text:
- Blog
- Company
Qvidian's 2017 Customer Awards: Excellence in Proposal Automation
Lewis Miller | Apr 25, 2017
In early April, Qvidian held its annual user conference, Connect17, in Tampa, Florida. One of the highlights of the conference is our annual customer excellence awards where we recognize clients who have achieved extraordinary results. Considering five unique categories, the Qvidian management and customer relations teams choose individual users and Qvidian champions who have driven business value and innovation in their enterprises with the help of Qvidian's RFP and proposal automation software.Read More >
7 Deadly Sins of Proposal Writing: How to Write Proposals that Help Win Deals
Lewis Miller | Jan 11, 2017
Sales proposals are an integral part of complex sales processes for any organization selling their services or products. However, inconsistent proposals with outdated messaging can undercut months of sales efforts – not to mention the countless hours and resources spent by numerous employees across the organization. Although the process of developing a precise, well-written new sales proposal is vital, it is often overlooked by the leadership team and ignored during sales training, resulting in bottlenecks and duplicate efforts during the proposal development stage.Read More >
Success Story: Ellucian Achieves High Marks with Qvidian
Jeff Weil | Dec 12, 2016
When responding to a request for proposal (RFP), many proposal teams spend countless hours sifting through old documents in a number of files to identify and extract relevant content. Qvidian customer Ellucian, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) company with a mission to enhance productivity and communication for clients in the higher education space, faced this problem, finding that its internal RFP workflows were not as productive, communicative and efficient as they could have been.Read More >
Qvidian Customer Survey Cites Receiving Content On-time as Biggest Pain Point for RFP and Proposal Teams
Karen Meyer | Nov 15, 2016
The RFP/proposal automation space is rapidly evolving, and as a market leader, it is Qvidian's duty to evolve too. To better understand the real issues that face proposal teams and sales executives, Qvidian conducted a survey of nearly 200 customers to uncover their biggest challenges, pain points and opportunities for growth. The respondents included proposal team members and sales executives from Qvidian's customer base of mid-sized and large companies who are involved in the RFP process. Key findings include:Read More >
Respond to Security Questionnaires with Confidence and Speed
Dave Lechleitner | Nov 1, 2016
"Increasing throughput with improved content accuracy ensures our compliance to customer requirements and drives guaranteed revenue achievement."Read More >
Back to School
Michael Heffelfinger | Aug 31, 2016
If your social media feed is anything like mine lately, chances are you are seeing a flood of pictures of children going back to school. With each post, I cannot help thinking of the parents behind the camera and what is going through their heads. Possibly it is a swirl of emotions from anxiety to happiness as they see their child take the next step and hoping the education they receive prepares them for the future.Read More >
What's the Value of Your Time?
Kathy Kliskey | Aug 29, 2016
If you could increase your speed and efficiency exponentially as it relates to proposals, would it be worth an hour of your time? Most proposal managers or proposal writers would answer, "Of course it would!" But how many times in life do we have this opportunity only to forego it saying, "I'm too busy.Read More >
Amy Stewart | Aug 24, 2016
At least two pennies, three nickels, and a shiny quarter are in the pocket of my jeans. I know that they are there, that $0.42 in change, but for the past week I haven't found a use for them. Even if I buy something that costs less, I predictably dig for the dependable, never fear – always here – dollar bill. But, what if I bought a drink, or a pack of gum, and it cost exactly $0.42?Read More >
When Collaborating with SMEs, Think "Is-Does-Means"
Amy Stewart | Aug 22, 2016
Let's face it. Subject matter experts (SMEs) today tend to work in departments such as product management, product marketing, services, and engineering. This (obviously) makes them great at providing RFP responses that are factual, technically detailed, and highly accurate.Read More >
Ghosts in the Cupboards Holding You Back?
Rebecca Pearse | Aug 17, 2016
I was recently travelling to Boston for work and happened to read a great article in the Airline Magazine regarding antiquated laws around the world. Some of these have been in existence for so long that there is actually no way anyone would be prosecuted for the offence. A few examples being:Read More >
Fly Blind No Longer
Kathy Kliskey | Aug 15, 2016
Have you ever worked in a situation where your success depended upon the success of the team? I'll bet you have because that's generally how great things are accomplished, by teams of people contributing expertise from their particular subject areas. But what if you can't see the progress of your teammates? What if you are flying blind regarding the progress of the team? How easy is it to direct or navigate the process then?Read More >
Please Excuse the Mess...
Kaitlyn Myers | Aug 10, 2016
The other day I saw a small white-stained wooden sign that struck me with a certain curiosity.Read More >
How re-imagining Vanilla Ice's lyrics can help improve proposal processes
Amy Stewart | Aug 8, 2016
While Vanilla Ice pales in comparison to Bob Dylan and other generations' spokespeople, we'll always be grateful for his accidental contribution to helping us improve the RFP processes. Ah, Vanilla Ice. Who could forget him? 1990's rap pioneer, fashion icon (if you like razor stripes on the side of your head), and … proposal expert?Read More >
GUEST POST: The 7 Attributes of the Proposal Athlete
Darrell Woodward | Aug 4, 2016
I believe in the power of stories to persuade and influence but writing these stories is just one part of being a Bid Manager. It's the most challenging, differentiating and fun part in my opinion but Bid Managers need to have a blend qualities like well-rounded athletes and we share many of the same sorts of attributes.Read More >
GUEST POST: Pitmaster & Proposal Admin Finds Inspiration from Qvidian Community
James Cunningham | Aug 2, 2016
I'm the pitmaster of a competitive BBQ team named "The BBQ-tioners". The competition is fierce, so we're always looking for that extra edge. Sometimes you need a fresh perspective to generate or inspire new ideas. That's why I frequently post questions to BBQ forums to get suggestions and feedback on our strategy. These forums, in essence, are similar to the Qvidian Customer Community. The Qvidian Customer Community is just one of several ways Qvidian strives to give its customers that extra edge in the proposal world.Read More >
Organization is the Key to Opportunity
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 27, 2016
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. For proposal managers, coming into a new job AND learning a new proposal automation process? It could be a lot to handle if one weren't organized, but organization is the key to opportunity.Read More >
Relax, Gosh Darn It! The Ultimate Challenge for the Proposal Team
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 25, 2016
"Everything would be fine if you would just relax." Ever have someone tell you something like that? You respond with, "What – do I seem stressed? I'm just trying to get this proposal out the door on time. How can I relax when I've got 3 proposals and 700 questions to answer by Friday? Maybe if I had some help, then I could relax."Read More >
Swifter, Higher, Stronger
Qvidian | Jul 21, 2016
The Olympics motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius," a Latin phrase meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." And that is just what Qvidian stands for in helping our customers achieve their goals.Read More >
What Would You Do with 3 Free Days?
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 19, 2016
Free time! Do Proposal Managers, Proposal Writers and RFP Proposal Analysts, especially those relying on a manual process, even remember what it feels like to have free time?Read More >
The Hidden Secrets Inside Qvidian
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 14, 2016
It's so interesting to me that to people outside a business, there's often a mystique about the operations going on inside. I used to think this way as well. "What are they doing? How do they accomplish so much? What are the secrets they are keeping?"Read More >
A Custom Fit Works Wonders
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 12, 2016
Have you ever enjoyed the luxury of having something customized for just you? Maybe you had a suit custom tailored, boots handmade to fit only you (how cool would that be?) or maybe you were able to finally order that certain automobile and had it customized to your specifications. If you have ever had one of these opportunities, do I even need to ask you how it felt? I remember having a business suit altered to fit me perfectly. The alterations made it so comfortable, I could wear that suit all day and into the evening and still be comfortable after all those hours.Read More >
House of Cards and Sales Content: Two Powerful Lessons
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 5, 2016
With just a few short months until the November presidential election, the United States (and the rest of the world) are captivated. But there's another 2016 US presidential election that has people talking - yes, I'm referring to Frank Underwood of Netflix's House of Cards. The show's third season featured Frank's campaign trail as the backdrop amidst the drama, backstabbing, and cunning moves of what we've come to expect from this storyline.Read More >
The Science to Managing Content and Creating Winning Proposals
Kaitlyn Myers | Jun 29, 2016
In my previous blog article, I discussed ways that the best content and proposal writers use an artistic approach to developing content. In other words, they apply a more creative mindset to develop content that doesn't sound like everyone else. And that's a good thing.Read More >
How Do You Spell "Relief"?
Kathy Kliskey | Jun 27, 2016
It seems quite appropriate to borrow a phrase from an old advertisement for a product combatting acid indigestion. Why? Because that's what Qvidian does. It brings much needed relief to overworked, overwhelmed, frazzled proposal managers, content writers, knowledge managers, RFP and bid managers.Read More >
Personally Speaking, Qvidian Brings Us Closer
Kathy Kliskey | Jun 22, 2016
Part of the Series: Qvidian's Solutions Speak for Themselves In these days of living in the Cloud, and online access to nearly everything, we may have easier access to more, but we also have less face-to-face communication. In many ways, technology separates us more than it brings us together. With that said, would youRead More >
Qvidian EMEA Customers Celebrate Global Success
Jamie Davies | Jun 20, 2016
Last week I and my colleagues from the UK and US hosted our annual EMEA client conference in London. With nearly 100 registered delegates from across Europe, the event promised and delivered a busy day of sharing knowledge, sharing content, sharing experiences as well as sharing insights into the on-going development of Qvidian's pioneering and innovation solutions.Read More >
Lessons Learned from Our Dads – Happy Father's Day!
Kathy Kliskey | Jun 16, 2016
As Father's Day approaches here in the US and the UK, I can't help but think about the lessons I learned from my dad. I grew up in the days when success was defined by one's ability to secure a job and keep it for their entire career. My dad was one of those people. He was a Field Engineer with IBM, the company defined by their motto "THINK!"Read More >
When it Comes to Proposals, Dare to be (a Little) Different
Qvidian | Jun 6, 2016
Let's face it. When it comes to creative materials – writing and design – everyone has their own interests and tastes. You might not like what I like, and I may not gravitate to what you're interested in. By their very nature, creative materials are subjective.Read More >
Qvidian's Solutions Speak for Themselves – First in a series of posts
Kathy Kliskey | May 31, 2016
In my conversations with new customers, I often ask, "How did you find us? What influenced you to select Qvidian as your solution?" Nine out of ten times I hear, "A friend told me about Qvidian" or "One of my colleagues used Qvidian at a previous company." I love hearing things like that because it demonstrates the value Qvidian is providing.Read More >
Art and Science (Part 1): It Takes Both to Develop Great Content
Qvidian | May 25, 2016
We tend to think of the artistic and scientific approaches to any task as being fundamentally opposed. One is right-brain, one is left-brain; one thrives on inspiration and intuition, while the other is grounded in observation and deduction. They're like Venus and Mars – complementary planets, but moving in very separate orbits.Read More >
Proposal Automation – Where Do You Start?
Kathy Kliskey | May 23, 2016
You're heading up a proposal team. You've been tasked with finding a way to increase efficiencies and success for your team. The manual method you've been using is holding you back and everyone knows it. It's time to move on from the whole Word docs in folders on desktops routine. You need something effective, easy to implement and scalable, and you need it now.Read More >
#PeopleLie, Making Great Music, and the Fresh Prince: a Recap of #MKTGNation16
Qvidian | May 18, 2016
You know that moment when you realize your job is pretty damn cool? If you're a marketer, attending Marketo's Summit is one of those moments.Read More >
Celebrating Proposal Professionals and APMP in Boston
Kaitlyn Myers | May 16, 2016
It's been said that Proposal Writing and RFP Management is "doing the impossible, with the unwilling, for the ungrateful." We think it's about time to celebrate those who diligently work to makRead More >
Remember When Leadership Meant Something?
Kathy Kliskey | May 11, 2016
Remember the days when leadership actually meant something? When leaders held to inner moral compass? In those days, and they weren't all that long ago, you could expect leaders to be smart, strategic and steadfast. And the truly great leaders were something more - they were compassionate.Read More >
Six Things Every Sales Enablement Leader Should Want
Qvidian | May 9, 2016
Sales enablement leaders are a diverse breed of professionals that require a broad set of very particular skills. Part strategist, coach, and leader, with equal parts psychologist, data scientist, and terrestrial navigator.Read More >
Making Proposals Great Again: The Donald Trump Effect
Steve Snow | May 3, 2016
Love him or hate him, The Donald's approach to messaging is unique in a world of 'political speak.' What can we learn from Trump's direct (some might say 'brash') communication style? Since we're in the midst of a political season, I thought it would be fun to see how U.S. politicians' speech has evolved over time. After all, politicians are highly aware of how they can persuade voters; and the art of writing sales proposals is also all about persuasion.Read More >
The Power of Partnership
Kathy Kliskey | May 2, 2016
There aren't a lot of businesses that I know of, where you get the feeling that the supplier is actually a "partner" to the customer and vice-versa. I'm excited to tell you that it IS true here at Qvidian. As Customer Champion, it's my privilege to talk at length with our customers, to lead activities in our advocacy group, and to interact with our customers at our annual customer conference, Connect.Read More >
Going with the Chicken on This One
Qvidian | Apr 27, 2016
Which came first – the chicken or the egg? Simple enough, and even philosophically rooted. But the harder question is which came first – the positive customer experience or employee engagement. One could say that without consistent employee engagement there cannot be a positive and consistent customer experience.Read More >
Proposal Burnout
Kathy Kliskey | Apr 25, 2016
There probably isn't an adult alive that hasn't experienced job burnout at some point in their career. With all the talk of people working harder for less for years now, it's easy to see how burnout could become an issue for many companies. But it's not just the economy that creates pressure leading to burnout. Often, it's the workload associated with a particular job. This is good news! "Really?" you ask. Yes, it's good news if you are talking about the proposal field because there's a solution!Read More >
Alive and Kicking
Qvidian | Apr 14, 2016
I was speaking with an editor of a publication recently who said that they keep hearing about the "death of the RFP" and asked me what we see in the industry. I replied simply – you can't kill it. It's also not about RFPs going away, it's about the need to reinvent how we respond to them.Read More >
Back from Connect 2016
Qvidian | Apr 13, 2016
Music City was the perfect location for our Connect Conference this year. With the great food, colorful honky-tonks, beautiful river views, and amazing people, I'll be dreaming of hot chicken, country music, the stunning pedestrian bridge, and all the fantastic people I met in Nashville last week. Even though we're back in the office, the energy of the event has some serious staying power.Read More >
The Space Between the Notes
Kathy Kliskey | Apr 11, 2016
In music, it is said that the space between the notes is what makes the song. Artists will tell you their use of white space is central to their painting. What are we saying here? We're saying that in anything we do, it's essential to look at the whole picture.Read More >
Hope is Not a Strategy
Qvidian | Mar 30, 2016
While the rest of the world was drinking green beer and looking for leprechauns on March 17th, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar titled, "Hope is Not a Strategy: Proposal Secrets from the Field." While I host many webinars for Qvidian, this was one of my favorites as it provided a forum for some very successful customers as well as expert Qvidian staff to share their tips and tricks for people to improve their proposal management operations at their own companies. Our panel included:Read More >
Is Your Content Safe?
