation as a whole.

According to instinct theories, people are motivated to behave in certain ways because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so. An example of this in the animal world is seasonal migration. These animals do not learn to do this, it is instead an inborn pattern of behavior.

William James created a list of human instincts that included such things as attachment, play, shame, anger, fear, shyness, modesty, and love. The main problem with this theory is that it did not really explain behavior, it just described it. By the 1920s, instinct theories were pushed aside in favor of other motivational theories, but contemporary evolutionary psychologists still study the influence of genetics and heredity on human behavior.

The incentive theory suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. For example, you might be motivated to go to work each day for the monetary reward of being paid. Behavioral learning concepts such as association and reinforcement play an important role in this theory of motivation.

According to the drive theory of motivation, people are motivated to take certain actions in order to reduce the internal tension that is caused by unmet needs. For example, you might be motivated to drink a glass of water in order to reduce the internal state of thirst.

This theory is useful in explaining behaviors that have a strong biological component, such as hunger or thirst. The problem with the drive theory of motivation is that these behaviors are not always motivated purely by physiological needs. For example, people often eat even when they are not really hungry.

The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people take certain actions to either decrease or increase levels of arousal. When arousal levels get too low, for example, a person might watch an exciting movie or go for a jog. When arousal levels get too high, on the other hand, a person would probably look for ways to relax such as meditating or reading a book. According to this theory, we are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal, although this level can vary based on the individual or the situation.

Humanistic theories of motivation are based on the idea that people also have strong cognitive reasons to perform various actions. This is famously illustrated in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which presents different motivations at different levels. First, people are motivated to fulfill basic biological needs for food and shelter, as well as those of safety, love, and esteem. Once the lower level needs have been met, the primary motivator becomes the need for self-actualization, or the desire to fulfill one's individual potential.

Visit link:
Theories of Motivation in Psychology

In the high-stakes nature of sales, first impressions are everything. And nothing feels or looks worse than slipping up when it matters most.

I recently attended a meeting that went terribly wrong, and this hard truth sank in. The sales team had sent executives at the prospective company 10 iPads preloaded with the sales presentation in hopes of wowing them at the meeting and gaining an edge on the competition. Read more...

This tip rubs a lot of people the wrong way, especially managers, but Im a firm believer in it. I know I will have more success if I have fewer prospects whom I can really focus on rather than a bunch of names I dont have time to deal with.

To get to this point it means you must have a prospecting process that allows you to qualify quickly whether or not the prospect is really a prospect or if theyre nothing but a suspect.

Way too much time is spent by salespeople chasing suspects. Many times the suspects are nice people they will engage you, the salesperson, so you think they must be a potential customer. You should never forget the first objective of prospecting is to qualify the prospect. Read more...

I recently spent a day on the golf course with my son-in-law. He and our daughter were visiting from North Carolina, and the sun was bright and the temperatures mild for a midwinter day in southern Mississippi. It was the first time Id picked up a golf club since late October, so I knew Id have to scrape a little rust off my game. Read more...

If you are a sales manager who wants to continue to develop your team and grow your business, there are questions you should be asking yourself.

They are simple questions but have far-reaching implications for how well you are preparing your sales force for the ever-increasing competition for the products / services you sell.

Value selling training experts suggest you take the quiz below to measure your sales success potential:

1. Do you make it easy for your customers to buy? Check to see that your sales process does not present barriers that make it confusing or complicated for your clients. Read more...

To save my fingers from early onset of arthritis, lets shorten the term from Key Account Management to KAM. I understand that it doesnt sound great, but I need my fingers to blog with.

I often get asked to deliver Key Account Management training at Salestrong, and having done so for a number of organisations, I notice that companies have vastly different views on what KAM is. Some simply call their larger accounts, Key Accounts, whilst others have a well defined KAM program. Read more...

Did you know that top sales performers spend between 75% and 95% of their time on high-payoff or worth-it actions? Low performers spend between 25% and 40% of their time on worth-it actions, and dont even notice that they are wasting their time.

