Cranfield Research Finds Many Sales Behaviours are Ineffective

LONDON, November 29, 2010 - The Harvard Business Review (HBR) has published an article in
the December 2010 issue discussing Cranfield School of Management's research
project with sales consultancy Silent Edge - www.silentedge.co.uk.

Professor Lynette Ryals' article bit.ly/d8We4F 'Do You
Really Know Who Your Best Salespeople Are?' highlights some topical
management insights resulting from the joint research project between
Cranfield and Silent Edge.

Cranfield worked with data, provided by Silent Edge, analysing
the performance of 800 sales professionals observed in live sales
interactions. The report identifies eight sets of behaviours in sales
meetings. By understanding these behaviours, managers could effect changes in
their current sales force and recruit better team members in the future.

The bad news is that only three of the eight behavioural
types, a mere 37% of the sales force, were effective. However, the good news
is that behavioural tendencies can be managed over time, encouraging sales
people to adopt behaviours of the most effective types.

HBR is one of the most influential business journals in the
world and highly respected among academic and management communities.

"The results of the research are ground-breaking," says Silent
Edge's CEO Russell Ward. "For the first time organisations are able to
identify what types of behaviours they have in their sales forces, giving
managers invaluable knowledge to develop their teams. This is where Silent
Edge is leading the market and we're helping our clients achieve incredible
performance improvements using our innovative evaluation and development
tools."

Lynette Ryals, Professor of Strategic Sales and Account
Management at Cranfield School of Management, co-authored the article with Dr
Iain Davies, a lecturer at the University of Bath. Professor Ryals' most
recent books include 'Key Account Plans' with Malcolm MacDonald (2008) and
'Managing Customers Profitably' (2008).

"The most exciting part of our results is how the behaviours
of these sales people are linked to their success," says Professor Ryals.
"This is an important report for companies wanting to improve their sales
performance."

Read the full article here: bit.ly/d8We4F

Read the full research report here: bit.ly/hvMiXP

Notes to Editors

Silent Edge's unique and award-winning approach empowers sales managers
to objectively evaluate their teams against industry best practice in live
selling situations. A pioneering technology platform and tailored training
programmes are producing extraordinary results in some of the UK's biggest
organisations.

For more information about Silent Edge please contact Silent Edge's Press
Office: Katie King, E: katie@2thefore.biz T: + 44(0)1892-520123 or
+44(0)7525-727288 Or visit www.silentedge.co.uk and
twitter.com/SilentEdge

Cranfield School of Management is one of Europe's leading
university management schools renowned for its strong links with industry and
business. It is committed to providing practical management solutions through
a range of activities including postgraduate degree programmes, management
development, research and consultancy. www.som.cranfield.ac.uk

For more information or to arrange an interview with Professor
Lynette Ryals please contact: Cranfield School of Management Media Relations
on: T: +44(0)1234-754348 or E: emily.reed@cranfield.ac.uk

For more information about Silent Edge please contact Silent Edge's Press
Office: Katie King, E: katie at 2thefore.biz T: + 44(0)1892-520123 or
+44(0)7525-727288; For more information or to arrange an interview with Professor
Lynette Ryals please contact: Cranfield School of Management Media Relations
on: T: +44(0)1234-754348 or E: emily.reed at cranfield.ac.uk