The audience for this book is that group whose job is "selling," and who desire to hone the skills associated with their profession and advance from "salesperson" to "sales professional" and to continue their professional development until having achieved the penultimate role in sales: that of "Trusted Advisor" to his or her customer or client. The author recognizes that the complexity associated with selling to "Major Accounts" requires a unique skill set, methodology and sales framework, and a degree of professionalism to deal with such accounts, which are characterized by having multiple decision makers, a longer sales cycle - ranging from six months to two years or more, and a higher dollar volume as represented by both "deal size" and annual sales volume. As comfortable on "Mahogany Row" dealing with C-Level executives as with dealing at the Project Manager level, it is the unique combination of skills, poise, bearing, professionalism and commitment to continued professional development that characterizes the successful Sales Professional in this role.
About the Author: George Devitt's career has spanned three decades in a variety of progressively responsible sales, marketing, business development and general management positions in a variety of industries. Devitt has served as Chief Marketing Officer at firms ranging from pre-IPO startups to NYSE-listed companies. Most recently he has served as Founder and Managing Director of Polaris Advisory Group, an Orlando-based management consultancy with clients on four continents. He has also held senior leadership positions in a variety of firms - ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Devitt is a graduate of the Warrington School of Business Administration at the University of Florida, where he majored in Marketing. Devitt is also a member of the Congressional Business Advisory Council, a Member of the National CMO Council, an Advisor to the Gerson Lehrman Group Council of Advisors where he has achieved the designation of "Scholar," a member of the University of Florida Alumni Association, a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Scholastic Society, a member of the Florida Blue Key Leadership Honorary, and a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity Alumni Association. He is married to Dr. Leslie Gavin Devitt and has four children. He resides in the Orlando, Florida, area.