They think theyre working hard, but produce little at the end of the day. If you are working hard but not selling much, there could be simple tweaks you can make to your system that could double your volume within three months. Read more...

Sales calls be it follow up or cold calling are essentially all a process of winning the customer over. This is where the divide starts between the effective sales professionals and the not so effective talents within the team.

In order for everyone to maximize their efforts and really bring a new form of revenue into the business the whole team needs to be focused, they also have to be clued up to as what will give them the helping hand that they need to really win over those customers. Read more...

Needless to say, Its essential that sales professionals are comfortable in their roles, but when comfort turns into complacency language barriers can start to appear.

In sales training what to say to customers and how to say it is covered extensively. These keystone skills are the backbone of any sales career and every good salesperson knows that they need to be constantly sharpened in order to remain effective.

Communication is the sales experts main tool. In negotiations a good communicator can make the difference between a non-sale and hearing the words sold. When following that age-old advice ABC Always Be Closing, the only way this is possible is by being able to freely and naturally talk to clients and customers. Read more...

Go here to read the rest:
Sales Training Tips and Advice - Resources for Sales ...

Note: This list is organized in alphabetical order and no priority or ranking is implied.

The four criteria used when comparing applicants and selecting the companies to include on this list were 1) depth and breadth of training offered; 2) new and innovative offerings (specific training courses or methodology), delivery methods, or tools for retention; 3) ability to customize offerings; and 4) strength of client satisfaction.

These summaries give you a quick snapshot of each company's major offerings. We encourage you to visit their Websites and social networks to learn more.

ASLAN Training and Development Since 1996, in more than 25 countries, ASLAN has focused on bridging the gap in sales force execution from the inside out. Beyond the typical workshop, our solutions and expertise are focused on the four areas critical to sustainable change: Tactics establishing the methods (i.e., processes), message, and metrics that are consistent with high-performing sales organizations; Rep Development offering customized skill-development programs for each of the 11 unique sales roles; Leadership Development providing the tools and programs to ensure that sales leaders transition from just measuring performance to truly driving change; Road Map to Transformation including leadership certification, rep and manager development resources, and sales dashboards to track and measure the three areas that drive results.

The Brooks Group Founded in 1977, The Brooks Group is an award-winning business-to-business sales training company focused on bringing practical, straightforward solutions to your sales force selection and training challenges. Our sales and sales-management training programs are street-smart, logical, and taught and reinforced in a way that guarantees clients realize a return on their training dollars. Our clients get the best available resources for screening, training, developing, and retaining sales and sales-management talent, customized specifically to their organization's needs. Ninety-four percent of The Brooks Group's training participants win new accounts as a result of the training. Ninety-nine percent see increased sales volume. Seventy-five percent say they're better at building trust and rapport and are more confident in approaching prospects.

Carew International For nearly 40 years, Carew International has continually built its reputation as a leader in the customized design and delivery of programs that dramatically improve performance in sales, sales leadership, inside sales, and customer service. Our unique, comprehensive, and results-oriented curricula incorporate world-class sales research, as well as the input of human resource and psychology experts and internal and external thought leaders. Carew takes a holistic approach to sales and business development, honing the skills, methods, and attitudes necessary to cultivate productive, long-term business relationships and develop value-creating sales professionals. Carew's clients are among the most recognized and respected names in business, and their leadership in their respective industries is a testament to the impact and return on investment provided by Carew.

Franklin Covey FranklinCovey (NYSE: FC) is a global company specializing in performance improvement. We help organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior. Our Sales Performance Practice specializes in measurably improving the sales capability of organizations and individuals all over the world. We offer consulting services, solution design, integration, training, coaching, and implementation services. We take a holistic approach with our clients, focusing on the entire sales ecosystem in their organization, including executives, sales leaders, sales managers, and individual contributors.

