2021 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

RAIN Group Wins Gold for Sales Training Program of the Year with Toyota and Research Report on Virtual Selling

Global sales training company takes home multiple Stevies® in the 15th annual sales & customer service awards.

BOSTON (February 11, 2021) RAIN Group, a global sales training company delivering award-winning results through in-person and virtual sales training, coaching, and reinforcement, announced today that it received two Gold Stevie® Awards in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

The firm took home top honors for Sales Training Program of the Year with client Toyota Fleet Management (TFM) and Research Report of the Year for its latest study, Virtual Selling Skills & Challenges.

Winning gold in the Sales Training Program of the Year category, Toyota Fleet Management experienced significant gains across the board after completing an engagement with RAIN Group. The program has had a major impact on their success and reputation with impressive results, including online finance quotes completed by dealers increased 1,091%, number of contracts written online improved 68%, actual amount financed increased 103%, and corporate referrals increased 40%.

"It’s an honor to be recognized by this awards program and have our training and client results highlighted. Our work with Toyota is a prime example of what can be achieved with the right training, tools, and reinforcement in place," shared Mike Schultz, president of RAIN Group and director of the Center for Sales Research.

Last May, the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research conducted a global study of 528 buyers and sellers to better understand experiences with virtual selling on both sides of the proverbial table. The Virtual Selling Skills & Challenges report reveals the results, including buyers' perceptions of sellers and the areas where sellers need to increase their focus.

"2020 was a difficult year for sales organizations. Many were thrown into a new sales environment and had to learn how to adapt. Sellers struggled. Buyer’s expectations weren’t being met. That’s why we launched our study on virtual selling to help sellers and sales leaders understand the gaps and how to overcome them to succeed in the new normal," shared Schultz. "The report has been downloaded by nearly 4,000 sellers and sales leaders and the complete results are shared in our Amazon Bestseller Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely."

Additionally, RAIN Group received bronze for Sales Training Practice of the Year and Business Development Achievement of the Year with client HORNE for reaching double-digit growth in the size of its engagements and improving its Net Promoter Score YOY.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 51 nations, were considered in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 professionals worldwide serving on nine specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 90 categories for customer service and contact center achievements.

"In the toughest working environment in memory for most organizations, 2021 Stevie Award winners still found ways to innovate, grow sales, please their customers, and secure new business," said Stevie Awards president, Maggie Gallagher. "The judges have recognized and rewarded this, and we join them in applauding this year's winners for their continued success.  We look forward to recognizing them on April 14."

About RAIN Group
Founded in 2002, RAIN Group is a Top 20 Sales Training Company that delivers award-winning results through in-person and virtual sales training, coaching, and reinforcement. The firm has helped hundreds of thousands of salespeople, managers, and professionals in more than 75 countries significantly increase their sales results. Headquartered in the greater Boston area, office locations include Bogotá, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Mumbai, Seoul, Sydney, and Toronto. To learn more, visit https://www.raingroup.com.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.