April 18, 2023

Sales Empowerment Group Acquires Action Selling, an Award-Winning Sales Training Company

CHICAGO, IL and PLYMOUTH, MN (April 18, 2023) – Chicago-based Sales Empowerment Group (“SEG”), a highly-recognized outsourced sales and marketing consulting firm, announced today it has acquired Minnesota-based Action Selling, an award-winning sales training company.

Founded in 1990 by Duane Sparks, who authored the productivity-focused training program, Action Selling has trained, assessed and certified over 500,000 salespeople. Over the past decade, Action Selling has been consistently recognized as a Top 20 / 25 Sales Training Company by Training Industry, the most trusted source of information on the business of learning and SellingPower.com, the leading digital magazine for sales managers and sales VPs.

The combination of SEG and Action Selling provides clients a comprehensive suite of solutions across the entire revenue function: SEG, with core competencies in virtual sales teams, consulting services, sales playbooks, sales assessments and a proprietary technology platform, and Action Selling, with its tried and true, multi-program sales training platform.

“SEG has always been dedicated to the training space for junior talent, and now we have a world-class sales training program to expand training to all aspects of the sales lifecycle and our clients’ sales teams,” said Brian O’Neil, CEO of Sales Empowerment Group. “Action Selling’s methodology and training program is second to none and we are excited to join forces to help our clients drive even stronger results.”

“SEG is the perfect complement to Action Selling’s robust sales training program,” said Eric Moore, President of Action Selling. “The unified platform creates immediate opportunities to strengthen our clients’ sales teams and further position them to win new business.”

Houlihan Lokey served as exclusive financial advisor to SEG, a portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners. Woodbridge International served as exclusive sell-side M&A advisor to Action Selling.

About SEG

SEG is a sales and marketing consulting firm providing services that drive revenue growth. The company uses a strategic, time-tested approach, and works with its clients to create a sales-focused culture that helps grow revenue faster. SEG serves a variety of middle-market and larger companies in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, technology, professional services, and other sectors.

 

About RFE Investment Partners

RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies.   RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX.