Research Brief • Sales Operations
2012 Sales Operations Issues StudyJanuary 05, 2012
The most recent update to our annual Sales Operations Issues study includes input from sales operations professionals from 125 firms, with median annual revenue of US$400 million. Highlights include analysis of sales operations departments' accountabilities, roles, and most important issues,
Research Brief • Strategy & Planning, Sales Operations
Supply Chain Has an Operations Plan. Does Your Sales Force?December 21, 2011
Companies typically apply operations strategy to the supply chain, establishing clear principles and processes for operating, directed at specific goals such as reducing costs and speeding up delivery times. The leaders of consulting firm Sales Economics, Inc., explain that applying the same kind
Academic Research •
Management Practices in Solution Sales—a Multilevel and Cross-Functional FrameworkDecember 15, 2011
From The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Winter 2011
Business-to-business sales has changed from being an isolated function with little cross-functional influence to becoming an integrated part of long-term customer management and from an operational practice to a strategically focused part of business strategy. This suggests a need to change the u
Conference Archives • Sales Technology, Sales Operations
Predictive Analytics for Sales Leaders: What You Need to KnowOctober 19, 2011
From SMA's 2011 Sales Productivity and Performance Management Conference
Companies today are awash in data and metrics, creating information overload for sales leaders and sales people. Most sales reporting dissects what happened yesterday – what we have already sold. What is important is what will likely happen tomorrow – what we will sell - and then taki
Conference Archives • Strategy & Planning, Sales Technology, Sales Operations
The Science of Sales Force DeploymentOctober 19, 2011
From SMA's 2011 Sales Productivity and Performance Management Conference
Management's impact on sales productivity begins before the first sales call is made, when the sales deployment model is established. Sales deployment decisions define the who, what, when, where, and how of customer coverage - addressing how many and what type of salespeople will contact whic
Conference Archives • Sales Transformation
The Truth About Sales TransformationOctober 19, 2011
“Sales transformation” is a catch phrase on the lips of sales leadership. The current environment is testing traditional selling models as never before, through shifts in buying behavior, new technologies, demand volatility, and increased competition. In response, many sales leaders a
Conference Archives • Strategy & Planning, Coaching for Performance
"Moneyball" in SalesOctober 19, 2011
In the 2003 best seller and now major motion picture "Moneyball," we learn how Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane used data-driven management to reshape a laggard major league baseball team into a world-class winner. Instead of focusing on traditional metrics, Beane discovered
Conference Archives • Leadership Development
Investing in Front-Line Sales Management- Two Case StudiesOctober 19, 2011
Inside Microsoft and Baker Hughes
Too often, front-line sales managers are poorly supported and inadequately trained. That’s changing as firms acknowledge sales management's pivotal importance in driving sales performance. How are leading firms investing in the sales management position, and what returns do these invest
Conference Archives • Sales Technology, Sales Operations
Increasing Revenue Performance Through Intelligent Sales ForecastingOctober 19, 2011
How can you increase win rates and accelerate revenue? With all the attention our organizations focus on the sales forecast, you would think we’d have better techniques and technology by now! In this interactive workshop, Cloud9 Analytics' Tracey Kaufman leads discussionon how best
Conference Archives • Coaching for Performance
The Critical Role of Coaching in Sales Performance ManagementOctober 19, 2011
Analytics matter very much in managing sales organizations. But focusing on analytics alone can not assure results. Afterall, sales numbers won’t change by looking at them. What does change performance? It’s useful to consider how every other performance-based profession has answ
