Resources

Building customer relationships is increasingly difficult for salespeople. Face time with buyers is dwindling, while the rise of electronic auctions, RFPs, managed procurement, and third-party buying influences make it tougher than ever to demonstrate value and differentiate offerings. In this panel discussion, we examine strategies for building valuable customer relationships,...Read more

Every company forecasts revenue, but few are happy with the results. Despite highly-focused effort and attention, most sales forecasts are frustratingly inaccurate. So how can this critical activity be improved to yield better outcomes? Join best-selling author Jason Jordan as he shares findings from a joint research project with the...Read more

With the recent quarter close, sales leaders are preparing reports on last quarter's wins, forecasting next quarter's outcomes, and identifying gaps to solve for this quarter. This webcast addresses common forecasting challenges, focusing on how leaders can fine tune forecasting strategy, and better align metrics and selling activities to improve...Read more

Sales forecasting yields insufficient insight to many sales leaders, yet few firms know where to start in building better forecasting practices. In this Sales Management Association web panel, three experts present a series of practical ideas for improving forecast accuracy and enhancing the insights it offers sales leadership.

Sales managers have an outsized-impact on sales force productivity. That impact is shaped by decisions sales managers make in allocating their time. We wondered, are organizations optimizing sales management’s time allocation decisions?  The Sales Management Association undertook a research effort to answer that question in our recently-concluded sales manager activity...Read more

Sales managers crucially influence overall sales force performance. How do firms ensure managers are measured on the most impactful metrics? Results from our recent survey explores how firms define and measure the effectiveness of their first-line sales managers (FLSMs). Specifically, we examine: What tools and processes are used to define,...Read more

Sales managers have an outsized-impact on sales force productivity. That impact is shaped by decisions sales managers make in allocating their time. We wondered, Are organizations optimizing sales management’s time allocation decisions? The Sales Management Association undertook a research effort to answer that question in our recently-concluded sales manager activity...Read more

Sales leaders are confronted by a continuing challenge -- low sales productivity.  Too few reps are making quota (down from 63% to 58.2% according to CSO Insights) and it takes too long for new reps to become a productive member of the team (69% of reps take 7+ months to...Read more