Kathy Kliskey | Mar 28, 2016
It's the end of the day. You've shut down your computer, turned off the lights and locked the office doors behind you. Everything's safe and secure. You can relax now. Nothing to worry about. Right? Maybe, maybe not.Read More >
Analytics You Can Use
Qvidian | Mar 17, 2016
Analytics have become a critical capability of any function. Technology has allowed us to place data behind things we never thought were measurable. And proposals and RFPs are no different. The level of data available to understand what is effective in a proposal or RFP response coupled with productivity insights, allow for today's proposal and operations managers to be armed with the information needed to make better decisions.Read More >
The Incumbent will Win, They Always Do! True?
Kathy Kliskey | Mar 14, 2016
Our excitement about Connect 2016 grows more each day! Here is another guest post in our series of Connect 2016 Presenter posts giving you a preview of the value you will find at Connect. These posts highlight the impact customers have experienced from attending the conference, share key takeaways they will feature in their upcoming speaking sessions, and showcase valuable content to help attendees prepare for Connect 2016.Read More >
Proposals and Chefs
Qvidian | Mar 9, 2016
I love food. And I mean that in the go-out-of-my-way-for-the-best-taste-ever kind of love of food.Read More >
Content Management - A Preview to the Event
Kathy Kliskey | Mar 6, 2016
At Qvidian, we're very excited about our March 8th field event in Boston, MA focused on Content Management – a critical topic for everyone working in the proposal field. Our panel discussion will include two Qvidian customers who will share their expertise and experience.Read More >
5 Steps to User Adoption Victory
Kathy Kliskey | Mar 1, 2016
Our excitement about Connect 2016 grows more each day! Here is another guest post in our series of Connect 2016 Presenter posts giving you a preview of the value you will find at Connect. These posts highlight the impact customers have experienced from attending the conference, share key takeaways they'll feature in their upcoming speaking sessions, and showcase valuable content to help attendees prepare for Connect 2016.Read More >
Make Your Proposals Sing: What Proposal Writers Can Learn from Songwriters
Kathy Kliskey | Feb 22, 2016
Nashville, Tennessee, was recently crowned the winner of Travel + Leisure readers' poll for destination of the Year. Nashville is known for their live music culture, passion for food, boutique shopping, crafted cocktails, and more. We can't say enough good things about Music City so we decided to get a local's perspective who also happens to be speaking for us at Connect 2016.Read More >
Executive Champions - Better Than X-ray Vision
Kathy Kliskey | Feb 15, 2016
Superman, a hero for all time, had many extraordinary gifts, one of them being x-ray vision. That ability helped him save the day more than once. In the real world, people don't have x-ray vision, but what proponents of Qvidian do have, especially executive champions, is vision that is clear. They are strategic in their thinking striving to provide their teams with the technology and guidance they need to be successful.Read More >
10 Things Proposal Evaluators Hate About You
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 12, 2016
For many, the 14th of February marks a day of love, whether that's with a relationship (cue the chocolates and flowers) or enjoying your singlehood with a fun night out and the sweet taste of freedom. Whatever your cause for celebrating, there's likely to have been bumps along the way.Read More >
A look ahead to Boston as part of the Qvidian's Proposal Roadshow
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 11, 2016
Looking ahead to Boston as part of the Qvidian's Proposal Roadshow! I'm excited to announce we are hosting a lunch & learn in Boston on March 8th.Read More >
Aligning for Success, by Amanda Peck, Fifth Third Bank
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 10, 2016
We are very excited to be presenting "Content management in a highly regulated industry" at Connect 2016 in Nashville, TN, April 4-6, 2016, Qvidian's annual customer conference. Amanda Peck, Barry LonghauserRead More >
Groundhog Day Reflections (Yes, Again)
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 2, 2016
Two years ago, I shared deep thoughts and reflections around February 2nd, also known as Groundhog Day. As we celebrate this same "holiday" yet again, I took a look at my post and realized how relevant it still is today (but then again, isn't that the point of Billy Crystal's "Groundhog Day"?)Read More >
RFP Heroes - Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound
Kathy Kliskey | Feb 1, 2016
In my recent blog post, "Not Every Hero Wears a Cape" I defined RFP Heroes as the ones on the front lines, those creating the responses to RFPs (Requests for Proposals). They are the Proposal Writers who live under the tightest of deadlines and face the fiercest of pressures.Read More >
Habit #7 Article: Measure Results, Apply Art and Science to Your Content
Qvidian | Jan 27, 2016
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success.Read More >
Connect 2016: Insider Tips on one of my Favorite Hobbies, Shopping.
Ask Andrew | Jan 26, 2016
With Connect just two months away we reached out to Andrew, the lead navigator and concierge at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville for insider tips on one of my favorite hobbies, shopping. (Don't forget to pack proper walk shoes to wear shopping and extra luggage for all those new purchases.) Where's Nashville Best Shopping?Read More >
Habit #6 Article: Context, Focus on the Second Dimension of Content Development: The "When"
Qvidian | Jan 25, 2016
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success.Read More >
Four Tips to Get the Most Out of Connect 2016
Kaitlyn Myers | Jan 21, 2016
In our next guest blog post we will feature Alan Hull. He will highlight his experience from attending Connect for the last three years, share key takeaways from his experience and showcase valuable content to help attendees prepare for Connect 2016. As you get your bags packed for Nashville be sure to include Alan's helpful tips!!Read More >
Our Success is Measured by the Success of Our Customers
Kathy Kliskey | Jan 14, 2016
At Qvidian, we serve customers across more than 30 industries.Read More >
Habit #4 Article: Promote the Value, Promote the Value of Your Content
Qvidian | Jan 11, 2016
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success.Read More >
Fair and Appropriate Measurement of Proposal Development
Kaitlyn Myers | Jan 7, 2016
With Connect 2016 coming up soon, we wanted to share our excitement!Read More >
Don't Forget Design, Habit #3
Qvidian | Jan 5, 2016
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success. Habit #3: DesignRead More >
Is Nashville Known For A Signature Food? Ask Andrew.
Ask Andrew | Dec 29, 2015
In this series of "Ask Andrew" we'll share what signature dishes you should enjoy while in Nashville for Connect 2016. Make sure you have Nashville, Connect 2016, and Hot Chicken on your list of resolutions for 2016. Is Nashville Known For A Signature Food? Ask Andrew.Read More >
Not Every Hero Wears a Cape
Kathy Kliskey | Dec 28, 2015
Who or what is an #RFPHero? They are the champions of business often overlooked and invisible to the rest of us. They are those that understand the value to their company of a winning proposal – value in dollars and value in confidence and reputation all of which makes securing future sales and future proposal wins easier.Read More >
The Ghost of RFPs Past
Qvidian | Dec 21, 2015
One of my favorite Christmas movies is "A Christmas Carol". While I love each rendition of the Dickens' story from the original done in 1938, to the 1984 version with George C Scott, to even Bill Murray's knock-off in 1988 with "Scrooged," the traditionalist in me will say the 1951 version ("Scrooge") is the one to watch. I think it's the infectious giggling Alastair Sim pulls off when Scrooge realizes it's Christmas day that does it for me.Read More >
The Past Present and Future of RFPs
Qvidian | Dec 14, 2015
Managing requests for proposals (RFPs) is not a glamorous job. It requires painstaking discipline, creative thinking, writing talent, superior project management, and a healthy dose of humor and patience. While maybe not glamorous, its a function that is ever-so critical in organizations today. The importance and the impact of those involved is far greater than many would assume.Read More >
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Sales Content- #2: Personalization
Qvidian | Dec 7, 2015
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success. Habit #2: PersonalizationRead More >
Doing the Impossible, with the Unwilling, for the Ungrateful
Qvidian | Dec 2, 2015
As you may know, Qvidian has been in the proposal and RFP business for longer than most have held jobs. It's in our blood, it's our pedigree and will be our legacy.Read More >
Energized and Excited after SiriusDecisions Tech Exchange
Kaitlyn Myers | Nov 30, 2015
Back in the office now after a busy couple weeks (finally over the turkey coma!), I'm re-energized thinking about the SiriusDecisions Tech Exchange we attended just before the holiday. It might have been the delicious food we ate, the impeccable view of the city,or the awesome TechX games which provide an amazing time to network while bringing out our competitive edge and allowed us enjoy endless cocktails.Read More >
Ask Andrew: How Would You Describe The Live Music Scene?
Ask Andrew | Nov 23, 2015
So the night is winding down, and I'm strolling down Broadway after leaving Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar, a spirited joint where the bands play everything from "Born Under A Bad Sign" by Albert King to "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers to "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars.Read More >
The $100M Problem You Do Not Know You Have
Kathy Kliskey | Nov 20, 2015
These days it comes as no surprise that we have to work a lot harder to win deals. There are more stakeholders leading with fresh perspectives and insights focusing on value and differentiation. It's not enough to believe that we can rest upon our company's reputation, no matter how strong and secure we believe it is. We cannot afford to pass up an opportunity to articulate the value we offer, yet many of us do.Read More >
With Qvidian, There is No Reason to Fail
Kathy Kliskey | Nov 18, 2015
It's been almost a year since I joined Qvidian as the Customer Champion. In that time, I've had the privilege and pleasure of meeting with many of our customers. I've also seen from the inside out the efforts and great lengths Qvidian goes to in order to support our customers however we can. Are we perfect? No one's perfect, but our commitment to our customers is heartfelt and sincere.Read More >
Our final stop on the road to success. The city by the bay.
Kaitlyn Myers | Nov 16, 2015
We've flown coast-to-coast this event season, attending many shows to share our sales execution and proposal software around the world. We had the privilege to network and speak with customers and prospects from all ranges, helping sales organizations work smarter with our sales enablement solutions.Read More >
Luck of the Irish
Kaitlyn Myers | Nov 13, 2015
Our bags are packed, our passport is in tow, and we are about to take off on Aer Lingus ... Can you guess where we will be next? Here is a hint: it is the capital and largest city of Ireland. Did you get it? That is right - We'll be at the Dublin AA-ISP event on November 18th - will you?Read More >
The Seven Habits Series #1: Know Your Audience
Qvidian | Nov 11, 2015
Have you read the Seven Habits for Highly Effective Sales Content yet? Don't worry - either way, we've created this series of posts to highlight those 7 habits for success. Habit #1: Know Your AudienceRead More >
A Quote is Not a Proposal
Qvidian | Nov 9, 2015
I recently attended the Corporate Executive Board's annual Sales & Marketing Summit, and had the privilege of working with Qvidian's VP of Alliances, David Blume, on his session titled, "Not All Proposals End in Marriage - Even in Vegas." The thought-provoking session reminded the audience of a key fact regarding sales proposals that has become lost in this world of getting things done quicker:Read More >
Qvidian was on fire at the Chief Executive Forum
Kaitlyn Myers | Nov 4, 2015
West Palm Beach is home to sunny palm-lined streets, breathtaking waterfront views, and quaint shopping districts. It was also home to Qvidian and team for a few days for the Alexander Group's Chief Executive Annual Forum. This conference never seems to disappoint and this year was no exception.Read More >
Your Sales Proposal is Your Sales Execution Litmus Test
Qvidian | Nov 2, 2015
Many Sales Leaders are looking to gain a fast start on Q4 - starting with Q3 deals that slid. The ability to forecast accurately vexes many organizations. Studies show organizations that link forecasting stages to validated sales behaviors and proven effective selling practices get it right more often – just as experience and common sense might also lead one to expect.Read More >
What Happens in Vegas: CEB Summit Recap
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 29, 2015
What happens in Vegas shouldn't necessarily stay in Vegas. We're back from an exciting few days at the CEB Sales and Marketing Summit. The show drew almost 1300 senior sales and marketing professionals from companies of all size from across the globe.Read More >
Cannot Do Without Qvidian
Kathy Kliskey | Oct 26, 2015
When a financial institution recently asked their sales and proposal teams, "what's the one thing you absolutely cannot do without?" the answer was a resounding "QVIDIAN!" If you are a Qvidian customer, you already understand their response.Read More >
Welcome to Sunny Florida
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 22, 2015
The month of October concludes as we join The Alexander Group's Chief Executive Forum conference in Palm Beach from October 28th - October 30th. This year's theme focuses on: Sales Motions: Connect Customers to Value The event will highlight how sales leaders are transforming what they are doing to meet higher revenue, sales growth, sales management and effectiveness.Read More >
Let's Automate
Qvidian | Oct 20, 2015
It's safe to say that when it comes to real estate, we're living in a sellers' market. But for sales reps working deals in a selling ecosphere, the story is quite the opposite. Buyers today are increasingly informed, all the more confident in their decision making abilities, and presented with more options than they could ever ask for in the past.Read More >
AGI Guest Blog: Using Playbooks for New Product Launches
Oct 19, 2015
Below is a guest blog post from Qvidian partner Alexander Group, on leveraging sales playbooks during product development and launch to improve processes and reduce time to revenue.Read More >
Here Comes the Blog
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 16, 2015
Love is in the air in Las Vegas and we aren't just talking about the Beatles performance at the Mirage. We are referring to Qvidian's arrival for the Corporate Executive Board Sales and Marketing Summit. Qvidian experts Amanda Wilson and David Blume will present "Not all proposals end in Marriage- even in Vegas" Wednesday, October 21st at 11 a.m.Read More >
GUEST POST: Tackling a Complex Architecture
Darrell Woodward | Oct 15, 2015
An elegant solution, they say, is one in which the maximum desired effect is achieved with the smallest or simplest effort. As much as I am interested in having a solution, the journey to actually constructing that solution is what I find most exciting. In fact, the more complex the challenge, the more rewarding my journey is to meeting those challenges. Here's a glimpse at my most recent undertaking.Read More >
Planning Your Trip to Nashville for Connect? Ask Andrew.
