May 2020 – Present · 6 yrs · New Hampshire, United States · Remote

• Modern Sales Foundations is the training division of SPARXiQ, launched in 2020. They provide sales and sales management training. Courses include B2B sales methodology, negotiation, relationship building, virtual selling, sales coaching excellence, and sales management foundations.
• See https://modernsalesfoundations.com for more.
• I support the implementation of courses that include my intellectual property and content, which include:
• 🔹Modern Sales Foundations: https://bit.ly/MSF-site
• 🔹Sales Management Foundations: https://bit.ly/SCE-site
• 🔹Sales Coaching Excellence: https://bit.ly/SCE-site

Dec 2018 – Present · 7 yrs 5 mos · New Ipswich, New Hampshire, United States · Remote

• 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦 & 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗫𝗶𝗤 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.
• SPARXiQ is committed to helping manufacturing and distribution companies solve business challenges by enabling data-driven decisions and equipping their sales team to accelerate results.
• Their sales training brand is now Modern Sales Foundations. When clients purchase sales or sales management training solutions that include my intellectual property and content, I support the implementations to help them achieve the outcomes they want.
• 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗫𝗶𝗤 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀:
• 🔹Strategic pricing services (see: https://sparxiq.com/pricegps/)
• 🔹Sales & business analytics (see: https://sparxiq.com/business-analytics/ & https://sparxiq.com/salesgps/)
• 🔹Sales enablement (based on my book, The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement - see: https://bit.ly/BBofSE)
• 🔹Sales advisory services (see: https://bit.ly/iQAdvisoryServices)
• 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁:
• 🔹Sales methodology via their Modern Sales Foundations course (see: https://bit.ly/MSF-site)
• 🔹Sales Management Foundations course (see: https://bit.ly/SMF-site)
• 🔹Sales Coaching Excellence course (see: https://bit.ly/SCE-site)
• They also offer other courses, as well. Explore their website to learn more: https://modernsalesfoundations.com

Mar 2017 – May 2018 · 1 yr 2 mos · Greater Boston Area

• I built and led the sales transformation practice for Fast Lane (see http://www.FastLane.com), a new division of Fast Lane Consulting & Education Services.
• Fast Lane serves the high-tech market and provides training and consulting services to enable technical teams to perform at their highest levels. Clients range from growing mid-market systems integrators to Fortune 25 digital transformation leaders.
• Fast Lane also focuses on the high-tech market, serving the Internet of Things/Industrial Internet sector and all the various players in the IoT ecosystem (OEMs, VARs, SIs, etc.).
• We established the sales transformation practice to guide clients through the process of preparing their sales force, channel, and ecosystem partners to capitalize on the market opportunities ahead with IoT. Solutions included diagnostics, assessments, sales competency work, sales process and buying process alignment, a systems approach to sales (primarily the sales selection, sales readiness and enablement, sales learning, and sales management systems) and the 5 stages of sales mastery and behavior change, to deliver pre-determined outcomes. I provided the expertise internally and put the necessary partnerships in place to help clients radically transform their sales results.
• Download the white paper I wrote for them on Realizing the Growth Potential of the Internet of Things at: http://bit.ly/IoTPotential-FLD
• Download my eBook on Sales Coaching Excellence at: http://bit.ly/SalesCoachingEbook-FLD

