Resources

Planning is a critical discipline for sales leadership, and fundamental to success at every level in the sales organization. Effective sales plans analyze past performance, reveal coherent strategy, clarify sales objectives, and detail actionable steps required to achieve goals. This suggested strategic sales plan format provides an outline of essential...Read more

Starting January 1, 2011, insurance carriers are required to meet medical loss ratio targets established by the Healthcare reform law. This impacts commission processes, transparency and current systems in place. In this Sales Management Association Online Experts Exchange panel discussion, we review three perspectives on how carriers and vendors are...Read more

How salespeople spend their time is the key determinant of sales force productivity. In this Sales Management Association Online Experts’ Exchange, our panel examines the “how, when, and why” of measuring sales force activity. Emphasis is given to specific activity measurement approaches, determining sales force capacity, and methods for balancing...Read more

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 unit of analysis from the activities and attributes...Read more

Assigning territories are high-stakes decisions for sales organizations; firms who use an analytical approach to optimizing sales territory assignments stand to unlock a significant productivity gain. In this Sales Management Association Online Experts’ Exchange panel discussion, we review three perspectives on optimizing territory assignments, maximizing sales productivity, and administering territory...Read more

Productive sales organizations routinely change their sales processes. By first evaluating current processes, then implementing changes and measuring their impact, firms can profoundly impact sales results. In this Sales Management Association webcast, we present a framework for evaluating, optimizing, and measuring sales process effectiveness. Presenters also address participants’ sales process...Read more

The Sales Management Association encourages the formation of local chapters. Our chapter meetings provide sales management and sales operations professionals with opportunities to network with peers and thought leaders, exchange best practices, and discuss issues important to sales leadership.

As firms prepare to implement sales compensation plan changes, they must avoid common mistakes which can undermine the plan’s desired impact. In this Sales Management Association webcast we detail practical strategies for ensuring a successful plan rollout by identifying five “Roll-Out Watch-Outs:”  Chump Champions: choosing the wrong champion for leading...Read more