Ask Andrew | Oct 13, 2015
Connect 2016 is coming up fast. While we are still a few months out (less than six, but who's counting?), the Qvidian team is so excited for this year's event.Read More >
Rugby World Cup - Transforming to a Team of Excellence
Rebecca Pearse | Oct 12, 2015
For many, the Rugby World Cup is a highlight in the sports calendar – I dig out my faithful 'Welsh Rugby Union' t-shirt and wear with pride. I tend not to watch every fixture except when my own country is playing! However, for the first time, I couldn't help notice Japan's sheer determination and transformation from a team with little recognition to a force to be reckoned with.Read More >
The road to success continues at #SFPC2015
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 9, 2015
Event season continues in Atlanta, Georgia. We join forces with the Sales Management Association at their annual Sales Force Productivity Conference on Monday, October 12th at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. We are looking forward to speaking with the sales leadership, sales operations, and sales effectiveness professionals in attendance. This year's conference will focus on practical approaches to relevant challenges, networking opportunities with executive leaders, and collaborative workshop session.Read More >
APMP Midwest - Here we come!
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 6, 2015
We are days away from heading to the Chicago area as Qvidian continues on their road to success tour with the next stop at APMP Greater Midwest meeting.The Association for Proposal Management Professionals is the association of record for Bid, Proposal, Business Development, Capture, and Graphics Professionals.Read More >
GUEST POST:Celebrating Customer Experience Day
Deirdre Sommerkamp | Oct 6, 2015
One of my favorite days of the year has rolled around again. Happy Customer Experience (CX) Day to my fellow CX professionals and companies around the globe that create great experiences for their customers! I'm at the airport waiting for a flight to see one of my favorite customers, and I am very grateful that Qvidian has a customer-centric culture and strong employee engagement. It's wonderful working for a company that has true "customers first" commitment from the CEO.Read More >
Fantasy Football
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 5, 2015
With the official arrival of Fall, we also have another season upon us: Football. Sunday afternoons and Monday Night Football now becomes a staple of most American homes (and can't forget those college teams on Saturday afternoons).Read More >
Webinar Recap: The Magic of RFPs and Proposals
Qvidian | Oct 2, 2015
Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar with two experts in the sales content space - our very own Steve Snow, Manager of Content Services, and Debra Bowness, Strategic Sales Manager at Teknion. The topic was, "What's in the Magic Hat of Great Sales Content" and the pair provided great insights and suggestions for compelling RFP responses and proactive proposals for the audience.Read More >
Not all Proposals End in Marriage
Qvidian | Sep 28, 2015
Sales proposals that is. A great proposal won't win you the business on its own. But a poor proposal can undo a lot of the work done up to that point, or even cost you the deal. Here are four considerations to make sure your proposal ends in "yes". 1. Prove you understandRead More >
Did You Miss Dreamforce 2015?
Kaitlyn Myers | Sep 24, 2015
Another year has come and gone and yet again Dreamforce didn't disappoint. With another record setting attendance (over 170,000), legendary keynote sessions, and the mention of new products, many are still on the on cloud nine from Dreamforce. Oh ya - and did you see the DreamBoat?Read More >
The Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Content Automation
Qvidian | Sep 17, 2015
Rapidly changing buying patterns are affecting more and more organizations' growth, and it is clear that selling content is a very important component in the sales process for companies to achieve their goals. However, that selling content must be accurate, frequently updated, and easily accessible toRead More >
Who Do You Trust?
Kathy Kliskey | Sep 15, 2015
Think about all the people who provide you with professional services. Are there a few that have earned a higher level of your trust? I bet there are. I also bet these are the professionals that you always go to for service. You wouldn't even think of going elsewhere. They may be anyone from your auto mechanic to pet sitters to a pediatrician and more.Read More >
Escape the madness
Kaitlyn Myers | Sep 9, 2015
Have you ever dreamed of what it would be like to escape the chaos of Dreamforce? Every year, the number of sales, marketing, and operations professionals attending Dreamforce grows, and this year is no different – they are planning to host more than 150,000 attendees. With that many people, it's bound to be chaotic.Read More >
Training Camp is in Session ̶ Is Your Team Ready?
Kathy Kliskey | Sep 3, 2015
It's preseason for many of our favorite sports teams. They are training hard to get into shape, learning plays and and practicing as a team. Calculating coaches are reviewing their team's progress adding depth to their roster and strategy to their approach.Read More >
Content Management Is (Should be) on Your Side
Kaitlyn Myers | Aug 31, 2015
It's the sunny month of August, and let's be honest – we're all feeling rather…relaxed. At the same time, with September just a day away, you're well aware that this feeling is temporary – so let's just call August what it is: The calm before the Q4 storm. September brings with it not just traces of chill and rain, but anxious sales reps eager to close those month-end deals. And those summertime smiles?Read More >
The road to success begins in Boston
Kaitlyn Myers | Aug 26, 2015
Event season is upon us and we hit the open road with the launch of AA-ISP in Boston. Beantown is the first stop on our road to success event tour. We invite you to join us on Thursday, September 10th at the Four Points by Sheraton Norwood where the Inside Sales community will come together to address the top challenges and key issues facing today's Inside Sales organizations in 2015.Read More >
Three Simple Steps to Localising Sales Content
Qvidian | Aug 25, 2015
Localised sales and marketing content is not just a smart strategy for ensuring your brand is relevant and respected regionally, but allows organisations to be competitive in this evolving global economy. Almost 60% of global consumers say getting information in their own language is more important than price when making a purchase decision (source: Kapost/CSA).Read More >
Content Management, Salesforce1, and More in Summer 2015 Release
Qvidian | Aug 17, 2015
It's the most wonderful time of the year... not just because it's back to school time, but it is when we welcome the latest release of the Qvidian suite of products!Read More >
Dude, where's my content?
Qvidian | Aug 11, 2015
Content is the name of the game here at Qvidian. And while we're aware our readers are key players – aka participants – in the ever-complex pursuit of content hide and seek, we realize that it's not always easy to smoothly complete the many challenging levels selling presents without the Content Sales Enablement armor. And safeguarding yourself with the right information, for the right sales encounter, isn't always easy. At the same time, the process of gathering the information you need shouldn't be a game of Clue.Read More >
GUEST POST: Insights for a successful Qvidian implementation
Jul 31, 2015
Written by Alan Hull, Morneau ShepellRead More >
CRM Ghost Town of Corporate Infrastructure
Qvidian | Jul 30, 2015
Picture this: You're on a road trip through the all too diverse state of California. There are many places to see, to uncover. After driving up the coast, passing one breathtaking ocean view after another, you decide to be adventurous and veer away from your mapped out route – driving for hours to a place unknown. And then you see something looming in the distance…a ghost town. The scene is eerily void of buzz. Silence surrounds the stuff (abandoned homes, a railroad, countless stores, etc.) within what was once intended to be a lively place. Sad.Read More >
Style or Substance - Could You Have It All?
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 29, 2015
That age old question – style or substance, which would you rather have? This question assumes of course, that you can only have one or the other, not both. Why? Is it that rare to find someone who embodies both? For those who believe you can't have both, which would you choose?Read More >
Yes, content matters. Align only the right content for savvy buyers
Qvidian | Jul 28, 2015
As a consumer in today's fluctuating buyer landscape, you're presented with more information than ever before. You know what you want, and you don't think twice when rejecting a sale that's perceived as different from your pre-defined needs. And as your buying power continues to escalate, sales reps, on the other hand, are finding themselves in lesser welcoming territory – or one of seemingly endless disconnect. Thus, in order to sell effectively, sales reps must find new ways to connect with buyers.Read More >
What Do You Mean My GPS Won't Work?
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 24, 2015
Have you ever taken a trip to a fairly remote location? By "remote" I simply mean to an area that is less populated than most. The other day, I took a trip to the mountains of New England, not very remote by anyone's standards. Still, I wanted to find the fastest way to get to my destination, and so, I relied on my GPS navigation. I entered my destination, selected the route and headed out.Read More >
Plan your work – work your plan
Rebecca Pearse | Jul 23, 2015
I love this time of year in business during the summer holidays (vacation) as its generally quieter and it gives me the opportunity to sort out my work – read the reports I should have read (!) and prepare myself for the ever so familiar last quarter panic by sales and RFPs teams for information about our solutions to include in their budget for the following year.Read More >
Conquer the Noise with Content Automation
Qvidian | Jul 21, 2015
Our world is noisy – and content overload and data clutter are a thing of the current and the future. Sales and marketing content, in particular, is intended to drive an organization forward through strategic alignment to customer needs and pain points. But unfortunately, with too many cooks in a typical sales organization's kitchen, content touch points fast become blurred, and newly created content is either buried or made stale – creating declines in the bottom line and customer value.Read More >
Digitize Your Paper Sales Playbooks
Qvidian | Jul 20, 2015
Sales Playbooks are an integral part of any selling strategy. And if your playbooks are PDF or paper-based, you're on the right path to refining your sales processes, but we'll be honest – your strategy could use some personalization.Read More >
How Amazon #PrimeDay Failed
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 17, 2015
Amazon has long been referred to and modeled as an innovative and disruptive organization that pushes the norm. They've paved the way for other e-commerce organizations with their personalized algorithms that always seemed to suggest just the right item you didn't realize you needed. However, there was that one time when they DID NOT get it right.Read More >
Generation Q: Four Key Dimensions of the New Content Portal
Qvidian | Jul 16, 2015
There are a variety of such content portals that work well and benefit a company's content strategy – but even more that don't; hindering the sales process and affecting profitability. So if something's not entirely broken, do we rush in to fix it? Maybe a better solution is to acknowledge that traditional content portals need a revamp – a transformation.Read More >
When Does Going Last Let You Come in First?
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 15, 2015
If you are an Achiever, then in anything you do, you naturally want to come in first. Coming in first means you've done your job. You won! But when does putting yourself last let you come in first? In selling – that's where. Tweet This! When Does Going Last Let You Come in First? http://bit.ly/1V8es5sRead More >
Your Reputation - How Much Does it Matter?
Kathy Kliskey | Jul 14, 2015
A leading network technology company was brewing over their decision whether or not to move forward with the investment into sales execution software. This customer defined itself as "best of breed" and "cutting edge". Their customers, including British Telecom, Fidelity Investments, and Thomson Reuters, set high expectations. This customer was committed to partnering only with the best to live up to these exceptional standards. This network technology customer was experiencing significant and on-going growth. They needed to create opportunities to:Read More >
Let Others' Success Be Your Guide (Not Your Envy)
Qvidian | Jul 8, 2015
Fess up. You do it too. You compare yourself to others around you. What others are wearing, where they go on vacation, what they drive - it's natural. And it doesn't mean we judge or criticize, but are constantly looking for opportunities for improvement in ourselves and look to others for inspiration and ideas to help us move forward in areas of our lives we want to improve. Comparing is not judging or measuring - its using others experience and ideas as a guide for how we can improve and add value and joy to our own lives.Read More >
Clients share experiences, success and value from partnering Qvidian
Rebecca Pearse | Jul 7, 2015
I recently had the privilege of sharing the platform with colleagues and clients at our 8th annual EMEA Client Forumwith clients from across Europe attending. The conference received excellent reviews with comments such as, "Been using the system for 8 years and it just gets better" and "Excellent, informative and enjoyable, looking forward to next year's event."Read More >
Bottom of the ninth, two outs, and bases are loaded: How do you secure that big win?
