Introducing The Hybrid Sales Channel

DENVER, Dec. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Rich Blakeman's new book, "The Hybrid Sales Channel," is an enlightening look at how to increase organic sales growth by connecting the divide between direct and indirect sales, and doing so with the customer's wants squarely in focus.

With the profession changing from how salespeople want to sell to considering how customers want to purchase, traditional sales models must change, too. As Blakeman writes in the first chapter: "Companies have fooled themselves in believing they can influence or dictate how customers will buy – and they follow that supposition through to designing go-to-market approaches that reflect how they want to sell rather than how customers want to buy."

By bridging the gap between direct and indirect sales, companies can grow topline sales organically and exponentially faster than using the traditional model of separate direct and indirect sales approaches.

Blakeman, managing director of the Channel Sales Center of Excellent at MHI Global, a TwentyEighty company, dives into specifics on what he means by a hybrid sales channel. In his book, which has been named a top business book for 2015 by industry influencer Geoffrey James, he looks at why the traditional sales model no longer suits customers and instead explains a systematic way sales professionals can identify how customers are buying today, how they want to buy and facilitating what those customers are already doing. By listening to what the customers want and providing them with a different experience, they will buy more products and services from you, and not the competition.

To smooth over the potential conflicts between sales teams, the book shows how to take the unique strengths of each direct and indirect resource at the territory level and align these strengths with the company's products, services and solutions. By using the right resources it will drive more sales, better sales and faster sales.

Blakeman also understands that sales teams have limited resources and "The Hybrid Sales Channel" adds clarity to the exact sales motions to be performed by every direct and indirect resource aligned to cover a specific territory and to position the resource's unique strength in the eyes of the customer.

"The Hybrid Sales Channel" also looks at how to increase and expand partner productivity by engaging partners deeper at the sales representative level by demonstrating an open, collaborative culture that values the unique strengths of all partners in front of every customer.

For more information about "The Hybrid Sales Channel," visit: thehybridsaleschannel.com

About MHI Global
MHI Global is one of the largest dedicated performance improvement companies in the world, bringing game-changing insight to sales performance, customer experience and leadership and management. MHI Global helps companies build and sustain successful, customer-focused organizations that drive profitable revenue and predictable top-line growth on a global scale. To learn more, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Google+.

About TwentyEighty, Inc.
TwentyEighty is a one of the largest workforce development companies in the world and is powered by some of the premier brands in the industry, such as Miller Heiman, VitalSmarts, Forum, Strategy Execution and Omega Performance. Our solutions are designed to help companies improve business results through the areas of Leadership Performance, Sales Performance, Credit Performance and Strategic Execution.  Visit us at www.twentyeighty.com.

About the Author:
Rich Blakeman is Managing Director of the Channel Sales Center of Excellence (formerly Channel Enablers) at MHI Global, a position he has held since July 2013. As Managing Director, he owns all operational and sales functions for the division from delivery of services, to global sales consultants and operational sales groups, interfacing with cross-functional teams and overseeing marketing and product functions. Rich started at Miller Heiman in 2006 as Sales Vice President where he grew Miller Heiman's North American business and expanded its global clientele. His efforts directly contributed to five straight years of profit and revenue growth for Miller Heiman. Based on that work, he moved into his current position, where he combines his sales and business development skills.

Prior to joining MHI, he was vice president of sales strategy at the privately held hotel and restaurant firm Carlson Companies. Throughout his 25 years in sales and marketing, Rich has been "hands-on" when it comes to motivating and building teams, and interfacing with clients--resulting in consistent delivery of customer wins. In other senior executive roles, Rich led sales and marketing for partner firms of industry leaders like Oracle, Microsoft and Lotus. He began his career at IBM where he spent 19 years cultivating skills in sales, marketing and leading all facets of the customer experience. His experience is as diverse as building the business model for IBM's field entry into consulting services, achieving the first ISO registration of an IBM field organization, and integrating hardware, software, network and consulting services into a single field organization serving IBM's clients.

Rich is a regular keynote presenter on sales best practices for global companies across the sales advisory spectrum. He specializes in leading teams in sales strategy consulting, operational reviews and development of channels and direct sales teams. Rich has facilitated many leadership, strategy and training workshops for clients in technology, telecommunications, healthcare, and other industries using diverse routes to market.

Rich received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in communications from Eastern Illinois University.

Social Media:
Rich Blakeman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/richblakeman
Rich Blakeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richblakeman

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SOURCE TwentyEighty

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