Fusion Learning Fusion Learning helps sales leaders and salespeople perform better. We offer practical, customized sales-training programs to drive the right kind of sales behaviors, realizing measurable increases in sales productivity, meeting activity, sales win rates, and client-experience ratings. Examples of Fusion program offerings that set us apart including Strategic Sales BluePRINT, a facilitated process that allows sales executives to articulate their three-year sales strategy and make it actionable, and StorySelling, which helps develop sales professionals' ability to craft and tell memorable and intentional stories at critical stages in the client buying process. Our client list includes industry leaders such as American Airlines Cargo, American Express, BlackRock, Direct Energy, HSBC, Molson Coors, Pfizer, PwC, SAS, Scotiabank, Sony of Canada, and The Home Depot.

Holden International Holden International is global leader of sales-performance training, software, and consulting. Since 1979, we have helped more than 1,000,000 sellers in 50 countries. Our Power Base Selling Performance System presents sales as a management science, enabling clients to increase market share and customer loyalty by sharpening how they sell to increase the value of what they sell. The flexible, modular system combines research, assessments, customized training, software and e-learning, deal coaching, and change-management consulting. We partner with clients to create world-class employee development offerings that are relevant, measurable, and embraced by their corporate cultures.

IMPAX IMPAX, a global sales-performance improvement company, helps organizations improve their selling, account management, channel management, and sales leadership to drive business results. IMPAX works with companies to help make price less relevant, fight commoditization, win executive-level credibility, and create competitive differentiation. We provide complete end-to-end solutions, such as consulting; tailoring, including content and tool kit customization; training; reinforcement sessions; coaching; internalization workshops; and train-the-trainer certification. Everything is focused on an implementation-oriented solution that can be measured and drives real behavioral change and results. IMPAX covers the entire business-to-business selling spectrum tactical to strategic by providing more than just skills and strategy.

Janek Performance Group There is a reason why Janek refers to itself as a sales-performance group. At Janek, we view performance as the product or measure of sales practices as a whole. From our proprietary sales-training solutions to our relentless commitment to smart training-implementation plans, we strive to provide relevant, behavioral change for each of our clients. Our perspective is fresh and our abilities nimble, enabling us to become long-term trusted partners with our clients. One size does not fit all, and this mentality is woven into the core of our organization. We are prescriptive in our approach, which has guided the development of our completely tailored sales-performance programs.

Mercuri International Mercuri International, founded in 1960, is a global sales-training and sales-consultancy organization with an international network that spans more than 40 countries, employs more than 350 people, and has a network of more than 100 associate consultants. The annual turnover is around $60 million, of which more than 30 percent is generated from internationally coordinated projects for large international customers. We provide open courses in a number of countries, but the majority of the business is built on customized, in-company sales development projects. Based on the global footprint, number of consultants, client-base size, and the results achieved by clients, Mercuri International is one of the global market leaders in sales development.

PI Worldwide PI Worldwide and our experienced consultants change the way organizations find the right people, develop leaders at all levels, and achieve growth goals. We offer a unique combination of behavior and skill assessments, dynamic workforce analytics, and business expertise to optimize the performance and potential of individuals, teams, and organizations. Our methodology integrates data, technology, knowledge, and expertise to provide a foundation for organizational excellence in more than 8,000 client companies around the globe. Our Predictive Index system, Selling Skills system, and Influencing Skills system allows companies to use predictive data to achieve tangible improvements in business metrics. These workforce benefits lead directly to high-performing work environments and create real, competitive advantage.

Profit Builders Sales training doesn't develop champions. Managers do. Founded by Keith Rosen, pioneer of management coach training and author of the number one, best-selling sales management book Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, we help companies create their new competitive edge by transforming managers into world-class coaches. Through our proven sales-coaching methodology and framework, we help salespeople and managers achieve their business objectives faster, increase sales, improve forecast accuracy, turn around underperformers, and develop and retain top talent. As global leaders in coaching and developing high-performance teams, Profit Builders has delivered a measurable return on investment for thousands of top sales organizations on five continents and in more than 50 countries, including 25 percent of Fortune 1000 companies.