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 6, 2015
The 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game features the best of the best from the American League and the National League facing off July 14th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Traditionally, the All-Star Game was little more than eye candy for fans. But in recent years the MLB has upped the ante and made the game a little more interesting by awarding World Series home field advantage for the winning league.Read More >
Say it ain't so: Buyers no longer need sellers
Qvidian | Jul 1, 2015
With nearly 60% of decisions complete before a customer even interacts with a sales rep, it's of little wonder why selling is in a state of flux. Some even attest that the days of the sales role as we know it today are numbered, soon to be replaced by some form of robotic selling. But what's really happening in the industry that's causing this shift?Read More >
Dear CRM…You've given me all you can give, but I simply need MORE
Qvidian | Jun 26, 2015
Here's the story: Customer relationship management (CRM) promised to change how you do business, improve how you sell, and more. Sellers believed that with this technology alone, they would have better relationships with their customers, and marvel at new and organic growth. While a CRM database is essential, it's not necessarily fulfilling the vision communicated when it was first introduced Here we go again… Qvidian has received another anonymous letter. Things are getting complicated with CRM. Are you in the same boat? Send us your stories.Read More >
Your Success Is...Personal
Kathy Kliskey | Jun 22, 2015
Qvidian prides itself on being a partner – measuring its success by the success of its customers. If you ask Michael Robb, Content Producer for Globoforce, he'd say, "There must be something to that." Globoforce is a company in the employee recognition business and has been growing its customer base each and every year, now reaching millions of employees around the world. With more than 80% of their customers initially gained through RFPs (requests for proposals), Michael is quick to credit Qvidian for the software's role in helping the company scale.Read More >
The latest in Sales: The on demand…sales person?
Jun 11, 2015
Today's "sharing economy" is alive and well. Predictable ups and downs aside, companies like Airbnb and Uber remain controversially popular, and are influencing others to come up with similar (often unconventional) models. Sales as a service is but one recent example that utilizes knowledge collaboration differently, creating the role of the on demand sales person. Say what?Read More >
Don't fall into chaos: Ensure a steady climb toward sales maturity
Qvidian | Jun 5, 2015
Just like every one of us, each sales organization is different. An organization carries with it an ongoing load of positive attributes as well as sets of not-so-favorable qualities that hinder success.Read More >
Why Do Leading Businesses Choose Qvidian?
Kathy Kliskey | Jun 4, 2015
Over 1,200 businesses have selected Qvidian as their number one resource for sales execution solutions. Why? Their reasons and challenges vary, but two things remain constant – their need for outstanding functionality, and the desire to partner with an expert in the industry. They are looking for a partner who can help them find efficiencies and process improvements that truly move the needle for their company. Qvidian is that partner.Read More >
4 things you need to know for creating a winning proposal
Qvidian | May 27, 2015
What goes into a winning proposal? Or, put differently, what do buyers really want? In today's ever competitive selling landscape, marketing and sales need to write more (and better!) proposals than ever before. As industries become more complex, customers have become both more confused and more demanding. As a result, they are likely to listen to a presentation, nod their heads, and utter those familiar words, "Sounds good! Why don't you put that in writing for me?...Read More >
Level up your game with Salesforce AppExchange partners
Qvidian | May 20, 2015
CRM is core to virtually all selling efforts today. With Salesforce.com as the leader, sales teams have a unified base for conquering the noise – rescuing reps from the escalating chaos of the environment. The breadth of capabilities Salesforce delivers is extensive, and with time of the essence, it's not always easy to take advantage of everything (or more importantly, what's of especial importance to your individual reps).Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales onboarding – plugging a big productivity leak
May 8, 2015
Below is a guest blog post from Qvidian partner Alexander Group, on gaining a better understanding of your onboarding program, especially its content, structure, and measurement. Key components of a best in class new hire onboarding programRead More >
DTZ Achieves Positive Impact with Proposal Development
Kathy Kliskey | Apr 23, 2015
At Qvidian, we talk a lot about owning the success of our customers. While many companies abandon their relationships with their customers at the point of sale, we know that partnering with our customers is what enables them to move the needle for their organization.Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales playbooks series: Know your play – win the game
Apr 16, 2015
Below is a guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Principal at Qvidian partner Alexander Group, on knowing what play to run and how to guide your team in running the play are fundamental to success.Read More >
Lessons Learned from the Grand National: Win by Staying on the Right (Sales) Track
Rebecca Pearse | Apr 13, 2015
This weekend saw one of the greatest equine races in the UK: the Grand National. It's been estimated that nearly 600 million people watch the Grand National around the world; its one of the most valuable jump races in Europe.Read More >
Change Your Swing, Change Your Sales Strategy
Qvidian | Apr 9, 2015
To some the beginning of April means the hope for a sunnier tomorrow, to others it's about a monumental tradition: The US Masters. For decades dating back to 1934 (for more fun trivia about the tournament, visit The Masters FAQ on About.com), The Masters and its equally celebrated Green Jacket has captivated the admiration of millions, creating household names and intensifying competition.Read More >
Searching for Answers with Qvidian
Kathy Kliskey | Apr 6, 2015
At different times in our lives, we find ourselves searching for answers. Whether it's in young adulthood: What college should I attend? Should I even attend? or later in a more relaxed life: Where should I go on vacation? And even including the inevitable: Is the dishwasher clean or dirty?, we encounter questions all the time, from the big to the mundane. And when we don't immediately know the answer to something, we search, we consult experts, and we consider... Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the Proposal field.Read More >
The "Big Reverse" of Sales
Qvidian | Apr 1, 2015
Dries Buytaert, creator of Drupal and co-founder of Acquia, recently wrote a post, The Big Reverse of the Web, that has sparked quite the debate in technology communities on the future of mobile apps, online advertising, search engines and more. The money line is: "Ten years from now we're going to look back and recognize that search-based content discovery was broken." Amen, brother!Read More >
GUEST POST: Top Priority: Content Overhaulin?
Mar 27, 2015
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.comRead More >
Learn to Win that Deal with Killer Sales Playbooks
Kaitlyn Myers | Mar 22, 2015
You're a quarterback and you're down by five points. It's fourth and goal at the seven yard line with 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. You need a touchdown for the win—you need a play.Read More >
March Madness Bracket: The Sales Showdown
Qvidian | Mar 18, 2015
Ah, March. As the snow slowly begins to melt, we're nearing the start of something exciting – March Madness! The annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournaments captivate millions, and with eyes and ears glued to the game, the countdown to who is the best of 68 college teams.Read More >
The Sales Process is not Black and White but that dress is definitely Gold and White
Kaitlyn Myers | Mar 3, 2015
Late last week a picture of a dress was shared on Tumblr that innocently asked for opinions as to what color it was. Most people stood firmly in their belief - you were either #teamblueandblack or #teamwhiteandgold. Photo credit swikedRead More >
A Getaway to Get Work Done
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 27, 2015
It's always about this time of year that I start planning a vacation. Especially with all this snow in Massachusetts…don't even get me started. Such cold, dreary weather can take a lot out of a person.Read More >
Relaxed & Ready with Qvidian Proposal Automation
Kathy Kliskey | Feb 25, 2015
What makes you sweat? For Laura Zaremba of Travel Leaders Corporate, it used to be completing RFPs (requests for proposals).Read More >
[GUEST POST] Can Your Sales Reps Handle these Four Key Buying Objections?
Feb 25, 2015
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.com The ability for your reps to "handle objections" is a key to achieving 2015 sales success, this according to a recent interview of Jim Ninivaggi, Sales Enablement Practice Director for SiriusDecisions.Read More >
Kroll Ontrack with Qvidian Proposal Automation
Kathy Kliskey | Feb 19, 2015
Kroll Ontrack knows nothing is more critical than effectively managing information in an effort to safeguard and improve business continuity, brand reputation and profitability. Since 1985, they have been dedicated to protecting data, while managing it for legal and regulatory demands. In their effort to continue to provide cutting edge services, they have selected Qvidian for their proposal automation needs.Read More >
What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate
Qvidian | Feb 17, 2015
Our need to communicate is fundamental. We are fascinated by how past eras were able to effectively communicate with one another when contemporary tools were non-existent. We read old, hand-written letters, dig up cave drawings, listen to past recordings - completely enthralled in someone's need to share a thought, feeling, or idea with another.Read More >
Situational Guidance is a Sales Pro's Caddy
Qvidian | Feb 2, 2015
Pick any top golfer – what makes them so great? Natural ability, a strong desire to win, lots of practice, the best coaches, trainers, and equipment? Well, if you give me Phil Mickelson's $3,000 clubs and I'll still hack my way around. Give Phil my $300 set and he'll still shoot a 70.Read More >
Don't Get Stuck in the Wrong Decade: Use the Right Tools to Win Today
Jan 30, 2015
Here's a fun fact: In Back to the Future II (if you haven't seen it…well, you've just succeeded in making me feel like dinosaur), Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel back to the future from 1985 to October 21, 2015.Read More >
We Didn't Know What We Didn't Know
Kathy Kliskey | Jan 29, 2015
Have you ever had that terrible feeling? You were new at something, had to succeed, but you didn't know where to start? In fact, you were so new, you knew you didn't even know what you didn't know. I have. I bet you have, too.Read More >
GUEST POST: Storytelling: The Next Major Sales Operations Innovation by Arshad Carim
Jan 26, 2015
Below is a guest blog post from Arshad Carim, a Principal at Qvidian partner Alexander Group, on the role of Sales Operations as Storyteller. Does your Sales Operations team focus only on classic functions like data management, reporting, enablement tools, sales comp, quota, territories, and the like? Does your sales organization cull the right insights from data and reports created by Sales Ops?Read More >
How Fresh Are Your Sales Proposals? Expire the Outdated…
Jan 23, 2015
We all like to think we're great at what we choose to do, at our day job. The work we engage in defines who we are, and much of the time we really are good at it – with practice we nail down our craft; boosting performance and confidence. And in the proposal world, you've deemed yourself a proposal Jedi, mastering your skill one submission at a time.Read More >
Our Top 5 Blog Posts from 2014
Qvidian | Jan 7, 2015
2014 was a year full of exciting happenings in the world of sales execution. Here at Qvidian, our thinking caps were glued on tight as we worked on creating timely blogs to keep you in the know. And just in case you missed any of our thought-provoking content, here's a list of some top performers – enjoy!Read More >
From "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" to Success in 2015
Kaitlyn Myers | Dec 30, 2014
There are all sorts of clichés when it comes to ringing in the New Year, especially about resolutions. It's a clean slate, a fresh start, "new year, new you", yadda, yadda. For the most part, making that promise to yourself, even boasting about it with others, is a generally nice idea. Having a resolution makes us feel good about ourselves and our future – yes we can! Unfortunately, people don't really work like that. Our personal lives have no stop or pause button, and and we slowly grow at the turn of each year the same way we do the rest of the year.Read More >
GUEST POST: 3 Conversations to Get "Do Nothing" to "Yes" by Tom Pisello
Dec 22, 2014
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.com As your prospects begin and advance through their purchase decision making process, at each stage they have different motivation and need progressive guidance to advance through each step.Read More >
We're All Just People, People: It's time to Personalize Selling
Qvidian | Dec 15, 2014
We humans are a unique bunch, every single one of us. And while lumping like-minded individuals into groups is reasonable in cases of personal interests – (foodies, for instance, enjoy dining out, but that's not always the case, with some preferring to play chef in the comfort of their own home) – doing so only touches upon the group collective, dismissing key characteristic differences expressed by billions of DNA cells.Read More >
Serving the Customer Experience
Qvidian | Dec 11, 2014
Sales is all about the experience. That is, to the buyer it is all about the experience. You might very well have the best product, even a well-defined methodology, but if anywhere in the selling process it breaks down and delivers anything other than a positive experience to your buyer – you've lost that customer for sure.Read More >
My Two Cents on Social Selling: You Get What You Give
Rebecca Pearse | Dec 4, 2014
For the past six months I have been engaged in social selling to help understand how it fits into my business development role at Qvidian. I created a Twitter handle (@rcpearse) and have actively shared content there and on LinkedIn. In fact, I've rather enjoyed the new contacts and advice I have received along the way in this "social selling" culture.Read More >
GUEST POST: Want insights? There's a playbook for that
Dec 3, 2014
Below is another guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at Qvidian partner AGI, on sales process playbooks.Read More >
Beware of Creating a Bigger Gap
Qvidian | Dec 2, 2014
As a marketer, I read a LOT of content. I'm an uber-consumer of blogs, whitepapers, guides, infographics, videos and anything else you put out there. I'm reading to not only find nuggets of good intel to help me do my job tactically and challenge my thinking, but also to learn about our customers, prospects and general market environment to drive our marketing strategy. Oh and I also read the occasional real-world content - you know, news and such.Read More >
It's Time to Work that…2015 Budget
Nov 25, 2014
How to effectively align your 2015 budget to your biggest challengesRead More >
Shift the Performance Curve: Make Your Middle Sales Performers Incrementally Better
Qvidian | Nov 20, 2014
Today's increasingly complex and diverse marketspace calls for sales organizations to look for new and creative approaches to improve sales execution strategies and advancing revenue growth. A surprisingly simple way to impact sales performance entails improving the output of your middle sales performers. But will improving the middle's performance make a real and quantifiable difference? Let's investigate…Read More >
Dear CRM, Let's Just Be Friends...
