BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 11, 2009) - The traditional sales pressures of lengthening
sales cycles and low quota achievement have only been exasperated by the
recent economic downturn. Many businesses have been forced to cut cost,
eliminate waste, and often freeze spending. The hardened reality for sales
representatives is that the time-tested practice of "putting the right
message in front of the right person at the right time" is becoming more of
a challenge. In order to meet the demands of this new selling environment,
top companies are implementing sales intelligence initiatives as a way to
improve the effectiveness of the sales force and enrich the quality leads
in the sales pipeline. A recent study, "Sales Intelligence: The Secret to
Sales Nirvana," conducted by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS), finds that 76% of respondents believe the use of sales intelligence,
such as prospecting tools or industry news sources, is a priority for
improving sales effectiveness in 2009. To obtain a complimentary copy of
the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com//summary/report/benchmark/5379-RA-sales-intelligence-nirvana.asp.
"As organizations strive to distinguish themselves in a crowded
marketplace, sales representatives are typically the ambassadors of that
message," explains Alex Jefferies, Senior Research Associate at Aberdeen
Group. "Best-in-Class companies incorporate sales intelligence initiatives
and solutions into the sales process as a way of preparing reps for success
before the first call is placed. By contextualizing a lead with relevant
company, executive, or industry information, top performing companies are
better suited to distinguish themselves from the competition and better
articulate how their products and services can help combat the business
challenges the prospect faces."
"The phrase 'sales intelligence' refers to the various sources of
information a company can collect and use to improve the performance of the
sales department and enrich the leads in the sales pipeline," says
Jefferies. "This includes, but is not limited to, news on industry trends,
consumer generated content, analyst reports, prospect lists, trigger
events, and general company and contact information. The successful use of
sales intelligence, however, depends on how well an organization can
aggregate relevant information and deliver it to a rep in a manner that is
unobtrusive and within the daily workflow."
The report demonstrates the value of collectively leveraging organizational
practices in process, performance measurement, knowledge management, and
technology to provide a foundation for sales success. By combining
organizational capabilities and technologies, such as lead management
solutions or triggered alerts, Best-in-Class companies are able to
positively affect bid-to-win ratios and market share.
The research educates readers about the various aspects of sales
intelligence. The report also identifies Best-in-Class performance as a
result of sales intelligence initiatives and the use of key sales
solutions, compared to the Industry Average and Laggards. A complimentary
copy of this report is made available due in part to the following
underwriters: OneSource and SalesGenie.com. Furthermore this research is
being disseminated to the market through the support of various media
outlets, such as the ECT News network and ITO America. To obtain a
complimentary copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com//summary/report/benchmark/5379-RA-sales-intelligence-nirvana.asp.
For additional access to complimentary Customer Management Research, please
visit
http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/Customer-Management/
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen
http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to
http://www.harte-hanks.com.
© 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Alex Jefferies
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5337
alex.jefferies@aberdeen.com