Dr. Janet Spirer has followed two different, yet complimentary paths. First, as a B-School Professor she taught marketing, sales, and business strategy courses. Janet retired from Marymount University as a Professor Emeritus. Simultaneously, she managed a consulting practice focusing on sales productivity and marketing – working with a variety of clients ranging from Xerox to IBM.
Pursuing both a consulting and an academic career has provided Janet with a unique perspective – keeping up-to-date with current thinking in the field, as well as, seeing these ideas implemented in the market place. She translated those experiences into a book – Parlez-Vous Business – that helps salespeople develop the business savvy to sell successfully. Janet has also published a series of e-books about sales mastery in major accounts.
Since co-founding Sales Momentum® in 2000 with Dr. Richard Ruff, Janet has worked with Fortune 1000 clients to design customized sales training programs to improve their sales effectiveness. Sales Momentum® clients cross industries and include: UPS, Boston Scientific, Textron, Smith & Nephew and The Center for Creative Leadership.
Janet co-authored the Sales Training Connection, a blog for those with an interest in discussing innovative sales training ideas.
Since moving to Mirabella, Janet has been involved in supporting community groups, attending ASU classes and working with Entrepreneurship programs on campus.
Dr. Spirer received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, an M.P.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Economics from Brooklyn College. She holds the appointment of Professor Emeritus at Marymount University.
Dr. Spirer received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, an M.P.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Economics from Brooklyn College. She holds the appointment of Professor Emeritus at Marymount University.
Working with companies to support their strategic initiatives through improving sales force performance and sales coaching.
Book
Parlez-Vous Business - Janet Spirer and Richard Ruff
EBooks
Mastering Major Account Selling - Richard Ruff and Janet Spirer
Don't Let Your Next Product Launch Fail - Richard Ruff and Janet Spirer
Getting Sales Strategy Right in Major Accounts - Richard Ruff and Janet Spirer
Sales Blogs
217 sales blogs
For more than 30 years, the leadership team at Sales Momentum has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to improve sales productivity. We have learned what it takes to make a difference. Dr. Richard Ruff author and sales effectiveness consultant, Dr. Janet Spirer business school professor emeritus and author are the founders and managing partners of Sales Momentum. Over their careers they have directed large-scale sales force projects for market leaders such as UPS, Boston Scientific, Owens & Minor, Smith & Nephew, Textron, and GE.
Today being good is not good enough. Your sales force must not only be able to sell a competitive advantage; they must be a competitive advantage. To achieve this goal the Sales Momentum offerings represented a new generation of sales training programs built for a hyper-competitive marketplace. They are based on the best practices that have emerged from our thirty plus years of work with the organizations that are getting it right.
These customized sales training programs were 100% targeted to a company's strategic initiatives, using sales simulations. Sales Momentum determined the specific skill models, best practices, and tools that should be incorporated into each program for each client.
In 2017, Sales Momentum merged its intellectual property into a new company - Level Five Selling.
Sales Momentum, September 2000 - September 2020
As a Managing Partner, I worked directly with clients to design and implement sales training experiences to address the business needs of each Sales Momentum client.
Sales Momentum works with Fortune 1000 companies, providing sales training programs to improve sales productivity.
Today being good is not good enough. Sales forces must not only be able to sell a competitive advantage, they must be a competitive advantage. As a Managing Partner, I worked directly with clients to design and implement sales training experiences to address the business needs of each Sales Momentum client. Sales Momentum worked with Fortune 1000 companies, providing sales training programs to improve sales productivity. We learned what it takes to make a difference. To achieve this goal Sales Momentum offered a new generation of customized sales training and sales coaching programs built for today's marketplace ... combining expertise in sales effectiveness with state-of-the-art sales training methodology that can make a business impact.
Professor Emeritus, School of Business, Marymount University, August 2000 - September 1983
As a professor in the Business School, I taught graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing, sales, business strategy and management. I also taught the capstone MBA program.As a professor in the Business School,
GE Information Services, Consultant, June 1983 - June 1995
While working with GE, projects included: training the sales force to sell new products, developing both fundamental and advanced sales skills training for the sales force, and improving the business acumen of the sales and marketing staffs. While working with GE, the projects included: training the sales force to sell new products, developing both fundamental and advanced sales skills training for the sales force, and improving the business acumen of the sales and marketing staffs.