Nov 13, 2014
Here's the story: Customer relationship management (CRM) promised to change how you do business, improve how you sell, and more. Sellers believed that with this technology alone, they would have better relationships with their customers, and marvel at new and organic growth. While a CRM database is essential, it's not necessarily fulfilling the vision communicated when it was first introduced.Read More >
The Missing Piece to Annual Sales Kick-offs
Qvidian | Nov 10, 2014
Sales kick-off meetings…we've all attended them, and we've all experienced at least a few that were excruciatingly bad. Here's the all too familiar rundown: Some kick-offs try too hard to come up with a memorable event or activity. The awkwardness spreads from anything like iron chef competitions with sales reps and managers running around with cutlery and meat in their hands – to those that become a lashing session for sales leaders, laced with threats of how things will change and reps better watch out. No extreme is good.Read More >
Pitfalls to Avoid When Implementing Salesforce.com
Qvidian | Nov 7, 2014
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 LIMRA Annual Meeting in New York City. As anticipated, the event was full of thought-provoking discussions around today's evolving "social sharing" culture and leveraging big data for marketing, illuminating a commitment to market shifts in the financial services industry.Read More >
The Selling Revolution Is Here
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 29, 2014
Powerful ideas are not a thing of the past. They're a thing of unforeseen necessity – of the future. Consider some life-changing powerhouses: The telephone, the light bulb, the Beatles, and the iPhone...what do they have in common? Each came about from the need for something different, each embarked on a crusade to change the present, to the future. Each started a revolution.Read More >
3 Ways Sales Operations Can Be More Strategic With Sales Leaders
Qvidian | Oct 27, 2014
The role of sales operations is continuing to evolve. A title you might not have even heard of 5 years ago is becoming a critical part of a sales organization and proving to be as important and strategic to a company as sales leaders themselves. But as with any evolving discipline, making the shift from tactical to strategic can be a challenge.Read More >
Accept Change as Permanent: Out with the Old, in with the New
Oct 21, 2014
Ah, change...You may have noticed that here at Qvidian we talk a lot about this word. We acknowledge that change can be seen as an overused theme calling for a vague form of action, but we disagree – we think about it differently.Read More >
GUEST POST: Return on Sales Enablement: The Adoption Challenge by Tom Pisello
Oct 16, 2014
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.com This weeks' Dreamforce event, with some 135,000 attendees, brought home the enormous investment organizations make in their CRM solutions and sales reps. But also begs the question – is the large investment in CRM and sales enablement delivering an adequate payback?Read More >
Repairing CRM's Achilles' Heel
Qvidian | Oct 14, 2014
Thank you Venture Beat for exposing what seems to have been the elephant in the room no one wants to discuss. Salesforce.com's announcement at Dreamforce about their upcoming sales analytics capabilities is exciting. But while CRM has evolved into a critical back-end system for data capturing, its unfulfilled promise of better selling and more accurate forecasting is the unicorn we're all trying to catch.Read More >
The Importance of Being RESPONSIVE
Oct 8, 2014
Let's be real - generic and broad promotional messages are a waste of my time and yours. Our time is precious, and we're all more than ready to move past the never-ending clutter of useless and untimely emails. Delete, delete, delete…We're hungry for relevant and valuable conversations, expressed through mutual interest and a form of genuine personalization – what we're after is a connection.Read More >
Empower Sales to Deliver a Better Customer Experience
Deirdre Sommerkamp | Oct 7, 2014
Happy Customer Experience Day! I am celebrating the second annual CX Day with other CX professionals across the globe – over 2,800 of them! It seems like yesterday I was writing about the first annual CX Day and the critical role sales plays in Customer Experience (CX). CX awareness has certainly increased over the past year.Read More >
Kickin' It New School: Less Content, More Personalization
Oct 1, 2014
In today's age of information overload, content isn't difficult to come by – it's everywhere, in all forms. And the more content you consume, the more knowledge you digest…right? Personally, I'm not so sure. Instead, I often find that the seemingly endless stream of information is overwhelming, contradictory, and plain old wrong – leading to a diluted conclusion as opposed to the possibility of informed analysis. I'm not alone in this conundrum.Read More >
Spreading the Love: Qvidian Welcomes New Customers to the Family
Kathy Kliskey | Sep 29, 2014
We've had a great year so far here at Qvidian; recording almost a 100% increase in net new customer sales compared to the first-half of 2013, and pushing out big, innovative releases for Qvidian Proposal Automation and Qvidian Sales PlaybooksRead More >
The Art and Science of Compelling Value with Dr. Tom Sant
Dr. Tom Sant | Sep 26, 2014
We all know it – the magic word in selling in today's increasingly complex marketplace is value. They say that providing value cures all problems. Such stresses as price pressure, intense competition, slow sales cycles, shrinking margin all poof and disappear with the presence of value…right?Read More >
Let's Revolutionize Our Thinking
Lewis Miller | Sep 25, 2014
As we all try and grasp this innovative age of buying and selling, we see the typical analysts' and industry experts' contributions to an early stage market. The objective is to write their way of thinking on the market to help shape how we see the goals, challenges, and solutions we struggle to articulate to put substance to an intangible concept.Read More >
Be More Than a Hero
Lewis Miller | Sep 18, 2014
The first half of 2014 is officially in our rear-view mirror, and the end of Q3 is fast approaching. Sales leaders can be found pulling in last minute deals to make their numbers all over the globe. When asked if he was going to make his number for the end of Q3, a sales VP at a large technology firm said, "I just need to work with 'Mike' to pull in two big deals. He's the guy to get things over the finish line."Read More >
Dear CRM, It's Not You... It's Me
Qvidian | Sep 11, 2014
Here's the story: Customer relationship management (CRM) promised to change how you do business, improve how you sell, and more. Sellers believed that with this technology alone, they would have better relationships with their customers, and marvel at new and organic growth. While a CRM database is essential, it's not necessarily fulfilling the vision communicated when it was first introduced. Here we go… Qvidian has received another anonymous letter. Things are getting complicated with CRM. Are you in the same boat? Send us your stories.Read More >
Leadership matters – a lot. But it's not that simple.
Sep 4, 2014
Yes, leadership matters. A successful leader possesses a variety of qualities that range – in no particular order – from integrity to confidence to decisiveness to the ability to delegate to positivity… the list can go on and on. And thanks to escalating content overload, the list does in fact go on and on, so much so that it's now quite literally swarming with enough overused traits to arouse the curiosity of… Bueller… Bueller?Read More >
Change Happens. Put it to Work in Your Sales Organization.
Qvidian | Aug 29, 2014
In today's evolving business environment, change happens more quickly than ever. And given the increasing complexity of the technology landscape and escalating competition, companies simply can't afford to be stymied by each change they encounter – to survive, they must identify a way to harness changes and use them for the good of their bottom line.Read More >
Executive Summaries: The Least Understood Part of Proposals
Steve Snow | Aug 28, 2014
Perhaps it's the name that confuses us—Executive Summary. We hone in on the word summary, when the real focus should be on the word executive. Personally, I prefer the term Executive Overview.Read More >
Rest and Relaxation: Your Sales Execution Secret Weapon
Aug 21, 2014
R & R – one underutilized letter (used twice) that packs a ton of necessity. While rest and relaxation isn't always readily available in the U.S. (our friends in Europe tend to be a bit more fortunate in that department), clearing the mind of all that keeps us up at night is essential for the sanity of well…everyone.Read More >
7 Keys to a Successful Technology Implementation [Part 2]
Aug 19, 2014
Here's Part 2 from Qvidian customer, Bo Crader, Principal Consultant at Blackbaud, on how to successfully implement a new technology solution at your company. Be sure to check out his first three steps from Part 1!Read More >
Refresh. Refocus. Review. Check-in on Sales Kick-off Initiatives
Kaitlyn Myers | Aug 15, 2014
It's that time of the year again – the summertime calm before the start of the fall storm. And similar to those long past back-to-school jitters (sigh – the good ol' days), the days and months ahead promise to both excite and overwhelm. You've set a good deal of meaningful and achievable goals and objectives in the beginning of the year (you motivated the reps, recognized top performers, communicated the company plan, trained the team well, and so on – you did it all!) – and everything seemed underway. There was real momentum in the air, and it wasn't just you feeling it.Read More >
Let's All Agree – the Need for Dynamic Guided Selling is NOW
Qvidian | Aug 5, 2014
Information overload is a thing of the present and future, creating pickier consumers and accelerating the need for superior customer service. SiriusDecisions published an excellent blog post last week detailing the need for dynamic guided selling – and we couldn't agree more.Read More >
7 Keys to a Successful Technology Implementation [Part 1]
Qvidian | Aug 1, 2014
There are more tools, technologies, and software applications in the marketplace than ever before; all waiting to solve the myriad of business challenges nagging you when you rest your sleepy eyes at night. Salesforce.com on its own has over 2,000 apps in its AppExchange with over 2 million app installs.Read More >
Selecting Sales Technology Is like Ordering from the Cheesecake Factory
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 31, 2014
While on site visits last week, some of the Qvidian marketing team did what they do best: worked hard, played hard, and in the process, ate their way through enough sizzlin' Southern cuisine to leave any foodie in a delightfully guilt-ridden coma. When asked what was on our plates, we couldn't recall – just a whole lot of everything tasty.Read More >
The Perfect Pitch: Making Your Point Clearly and Persuasively with Dr. Tom Sant
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 24, 2014
Ever feel stuck on how to deliver a corporate capabilities presentation that engages the customer and opens deep conversations? What about differentiating yourself from the competition without coming across as self-centered? These are tough challenges but not impossible (yes, really!)Read More >
Top 5 Power Words to Use in Selling Documents
Qvidian | Jul 21, 2014
What's in a word? Aside from the visual, communication is pretty much our only means of expression, and without words (written, spoken…what have you), our unique personas would certainly pack a lot less originality. And frankly, it's fruitless to denounce words – they hold too much power.Read More >
3 Ways to Prep Your Sales Team – World Cup Style
Kaitlyn Myers | Jul 11, 2014
We're just days away sports fans – the 2014 World Cup is in its final round! While the entire world waited for four excruciatingly long years, no one was more excited (and anxious) than the teams themselves. The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on Earth. The players feel it. The coaches feel it. 32 teams qualified – that may seem like a lot, but qualifying started over 3 years ago with over 200 teams fighting to represent their nations in Brazil. This part of the journey is arguably more difficult than the Cup itself.Read More >
The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts
Qvidian | Jul 2, 2014
Is selling an art or science? What about buying? I'm favoring art. That doesn't mean you can't codify and make elements of each process repeatable and measurable, but we're dealing with human interactions and that throws a wrench in the works. As buyers we just don't have the time to rationally assess and scrutinize every available option. And, sometimes we make illogical decisions. Even in the world of the consensus purchase, more primal, binary decision-making 'rules of thumb' or heuristics take over.Read More >
Customization CAN drive ROI in Repeatable Sales Processes
Lewis Miller | Jun 26, 2014
Here at Qvidian, we firmly believe that the most effective leaders prepare their teams for success through a personalized selling experience. A large component of this stems from automation – however, our philosophy is that automation has the largest impact on ROI when implemented strategically with select processes and activities.Read More >
GUEST POST: Longer Sales Cycles Drive Need for Change by Tom Pisello
Jun 24, 2014
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.com Sales cycles are taking longer than ever, lengthening by 24% over the past two years, this according to research by SiriusDecisions.Read More >
Stop Selling Me, I Want to Buy
Qvidian | Jun 10, 2014
We had a second meeting with a potential vendor recently as we've been seeking to implement a series of strategic sales initiatives. We had a very specific set of requirements, fully budgeted, and did our due diligence to identify the right potential partners.Read More >
GUEST POST: The Essentials of Every Sales Leader's Toolkit & How Playbooks Enhance Them by Eric Maurer
Jun 5, 2014
So your vision is set and you think you have a clear plan to achieve yet another "breakthrough" growth objective handed to you from the executive suite. Now you need to capture the minds and hearts of your sales team.Read More >
