I just ran across some interesting information that may help someone out there execute on their sales strategy.

The Prime Resource Group lists some common challenges people face, which are:

• Our marketing strategy message is poorly executed and becomes highly diluted by the time a customer hears it.
• Our customer is missing the connection between our solutions and the impact on their business objectives.
• We are facing more and more customers who treat our offerings as commodities and miss the uniqueness of our value proposition.
• Our best market opportunities are dismissed by the sales force in favor of the "easy and familiar."
• Our sales organization is still trying to be all things to all people and we don't know if it's poor marketing strategy or poor execution.
• We're hearing too little, too late - and the competitor is eating away at our best marketing strategy.
• Our value proposition is not taken to the executive level and connecting with their business issues.

And the BayGroup has a good article on executing on your sales strategy, which should address the items listed above. They list the following skills for required for executing a sales strategy:

• Position your solution advantageously.
• Manage the two-way flow of information skillfully.
• Set and communicate high targets.
• Ask questions that uncover underlying motivations and the true business
• and personal needs.
• Communicate assertive requests and clear expectations.
• Make value for value trades.
• Manage tension in the sales process.