Oct 2016 – Jan 2017 · 3 mos · Greater Boston Area

• Did demand generation by sharing thought leadership about Sales Readiness, Sales Enablement, Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Manager Enablement and more, through webinars, publishing, podcasts, and speaking.
• Published in many leading industry content providers including Brainshark, Sales & Marketing Management, Selling Power, MarTech Advisor and more; quoted in Forbes.
• Leading monthly webinar series for Brainshark and Sales & Marketing Management, and participating in BrightTALK’s Sales Experts channel.
• In the role transition in late Q4 2016, drove 1,778 registrations, 810 AQLs, and 6 fully-qualified leads (so far) with only 3 webinars.
• See my posts on Brainshark's blog at:
• https://www.brainshark.com/ideas-blog/blogger-bios/mike-kunkle
• See Brainshark upcoming webinars and on-demand replays at:
• https://www.brainshark.com/company/events
• Join the Sales Experts BrightTALK channel (I'm a webinar leader there) at:
• https://www.brighttalk.com/channel/14877/the-sales-experts-channel
• In 2017, I'll be leading a monthly webinar series on Sales & Marketing Management Magazine's channel, "Sales Transformation Series with Mike Kunkle." See:
• http://bit.ly/MKonSMMConnect
• For an example of the value I've delivered over my career, see http://bit.ly/MikeKunkleCareerProfile

Sep 2015 – Oct 2016 · 1 yr 1 mo · Greater Boston Area

• Brainshark helps thousands of companies around the world improve productivity with cloud-based solutions for sales, marketing, training, and sales coaching. Brainshark sales enablement software solutions accelerate revenue through faster training, increased buyer engagement, and more successful sales conversations.
• Responsible for sales onboarding, sales training, sales certifications, sales readiness, sales manager development, talent development, sales methodology implementation and certification, sales enablement - including working with Marketing on sales messaging and administration of sales enablement tools - and overall sales productivity. Lead a team of 3 sales enablement specialists.
• Implementing sales process and sales methodology (including Force Management's Command of the Message and Command of the Sale).
• Aligning content to the buying process exit criteria for our various buyer personas and preparing sales reps to deliver consistent messaging and articulate value.
• Providing business and financial acumen training to prepare reps to have better business conversations with executive buyers.
• Managing the internal implementation, adoption and effective of Brainshark Sales Accelerator, to serve up the right content to sales reps, at the right time in the sales process, for the right buyers.
• Improving sales onboarding to shorten ramp-up and improve new-hire productivity.
• Implementing more effective sales hiring systems.
• Creating effective learning systems with the right content, knowledge sustainment, skills transfer, and coaching to mastery.
• Implementing CloudCoaching International's "Pathways to Growth" and 9 Disciplines for sales management and providing sales coaching training for all frontline sales managers.
• Working with the executive team to create a strategic partnership network to provide clients with the needed capabilities and support to truly transform their sales results.

Mar 2015 – Sep 2015 · 6 mos

• WAG Mobile Inc. aka WAGmob (http://www.wagmob.com/) is a mobile learning acceleration platform that works where you do... on a web browser, tablet, smartphone or watch.

Sep 2014 – Present · 11 yrs 8 mos

• In September 2014, I was honored to join the Advisory Board of the Sales Education Foundation. The SEF is committed to "elevating the sales profession through university education" and works to support universities wanting to establish and refine sales education as part of their business curriculum and provides tools and resources for these educators. For more detail or to support the foundation and the sales profession, visit http://www.salesfoundation.org/
• #SalesEducation #SalesTraining

Mar 2014 – Sep 2015 · 1 yr 6 mos · Irving, TX

• As part of GE Capital's Commercial Development team, I was embedded in the Equipment Finance division in Irving, Texas. I worked there with the Commercial Excellence team and Sales Effectiveness Managers, and used my background in best-in-class learning strategies, sales training, performance levers, sales process, sales methodology, change leadership, and sales transformation to develop the capabilities of sales representatives and sales managers to drive business results.
• Conducted a top producer analysis
• Guided the implementation of insight selling with the elements of an effective learning system
• Developed and delivered multiple presentations to GE Capital dealers/customers
• Developed a series of training videos with handouts, for channel reps to use, to train and support customers
• Implemented a competency assessment system and used results to develop custom curricula to support sales training needs
• Supported the development of a new course designed to teach sales managers how to leverage data and analytics to improve sales results

