I participated in a good LinkedIn Q&A last week with 1to1’s Elizabeth Glagowski that resulted in this article on keeping sales people engaged during hard times.  Her original question was: How do you keep salespeople motivated in this economy, when clients are increasingly saying no?

By Andrew Boyd and Alex Jefferies
CRM Buyer
09/18/08 4:00 AM PT
New technologies are enabling customers to find out more about your company — and your competitors. This presents a new challenge for sales forces, which now have to interact with better-informed buyers. New Aberdeen research indicates 5 factors companies should focus on to improve their sales [...]

Another article that I published last month… enjoy.
By Andrew Boyd
CRM Buyer
10/01/07 4:00 AM PT

Sales teams are missing revenue targets, not hitting quota and facing stalled opportunities as organizations strive to remain competitive and service increasingly discerning customers. In response, sales managers are still focused on lead quality, but they’ve also shifted their focus to increasing [...]

I am working on a new study on sales effectiveness:
The research will examine the methods, processes and technologies that sales management can use to improve sales productivity from the point of view of the salesperson. Recommendations from the study will help managers improve close rates, reduce sales cycle times and increase the proposal bid-to-win ratio.
Read [...]

I spent a few hours over the weekend revamping the main strategyst site. My objective is to build a comprehensive resource for sales, marketing and service/support professionals, as well as anyone interested in CRM. Anything missing?
Any registered user can add weblinks.  If you want to be able to add to the “clips and quips” section, [...]