Testimonials

We view Danita as an executive on our team, who contributes and challenges us in a positive way.

Danita has proven to be a trusted advisor in helping me develop my coaching skills. I am now able to develop both growth strategies and my people.
- Jack Schuster, President, Engineered Products Co.

Our scoring statistics have improved dramatically; we close 75-80 percent of the accounts.
- Hank Malone, VP Sales and Marketing, Western Hemisphere

Danita’s work has had a significant impact on our staff development.
- Jerry Ruzicka, President, Starkey Laboratories

We absolutely could not have fixed our sales issues ourselves. And in hindsight, we needed the ‘backbone’ that SGS provided to actually help us implement our new sales management processes and transform our sales culture into a disciplined organization.
- David Dillon, CEO, Meyers

Danita is an expert at sales management. Her ideas and management practices are essential to getting results.
- John Palen, Founder & CEO, Allied Executives

Danita helped us develop a better process. She helped the new sales director get on board and helped our sales people minimize their weaknesses and leverage their strengths. We’ve reduced the risk of hiring the wrong people and increased our chances of hiring the right people. In 77% less time, with 55% fewer people, VDN has garnered 57% more revenue. Now we have sales people who fit in our culture of accountability, and have the interest, passion and attribute that make them successful in our market.
- Joe Hines, CEO, Voice Data Networks

We could not have made our sales goal without Danita’s leadership and consulting. Our focus, methods, and accountability make us successful. In contrast to where we came from, we now turn down people who don’t meet our qualification criteria, and we don’t anguish over our losses.
- Tom Lee, General Manager, MMIC Technology Solutions

I knew we could improve our sales effort, but I needed Danita’s focused expertise in sales management processes to collaborate with me in developing tools. In building Cornerstone’s system together, we defined and sharpened sales processes to enhance our sales peoples’ effectiveness.
- Jim Cope, CEO, Cornerstone Office Systems

You help me stay the course; keep me focused on what I’m supposed to be doing as a sales manager. You build processes, taking the voodoo out of sales and sales management. You’ve introduced me to excellent resources, whichever been adaptable and more than willing to help. You care. Money is important to you; but our success is more important. Most consultants give their advice, take your money and run. You aren’t like that’; you’re committed to our success. Expertise. Obviously you know what you’re doing.
- Hank Malone, VP of Sales – Western Hemisphere, Flint

Danita has not only helped us develop our distribution network, but also has been the impetus behind our overall improved results.
- Jack Schuster, President, Engineered Products Co.

Danita adds the mark of excellence to all she undertakes. I highly recommend Danita as a partner and resource for tackling difficult sales and sales management issues.
- Jeff Dittmer, President, Echo Systems

As a new client, we are looking forward to utilizing the information past the hiring decision, to focus and direct the mentoring and coaching of a new hire. Danita has been instrumental in helping us understand how to fully utilize the assessment and information it provides to maximize the results of our sales efforts.
- Barb Bernstein, Human Resources/Operations Manager, Priority Publications

Danita is dedicated to excellence in all that she undertakes.
- Dick Molohon, President, Sales and Management Profiles, Inc

SGS seminars get concrete results that last.
- Larry Hagen, President, Micro-Tech

With your help I have increased the productivity of my current sales people. The implementation of tools to identify areas of weakness and strengths in each individual are enabling me to maintain continuous improvement with my sales force.
- Jim Cope, President, Cornerstone Office Systems Inc.

The improvements we have made to our recruiting and selection process are preventing costly mistakes. The systems that you have suggested are both effective and efficient to use.
- Jim Cope, President, Cornerstone Office Systems Inc.

SGS’ principles and processes gave us a common language that has become the backbone of our new culture.
- Greg Temple, President, Label Group

Danita brought an important message to us about accountability in business growth, starting with the right people, a no-excuse policy. Our team listened and got the message!!
- Wayne Pletcher, President & CEO, Minnesota Technology, Inc.

Leveraging Danita’s expertise in evaluating and coaching sales people to ensure high performance has been a key element in our growth strategy.
- Barb Gurstelle, Principal, The Willow Group, Inc.

Sales Growth Specialists gets concrete results that last.
- Larry Hagen, President, Micro-tech

Our task is especially challenging. We’re transforming a team of experienced transactional salespeople into a team that can successfully sell in a consultative manner to a higher level of customer, top management, and deliver increased margins. Danita’s energy, engaging process, and extensive sales and sales management success, has ensured a successful ‘conversion.’
- Pete Sloan, President, Independent Stationers University

The scorecard Danita helped us introduce focus and continuous attention on sales results. The documentation forces analysis of situations and leads to greater accomplishment. After seeing the positive results with our sales reps, I realized that we could extend these principles across the entire business.
- Jack Schuster, President, Engineered Products Co.

Hiring a Sales Director seemed like a daunting task, but Danita led us through what I believe is the most thorough, yet time-efficient process, starting with how to write the recruiting ad. I would never have thought to write the ad the way it ended up. And I certainly wouldn’t have received 80 responses that we scored using her guidelines.
- Bob Kinsella, TriCities Catering

With Danita’s help we’ve changed our product positioning to add value to our customers’ businesses. We help customers save money through cost and inventory control and waste elimination. Time and money savings are documented and virtually indisputable.
- Hank Malone, VP Sales and Marketing, Western Hemisphere

Danita gave me confidence to accomplish my goals. Working with her on a quarterly basis to define our objectives and create a plan for me to accomplish them allowed me to leverage Danita’s expertise extremely cost effectively. She challenges me, holding me accountable for action items that will accomplish our objectives.
- Jim Cope, President, Cornerstone Office Systems Inc.