Seeing the Possibilities: Increase Sales with a New Outlook
Kaitlyn Myers | Jun 3, 2014
The Belmont Stakes is coming up, and I've got horses and races on my mind. Especially all of the sights and sounds of Belmont: silks, carnations, blinders, and hooves on dirt. But blinders are interesting. Some jockeys use them to try and help their horses ignore the stands and all of their people and noise in order to focus on only what's in front of them.Read More >
Transform or Die - Reflection on SiriusDecisions Summit
Qvidian | May 28, 2014
The Q team just returned from three days of sessions and conversations at SiriusDecision's Summit in Orlando, FL. Besides the typical content-packed agenda of events like this, this year featured an award gala where Sirius clients were recognized for their achievements in driving change and ROI at their companies. The closing of the gala featured the entertainment of Eddie Money and various other stars from the 80s playing favorites like, "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Take me Home Tonight".Read More >
Latest Innovation from Qvidian
Karen Meyer | May 22, 2014
This week, the Qvidian team deployed the Spring 2014 Release of Qvidian Proposal Automation. This was a major milestone in our product roadmap vision - this release was entirely focused on the user. With a brand new interface, this release drives collaboration within sales and proposal teams, as well as streamlines workflows for creating personalized sales documents faster than ever.Read More >
Improving Customer Experience (CX) Through Better Sales Execution
Deirdre Sommerkamp | May 20, 2014
I attended the CXPA Insight Exchange last week in Atlanta. As an active member of the CXPA, early adopter and practitioner of Customer Experience (CX), there is nothing better than being with my fellow members who deeply desire to advance CX management practices and develop, manage, optimize and envision how organizations interact with their customers.Read More >
Punctuation: The Roadmap for Clear Writing
Steve Snow | May 16, 2014
Have you ever driven cross-country? How hard would it be to get from L.A. to NYC if there were no road signs or highway markings? There's no telling where you might end up! Punctuation is the roadmap that helps readers navigate from point-A to point-B in your sales proposals and sales correspondence.Read More >
BREAKING NEWS: Buyers Have Changed
Qvidian | May 14, 2014
Is anyone else tired of hearing "the buying journey has changed?" It seems like every article or blog I read about shifting the sales and marketing approach all begins with that statement. We then go through a myriad of data points that support that statement to prove its right. And I'm part of the problem - guarantee you can pull up a few of my old blog posts or bylines and pull that line from one or two.Read More >
Insight Selling: the Critical Role of Sales Operations
Qvidian | Apr 29, 2014
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a great sales forum in Chicago hosted by one of our partners, the Alexander Group (AGI). The event centered on the importance of insight led selling with an emphasis on the role the sales operations functions plays to support this shift in behavior.Read More >
The Agile Selling Imperative
Qvidian | Apr 23, 2014
Today's sales teams are overburdened with the information they need in order to be successful. In an ever-evolving marketplace, buyers have evolved – but sales teams haven't. The result is sales enablement and operations teams create more content and provide more information to sales teams who just don't have time to sort through it all.Read More >
GUEST POST: The Four Phases of Best Practice Sales Operations Organizations by Matt Greenstein
Apr 17, 2014
Sales Operations, Commercial Excellence, Sales Enablement…whatever the group is called in your organization, the charter remains consistent: Make the sales organization more productive. However, Sales Operations must evolve with the business or risk being marginalized. Sales Operations evolves with the size, complexity and maturity of the business.Read More >
Using Words with Purpose: Purposeful Language for Powerful Proposals
Steve Snow | Apr 15, 2014
What's in a word…a phrase…a sentence…a paragraph? Frankly, quite a lot. Language is more than spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and grammatical phrasing. Language is about tone, feeling, understanding; effectively communicating ideas and thoughts with other human beings.Read More >
Highlights from Connect 2014 Sales Success Conference
Kaitlyn Myers | Apr 4, 2014
Earlier this week, Connect 2014 Sales Success Conference was held in sunny Orlando, Florida (which was a nice break from the cold winter we've had!). There was so much energy and excitement from the attendees and we hope everyone was able to continue the momentum!Read More >
GUEST POST: Improving Value Conversations Essential to Sales Execution By Tom Pisello
Mar 25, 2014
Below is a guest post by Tom Pisello, Chairman and Founder of Alinean, a developer of B2B value selling and marketing tools. www.alinean.comRead More >
Accelerating Sales Rep Ramp-Up: 3 Strategic Approaches
Qvidian | Mar 21, 2014
Sales is the only profession where we hire someone and expect them to not be fully productive for anywhere from 6 to 12 months. Can you imagine hiring an engineer who didn't contribute code for that long? How about an accountant who couldn't do your taxes this year - but next year will be ready to go.Read More >
Don't Use Content as a Substitute for a Conversation
Qvidian | Mar 14, 2014
Organizations have been "enabling" sales teams with collateral and sales tools to the point of burdening them with too much information, never mind where to find all that content. There is a multitude of sales and marketing collateral loaded into a sales portal or intranet site, and countless hours are put into creating, editing, and producing this content. It becomes incredibly difficult to know if sales teams have even used the content and how effective it really is. Every sales organization has a similar story:Read More >
Customer Hydration
Karen Meyer | Mar 10, 2014
Headed back from another great Forrester Sales Enablement Forum in sunny AZ and feeling an energy similar to what I experienced at last year's forum. It's a little different though. I started this year with two New Year's resolutions: 1) drink more water and 2) understand our customers better. I'm happy to report I'm doing relatively well on both fronts. Both experiences, however, have been total eye openers for me.Read More >
Customer-Centric Communications
Dr. Tom Sant | Mar 5, 2014
One of the all-time classic TV ads was the one for Wendy's hamburgers where elderly Clara Peller lifted the bun, squinted at what she saw, and then bellowed, "Where's the beef?" Great ad. Good question. It's one that senior executives often ask themselves when they see canned presentations or boilerplate proposals from sales people. And they typically react by dismissing the sales person or tuning out the presentation.Read More >
Innovators in Financial Services Crush Sales Execution Challenges
Qvidian | Feb 26, 2014
In a previous post, I outlined the trends affecting financial services organizations today, and the impact they've had on sales, marketing and distribution teams. Since then, I've attended the annual LIMRA Distribution Conference for Financial Services and was able to speak with many leaders dealing with these challenges first hand.Read More >
Chasing the Chirp
Qvidian | Feb 25, 2014
I woke up in the middle of the night recently to the insane and elusive chirping sound of a rogue smoke detector. I'm sure we have all experienced this at some point in life, and if you haven't, I truly envy you. It's the sound the smoke detector in your home will make when it desires a replacement battery. This vexes me to no end, that there could be a multitude of alternatives to solve the problem, but manufacturers stay with their status quo delivering the same products every year.Read More >
Would Your Reps Score a Gold Medal in Sales Execution?
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 19, 2014
Just like in the Olympics, sales teams face big victories, and many times, defeat. There are times when everything seems to go right and then BAM! There's a snafu and the deal stalls out or falls through. The conditions may have worsened – budget cuts, turnover, reorganization, competing vendors – but there still may be ways to have a successful run. Even in 60 degree weather, despite melting snow and ice, and malfunctioning bathrooms, Olympians are still managing to medal in Sochi. How do you overcome such adversities that are out of your control?Read More >
GUEST POST: 12 Reasons You Should Prioritize Social Selling in 2014 by Matt Heinz
Feb 18, 2014
Below is a guest post from Matt Heinz, originally published on the Heinz Marketing Blog.Read More >
Don't Leave Love—or Your Sales Goals—to Chance
Kaitlyn Myers | Feb 14, 2014
Love is in the air—are your sales numbers too? Believe it or not, there are lessons from today's slightly over-produced holiday (Valentine's Day) that we can apply to effective sales execution.Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Series: Three Playbook Pitfalls to Avoid - by Kyle Uebelhor of AGI
Feb 13, 2014
Below is another guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at Qvidian partner AGI, on three of the most common playbook pitfalls to avoid.Read More >
The Sales Execution Challenge in Financial Services
Qvidian | Feb 6, 2014
There are unique sales challenges facing the financial services industry today. Advisors are under pressure to respond to a consumer audience that is more educated and empowered than ever. However, the industry as a whole has been laggard at adopting new sales practices and tools to enable agents to make that shift successfully. Even so, the market continues to be in growth mode as baby boomers continue to age and require more life insurance and retirement products as part of their overall financial plans.Read More >
Principles of Effective Sales Coaching and Reinforcement
Dr. Tom Sant | Feb 5, 2014
Recent research into adult learning, information processing and skill development has shown that individuals learn to function in real-world settings and make effective decisions about how to execute their role when they have been properly coached. Effective coaching addresses the three chronological phases that people go through as they learn to execute a new skill:Read More >
Groundhog Day - Are you Changing, or Doing the Same Day After Day?
Kaitlyn Myers | Jan 31, 2014
So here we are again - the second day of February. A rather under-celebrated holiday known as Groundhog Day. A day only of importance to Punxsutawney Phil. You may recall the Bill Murray movie from the 90's where it satirizes that concept of the same things happening every day, day after day...Read More >
The Sales Execution Challenge - How Do You Measure Up? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Qvidian | Jan 30, 2014
As you may have read in our Sales Execution Trends report many organizations are shifting from maintenance mode to growth mode in 2014 and therefore looking beyond sales enablement and towards sales execution to meet their goals. Check out our infographic below to see how you measure up in The Sales Execution Challenge.Read More >
Looking Ahead to NYC Regional Sales Event
Qvidian | Jan 23, 2014
Last quarter, I announced Qvidian's regional executive event series, "Overcoming Obstacles of Sales Execution" that kicked off in Palo Alto, CA in December. Networking, discussion and a cocktail or two turned into a great evening full of strategies and tactics on how to address the gap between strategy and sales execution.Read More >
GUEST POST: Eight Shortcuts to More Successful Sales & Marketing Collaboration by Matt Heinz
Jan 16, 2014
Below is a guest post from Matt Heinz, originally published on the PointClear blog The concept of getting sales & marketing to work more closely together isn't new. It's been an issue, if not a focus area, for as long as sales and marketing teams have been working together (at least in theory) to drive predictable, sustainable growth for their business.Read More >
Just-in-time Knowledge - Creating a Reactive Selling System
Dr. Tom Sant | Jan 9, 2014
When you get a canned email or direct mail piece, you know what it is instantly. Even if the sender has woven your name through the piece, it still sounds "off." There's a distinct aroma to boilerplate that most of us can sniff out pretty quickly. And yet many companies arm their sales people with boilerplate presentation decks and boilerplate sales messages. Do they work? Of course not. Most executives will resent being expected to sit through a boilerplate presentation. They take it as a sign of laziness, incompetence, disrespect, or ignorance.Read More >
New Rules, New Products
Karen Meyer | Jan 7, 2014
As a product manager, reflecting on the past year's events and thinking about the trends of the future always have had a direct impact on how I approach product development. I feel it's more critical in a product role than any other to really understand the impact on individual events over the past year, and how they will shape the market so we create product roadmaps that lead our customers through the future. This year, there was no shortage of events that impact sales. Here is my take on a few "new rules" that will take us into the new year.Read More >
What's So Hard About Sales Execution?
Lewis Miller | Jan 3, 2014
We have engaged with hundred's of sales leaders over the past year in direct selling situations, through our sales performance surveys, and at sales leader conferences and forums. These conversations have led us to a number of compelling and consistent trends regarding the difficulty with effective sales execution.Read More >
New Year, New Start: Resolve to Have More Conversations
Kaitlyn Myers | Jan 2, 2014
So with the close of 2013 and the arrival of 2014, there are all sorts of promises (dare I call them resolutions?) as we all look toward the fresh start of a new year. What am I resolving to do this year? It's applicable to both the selling world and personal life: I'm promising to have more conversations.Read More >
Register for Qvidian's Connect Sales Success Conference 2014!