Richardson Richardson is a global sales-training and performance-improvement company. We provide comprehensive sales-training solutions for sales teams and sales leaders, enabling them to reach next levels of success within today's rapidly changing selling environment. Our Sales Effectiveness System is a proven, end-to-end process that Richardson uses to define a client's needs and develop customized solutions that drive to sustained sales-performance improvement. Working with some of the most admired companies in the world across a variety of industries, we identify sales best practices, evaluate talent, build skills through world-class sales training, and sustain necessary change. The breadth and depth of customization remains our core strength, ensuring each solution is relevant and reflects the unique culture of our clients, driving rapid adoption and lasting results.

The Sales Board The Sales Board helps sales leaders improve their team's ability to create lasting customer relationships that result in consistent sales and true customer loyalty. We create highly tailored sales-skills training programs for a company's sales force and everyone who supports the sales force. Because we include nontraditional salespeople such as customer service reps, technical support teams, marketing teams, product development specialists, accounting personnel, inside sales reps, and others, we build a sustainable sales culture in our customer's company. These dramatic shifts in sales culture lead to exponential sales growth and profitability.

Sales Excellence International Sales Excellence International is a global sales-training and consulting organization with representation and local, native-speaking trainers and consultants on six continents. Since 2001, we have helped hundreds of companies of all sizes grow their client base, increase revenue, and keep more profit. We provide customized training programs delivered as on-site workshops, instructor-led Web workshops, and HD eLearning programs, as well as licensed courses and train-the-trainer certification. We specialize in blending a variety of learning mediums into a customized training and reinforcement curriculum designed to produce observable, measurable, and lasting changes in sales behavior.

Sales Performance International Sales Performance International (SPI) is the world leader in sales performance optimization. Our collaborative, best-in-class approach to working with premier global companies supported by multi-year, independent research demonstrates that SPI's proven methods enable our clients to consistently and effectively drive revenue growth and operational performance improvement and accelerate time to results. SPI offers the industry's only comprehensive Sales Performance Optimization Platform, made up of three integrated components: talent assessment and analytics, continual learning and development, and sales enablement technologies. Our extensive sales performance expertise, deep industry knowledge, and global resources uniquely position SPI as the go-to firm for organizations that need to adapt and transform how they sell.

Sales Readiness Group (SRG) Sales Readiness Group (SRG) is a leading provider of customized sales and sales management training programs for corporate sales organizations. Our comprehensive training programs include pretraining consultation and customization, assessments, on-site and online delivery, ongoing reinforcement, post-training certification, productivity tools, and coaching plans. Recognized as an industry leader in virtual instructor-led training, SRG leverages technology to implement training programs that deliver sustainable sales results.

ValueSelling Associates ValueSelling Associates, based in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, is the creator of the ValueSelling Framework, the sales methodology preferred by sales executives around the globe. Since 1991, we have helped thousands of sales professionals increase their sales productivity. Offering customized training to FORTUNE 1000 companies, midsize businesses, and early stage start-up organizations, our proprietary sales training tools and consulting services deliver measurable results. Clients turn to the experts at ValueSelling Associates for classroom and on-demand training and consulting services that yield immediate impact, repeatable strategies, and sustainable results.

Wilson Learning Wilson Learning is a global leader in developing sales organizations worldwide. With a comprehensive, proven curriculum, backed by a research-based approach to drive and sustain behavior change, we help companies achieve superior sales performance. One example: Wilson Learning helped a global media company increase revenue by more than $17 million. Our extensive global capabilities and experienced consultants equip sales organizations with the strategies, skills, and processes to increase revenue, grow margins, and stave off competitive threats in 50 countries and 30 languages. Responding to clients' needs, Wilson Learning has created new technology-enabled tools that provide powerful insight, practice, and application.

Read more:
Selling Power - Top 20 Sales Training Companies in 2014

Each firm included on our 2013 Top 20 Sales Training Companies list has the potential to help you get better results, not just for your team and your company's bottom line, but for your customers, as well.

