• This Blog Is Inactive!

    On of May 8, 2009, I moved my blog over to a new domain: DaveSteinsBlog.ESResearch.com

    I will no longer be posting on this URL. Comments will not be moderated. More information.

  • ESR’s STVG

    Here is ESR's highly acclaimed Sales Training Vendor Guide, Third Edition.

I’m Presenting At The Sales 2.0 Conference In Boston. Join Me.

I’m delighted to be both presenting and participating in a panel discussion at the Sales 2.0 Conference in Boston on May 21st.
Using recent research from ESR’s Sales Training Vendor Guide, I’ll talk specifically about technology-enabled learning—how technology is changing learning and why today, effective sales learning requires technology.
I’ve not been shy in voicing my concerns [...]

ESR’s Survey On Social Media Use in B2B Selling

With the assistance of The TAS Group, ESR recently surveyed nearly 400 users of the following technologies to determine the effects that these new technologies in helping them win B2B sales opportunities:

Jigsaw;
LinkedIn;
Twitter;
Plaxo;
Facebook;
Hoover’s or OneSource.

The pace of technology development today is dizzying. It seems as though a new sales-related technology appears daily. The question is, do [...]

You Won’t Believe What’s New In Sales Training!

For those of you who follow the ups and downs, ins and outs of the sales training industry, here is the latest, as of today, April 1, 2009:

Miller Heiman and furniture manufacturer Herman Miller have announced a merger.  The new business, to be called Herman Miller Heiman, will be offering a new, upgraded version of [...]

The New Social Media (Wars)

I’ve been involved in a number of posts on The Customer Collective where there have been some personal attacks by a few social media zealots against some of us that have a more balanced view of the capabilities and tools required for effective B2B selling going forward in this new(est) economy.   Jonathan Farrington1, Dave Brock, [...]

LinkedIn Or Plaxo? A Survey

Update (12/15/08): Too view the results of the survey, click “View Results” on survey tool.
I’ve been using LinkedIn a lot recently.  I’ve been recommending it to clients as well.
In my blog post What’s In Your Salesreps’ LinkedIn Profiles? I suggested that salespeople should use LinkedIn, not as an online resume, but as a chronological accounting of the [...]

New LinkedIn Feature: Share Your Presentations

I subscribe to Chris Brogan’s blog.  His recent post about LinkedIn applications compelled me to spend a bit of time on the site.
In the past I’ve been very possessive about presentations I’ve done.  Now I’ve decided to share a bit more.  One of the new LinkedIn apps allows me to do just that.  There are a [...]

What’s In Your Salesreps’ LinkedIn Profiles?

A lot has been written about how potential new employers look at a candidate’s Facebook or MySpace page.  Walter McConnell made a terrific point about a different flavor of web presence in a comment recently on the Sales 2.0 Network Blog.  Walter is talking about customers seeing a sales rep’s bio or profile on the web:
It’s widely accepted now that there [...]

A Challenge for Sales Trainers

Karl Goldfield contacted me the other day.  illumio flagged one of his posts, so I read it. 
In this post, Karl goes on a rant about technology and sales training.  Here is my favorite part of his (unedited) challenge to sales trainers:
If you are not tweeting your blog posts and sending newsletters to keep your mind trust strong in [...]

LinkedIn 1,000,000,000+

I like LinkedIn.  I’ve been using it more and more. It’s really good Sales 2.0 technology. I’ve even joined a few of the special interest groups.  Some smart people like Jill Konrath have written about getting the most from the tool.
What do I like about it?  I’m in the research business and I can do informal surveys [...]