Kaitlyn Myers | Dec 30, 2013
As an event planner, there are many questions we ask when planning a conference. Where should we have the event? What food should we serve? How many people should we expect? And, the list goes on and on. But this year, the most important question we asked ourselves was, "How can we build a kick-butt agenda with thought-provoking sessions that provide sales enablement leaders with valuable, real-world ideas they can put to work immediately?"Read More >
Survey Says: Sales Organizations Growing, but Hindered by Sales Execution Challenges
Qvidian | Dec 17, 2013
We recently surveyed over two hundred sales leaders from around the world and came away with some very interesting data. Our annual Sales Execution Trends survey looks at key objectives for sales organizations, challenges and obstacles faced to meet those objectives, current conditions, and investment areas needed to improve sales execution.Read More >
Stop Enabling and Start Executing: Value-add Conversations
Qvidian | Dec 11, 2013
I used to be an enabler. Now I know better.Read More >
Killer Sales Kickoffs: How to Make Them Stick
Qvidian | Dec 9, 2013
It's that time of year again! Quarter close, holidays, year-end close, 2014 planning, and annual sales kickoff time! I for one love sales kick-offs. Maybe it's the natural networker in me, maybe it's the buzz you get - regardless, it starts the year off with positive momentum and excitement that sends the troops out ready to rock the year.Read More >
Dreamforce & Sales Execution
Qvidian | Dec 6, 2013
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks! It's event season and Qvidian has been busy around the world attending some of the leading business and sales events, talking to leaders from all industries. Most recently, we returned from Dreamforce, Salesforce.com's annual user conference that drew an astounding 130,000 attendees this year. It's the type of event that is as much a spectacle as it is full of networking and learning.Read More >
GUEST POST: Warning, Your Sales Force is Under-Utilized
Lewis Miller | Dec 4, 2013
With the year winding down, how many of your sales reps will hit their annual number? For most organizations, their sales force is drastically under-utilized. Below is a guest blog post from Paul Vinogradov, Vice President at AGI, on ways to optimize the utilization of your sales force.Read More >
Qvidian Wins Best in Biz 2013 Award for Enterprise Product of the Year – Software
Lewis Miller | Nov 22, 2013
I'm proud and excited to announce that Qvidian was named a silver winner in the "Enterprise Product of the Year – Software" category in the 2013 Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.Read More >
Increasing Value Through Improved Sales Execution
Qvidian | Nov 20, 2013
We are proud to have been a part of the Alexander Group's Chief Sales Executive Annual Forum this past week. It was a great event packed full of sessions focused around this year's theme - recognizing Value Creators.Read More >
Announcing Qvidian's Sales Playbooks & Analytics Fall Release
Karen Meyer | Nov 12, 2013
Introducing Sales Playbooks iPad app! I'm excited to announce our Sales Playbooks & Analytics Fall Release and Qvidian's Sales Playbooks iPad app. We've spent a lot of time talking with our customers, learning from Sales Executives, observing sales organizations, and developing this new functionality; I hope you're as excited about these new features as we are!Read More >
The Mobile Workforce & Why You Should Care [INFOGRAPHIC]
Karen Meyer | Nov 8, 2013
The rise in popularity of the "Anytime, Anywhere" worker was profiled earlier this year in a Forrester study (2013 Mobile Workforce Adoption Trends) and it's growing at a rapid pace.Read More >
Moving from Sales Efficiency to Sales Effectiveness
Dr. Tom Sant | Nov 6, 2013
Sales systems have focused primarily on making the sales person and—more typically—sales management more efficient. That is, they have enabled people to handle larger volumes of data, keep track of more deals, communicate quicker, develop more accurate forecasts, and so on. These are the typical benefits promised by various kinds of workflow automation systems worldwide. They are the benefits of greater efficiency. What they haven't done is help people sell better. That is, they haven't provided the tools the sales person needs to close deals.Read More >
A Sales Rep's Worst Nightmare
Kaitlyn Myers | Oct 31, 2013
Boo! As the end of October nears, it seems that talk of costumes, candy, and pumpkins is everywhere. However, it can also bring up tales of the supernatural, hauntings, and serial killers with serious mommy issues. That got myself and Alex Schutte (part of the marketing team here at the Q) thinking: What would be a sales person's worst nightmare? Check out our recap of 4 popular horror films and TV shows with our take on how it may or may not relate to the life of a sales rep. Turns out, it's not so bad in the office after all!Read More >
Recognizing the Value of Proposals (& Proposal Managers!): Lessons from the UK APMP Conference
Jamie Davies | Oct 29, 2013
Last week, I joined Qvidian Account Manager, Steve Ransom, to meet delegates and members of the APMP UK at their annual conference just outside Cirencester. It is worth highlighting that the UK arm of the APMP has grown by 58% which is the biggest growth of any chapter in the APMP. The conference attracted a record number of attendees and was themed around "Capture Strategy – The Moves to Win". A common topic of conversation was for companies to recognize the value and quality that a good proposal/response will bring to sales.Read More >
Connect, Discuss, and Network at Qvidian Regional Events
Qvidian | Oct 25, 2013
Anyone who knows me, knows I love any reason to network and spend time with my peers - especially if there's a glass of wine involved! So I'm excited to announce two regional events we are hosting, designed for senior sales leaders to network and discuss key issues around effective sales execution.Read More >
Sales Execution Harder Than Ever in Healthcare (Insurance)
Qvidian | Oct 21, 2013
The healthcare industry seems to be in a constant state of change. The impact of federal and state regulations forces healthcare providers and insurers to be more nimble and agile than ever before. This makes successful sales execution seem like a monumental task. As I speak to more sales and marketing people in this sector, I sense the growing frustration just trying to keep up. So I thought I'd share a few tips from our customers on how they've been able to stay ahead in this environment:Read More >
The Changing Perception of the RFP Manager (and why it's required!) – Recap from LIMRA RFP Round Table
Qvidian | Oct 17, 2013
Last week, I joined Qvidian Account Executive Mike Cioce to meet with members of the LIMRA RFP Round Table to discuss the latest and greatest in the proposal automation world affecting the insurance and financial services industry. It was a very open conversation with sharing best practices, current trends, and the business impact of being an RFP Manager.Read More >
Smarter Sales Analytics for a More Effective Sales Team
Qvidian | Oct 14, 2013
Last week, Qvidian attended the Sales Management Association's annual Sales Force Productivity Conference in Atlanta, GA. The consensus was… selling isn't getting any easier any time soon… but savvy sales leaders can take advantage of analytics and data to improve sales effectiveness and make smarter decisions like never before.Read More >
Changing How We Change – Thoughts from the CEB Sales & Marketing Summit
Qvidian | Oct 11, 2013
Earlier this week, some of the Qvidian team (myself included) participated in the Corporate Executive Board's Sales & Marketing Summit out in Las Vegas. Change was an underlying theme throughout the conference. Dealing with both internal change (your sales force, management) and external change (more educated buyers, the changing buying environment) is becoming standard and not an anomaly.Read More >
Dealing with the Informed Customer
Dr. Tom Sant | Oct 9, 2013
One of the major changes in the business-to-business marketplace over the past 20 years has been a dramatic shift in the balance of knowledge from the seller to the buyer. Thanks to the Internet and the various search tools available on it, many buyers know a lot more about the vendors than the vendors do about the prospective customer. In fact, a recent Corporate Executive Board study of more than 1,400 B2B customers found that they completed nearly 60% of a typical purchasing decision on average before having a single conversation with a supplier.Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Series: Onboarding Playbooks – Put your new hires in the express lane
Lewis Miller | Oct 3, 2013
Below is another guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at AGI, on using Onboarding Sales Playbooks to ramp up new hires more quickly.Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Series: Onboarding Playbooks – Put your new hires in the express lane by Kyle Uebelhor of AGI
Oct 3, 2013
Below is another guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at AGI, on using Onboarding Sales Playbooks to ramp up new hires more quickly.Read More >
Customer Experience & the Critical Role Sales Plays
Deirdre Sommerkamp | Oct 1, 2013
Today is the first annual CX Day, a global celebration of companies and people that are creating great experiences for customers. CX Day received official U.S. Congressional recognition, and I could not be happier. We have accomplished a great deal!Read More >
Transformative Change in the Sales Force with Dr. Tom Sant: Webinar Recap
Kaitlyn Myers | Sep 27, 2013
In our recent webinar with Dr Tom Sant, he discussed Transformative Change in the Sales Force: Overcoming the Barriers to Success. His discussion kicked off with four challenges around resisting change. Many people resist change - whether it's a change in our life or changing the way we work.Read More >
Have a great story? We want to hear it at Connect 2014!
Kaitlyn Myers | Sep 26, 2013
We're already hard at work preparing for next year's Connect: Sales Success Conference 2014 event coming up the end of March. Orlando will be the host for two days packed with sessions centered around delivering value to sales organizations through process, content, and technology. (General registration will open in November – stay tuned for more details!)Read More >
Resistance to Change - Combat the Fear of the Unknown
Dr. Tom Sant | Sep 17, 2013
Thirty years ago when libraries began to digitize their holdings, librarians and patrons alike complained about the change. A research study into the effects of library automation by Sarah Fine found widespread resistance to replacing the old card catalog with a computerized database of holdings. As she wrote then, "human beings tend to resist change, even when change represents growth and development….[leading to] greater efficiency and productivity."Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Series: Jumpstart Playbooks – Energize Your Change
Lewis Miller | Sep 13, 2013
Below is another guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at AGI, on using Jumpstart Playbooks to energize your sales teams. Check out their last posts on sales coaching playbooks and the cornerstones for great playbook design.Read More >
GUEST POST: Coaching Sales Reps out of Slumps?
Qvidian | Sep 10, 2013
Below is a guest blog post from Michael Boyette of Top Sales Blog on how to coach sales reps out of slumps. No matter how good your reps are, they're bound to hit a rut every now and then. Continue reading for some great coaching tips from Michael.Read More >
Twin Pillars of Sales Success: AGI Webinar Recap
Qvidian | Sep 5, 2013
Last week, we organized a live webinar discussion focused on the Twin Pillars of Sales Success: Vision & Execution with Eric Maurer and Kyle Uebelhor of the Alexander Group and hosted by Dr.Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Series: Coaching Playbooks – Blaze the Way
Lewis Miller | Aug 22, 2013
Below is a guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at AGI, on sales coaching playbooks. "Leaders are made, they are not born." – Vince LombardiRead More >
New Research on Sales Process Adoption & Usage from the SMA
Kaitlyn Myers | Aug 21, 2013
We were excited to be part of a recent webinar hosted by the Sales Management Association (SMA) last week. This lively discussion covered updated research on Sales Process Adoption and Usage. Qvidian President Lewie Miller joined other industry experts to discuss **how sales processes are acknowledged as critical to success, but the discipline to implement and enforce vary widely by organization**. ###So, what's the impact (of the sales process)?Read More >
Managing Change in the Sales Organization
Dr. Tom Sant | Aug 7, 2013
Bringing about change in a sales organization is one of the most difficult jobs in management. Let me share three quick anecdotes that illustrate the point, and then offer some observations about what we might learn from them: Desperation in Dayton After buying National Manufacturing and renaming it National Cash Register, John Henry Patterson found he had a problem. He was going broke. Retailers saw no reason to buy a complex, expensive cash register to use in their businesses.Read More >
GUEST POST: Cornerstones for Great Sales Playbook Design
Lewis Miller | Jul 29, 2013
Below is a guest blog post from Kyle Uebelhor, a Director at AGI, on the four principles for great sales playbook design. So you want a sales playbook? You've realized that a well-designed sales playbook is key to helping you execute your strategic vision and tackle these common sales conundrums:Read More >
Top 5 "Messages That Matter" from Dr. Tom Sant
Dr. Tom Sant | Jul 24, 2013
Big News! Dr. Tom Sant's popular newsletter, Messages that Matter is getting a new home over at Qvidian's Sales iQ Blog! We'll continue to email you links to Tom's blog posts in the coming weeks, but be sure to sign up for Qvidian's Sales iQ Blog so you don't miss any of Tom's great tips!Read More >
What the Shift to The Cloud Means for Sales Leaders
Karen Meyer | Jul 19, 2013
Let's talk about The Cloud. I am unaware of a more overused and misunderstood term in software than "The Cloud". It has come to mean anything and everything, from panacea to menace and all places in between. And Qvidian is a provider of "cloud-based" SaaS solutions!Read More >
GUEST POST: Sales Playbooks Make Your Kick Off Vision a Reality
Lewis Miller | Jul 17, 2013
Last October, Qvidian announced a new partnership with leading sales management consulting firm, the Alexander Group (AGI), coupling AGI's best-in-class sales process consulting with Qvidian's Sales Playbooks & Analytics cloud-based application. Below is a guest blog post from Eric Maurer, a Vice President and Region Leader at AGI, on how sales playbooks can make your sales vision a reality.Read More >
Introducing Qvidian Innovation Days
Karen Meyer | Jul 1, 2013
Here at Qvidian, we have long held the belief that innovation—true innovation—does not come from "the top", but rather comes from the ideas of the folks that create and work with the product on a day-to-day basis. All of our employees—regardless of role—have some cool little idea that they have been bouncing around in their head; maybe a product idea, or a way to make your (or somebody else's) job more efficient, or a process improvement to the way that we do our day-to-day.Read More >
Driving Change to Build a Value-Based Sales Culture
Qvidian | Jun 27, 2013
Last week, I attended the Alexander Group's (AGI) regional forum in New York City. An intimate event, it brought together sales leaders from some of the most recognized brands—GE, Pfizer, and Covidien among others. The AGI team provided compelling topics and content, but left a lot of the conversation to the attendees in the form of panels and discussion sessions.Read More >
Perspectives on Managing Sales Force Change
Qvidian | Jun 24, 2013
This month, the Sales Management Association released their latest research on Managing Sales Force Change with a webinar at the beginning of the month. My colleague, Amanda Wilson, participated on the panel where they discussed the various findings of the research. The research reviewed considerations like the expectations versus the reality of change, and what types of change initiatives are occurring.Read More >
GUEST POST: Keeping Your Sales Roles Crystal Clear
Lewis Miller | Jun 19, 2013
Last October, Qvidian announced a new partnership with leading sales management consulting firm, the Alexander Group (AGI), coupling AGI's best-in-class sales process consulting with Qvidian's Sales Playbooks & Analytics cloud-based application. Below is a guest blog post from Paul Vinogradov, Vice President at AGI, on the importance of role clarity.Read More >
Measuring the Impact of Content Across the Buying Cycle [INFOGRAPHIC]
Qvidian | Jun 13, 2013
Over the last several years, Content Marketing has emerged as a key focus area for Marketers—both B2B and B2C—as consumers have shut off traditional forms of "interruption" media and marketing vehicles in favor of more personalized, relevant, educational, and entertaining content that isn't so much an overt pitch-to-the-face, but more of an informative conversation.Read More >
Quantifying the Value of Your Proposal Team
Qvidian | Jun 6, 2013
Last week I had the privilege of attending the Association of Proposal Management Professionals' Bid and Proposal Con in Atlanta. Now, as Murphy's Law would have it, this also means that I had an influx of RFPs hit my inbox, but never fear, I use Qvidian Proposal Automation, or drink our own champagne as we like to say around here, so I can answer RFPs relatively quickly leaving me plenty of time to take in some enlightening sessions at the conference.Read More >
Announcing the Spring '13 Release of Qvidian Sales Playbooks & Analytics
Karen Meyer | Jun 3, 2013
It's a busy time to be leading Qvidian's product team! On the heels of the availability of Qvidian Proposal Automation 10, I'm happy to announce the Spring '13 Release of Qvidian Sales Playbooks & Analytics is now available as well!Read More >
Driving Innovation through a Strategic Product Vision
Karen Meyer | May 29, 2013
Wondering what goes on in the head of the person that leads Product Management for Qvidian? Other than when I'm going to have my next burger and when my 4 year old will be courageous enough to take his first bite, I'm continuously thinking about the challenges of salespeople and how Qvidian can help.Read More >
Qvidian Proposal Automation 10 is Here!