Xerox, Consultant, September 1981 - May 1983
As a consultant at the Xerox training center in Leesburg, VA I designed customized sales training and sales coaching programs for several of the Xerox subsidiaries as well as for the Xerox sales force.
Selling a Bundled Solution
Solution: Sales Simulation
One division of a Fortune 1000 company was selling several devices to minimize hospital acquired infections. One device was an industry standard, the others were not. The company needed to implement a go-to-market strategy where it would leverage its devices as a bundled solution – rather than competing individually.
The VP of Sales elected to put his entire medical device sales team through a sales simulation that addressed this challenge. The results were so successful he launched a second sales simulation to another sales division whose challenge was to maintain market share in light of a competitive threat.
Creating Value when Talking with Customers
Solution: Sales Call Execution + Sales Simulation
As hospitals sought to reduce costs, the sales force of this market leading hospital supply distributor had to shift from solely having clinical discussions to also having business conversations with its customers. Without this new skill set, the VP of Sales judged they would not be able to maintain and grow market share. To help meet this goal, the company decided to implement an innovative 1 + 1 training solution.
They rolled out a sales call execution program on Day 1 and a sales simulation on Day 2 to reinforce the learning from Day 1 and to integrate product knowledge.
The focus of the sales simulation was: the hospital was approaching the final year of a multi-year contract and the new CFO was tasked by the hospital board to evaluate its purchasing process. The CFO made it clear that all options were on the table, including reevaluating the hospital’s GPO contract and its distribution partnerships.
In the simulation the sales team developed and executed a strategy for navigating this challenging scenario. The program was viewed as such a success by the company that following training for the existing sales force, the two day program was introduced as a central part of the company’s new hire sales training effort.
Introducing Sales Training for the First Time to the Sales Force
Solution: Sales Coaching, Sales Call Essentials + Sales Simulation
A manufacturing company wanted to train its sales force in basic call execution skills. Most of the sales people never had formal sales training and successful sales people were promoted to sales managers – with no training in sales coaching. The company decided to introduce the sales call execution concepts first to the sales managers at the end of the Sales Coaching program. During the following days, sales people were introduced to call execution skills on the first day and then practiced them on the second day in the sales simulation. The sales managers had an opportunity to practice what they learned about coaching by playing a coach during the program for their sales people.
Developing a Common Language
Solution: Sales Call Essentials + Sales Strategy
A leading cardiac device company had four sales forces plus a major accounts sales team. While some docs and hospitals were called on by sales reps from more than one sales force, there was no coordination by the sales people. In response, the Senior VP of Sales decided to launch the sales training program to develop the capability to leverage this potential competitive advantage.
We worked with the sales leadership team to develop a sales training program that would introduce a common sales language across the various sales teams and be customized to address the unique challenges faced by each team. The program was so successful that additional programs were commissioned to exploit the new capability.
Dealing with a Competitive Threat and Working with New Buyers
Solution: Sales Simulation
The company was launching a new device, which was an upgrade. The challenge was to migrate all hospitals to the new device – but when not possible, retain the current device. To be successful, sales management believed that in addition to clinicians, sales people would need to talk with administrators they didn’t usually call on – such as Risk Management.
The sales simulation opened with a competitor introducing a device to the hospital’s new product committee. Facing such a situation, the sales person’s traditional approach of working strictly with users to make the conversion won’t succeed. During the simulation they planned and executed an entirely new business strategy involving others at the hospital.
The sales simulation was viewed as effective in helping sales people to think and act strategically about calling on administrators. Because of the results, the VP of Sales launched a second simulation to the capital equipment group where they had to decide how to position themselves to win an IDN-wide competitive opportunity.
