Think&Sell: how to improve the organization of the sales force
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 4:39 am
In this week's THINK&SELL column , we focus on identifying overseas data ways to improve sales force organization. We share with you a 2013 Harvard Business Review article by Steve W. Martin. "Is Your Sales Organization Good or Great ? "
Steve Martin is a professor at the University of South Carolina – Marshall School of Business.
The author lists seven characteristics of excellent sales forces. He bases this on consulting experience with several hundred companies. The seven characteristics thus listed define the success of the sales force organization.
Steve Martin begins by explaining that it is the leaders of an organization who establish a sales culture. And that therefore strong leadership establishing a clear direction and ideal behavior for its employees is often an important success factor. It is rather by using motivation and strength of character rather than authoritarian power that this leader will succeed in organizing his sales force correctly.
This leader does not micromanage his sales force. Instead, he outsources it to local actors who ensure that the guidelines are implemented. It would be through the correlation of centralization and locally delegated authority that the sales force would find its success.
Steve Martin is referring here to the theory of evolution. Thus, well-organized, successful sales forces would be constantly challenged in two ways. First, because each hire would bring a team member so qualified that he would lead his new colleagues to surpass themselves to be equal to him, but also because, precisely, all members of the sales team compare themselves to each other, constantly, against precise criteria. This therefore allows team members to leave whose contribution would not be up to par.
Steve Martin is a professor at the University of South Carolina – Marshall School of Business.
The author lists seven characteristics of excellent sales forces. He bases this on consulting experience with several hundred companies. The seven characteristics thus listed define the success of the sales force organization.
Steve Martin begins by explaining that it is the leaders of an organization who establish a sales culture. And that therefore strong leadership establishing a clear direction and ideal behavior for its employees is often an important success factor. It is rather by using motivation and strength of character rather than authoritarian power that this leader will succeed in organizing his sales force correctly.
This leader does not micromanage his sales force. Instead, he outsources it to local actors who ensure that the guidelines are implemented. It would be through the correlation of centralization and locally delegated authority that the sales force would find its success.
Steve Martin is referring here to the theory of evolution. Thus, well-organized, successful sales forces would be constantly challenged in two ways. First, because each hire would bring a team member so qualified that he would lead his new colleagues to surpass themselves to be equal to him, but also because, precisely, all members of the sales team compare themselves to each other, constantly, against precise criteria. This therefore allows team members to leave whose contribution would not be up to par.