Sales Education Foundation gives $15K in research recognition

June 21, 2012 - PRLog -- The Sales Education Foundation (SEF) today announced the winning recipients of the 2012 Neil Rackham Research Award Program. Made possible by Rackham’s $75,000 gift to be distributed over five years, the three $5,000 endowments recognize individuals and institutions that elevate the sales profession via academic research. Recipients were judged on their ability to use academic research to address top industry challenges.  

Jeanne Frawley, Executive Director of the SEF, views the research program as an opportunity to bridge a gap between what many academics have been researching and what the business community needs. “The research awards support collaboration that permits both universities and global companies to prosper.”  

Recipients Annie Liu (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) and Mark Leach (Loyola Marymount University) will use the funds to investigate how companies can win back lost customers. The second award will enable Toby Norman (University of Cambridge) to research sales compensation in emerging markets. The final recipient, Mike Ahearne (University of Houston), was recognized for using research findings to improve practitioner performance.

According to Neil Rackham, best-selling author and renowned sales researcher, “the time has come for increased collaboration between sales researchers and practitioners. We have seen them work separately for decades – now we can streamline their work into a cohesive strategy that will benefit universities, sales practitioners and consumers alike.”

For information on future grants, partnership and support opportunities, or to learn more about the growing sales education space, contact the Sales Education Foundation at 800.776.4436.