Leaving Money on the Table
Solution: Sales Strategy + Sales Simulation
Another company found itself having strong presence in its core device business, but not in the accompanying supplies, so the sales simulation opened with the sales team seeking to grow its hospital business with supplies. Simultaneously, the sales force was being asked to sell a new medical equipment product with a longer sales cycle – requiring a business analysis to illustrate the benefit of purchase vs. rent. So, in the simulation, they had to identify opportunities for supplies and position the new medical product. Based on the results, the next year, the company implemented a second sales simulation to address a new challenge.
Ensuring Sales Force Has Basic Selling Skills That Are Consistent Across Business Units
Solution: Sales Call Execution + Sales Simulation
A large international healthcare company was faced with the situation where its four business units identified the need to create a “one company” sales process that would be implemented world-wide. The company employed approximately 3,000 sales people world-wide and the four business units used different go-to-market strategies with some employing a direct sales force while others used distributors.
The company wanted to work with an outside training partner that possessed training materials with a proven track record and with the business model that would allow them to acquire a license-to-use versus employing the traditional per head pricing model. The company wanted to save substantial dollars by leveraging its extensive internal curriculum design capability
We crafted a business arrangement that provided the company a unique sales training program plus the business arrangement that saved them approximately 1 million dollars. A “1 + 1 solution” was designed where each business unit introduced the same sales process but the company customized exercises and a sales simulation specifically to each business unit.
The client is implementing the program with its entire sales force. Plus it has commissioned the design of a new hire program which compliments the program designed for the existing sales force
Creating Sales Strategy
Solution: Sales Strategy
Previously this mid-size medical consumables company had not offered any formal sales training program for its sales team. Market changes dictated that the sales team needed to enhance their sales capability. The critical challenge was to create a sales solution that was a success and that would be accepted by the sales team.
The medical equipment division of this major medical supplies company launched a sales strategy program for its entire sales force. It then launched reinforcement sessions in subsequent in-field management reviews and at national meetings.
Identifying Business Opportunities, Negotiation, Selling as a Team – Steps 1 and 2
Solution: Sales Simulation
Building on its current sales training efforts, a major logistics company initiated a sales simulation across all business units to apply the existing sales models and skills to a new emerging set of business challenges.
After the entire worldwide strategic accounts sales force attended the program, a second advanced sales simulation was launched. The premise for the second sales simulation was: The company had made the short list and now was asked to present its best and final offer. Prior to presenting the final offer, the company had to craft a compelling solution, as well as, negotiate the terms and conditions with the prospect. This simulation was also offered worldwide.
Identifying Business Opportunities Outside Your Business Unit, Selling as a Team
Solution: Sales Simulation
A top 10 management consulting firm found many of its consultants – from entry level to principals – were “leaving money on the table” when working with clients. The firm employed world-class experts in their fields and conducted projects across a wide diversity of areas.
The primary challenge, which involved large scale projects, was potential opportunities for other business units were being ignored by consultants primarily because of lack of comfort of having initial need identification and qualification discussions about topics outside of their expertise. According to the senior partners their teams were experts in their respective disciplines but lacked fundamental business development skills.
A sales simulation was created so to address three goals: selling as a team (including bringing other consultants into their accounts), identifying opportunities outside of ones own expertise and, more effectively developing business in your own business group.
Consultants (Technical Experts) Taking on a Sales Role, Identifying Business Opportunities – Step 1
Solution: Sales Call Essentials + Sales Simulation
With a sales team consisting of technical experts, many of whom actually deliver the product offering, this Top 10 leadership consulting organization was faced with the task of transitioning its consultants from pure consultants to business developers. Many of the consultants did not have the requisite selling skills, as well as, they held a number of number of misconceptions about what business development actually entailed.
The organization conducted a “1 + 1 solution” for its entire consulting group. One year later, it conducted the program again for consultants joining the organization after the initial launch.
Technical Experts Taking on a Sales Role, Identifying Business Opportunities – Step 2
Solution: Sales Simulation
The consulting organization subsequently launched a 2 day sales simulation to all of its consultants to apply the sales skills introduced in the prior program. The sales simulation opened with an account opportunity where the client was facing the challenge of integrating an acquisition. The consulting company had previously worked with the company being acquired. Now, the consulting company’s internal champion was sharing that an opportunity might exist to re-engage.