Resources

Executives and senior managers leading transformation initiatives in sales operations need a way to assess the current state of their organizations. The concept of operations maturity constitutes a useful framework for this. The leaders of consulting firm Sales Economics, Inc. explain the meaning of maturity and capability in practice, the pros and cons of...Read more

Sports teams use playbooks to organize the complex set of activities needed to execute a game plan, providing a practical instruction guide for coaches and players alike. Now sales managers are adopting the “playbook” concept for constructing sales process guides. They’re finding that sales playbooks provide a helpful framework for...Read more

Managing sales territories and administering sales crediting rules are increasingly complex propositions for sales operations departments. Tracking sales by segment, channel, product, and sales job frequently means assigning credit for one sale to multiple sellers – sometimes a dozen or more in firms with large, overlay sales organizations. Along with...Read more

We're addressing this sales management effectiveness topic in upcoming chapter meetings. Learn more about SMA’s Local Chapters by signing up to attend a meeting (or consider helping us start a chapter!). What makes a motivated sales force? What role do sales leaders play in creating, or enabling (or at least...Read more

Your pipeline is big – really big. So big, you seem to mention it every chance you get: sales meetings, board meetings, customer presentations, cocktail parties, plant tours. In fact, you have a hard time shutting up about your big pipeline. And who can blame you? If given a choice,...Read more

Sales forces often stumble in providing proposals to customers. Offerings are increasingly complicated, and customers more apt to demand customized solutions; as a result, getting approved, accurate proposals in customers’ hands represents a real challenge to many firms. Many are addressing this challenge by investing in cloud-based CPQ solutions, which...Read more

What’s the first thing a sales effectiveness consultant (worth their salt) will build into a proposal? Ride-alongs with your sales organization. The reason is simple: direct observation can tell you almost everything you need to know about a salesperson’s effectiveness. Ride shotgun enough, and you’ll also gain understanding of bigger...Read more

Companies across all industries are rethinking their selling systems. Under continued pressure to improve productivity without raising selling expense, sales forces must now respond to disruptive changes in how customers buy. Empowered, digitally-armed and connected buyers are exerting greater control over buyer/seller conversations, and they’re engaging less with salespeople. Who...Read more