Phoenix, AZ October 21, 2007— The Association of Sales Managers announced today that they had secured Neil Dempster, nationally acclaimed motivational speaker and performance management expert, as the opening keynote speaker for the 2008 Sales Manager's conference to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

According to Julie Simones, President of the Association of Sales Managers, "Never before has the management and leadership of people been so critical to the success of an organization. When I saw Neil Dempster speak at a conference in Florida, I knew he would be perfect for our upcoming conference. His message to managers is very clear - people don't want to managed, they want to be lead! It's a healthy dose of reality that each of our members need to hear!" Dempster was chosen because of his controversial, "Don't do what's safe . . . do what's right!" attitude. As Simones explains, "He tells people what they need to hear—not what they want to hear—and he does it in a way that allows us to laugh at ourselves while he teaches us how to do it better." Neil Dempster is the author of the "EffortWorks . . . The Language of Results" sales leadership training program which has been used to train thousands of managers. He was recently named a Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association, a distinction held by less than ten percent of professional speakers worldwide. Neil also earned his chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management the “Pinnacle Award” for his efforts in workforce development. His audio CD, "Whiners to Winners," was recently released.

The conference will be held at the Scottsdale Princess Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ, on February 4-5, 2008. Conference organizers anticipate 2,500 sales managers will attend this event. Attendees will represent every business sector. Non-members wishing to attend may contact the Association for costs and additional information.

The Association of Sales Managers is based in Chicago, IL, and has over 95 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The Association provides its members with continuing education opportunities at the monthly chapter meetings and at its annual conference. For further information, contact Don Jenkins at (602) 555-1212.