| Accelerators |
| In Sales compensation, a component used to help stimulate sustained selling efforts. Typically, accelerators are introduced after a given level of revenue is reached or exceeded. |
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| Acceptance |
| A favorable attitude expressed by a customer for a salesperson's recommendation or solution. |
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| Account Management |
| The process and discipline of working with accounts in order to build long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships. |
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| Account Planning / Account Plan |
| The process or method one follows to assess the opportunities within an account, and what is needed to achieve mutual goals with a customer. |
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| Action Plan |
| A set of steps one will take to achieve a desired objective. Typically, good action plans are specific and have a target completion date assigned to them. |
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| Active Listening |
| The practice of being fully focused and engaged as listening takes place. Eye contact, positive body language, clarification, are part of the many skills used in active listening. |
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| Activity Management |
| The management and study of those activities the sales organization performs in order to achieve desired results. Where time is spent is the primary component of activity management. |
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| Added Value |
| The process of going the extra mile with a customer. Added value also is used to describe when products and services include additional features beyond what is generally desired by the customer at no additional cost. |
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| Advocates |
| Those people in the customer's organization a salesperson works with who support the recommendation being offered. |
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| Agent / Broker |
| A person who has the authority or is empowered to represent a company or a company's products and services. Agents and brokers are used by selling organizations to capitalize on the agent's / broker's local presence and capacity to support the organization's purpose or mission. |
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| AIDA |
| Acronym - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. A standard in the early sales literature, AIDA is still considered by some to represent the essential components of selling. |
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| Alignment |
| The process of taking the elements of your offer to a customer and bringing those elements "into line" to match, or be connected to the customer's objectives. |
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| Analyze Questions |
| Perhaps the most important type of questions, these questions are at the root of effective selling, consulting, and coaching. There are generally four types of high-level analyze questions: Clarification, Cause, Implication, Quantify -- each having its own role in the discovery process. |
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| ASP |
| Acronym - Application Service Provider. Used to describe an organization who offers a service, typically technology oriented and over the internet, as their primary method of doing business. |
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| Attitude |
| The frame of mind of a salesperson or a sales manager. Attitude is considered extremely important in the world of sales, as it drives compelling behavior. A salesperson's ability to assess the attitude of the customer is equally important. Being able to align with or address a wide range of customer attitudes is essential in effective selling. |
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