The five criteria used when comparing applicants and selecting the companies to include on this list were 1) depth and breadth of training offered, 2) innovative offerings (specific training courses or methodology) or delivery methods, 3) international capabilities, 4) ability to customize offerings, and 5) strength of client satisfaction. The summaries below give you a quick snapshot of each company's major offerings. We encourage you to visit their Websites and social networks to learn more.

Note: This list is organized in alphabetical order and no priority or ranking is implied.

AchieveGlobal AchieveGlobal helps organizations translate business strategies into results by developing the performance of their people. Across industries and in 40 countries around the world, Achieve Global's clients rely on its skills training and consulting expertise in leadership development, customer service, and sales effectiveness. By implementing research-based learning solutions, AchieveGlobal empowers clients to successfully develop leaders and acquire, grow, and retain profitable customer relationships. Its clients succeed due to AchieveGlobal's continued commitment to original research, yielding important strategic information about customer needs and business trends, as well as measurable results, the primary goal of skills training.

ASLAN Training and Development Since 1996, in more than 25 countries, ASLAN has focused on accelerating change within many of the world's largest sales organizations. Beyond the typical workshop, its solutions and expertise are focused on the four critical areas needed to ensure sustainable change: Tactics - establishing the methods (i.e., processes), message, and metrics that are consistent with high-performing sales organizations; Rep Development - customized skill-development programs for each of the 11 unique sales roles; Leadership Development - providing the tools and programs to ensure sales leaders transition from just measuring performance to truly driving change; Road Map to Transformation - includes leadership certification, rep and manager development resources, and sales dashboard to track and measure the three areas that drive results.

AXIOM Sales Force Development For more than 20 years, AXIOM has been elevating the sales profession by transforming the way sales organizations engage with customers and sales managers lead and coach. AXIOM clients enjoy unique solutions that combine sales methodology, integrated software solutions, and implementation services that achieve exceptional results, including improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue and margins, and lower customer and sales-team churn.

The Brookeside Group The Brookeside Group is a solution-based business that helps B2B companies build stronger, more profitable business relationships. Its powerful customer relationship analytics software, Brookeside INSIGHT, captures your customers' perceptions and provides actionable recommendations on how to meet their needs. Those actions drive improvements in relationship loyalty that, in turn, deliver more sustainable competitive advantage and stronger, more predictable revenue. Additionally, Brookeside delivers consulting and training services to embed best practices and drive revenue growth.

Carew International For more than 35 years, Carew International has established its reputation as a leader in the customized design and delivery of programs that dramatically improve performance in sales, sales leadership, inside sales, and customer service. Carew leadership engages human resource and psychology experts, internal and external thought-leadership professionals, and world-class sales research to develop unique, comprehensive, and results-oriented curricula. Carew's holistic approach goes to the core of sales and business development by honing the skills, methods, and attitudes necessary to become value-creating sales professionals who cultivate productive long-term business relationships. Carew's clients are among the most recognized and respected names in worldwide business, and their leadership in their respective industries speaks to Carew's competitive advantage.

Fusion Learning Being a significant contributor to the growth and success of several of North America's leading organizations has propelled Fusion Learning from start-up in 2000 to one of the most successful sales-effectiveness firms today. Fusion clients benefit from implementing practical approaches to drive revenue, profit, and customer engagement. Unique program offerings set Fusion Learning apart, including Strategic Sales BluePRINT, which offers sales executives with a facilitated process to articulate their three-year sales strategy and make it actionable, and StorySelling, which develops sales professionals' ability to craft and tell memorable, intentional stories at critical stages in the client's buying process. Fusion Learning's largest segment is financial services and industry leaders including 3M, American Express, BlackRock, HSBC, Molson Coors, Pfizer, PwC, SAS, Scotiabank, and US Cellular.