Jan 2013 – Mar 2014 · 1 yr 2 mos · Dallas/Fort Worth Area

• I worked with Richardson's Chief Strategy Officer and Marketing team and was responsible for managing the development of products, solutions and partnerships to help Richardson meet the emerging needs of our evolving marketplace.
• While there, I developed and launched Richardson's Selling with Insights® program. To help align sales and marketing and enable effective insight selling, I developed an Insight Blueprint framework as a source document and modified Richardson's dialogue models to develop an Insight Message model and worksheet, for personalizing and preparing for the delivery of insight messages to buyers, within a sales conversation. We also developed a workshop to help marketers continue to develop fresh commercial insights.
• If you're unfamiliar, Richardson is a global sales training and strategy execution company that partners with leading organizations to increase their sales effectiveness and drive business results. They're a proponent of consultative selling, dialogue skills, and highly customized sales training. Their award-winning sales enablement and consulting team helps clients formalize sales strategy and execute sales transformations through effective change management and change leadership.

Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 · 5 mos · Dallas/Fort Worth Area

• WHAT I DO:
• I analyze performance levers, build hiring, sales training and coaching systems based on the study of top producers, and implement other systems, processes and policies to support the levers and the sales/buying processes. Then I build the training, tools and resources needed by sales managers to reinforce, sustain, and grow performance. This work radically improves sales results and moves the needle on the metrics that matter.
• For examples of transformation outcomes, see page 2 of http://bit.ly/MK2012CSP
• TARGET POSITION | COMPANY:
• I aim to join a corporate executive team that wants to radically improve its company’s performance and is willing to make the changes to do it, or a consulting or professional services organization that helps its clients forge a path to breakthrough performance.
• For internal corporate roles, my target position is a leadership role with a company whose senior leadership team supports the commitment to improve organizational performance and is ready to lead change. This "performance improvement" role could be in sales training, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales operations, training and development, organization effectiveness, talent development, process improvement or change management.
• I have thrived at small start-up ventures, mid-cap private firms, and multiple Fortune 500 corporations in a variety of industries. An authentic, transparent culture of continuous improvement with prioritized focus on strategic objectives and disciplined execution (or wanting to become such an organization) is far more important to me than industry or company size.

Jan 2011 – Jul 2012 · 1 yr 6 mos · Dallas/Fort Worth Area

• Led sales effectiveness and training initiatives for Insphere, an insurance distribution company backed by private equity investors including The Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, and Credit Suisse.
• Implemented psychometric assessments for management development, sales performance research, and sales hiring.
• Conducted Top Performer Analysis and sales performance lever analysis in collaboration with a University of North Texas professor, leading best practices data collection and training redesign.
• Developed and implemented agent business plans with a focus on success, performance evaluation, and planning documentation to foster accountability and manage sales performance.
• Created sales coaching training for both new and incumbent sales leaders.
• See http://slidesha.re/PerfLevers082011 for an example of my work (not limited to Insphere).

Oct 2010 – Dec 2010 · 2 mos

• Hired to lead the sales training and sales effectiveness efforts for United American Insurance Company and Liberty National Life Insurance Company, two of the Torchmark affiliates (NYSE: TMK). Organized and delivered sales training to frontline sales reps and leadership training for sales managers.

May 2007 – Sep 2010 · 3 yrs 4 mos

• Led a professional services training team teaching EMR software to customers and providing product training to employees. Managed scheduling, registration, customer service, training delivery (classroom and virtual), LMS management, delivery P&L, daily operations. Tasked with process improvement to ensure scalability. Staff of 22.
• Achieved $22.07MM revenue (9% over goal) and EBIT of $11.48MM (8% over goal) in one fiscal year.
• Sold and delivered $759.5K in unbudgeted (organic growth) training classes.
• Led the instructor team to deliver customer satisfaction scores of 4.74 (5-point scale) and an average post-course proficiency assessment score of 88.8%.
• Led a migration to a virtual instructor-led training environment (with hands-on labs), projected to lower customer Total Cost of Ownership and reduce employee travel costs, while retaining training effectiveness.

