TY - JOUR T1 - A Sales Execution Strategy Guide for Technology Startups JF - Technology Innovation Management Review Y1 - 2011 A1 - Ian Gilbert A1 - Stephen Davies KW - entrepreneurs KW - sales KW - sales execution strategy KW - sales strategy KW - startups AB - The majority of startups fail to consider sales execution as part of their overall strategy. This article demonstrates how a sales execution strategy can help a company take a product or service to market more efficiently and effectively by focusing on the customers that are key to generating revenue. Combined with techniques for recruiting effectively and measuring sales outcomes, a sales execution strategy helps technology startups exceed growth aspirations and potentially reduce or even eliminate the requirement for external investment. In this article, we first describe the focus of assistance currently given to startups and the reasons why sales execution strategies are often overlooked. Next, we outline recommendations for developing, implementing, and supporting a sales execution strategy. Finally, we summarize the key points presented in the article. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa VL - 1 UR - http://timreview.ca/article/491 IS - 1 U1 - Third Core Venture Expansion Partners Ian Gilbert is Managing Partner of Third Core Venture Expansion Partners, a company that offers sales assistance, and builds and runs sales teams, for new and growing companies. He has been privileged to lead and contribute to sales operations at some of the world’s dominant technology organizations, including HP, Cable & Wireless, CGI, Telus, Bell Canada, PTC, Tandberg, Nortel, and Avaya. Ian has used his corporate experiences to start and build successful companies in both Europe and Canada, and he has assisted many Canadian entrepreneurs in the creation, development, and eventual sale of their companies. He continues to work personally with entrepreneurs across Canada. U2 - Third Core Venture Expansion Partners Stephen Davies is an associate with Third Core Venture Expansion Partners, where he helps to scale sales for a portfolio of companies by optimizing their operations. Stephen also leads a dual role in both business development and operations management in founder, virtual executive, and consulting roles. Focusing on technology, regulated industries, and the military, Stephen has worked with organizations such as ICAO, DND, Porter Airlines, MITEL, Nortel, NQI, CNSC, CAE, SAIC, and Lockheed Martin, as well as a number of technology startups. Stephen also lectures in entrepreneurship-related subjects at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building a Business-to-Business Sales Process JF - Open Source Business Resource Y1 - 2010 A1 - Stephen Davies AB - A sales strategy is not just about closing deals, it is about defining a sales process that accurately reflects an organization, its customers, and the products or solutions that it sells. By truly understanding its customers and by actually solving its customers' problems, a company can define and execute a sales process that will increase the likelihood of reaching its ultimate objective: a closed deal and money in the bank. This article describes the steps to create a business-to-business (B2B) sales process and shows how these steps are used to build a sales funnel. It also provides tips for effective and consistent execution of that process to get initial sales and improve upon them. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa UR - http://timreview.ca/article/386 IS - October 2010 U1 - Sprott School of Business Stephen Davies is an entrepreneur and business development professional working in the National Capital Region. He has sales and marketing experience in a number of sectors, notably in online education and training products, clean tech manufacturing, and operations management consulting. Stephen also lectures at the Sprott School of Business in Entrepreneurship-related subjects and is part of the Lead to Win faculty. ER -