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BOLD GROWTH: FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEADERS
In Sales, Research Matters
By Amy Franko In sales, we hear an awful lot of "nos" before we get to the yes. Rather than focus on the negative, think of that as an opportunity for us! It's an opportunity to be creative, to show continual business fit and value, and to become trusted authorities in the eyes of our customers. Strong research needs to be at the core of today’s sales force. Unfortunately, many don’t take their research seriously enough. To truly know your customer, you must invest the time to research them. Senior-level decision makers are more likely to buy because of what you know about them and their business than what they know about you and your product specifications. So invest your time wisely. In our fourth installment of the blog series 6 Strategies to Maximize Sales Results, my colleague Brittany Shonka provides insights on four key areas of focus for knowing your customer: Solution/Application Research...
Elevate Your Sales Game by Focusing on the “Other” 20 Percent
By Amy Franko Competitive differentiation is one of the biggest challenges facing sales professionals today. Think about it. Our customers are busier than ever, have higher expectations than ever, and do more research on their own before engaging with us. To thrive, we must rise above all of the noise. Are you willing to elevate your game? For the next article in our on-going series, 6 Strategies to Maximize Sales Results, we explore what it takes to step it up and stand out in sales. The article, written by my colleague Brittany Shonka of IMPAX, identifies three areas we should be pushing ourselves above and beyond: research, presentation focus, and practice. “Showing up” is 80 percent of the equation. But it’s the other 20 percent that truly sets us apart. What are you waiting for? Check out Brittany’s article to get started on your path to sales excellence. This article is the third in a series of...
A Curious Mind Knows No Limits
By Amy Franko If you know me, you know I love working with people who are internally motivated to create their own success, their own impact. That a-ha moment where someone is willing to try something new, learn from it, and grow! That just jazzes me. I’m a life-long learner, and I naturally gravitate toward building that in others. That’s intellectual curiosity. And it’s a critical skill to develop if you’re in the sales profession. In fact, research by Steve W. Martin, a business author and teacher of sales strategy at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, indicates 82 percent of top salespeople are naturally more curious than their lesser-performing counterparts. Do you have what it takes? This article, A Passion for Learning Underlies Sales Success, was authored by my colleague, Jen E Miller. Jen encourages you to take a look inside and determine your current level of...
6 Strategies to Maximize Sales Results
New Blog Series Coming Soon An African proverb says if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. That’s why I’ve teamed together with two peers—Brittany Shonka and Jen E Miller—to create a resource to help other sales professionals maximize results. Our goal is to help you go farther, achieve sales success, and transform into top performers. This collaboration is unique because it combines knowledge gained through our three distinct experiences: sales producer turned entrepreneur, corporate sales strategist, and B2B marketing leader and sales training facilitator. From the field to the executive suite, together we offer nearly four decades of know-how and have conducted training for more than 1,000 sales professionals and next-generation leaders. In sales, as in most other professions, 20 percent of the producers deliver 80 percent of the revenue. To become one of those elite, you...
Get Smart: Amy Franko Selected as a Smart 50 Award Honoree
Congratulations to Impact Instruction Founder and CEO, Amy Franko, on her selection as a 2016 Smart 50 Honoree. The Smart 50 awards, presented by Smart Business magazine, recognize top executives from the smartest companies in the region for their ability to effectively build and lead savvy organizations. Honorees will be recognized at a special celebration on October 25, where they will be honored for their achievements in the areas of innovation, impact, and sustainability. Leadership, strategy, and relationship building are part of Amy's DNA. She channels those strengths into Impact Instruction. After a successful sales and business development career with IBM and Lenovo, Amy took a smart risk and jumped into entrepreneurship-- launching Impact Instruction nearly a decade ago. Since that time, Impact has grown into a respected industry player, working with some of the most recognizable names in the...
Amy Franko Keynotes Leadership Event in Rochester
Amy Franko, Impact Instruction's founder and CEO, has been travelling the nation this fall sharing her insights on leadership development and sales advancement. In September, she served as keynote for a major business event in Rochester, NY. The Women's Leadership Summit was hosted by the Rochester Business Journal, drawing a crowd of more than 600. As the event's headliner, Amy delivered actionable strategies on how to become a Leader of Impact and Influence. "Amy was the keynote at our Women’s Leadership Conference. She was wonderful to work with, really listened to what we wanted, and made sure her presentation hit all the notes we were hoping it did," said Stephanie Sulfaro, events and special projects manager, Rochester Business Journal. "The feedback from our attendees on Amy’s presentation proved what we already knew; that she was the right choice for our event. She was engaging, insightful, and...
Social Capital: An Equation for Sales Success
Especially in high-value, B2B selling environments, an opportunity is identified and a sale closed based on a combination of three core elements. We call them the “three Rs:" Reputation Results Relationships How can you leverage the three Rs, and an equation for social capital to advance your organization's sales performance? Our founder and president, Amy Franko, shares how in this article in Training Industry. Read more. You can also check out Amy's previous contribution to Training Industry, Standing Out in the Sales Field.
Award Worthy
Our clients know we deliver top-notch programs and services. And our industry peers know it, too.
Franko Shares Path to Leadership
What makes Impact Instruction Group’s founder Amy Franko tick, and what are the trends she sees in talent development?
Our Founder Featured in NAWBO One
What does it mean to be a leader? Amy Franko, our Founder and President, shared her insights with NAWBO One, a publication of the National Association of Women Business Owners. In this profile, Amy talks about her own experiences, as well as where she sees women leading the way. On Monday, Sept. 19, Amy will present "Leading with Impact and Influence" at the NAWBO Women's Business Conference in Columbus. See the full feature on NAWBO One.
Our Strategic Selling signature sales training program is now available online. This online sales learning program is ideal for professional services and B2B sales. Get started with 2 free lessons.