Jan 2007 – Present · 19 yrs 4 mos · New Ipswich, New Hampshire, United States · Remote

• 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
• After starting in sales and sales management, I’ve spent over three decades as a corporate leader or consultant with one mission: help companies achieve better sales results.
• Since 2007, I’ve shared proven sales transformation strategies through conferences, webinars, publications, and advisory or consulting work. I’ve partnered with growth-minded leaders to design and execute end-to-end sales transformations that deliver measurable outcomes. My work spans strategy, enablement, process, methodology, hiring, onboarding, coaching, and sales management—always tailored to each client’s unique needs.
• I’ve advised companies like Intel, Cisco, LinkedIn, and many others (under NDA), across industries including Medical Device, Industrial, Manufacturing, EdTech, B2B Insurance, Commercial Real Estate, and SaaS/High Tech.
• 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗:
• 🔹 $398MM revenue increase and $9.96MM net ROI in one year using my Building Blocks of Sales Enablement
• 🔹 47% increase in sales per rep through territory, methodology, and coaching improvements
• 🔹 11% profitability boost per rep in just 4 months
• 🔹 120-day new hires outperforming 5-year veterans after aligning hiring, training, and coaching
• 🔹 $36.6MM annual revenue lift from post-training performance gains
• 🔹 Led an $8MM sales office, exceeded quota, grew results 600% YoY, and cut expenses by 21%
• 🔹 Guided clients to 12–34% top-line growth through buyer-centric methodology and coaching systems
• 𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: https://bit.ly/BBofSE
• 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: https://bit.ly/TSR_Services
• 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘
• If you lead a company or sales force and want to accelerate performance, improve win rates and drive sustainable growth, message me here or visit https://www.mikekunkle.com/services to start the conversation.

Jun 2006 – May 2007 · 11 mos

• Promoted by the CEO in June 2006 to develop customer and performance analytics, re-engineer territory management and account assignment practices, determine whether our performance improvement initiatives are working, and foster a data-driven mindset for business decisions.
• Developed customer satisfaction and retention models and metrics.
• Built reporting schemas to evaluate initiatives.
• Re-engineered account assignment and territory management practices to reduce conflict and increase production.
• Developed account analytics to reshape how we viewed and sold to the customer base, and to determine how to best grow production.

Jan 2006 – Jun 2006 · 5 mos

• • Defined and led Six Sigma DMAIC projects to capture best practices and redesign business processes to increase operations productivity, decrease errors, improve service, create a stronger accountability chain, and decrease costs. Six-month rotational assignment to earn my Green Belt in Lean and Six Sigma.

Apr 2003 – Jan 2006 · 2 yrs 9 mos

• Led the 7-person team responsible for instructional design, sales training delivery (instructor-led, online, and blended solutions), and sales transformation / performance improvement projects for inside, field, and major account sales and management. Managed a $4.6MM budget.
• Achieved a $9.96MM annual net ROI through multiple projects to improve hiring effectiveness, shorten ramp-up time for new hires, lift sales results for incumbent underperformers, and improve the performance of sales managers.
• Designed an implemented a sales coaching program that taught leaders to diagnose and correct weaknesses or reinforce strengths in their employees, based on analysis of metrics and observable behaviors, relative to key performance levers.
• Played a pivotal role (one of three architects) in the development of NovaStar University, a custom Learning Management System, and the NovaStar University Leadership Development Curriculum.

