Selling Geek reviews technology and resources that might be valuable to sales professionals. We have established a standardized rating system to summarize our evaluation of a reviewed offering. We call it the Sales Pro Value Score:

(5 briefcases) This is an outstanding, “must have” item for all sales professionals. It will provide very high value immediately, and is an exceptional bargain.

(4 briefcases)

This is a very good addition to most salespeople’s inventory of selling tools. It performs reliably and is attractively priced.

(3 briefcases)

This product or service may be of interest to some salespeople, but not all. It provides adequate value for the investment required, but could be better.

(2 briefcases)

This product provides relatively little value to most salespeople, although a few might find it worthwhile.

(1 briefcase)

This offering provides almost nil value to salespeople, and has some very significant performance issues. Approach with extreme caution, if at all.

Selling Geek may also award additional “half-briefcase” evaluations, to distinguish products that stand above the previous category, but do not quite reach the next highest level.

Our Review Criteria

We evaluate technology and resources solely by the potential value that we think the product or service provides to sales professionals, as determined by the following criteria:

• How well does the product help salespeople do their jobs? Specifically, does the product help salespeople to find prospects, qualify opportunities, develop relationships, prove value, negotiate, close business, and/or manage customer satisfaction?
• Is the product easy to acquire and use? Is there a steep learning curve?
• What business impact will the product have on the salesperson? What is the potential return? How much does the product increase salesperson effectiveness or efficiency, and how quickly?
• How expensive is the product? How much money does it cost? How much investment in time and other resources does the product require to be useful to a salesperson?
• What is the track record of the organization providing the product? Do they offer good customer service? What are their policies regarding returns or addressing customer service requests? What kind of service level agreements, if any, does the organization provide? Do they also offer complementary products or services, such as training or other integrated offerings?
• Does the product provide other intangible benefits to salespeople? Does it have a special “cool factor” as a result of aesthetic design, technological innovation, or unique approach to solving a salesperson’s problem?

These review criteria are entirely subjective, and our evaluations are solely the opinions of Selling Geek reviewers, based on their observations, experience and individual judgment.

As part of our review process, we research current news and analysis, and also conduct a hands-on examination of the product or service to the extent that we can. Sometimes product manufacturers or service providers don’t let us have direct access to every aspect of a product we are reviewing — whenever this happens, we will make note of it in our review.

Please note: because we are evaluating the value of products or services to sales professionals only, our reviews can be either more or less favorable than other editorial sources. This does not mean that any given offering doesn’t have merit, or that other reviewers are less observant than we are — it only means that for our particular audience, the product in question provides a different amount of usefulness and utility.

Do you want to review products for salespeople?

Selling Geek is looking for editorial contributors and reviewers. If you are interested, see our Contact Us page and reach out to us — and please send a summary of your background. Be aware: we do not pay for reviews or editorial submissions — our review staff is entirely voluntary.  Also, we do not accept editorial contributions from businesses, or any contributions that contain promotions or linkbacks to commercial ventures with which the author is affiliated.

Do you have a product that you’d like Selling Geek to review?

We’re always looking for the “next big thing” for salespeople. See our Contact Us page and reach out to us — we’re eager to talk with you.