Karen Meyer | May 28, 2013
I am thrilled to announce that the next release of Qvidian Proposal Automation is here! The team has been hard at work to deliver this version that is truly a milestone in the Qvidian product roadmap. We hope you are as excited as we are for Qvidian Proposal Automation 10. This release focuses key enhancements in the following areas:Read More >
Messages That Matter: Tracking Results - Metrics and Measures
Dr. Tom Sant | May 22, 2013
A discussion on the Association of Proposal Management Professional's LinkedIn discussion board posed a very interesting question:How to measure success in responding to RFPs (requests for proposals) if management does not want to include win rate as one of the key criteria?Read More >
Sales is from Mars, Marketing is from Venus
Kaitlyn Myers | May 16, 2013
The theme at last week's Sirius Decisions Summit was alignment - how do we get Sales, Marketing, and Product aligned? Kudos to Sirius Decisions for effectively weaving this theme throughout the sessions during the event. This alignment topic is so relevant! With new technologies and methodologies, our environments are ever-changing, and everyone is moving so fast! In order to be successful, we must work together and "talk" to each other.Read More >
Mind the Gap: What's Missing During the Customer's Journey
Qvidian | Apr 19, 2013
How many times have you heard any of the following terms in say, the last week? Sales & Marketing Alignment Lead to Revenue Managing the Customer's Journey Revenue Performance Management Closing the Loop between Leads and Sales Revenue Cycle Management Run out of fingers to count on? Toes? Yeah, me too.Read More >
Top 10 Signs You're In Marketing
Qvidian | Apr 5, 2013
Qvidian is exhibiting at the upcoming Marketo Summit where we'll will get to share our story of how we turn marketing automation insights into action with other Marketing rock stars. As I was going through the sessions on the Marketo Summit agenda and reading about some of awesome things my Marketing peers are doing, I realized that us Marketers have a common set of traits.Read More >
Turn Your Marketing Automation Insights into Action for Your Sales Team
Qvidian | Apr 2, 2013
Marketing automation has been a critical part in my ability to be effective in my role as Director, Product Marketing & Programs here at Qvidian. We upgraded to Marketo from an older system about two years ago, and the difference has been night and day. Marketo's capabilities and user experience is far superior to our previous marketing automation system. Being able to manage and score our leads, run powerful nurture email campaigns, and measure the performance of our marketing programs makes it a tool my team can't live without!Read More >
Sales Enablement's Identity Crisis
Karen Meyer | Mar 27, 2013
Like a great bacon burger, it's taken me some time to appreciate and digest the rich content from the recent Forrester Sales Enablement Forum. I'm coming out of the food coma and that burger has now turned to energy burn on helping you solve your sales enablement problems. News flash – you have LOTS of them.Read More >
Takeaways from the Inaugural Meeting of the SMA Boston Chapter
Qvidian | Mar 18, 2013
On Friday, I attended the Sales Management Association's (SMA) inaugural Boston Chapter meeting. It was great to hear from local leaders in sales management from many familiar companies. I had the pleasure to speak with leaders from companies like Kronos, HP, EMC, as well as many local sales consulting firms.Read More >
Are You Setting Your Sales Team Up to Fail?
Lewis Miller | Feb 27, 2013
As we all know, sales leaders have been seeing increased pressure from the C-suite for some time now. Cut costs, find greater efficiencies, scale the team, and so forth and so on. You've heard them all before. And these changes are for good reason – today's economic environment requires us to do more with less, innovate faster, and be more responsive to the ever-changing buying environment. But, let's be clear: these attributes are no longer competitive advantages – they are table stakes.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 7—Why are we the right choice?
Dr. Tom Sant | Feb 25, 2013
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal We have been reviewing the seven key questions that you must be able to answer to write a winning proposal:Read More >
Is More than Half of Your Marketing Content Going to Waste?
Qvidian | Feb 14, 2013
We read about it all the time – sales & marketing alignment is a struggle for many organizations. According to Forrester Research, only 8% of B2B companies say they have tight alignment between sales and marketing. How depressing!Read More >
How Do You Manage Sales Force Change?
Qvidian | Feb 1, 2013
As a sales leader, managing organizational change successfully means doing so without it interrupting my team from selling. New products, new alliances, and new technologies all need to be rolled out to my team without disrupting their selling process and thereby missing quotas. I have spent many sleepless nights trying to gauge the impact one change will make on my team, and how to minimize the disruption so we still make our numbers. If you are a sales leader as well, I'm sure you can relate.Read More >
Go Mobile or Go Home: 5 Tips to Mobilize Your Sales Team
Qvidian | Jan 30, 2013
The rise of mobile applications in the enterprise is undeniable. Recently, I was in a meeting with Gartner VP & Distinguished Analyst, Rob Desisto, and we got to talking about sales teams and the trends and challenges they're facing in today's selling environments. Rob was quick to point out that 'mobile'—and its most effective use (or not) among sellers, is one of the top topics clients are seeking insight on. I wasn't surprised.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 6—Which Solution is the Best Fit?
Dr. Tom Sant | Jan 23, 2013
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal We have been reviewing the seven key questions that you must be able to answer to write a winning proposal:Read More >
Four Sales Trends Bringing Us Into 2013
Lewis Miller | Jan 9, 2013
During this time of year, we take a moment to reflect on what has transpired over the past twelve months, and try to look into our proverbial crystal balls to gain insights on what might happen in the next twelve. In this spirit, I'd like to highlight the top four trends that will carry us into 2013. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." ~Albert EinsteinRead More >
A Sales Manager's Letter to Santa
Qvidian | Dec 10, 2012
This time of the year always takes me back to my childhood—trimming the tree, spending time with family and loved ones, hoping it snows enough to cancel school, and writing my wish list to Santa. It got me wondering… now that I'm an adult, if I were to write a letter to Santa, what would I say?Read More >
Sales Forecasts: Inspect What You Expect
Lewis Miller | Dec 6, 2012
*Deeper visibility into rep's activity enables spot-coaching* Regardless of your company function, as managers we all set expectations for employees in the form of quotas, deliverables, etc. to obtain results. We measure results at specific points, whether it is monthly, which I like to think of as 12 100-yard dashes, quarterly, or during annual reviews. The issue is, at any level in any company, a **manager shouldn't wait until the review point to ask about progress toward goals**.Read More >
Generate More Revenue By Asking the Right Questions: Part Two
Qvidian | Dec 5, 2012
Last week we [posed a few questions](/blog/generate-more-revenue-asking-right-questions) in anticipation of a webinar, *Aligning Sales & Marketing to Generate Revenue: How "Best-in-Class" Companies Use Sales Playbooks to Increase Deal Size & Win More Business*, with Peter Ostrow, Vice President and Group Director, Aberdeen Group and Gerard Sample, Sr. Director of Sales Enablement, CA Technologies. This week we have some answers! Who's more in touch with the other's goals—sales or marketing? According to Peter Ostrow it depends.Read More >
Generate More Revenue By Asking the Right Questions
Qvidian | Nov 27, 2012
Who's more in touch with the other's goals—sales or marketing? Are you best-in-class or a laggard for meeting your annual quotas? Why do 28% more reps hit their numbers using Sales Playbooks? Does a central repository for sales proposals and contracts impact revenue? Find out the answers to these questions and more revenue generating strategies from the Aberdeen Group's Peter Ostrow and CA Technologies' Gerard Sample:*Read More >
The Impact of Changing Buying Processes on Sales & Marketing Alignment
Qvidian | Nov 20, 2012
Last week I participated in Marketo's Marketing Nation summit panel on, 'Marketing and Sales: It's Time to Play Nice.' It was a good discussion with lots of great thinking but there is one topic that I think needs to be addressed in much more depth.Read More >
Sales Forecasts—Don't Confuse Efforts with Results
Lewis Miller | Nov 14, 2012
*Second part in a series on sales forecasts* I recently attended an investor conference in Boston and as usual many of the questions asked of the presenting companies' executives had to do with their sales forecasts—their level of confidence in them and if they thought their projections were conservative or aggressive. Creating an accurate sales forecast is not an easy thing to do.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 5—What products or services can we offer?
Dr. Tom Sant | Nov 8, 2012
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal We have been reviewing the seven key questions that you must be able to answer to write a winning proposal:Read More >
CEB Sales and Marketing Summit Recap
Qvidian | Nov 1, 2012
Did you miss the Corporate Executive Board's Sales and Marketing Summit in Vegas last week? Too bad –as you missed out on some great networking, innovative thinking and data-driven discussions on how to effectively manage your sales and marketing initiatives. With almost 700 registrants, around 20 sessions and a cocktail or two (it is Vegas after all!), it was a great few days. Check out the Q team in action!Read More >
Cutting Through the Noise: a Few Conversations with Top Sales Execs
Karen Meyer | Oct 30, 2012
Last week, at the Alexander Group's annual Chief Sales Executive Forum in Florida, I had the opportunity to spend quality time with some of the most successful and challenged Sales VPs in the world. And, after many conversations over a day and a half, it dawned on me that what these guys truly care about is very straightforward—and when it comes to successful selling, probably hasn't changed since the stone ages: **building and managing pipeline, and closing business**.Read More >
New Research: Sales Playbooks—Not Just for Sales, Marketing Reaps Benefits
Qvidian | Oct 25, 2012
The Aberdeen Group, a leading enterprise technology consulting firm, recently released a new research brief, Sales Playbooks: How the Best-in-Class Connect Marketing and Sales through the Entire Selling Lifecycle. One of the main findings was that companies who use Sales Playbooks outperform companies who don't in many key areas, including those outlined in the following chart:Read More >
7 Minutes in Sales Heaven
Karen Meyer | Oct 16, 2012
This week, I got a new iPad at work. I took it out of the box, set it up and configured it to work with the [sales effectiveness application](/sales-playbooks) I'm "in charge of" at work in just under 7 minutes. Before I did this, I happened to notice The Sales Guy (aka my husband) sitting in our dark "junk room" (formerly known as the garage) completely illuminated by his computer screen. Looking angelic really. I was so excited to show him the iPad and my work stuff that I bounded down the hallway into the darkness.Read More >
True or False: 7 Things Every Sales Rep Says
Qvidian | Oct 16, 2012
1. I have better content than marketing. Do they think I actually use what they send? They don't ask me for input or if their content works or not. If they did, I'd show them what I use so they could make the content they produce better and more relevant to my needs.Read More >
Why is it so Difficult to Create an Accurate Sales Forecast?
Lewis Miller | Oct 15, 2012
Welcome to Qvidian's new Sales iQ blog! This blog will be a great reflection of what The Q team—sales effectiveness gurus who have been working with sales teams for nearly two decades—have to say about successful selling and what's happening in the rapidly changing sales industry. We'd also like to tap into what other B2B sales and marketing practitioners are saying about what's working and what's not.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 4—Which specific result is most important?
Dr. Tom Sant | Sep 27, 2012
By Dr. Tom Sant 7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal We have been reviewing the seven key questions that you must be able to answer to write a winning proposal:Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 3—What results does the customer seek?
Dr. Tom Sant | Aug 2, 2012
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal As you may recall, we've been discussing the seven questions you need to be able to answer to write a client-centered proposal. Here they are:Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 2—Why is the customer's problem worth solving?
Dr. Tom Sant | Jun 27, 2012
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal We've been discussing the seven questions you need to be able to answer to write a client-centered proposal. Here they are:Read More >
Messages that Matter: Question 1—What is the customer's problem or need?
Dr. Tom Sant | Jun 18, 2012
7 Key Questions to Answer When Writing a "Killer" Sales Proposal Lots of bad proposals are bad because they were written in a knowledge vacuum. The proposal writer knows very little about the account, the business situation, or the decision maker's goals. Sometimes the salesperson has thrown a request for proposal over the wall and said, "Just give them our standard response." Sometimes the proposal team hasn't bothered to ask any questions. Either way, the result is a turgid, generic document that sounds self-centered and fundamentally irrelevant.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Minimizing Cognitive Dissonance
Dr. Tom Sant | May 21, 2012
What is Cognitive Dissonance? For a number of years I have been using the term "cognitive dissonance" to describe a phenomenon that everyone experiences. I'm probably using it incorrectly, but I have a confession to make: I'm not going to stop. The term was coined by Leon Festinger, who studied a Chicago cult that had expected the world to end on December 21, 1954. (By the way, what is it with apocalyptic prophecies and December 21? That's the date the Mayans have supposedly predicted the world will end this year.)Read More >
Messages that Matter: Can Feeling Happy Increase Your Productivity?
Dr. Tom Sant | Mar 6, 2012
Want to be More Productive? Put a Smile on Your Face Can feeling happy increase your productivity? Does feeling stressed reduce it? Research shows that the answer to both questions is yes. Stress kills productivity, makes it harder to focus, and saps your energy. If you are a proposal manager who is swamped with "must win" bids, or a sales person with an aggressive quota, you know what stress feels like.Read More >
Messages that Matter: The First Time Right Rule
Dr. Tom Sant | Jan 26, 2012
"The First Time Right" Rule The most important rule for communicating your sales message, in my opinion, is the "first time right" rule. It's a simple concept: The first time somebody reads or hears your message, they get it right. There's no ambiguity, no vagueness, no confusion in your message. They never have to go back and re-read the sentence or paragraph to try to figure out what you meant.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Unleashing the Wisdom of the Sales Team
Glorifying the "Gunslinger" In recent years, Nobel Prize winner Carl Wieman has found that dividing physics and chemistry students into small groups and having them discuss specific, practical problems among themselves increases comprehension for everyone in the group of the relevant principles.Read More >
Messages that Matter: 7 Traits of Effective Sales Organizations
With apologies to the late, great Stephen Covey and his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, here are the seven traits of highly successful sales organizations. They're presented in alphabetical order, because they all matter.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Selling Lean
The Development of Lean Thinking One of the most fruitful movements in business during the past twenty years or so has been the development of Lean Thinking. Championed most notably in the auto industry, it has spread to other industries as well. Using careful measurement of performance in real-world settings, Lean Thinking focuses on identifying the activities that create value, determining the optimum sequence of activities, eliminating those activities that add no value or that produce waste, enabling the customer to "pull", and then improving the process again and again.Read More >
Messages that Matter: Understanding the Art of Winning
Dr. Tom Sant | Dec 9, 2011
Defining WinningRead More >