Oct 2001 – Apr 2003 · 1 yr 6 mos

• Consulted with business owners and corporate department managers to increase revenue and decrease expenses, for better business results. Offered analysis, strategic and tactical planning, hiring, training, sales training, business process redesign, executive coaching, performance management and profit improvement consulting services. Supported clients in the entertainment, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, telecommunications, and retail industries.
• Through changes in territory management practices, accountability systems, and sales coaching, increased sales per rep by 47% in six months.
• Implemented strategic account management practices that significantly increased revenue from major accounts within 4 months, and improved average profitability per sales rep by 11%.
• Developed a competency-based performance measurement system that doubled as a career-pathing tool.
• Administered developmental and multi-rater assessments, designed executive development plans (including training, developmental programs, personal work analysis/redesign and time management, and more), and counseling and coaching key business leaders to higher levels of effectiveness.

Jan 2001 – Oct 2001 · 9 mos

• Responsible for design and implementation of sales training for consumer healthcare pharmaceutical reps.
• Conducted in-depth needs analysis of sales performance levers and began course development.
• Worked with sales management to implement sales training sessions at local and regional meetings.
• Personal family circumstances forced a personal leave and eventual premature resignation.

Jun 1997 – Jan 2001 · 3 yrs 7 mos

• VP, Sales Force Performance
• Asked by the CEO to help the Sales SVP increase sales performance through sales training and sales effectiveness initiatives.
• Delivered sales training for consultative selling skills and major account management.
• Designed recruiting and selection systems, including behavioral interviewing and assessments.
• Streamlined business processes to more effectively sell, serve, and manage accounts.
• VP, Strategic Implementation
• Promoted by the CEO to guide the executive team through the execution of a major change in strategic direction.
• Implemented a matrix organization structure, issue and conflict resolution plans, key progress reports, and organization-wide project tracking methodologies to foster a culture of accountability and accomplishment, at an accelerated pace. Successfully guided the change in strategic direction to conclusion, on-time and within-budget.
• VP, Professional Services
• Promoted by the President to build and manage PlanSoft's implementation, training, and client support departments.
• Managed a 30-person staff responsible for all product implementations, including pre-sales consulting, installations, implementation project management, training, “go live” management, and customer support.
• Improved departmental performance from one failed implementation (prior to arrival) to multiple successful implementations in 9 months.
• Director, Technology Training
• Hired as employee 11 for this B2B, e-commerce software start-up, to build client training department and the design and delivery of instructional materials, documentation, and job aids
• Developed and implemented client training plans, including instructor-led training, online training, Help systems, and plans to establish training as a profit center.
• Hired and managed a 12-person training staff, including instructional designers, technical writers, technology instructors, a training coordinator, a design manager and a delivery manager.

Jan 1995 – Jan 1997 · 2 yrs

• Hired by senior sales managers of this luxury hotel chain to lead sales training and management development efforts.
• Conducted needs analysis for field and national sales teams and designed sales training and management development curricula that included training transfer plans and evaluation systems, to ensure results.
• Worked with The Ken Blanchard Companies, AchieveGlobal and Communispond to provide leadership development.
• Trained and coached the 14-person field team that conducted sales training.
• Forecasted and managed a sales training development budget of over $1.5MM.

Aug 1989 – Apr 1995 · 5 yrs 8 mos

• Asked by senior management to nationally implement the sales training programs previously designed for the Central Region, due to their overwhelming success. Responsible for management of analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of all sales training and management development programs.
• Aligned hiring, sales training, compensation, coaching and performance management practices to increase new hire sales performance; 4-month employees outperformed a control group of 5-year employees.
• Reengineered the training function to decrease costs by $600K annually, without sacrificing productivity.
• Managed a staff of 7 sales trainers and a $1.25 million training budget.
• Played a key role as Subject Matter Expert for an 18-month developmental certification program for Branch Sales Managers.
• Designed and delivered training for new sales reps, during which students prospected real customers.
• Increased loans closed per employee in the 3-month period after sales training by 2.3 per month (average revenue increase of $183K per class of 12, or over $36.6MM over 12 months).
• When research showed a 60-day, post-training performance drop, created a sales coaching program for managers which increased 60-day post-training performance to surpass the growth curve of the 30-day groups.