Holden International Holden International is a global leader of sales-performance training and consulting. Since 1979, the Holden International team has helped more than 1,000,000 sellers in 50 countries. Through its ongoing innovation, Holden continues to teach the complexities of modern, professional selling in even more practical and easier-to-master ways. Its Power Base Selling Performance System presents sales as a management science, enabling clients to increase market share and customer loyalty by sharpening how they sell to increase the value of what they sell. Holden International's flexible, modular system combines research, assessments, customized training, deal coaching, software, and consulting, and the firm partners with clients to create world-class employee development offerings that are relevant, measurable, and embraced by their corporate cultures.

IMPAX IMPAX, a global sales-performance improvement company, helps organizations improve their selling, account management, channel management, and sales-leadership efforts to drive business results. IMPAX works with companies to help make price less relevant, fight commoditization, win executive-level credibility, and create competitive differentiation. The firm provides complete end-to-end solutions such as consulting, tailoring to include content and tool-kit customization, training, reinforcement sessions, coaching, internalization workshops, and train-the-trainer certification. Everything is focused on an implementation-oriented solution that can be measured and drives real behavioral change and results. IMPAX covers the entire B2B selling spectrum tactical to strategic by providing more than just skills and strategy.

Mercuri International Founded in 1960, Mercuri International is a global sales-training and sales-consultancy organization with an international network that spans more than 40 countries, employs more than 400 people, and maintains a network of 100-plus associate consultants. The annual turnover is around $78 million, of which more than 30 percent is generated from internationally coordinated projects for large international customers. Mercuri International provides open courses in a number of countries, but the majority of the business is built on customized in-company sales development projects. Based on the global footprint, number of consultants, size of its client base, and results achieved by clients, Mercuri International is one of the global market leaders in sales development.

PI Worldwide PI Worldwide and its global consulting network combine the power of predictive data with business expertise to help organizations worldwide achieve a competitive advantage. Trusted advisors since 1955, the PI Worldwide team helps businesses align their people with their strategy to create long-term sustainable results. PI Worldwide's clients realize measurable value through its scientifically proven talent-management analytics, philosophy of self-sufficiency, and knowledge-transfer approach. Sales-training programs include Customer-Focused Selling, which leverages insight from the Selling Skills Assessment Tool to evaluate and improve individual sales skills. The Coaching for Sales Growth program incorporates the Predictive Index behavioral assessment, providing sales managers with the motivational and behavioral insight to support, guide, and coach their people long term.

Profit Builders Founded by Keith Rosen, pioneer of sales management coach training and author of the award winning, Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions, Profit Builders helps companies create a thriving coaching culture by transforming managers into world-class coaches. Through its proven sales coaching methodology, framework, and transformational thinking, Profit Builders helps salespeople and managers achieve their business objectives faster, increase sales, improve forecast accuracy, turn around underperformers, and develop and retain top talent. As global leaders in developing coaching cultures, Profit Builders has delivered a measurable ROI for thousands of top sales organizations on five continents and in more than 50 countries, including 25 percent of Fortune 1000 companies. The philosophy is simple: Sales training doesn't develop champions. Managers do.

Richardson Richardson is a global sales-training and performance-improvement company. With more than 30 years of experience, Richardson creates customized solutions that build organizational ability and improve the individual skill necessary to drive business outcomes. Richardson also helps leaders ready their organizations to execute sales strategies and improve financial results. Having worked with many of the world's largest companies, Richardson possesses the expertise and resources to support organization-wide global initiatives within the client's time frame. In partnership with its clients, Richardson can identify sales best practices, evaluate talent, and build and sustain skills and knowledge through innovative sales training and coaching. The breadth and depth of its customization remains a distinct competitive advantage, ensuring that each solution reflects the unique culture of its clients, driving rapid adoption and results.

Sales Excellence International Sales Excellence International is a global sales-training organization with representation on six continents, including local, native-speaking trainers and consultants. Since 2001, Sales Excellence International has helped hundreds of companies of all sizes grow their client base, increase revenue, and keep more profit, providing custom-tailored training programs delivered as on-site workshops, instructor-led Web workshops (Webinars), and HD video eWorkshops (eLearning programs), as well as licensed courses and train-the-trainer certification. Sales Excellence International specializes in blending a variety of learning mediums into a customized training and reinforcement curriculum designed to produce observable, measurable, and lasting changes in sales behavior. A suite of sales-empowerment software applications that are integrated to Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, and others is also offered.