Hiring a Sales Director seemed like a daunting task, but Danita led us through what I believe is the most thorough, yet time-efficient process, starting with how to write the recruiting advert. I would never have thought to write the advert the way it ended up. And I certainly wouldn’t have received 80 responses that we scored using her guidelines.
- Bob Kinsella, TriCities Catering

Danita’s expressive, genuine style evoked a high degree of participation. As a former sales rep, she immediately earned the audience’s trust and full attention. Revealing an organized sales process, she entertained questions throughout her interaction and completed the task on time.
- Gary Hogan, a local SME chapter.

Danita is one of those special individuals who clearly defines the vision, articulates the plan, and follows through with proper training and motivation. In short, she is a consummate sales management professional.
- Terry Kurash, President, Terry Kurash and Associates

We’re still trying to master the dramatic changes we made in our sales culture, and I know we couldn’t have come this far without Danita’s constant attention and support. We had top management’s commitment to support this process. And I had Sales Growth Specialists’ commitment as my personal coach. It was the right message at the right time.
- Hank Malone, VP Sales and Marketing, Western Hemisphere

Before we began working with Danita, the sales organization had no idea about product costs and margins. Arming our sales people with this information has helped us grow in a declining market.
- Jerry Ruzicka, President, Starkey Laboratories

Danita’s style demonstrates the utmost confidence, clarity and conviction. Her hard work ensured that a demanding and difficult project was a resounding success.
- Steve Krebsbach, Director of Sales, The Sales Board

I realized that an outside resource with Danita’s expertise would not only provide needed professional assistance, but also a fresh, objective perspective. Her philosophy that a disciplined culture fosters the creativity required for individuals to generate sales success seemed to hit the nail on the head. The standalone events that we had tried like the typical annual sales meeting and training failed to produce lasting results, so I knew that we needed a long-term, process-based initiative.
- Hank Malone, VP Sales and Marketing, Western Hemisphere

In changing our way of thinking, Danita has been a major influence in our growth. Her ‘No-Excuse Sales Culture’ philosophy of accountability was essential in overcoming a huge hurdle—relying on excuses for not meeting objectives. It was easy for us to complain that our competitors have much broader product lines than ours and blame them for EPCO not having rep agencies’ and distributors’ share of mind. Danita turned our thinking around.
- Jack Schuster, President, Engineered Products Co.

Danita is a catalyst. She provided meaning and structure to sales at Starkey. She helped our sales managers gain a better understanding of what behaviors and/or tasks to reinforce and link those behaviors to results and compensation. She raised awareness about average selling price, product mix and margins to help us sell with a purpose. And she introduced us to quarterly personal selling plans that support corporate goals.
- Larry Miller, VP Human Resources, Starkey Laboratories

Your deep command of effective sales management processes along with your engaging enthusiasm, challenges us to invest time working “on” our business.
- Michele M. Fusco, Sr. VP of Prof. Development, Amplifon

The results were transformational. A growing personality conflict between our engineers and salespeople threatened our ability to execute our sales plan. Danita came through. She led an energizing discussion and facilitated exercises that helped everyone learn how to work more effectively together. The results are transformational. We’ve dramatically reduced friction and built empathy between our salespeople and engineers, which has smoothed out the ruffles and enhanced our sales process. The salespeople gained a double advantage, because they can apply the principles to their customer and prospect relationships.
- Mark Philion, VP of Sales, Bellcomb

Danita helped us manage our sales situation. She pointed out truths that forced us to shake our perceptions. In just 4-5 months, we’ve made real progress. We now have an outstanding director of sales and have designed a four-year plan for sales growth that our sales organization has bought into.
- Bob Kinsella, TriCities Catering

Danita’s no-nonsense approach always gives me several ideas I can immediately use with my sales team. Danita has taught me how to hold my sales people more accountable and the results are amazing!
- Paul Yahnke, National Sales Manager, Innovative Marketing

Testimonials from speaking engagements

I left your presentation really fired up about orchestrating a change in our company and in our sales team. I thank you for all you have done to restore excitement and passion here at Edina Couriers and in me personally.
- Stanley C. Olsen, President, Edina Couriers, LLC.

Danita’s interactive message on debunking common excuse-making myths was eye-opening. And, her practical methods to stay focused on key priorities are easy to implement.
- Erik Aamoth, Business Services Director, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Danita’s presentation captivated the full attention of the sales team at our regional conference. Their participation and their evaluations indicated that they will use Danita’s techniques to help boost results.
- Darin Pavlish, Regional Manager, Aflac

Your enthusiasm and knowledge made your workshop very successful. You were working with some very seasoned business owners—yet they were compelled to take notes and bring back ideas to solidify their practices even more. Many of them are so busy working “in” their businesses and you gave them insights on how to work “on their business.”
- Michele M. Fusco, Sr. VP of Professional Development, Amplifon

Danita’s workshop for our members proved to be very helpful and informative to the small business owners who attended. Her expertise and professionalism is much appreciated.
- Mary Hanrahan, Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce

You did a fabulous job in your communication skills for leader’s presentation (I personally learned a great deal!) and I heard positive comments from the members.
- Brian Lassiter, President, Minnesota Council for Quality

Ms. Bye’s presentation was excellent! Her style is engaging. She brings a level of enthusiasm that is infectious. She instills and maintains the interest of those in attendance. Her style is to get the attendees thinking “outside the box”; to avoid doing the same old/same old when dealing with new and long-standing prospects and customers, respectively.
- Sherman G. Lord, President, National Association Of Special Equipment Distributors

Danita is a dynamic speaker whose passion shows through in any task she takes on.
- Dean Warnert, National Sales Trainer, Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Services

Your high energy presentation at our national sales meeting had valuable material for every level of sales professional. Immediate takeaway impact on sales and bottom line results.
- Fred Silloway, President, Meyers