The new Customer 2.0 is savvy and social, utilizing a myriad of networks and channels to voice their opinion and recommend the products they love (and condemn those they dislike). But there’s also a select group of sales pros who have taken this social bull by the horns, providing insight to their peers about getting on the same level as the customer via sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and their own blogs.

In January, we recognized the savviest sales industry professionals using the social Web, and continued the list because we were equally impressed by yet another pack of social media leaders.

Today, we extend the InsideView 50 to another select group of sales executives, writers, trainers, analysts and more – all of whom focus on leading the new wave of selling, or what we like to call, Sales 2.0. Like InsideView, these individuals are ushering in a new era of sales, and we’re happy to recognize them for doing so.

And without further ado:

Paul Castain, VP of sales development for Consolidated Graphics (CGX)

@PaulCastain

Company Website: http://www.cgx.com/Public/index.asp

Paul is the VP of sales development for CGX by day and a Sales Jedi by night (and day.)  He shares his more than 25 years of sales experience on his blog, The Sales Playbook.  He also shares tips & tricks, resources, industry news and other great stuff with over 12,000 sales professionals that belong to his Sales Playbook group on LinkedIn.. He has trained more than 3,000 sales professionals, has authored numerous articles and manuals and is currently in the process of releasing his first book.


Doyle Slayton, founder of SalesBlogcast.com

@SalesBlogcast

Company website: http://salesblogcast.com/

Doyle is the founder of SalesBlogcast, a sales and leadership blog that provides industry insight, resources and information. As the founder of the blog, Doyle has become an internationally recognized sales strategist, speaker and blogger, and his LinkedIn group has developed a huge following with regular contributions from sales professionals around the world.


Thomas Reidy, author of The Sales Whisperer for Entrepreneurs

@tmreidy

Company website: http://www.thomasreidy.com/

Thomas is an accomplished author and provides resources and advice from more than 30 years of experience in sales and business development. He is also the only expert of his type to appear 12consecutive times in Who’s Who in America, and specializes in coaching “Old School vs. New School” business development skills.


Brian Carroll, CEO of InTouch

@BrianJCarroll

Company website: http://www.startwithalead.com/

Brian is the CEO of InTouch and creator of the B2B Lead Generation blog. He authored Lead Generation for the Complex Sale (McGraw-Hill) and has shared his expertise in publications including BtoB Magazine, Selling Power, Sales and Marketing Management, The Wall Street Journal and CMO Magazine.


Ken Thoreson, president of Acumen Management Group

@KenThoreson

Company website: http://www.acumenmgmt.com

Ken is the president of Acumen Management group. He brings a wealth of “old school” expertise to our list of savvy sales professionals, sharing his expertise on Twitter and in a variety of publications. Ken writes the Your Sales Management Guru blog and contributes regularly on LinkedIn.


Eric Blumthal, CEO of Count5 and creator of (social network for salespeople)

@EricBlumthal

Company website: http://www.count5.com/

Eric is the CEO of Count5 and the creator of Funny Sales Cartoons, a social network for salespeople. His Twitter bio says enough: “I tweet about sales effectiveness★★#B2Bsales thought tweader / software CEO that doesn’t take himself 2 seriously. I help Sales VP’s w/execution.”


S. Anthony Iannarino, president and chief sales officer of SOLUTIONS Staffing

@Iannarino

Company website: http://thesalesblog.com/

S. Anthony is the president and CSO of SOLUTIONS Staffing, and runs The Sales Blog. He also owns B2B Sales Coach and actively tweets with tips and resources to help educate and inform fellow sales professionals.


Skip Anderson, founder and president of Selling to Consumers

@SkipAnderson

Company website: http://blog.sellingtoconsumers.com/

Skip is the founder and president of Selling to Consumers, a sales training and consulting company. Similar to his peers on our list, his Twitter bio speaks for itself: “Authority on B2C selling, writer, retail sales training, speaker, blogger, geek (not in the tech sense, but in the geeky sense).”


Peter Ostrow, sales effectiveness research director at the Aberdeen Group

@PeterOstrow

Company website: http://www.aberdeen.com/

Peter is the sales effectiveness research director at the Aberdeen Group, and is a highly recognized analyst covering the technology, service and consulting enablers that enterprise sales forces deploy to become Best-in-Class organizations. His research is widely publicized and covers topics such as sales training and sales intelligence.



Dave Stein, founder, chairman and CEO of ES Research Group

@DaveStei

Company website: http://www.esresearch.com/

Dave is the founder, chairman and CEO of ES Research Group, and is a highly recognizedcontributor to leading business magazines and websites. The sales expert began his career as a professional trumpeter, but has since worked up a great reputation for his professional contributions (some of which can be seen in his blog).


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