"The New Science of Sales Force Productivity"
Harvard Business Review
September 2006, pp. 124-133
The authors explain that companies are using a new approach to managing their sales force that doesn't relay on hiring a lot of salespeople and hoping some of them are good.
The four levers to boost productivity are:
- Targeted offerings—Make sure that the right products are being sold to the right prospects, by targeting offerings to meet the needs of specific segments;
- Optimized automation, tools, and procedures—Use "detailed pipeline discussions, systematic account and territory plan reviews based on standard guidelines, defined lead distribution processes with tracking throughout the sales cycle for both reps and partners, and electronic dashboards for reps and territories";
- Performance management—Use training and tools to reduce cycle time, and incorporate metrics, incentives, and skill development into compensation systems;
- Sales force deployment—systematically distribute your sales resources so that the needs and challenges of each customer segment are met.
Back to top of page
