Your Sales Management Guru

February 16th, 2010

Summary:

Ken Thoreson is a sales management thought leader and principal of Acumen Management Group Ltd., a sales leadership training consultancy. He has more than 25 years of experience in sales leadership and management. Ken provides clients proven expertise in developing and implementing creative sales management strategies that build predictable revenue, and is well known for his editorial contributions and speaking services about effective sales leadership and sales management.
 
Over the past 12 years, Acumen’s consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated and rejuvenated the sales efforts of hundreds of early stage, turnaround and major corporations companies throughout North America. Acumen is adept at “operationalizing” its expertise in business and sales execution, channel management, revenue generation, sales analysis, forecasting, recruitment, and sales training to help organizations move up and move ahead.
 
Prior to founding the Acumen Management Group, Ltd., Ken led development stage, entrepreneurial and national vertical software sales organizations as the Vice President of Sales.

 At every stage of a company’s growth, effective and systematic sales management is a critical factor in building the organization and guaranteeing its business success.  An early-stage company entering new markets with new products must establish comprehensive sales management systems to attract, build and manage a direct or indirect distribution channel.  High-growth companies that are launching new products require more sophisticated strategy and sales management for outpacing product penetration and distribution channel development.  Sales management systems must be established to attract, build and manage appropriate sales channels.  An organization’s declining or flat revenues are a clear indication that sales management has failed to meet the organization’s critical objectives.

Sales Leaders face many challenges in helping their organizations attain revenue goals.  Since their people, time and money resources are limited, it is imperative that they arm their sales organizations with tools and techniques for identifying and maximizing every opportunity.  In addition, they must modify sales plans and performance measurements to integrate the continuous flow of management decisions and communications and marketing strategies and tactics.  And they must cope with the competition, product/service life cycle, and timing issues that affect market acceptance of their company’s products and services.

 Products          AMGL’s sales management offerings include sales management planning, & Services        organizational design, recruitment strategies, compensation planning, market and territory analysis, strategic alliance program development, salesperson development programs, distribution/channel management strategies, and account management strategies.  The firm also sponsors The Sales Management Board of Advisors^TM, groups of ten to twenty non-competitive sales management professionals that meet monthly to gain insight into resolving common challenges.  The Sales Management Board of Advisors facilitates problem sharing within the groups and hosts recognized speakers.  AMGL delivers seminars and presentations to various professional groups, and delivers and sponsors corporate sales certification programs.

 Acumen shares its proven sales management system in a Web-based strategic sales planning, account and sales management software application that builds predictable revenue.  Interactive Sales Manager Tool Kit^TM (ISM) is an electronic robust content library that contains many of the tools Acumen has developed for their clients. These documents/tools aid Sales Leaders with many of the everyday tools to achieve the tasks required of a high performance sales organization.

ISM  features online tools and techniques that help sales managers maximize trade show opportunities, recruit and hire quality sales professionals, enhance sales performance, improve compensation, increase sales activity, enhance motivation, plan and build predictable revenue, conduct productive sales meetings, and tips on coaching for success.  AMGL frequently updates these online resources with concepts and tools that have been successfully used.

Management    Ken Thoreson, Acumen president, has more than 20 years of software/technology solutions sales management experience, including 17 in niche market distribution with emerging and high-growth national companies. The sales management thought leader is well known for his expertise in sales execution, channel management, revenue generation, sales analysis, forecasting, recruitment, and training within the sales function.  Prior to founding AMGL, he led development-stage, entrepreneurial, and $150-million national vertical software sales organizations as vice president of sales. 

Ken is frequently invited to speak at major technology and sales industry conferences, including Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conferences, Cisco Systems Worldwide Partner Conference,  Sales and Marketing Executives International Conference (SMEI), CA World, TechData/TechSelect Member Conferences,  Microsoft Solution Partners Meeting, Microsoft Business Solutions Stampede, Ingram Micro’s Venture Tech, SAP, CMP/VARBusiness XChange Conferences, SAP Partner Conference, SolidWorks World, Gartner IT Visionshare, CompTIA BreakAway, NASBA Management Academy, He has authored many articles spanning a variety of sales management topics, which have appeared in Personal Selling Power, VARBusiness,  Reseller Management, Business Products Professional, Dental Practice Success, Minnesota Technology, Minnesota Business & Opportunities, SmartReseller, and  is currently a columnist for Redmond Channel Partner Magazine.

Contact          Ken Thoreson, 423-884-6328, ken@acumenmgmt.com.