Implementing changes in sales strategy requires a broad set of corporate and managerial capabilities. These include assessing market demand, setting achievable performance objectives, providing clear guidance to the sales force, identifying the sales force’s capability gaps, and directing resources to close those gaps in order to achieve new goals. This research surveys management practice in these capabilities, and how they are applied when developing, guiding, and executing changes in sales organization strategy.
The research identifies best practice approaches to strategy implementation, and quantifies the business impact of effective sales strategy on firm and sales force productivity. It also provides insight into firm improvement priorities and investment initiatives related to sales strategy execution, including changes in selling messages, capacity, deployment, technology, and sales force skill improvement.