Sales Readiness Group (SRG) Sales Readiness Group (SRG) is a leading provider of customized sales and sales management training programs for corporate sales organizations. SRG's comprehensive training programs include pretraining consultation and customization, assessments, on-site and online delivery, ongoing reinforcement, post-training certification, productivity tools, and coaching plans. Recognized as an industry leader in virtual instructor-led training, SRG leverages technology to implement training programs that deliver sustainable sales results.

ValueSelling Associates ValueSelling Associates equips sales professionals all over the world to compete on value using a time-tested methodology with decades of proven results. Tenured associates create tailored sales-improvement training programs for clients' sales organizations, including sales leadership. ValueSelling Associates offer a broad range of delivery choices, including blended learning, e-learning, and instructor-led and virtual instructor-led programs. ValueSelling Associates is a global company with a depth of language capabilities. ValueSelling Framework and ValueSelling Essentials programs provide the tools, skills, and processes for clients to effectively qualify, advance, and close more sales with higher margins.

Wilson Learning Wilson Learning is a leader in developing sales organizations around the globe. The Wilson Learning team works with companies to get tangible game-changing results: A global software provider boosted sales 21 percent after its salespeople learned to create better solutions targeted to clients' business needs. A global chemical company boosted sales by $12.8 million by developing a consultative selling culture. A premier, global, fine-art auction house increased revenue by an average of 18 percent through advanced negotiation skills. Wilson Learning uses a systems approach that goes far beyond a quick fix, zeroing in on growth goals and gaps and helping companies address issues critical to their business, such as managing a price increase, staving off competitive threats, and growing revenue and margins.

See the article here:
Selling Power - Top 20 Sales Training Companies in 2013

Module Title Content Areas Competencies Account Development Client Development

Results Oriented,Customer Acquisition

Communication,External Awareness

Human Resource Mngmnt,Results Oriented

Attitude,Interpersonal Skills,Leadership,Professionalism,Vision

Influence,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Communication,Interpersonal Skills,Results Oriented

Results Oriented,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Communication,External Awareness,Influence

Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Interpersonal Skills,Vision

Communication,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

External Awareness,Interpersonal Skills,Professionalism

Human Resource Mngmnt,Leadership

Management Controls

Customer Acquisition

Communication,Interpersonal Skills,Customer Experience

Communication,Customer Acquisition

Influence,Customer Experience

Customer Acquisition

Communication,Influence,Customer Experience

Communication,Conflict Resolution,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

External Awareness,Results Oriented

Conflict Resolution,External Awareness,Customer Experience

Interpersonal Skills,Professionalism,Adaptability

Conflict Resolution,Results Oriented,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Communication,External Awareness

Attitude,External Awareness,Customer Experience

Interpersonal Skills,Professionalism,Adaptability

Customer Experience,Adaptability

Communication,Influence,Interpersonal Skills

Communication,Influence,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Conflict Resolution,External Awareness,Adaptability

Customer Acquisition

Communication,Interpersonal Skills,Stress Management,Customer Experience

Results Oriented,Vision,Customer Acquisition

Accountability,Initiative

Communication,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

External Awareness,Influence,Adaptability

Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Interpersonal Skills,Professionalism

Interpersonal Skills,Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Communication,Professionalism

Human Resource Mngmnt

Influence,Interpersonal Skills,Leadership

Communication,Leadership

Accountability,Attitude,Human Resource Mngmnt,Interpersonal Skills

Accountability,Communication

Human Resource Mngmnt,Leadership,Results Oriented,Vision

Communication,Customer Acquisition

Interpersonal Skills,Customer Experience

Human Resource Mngmnt,Leadership

External Awareness,Influence,Professionalism,Vision

Customer Acquisition,Customer Experience

Initiative,Results Oriented

See the rest here:
Selling Techniques for Improved Sales Training ...