Thursday, May 17th, 2018
The transformation of professional selling
The nature of professional selling has transformed profoundly over the past few decades, resulting in a fundamental redefinition of the role of the sales force. Drawing on a study comprising interview data from 37 senior sales leaders, sales consultants and prominent sales academics from the US, UK and other European countries, I synthesise three key drivers for change and identify…
Saturday, December 16th, 2017
Motivating and rewarding the sales force
In previous articles of this series in the International Journal of Sales Transformation, “Managing and Measuring Sales Performance” and “Setting Sales Targets”, we presented an outline of the properties of effective sales performance measurement systems guidelines to minimise the unintended consequences of sales targets. In this last article of the series, we address employee motivation and its relation to sales…
Sunday, April 23rd, 2017
Setting sales targets – using not abusing them
In our previous article in this series, “The classic performance dilemma”, we presented a brief outline of the properties of effective sales performance measurement systems. In this follow-up article, we focus on a widespread practice in sales organisations: the use of sales targets or goals. We highlight the key issues associated with performance targets and offer guidelines to minimise their…
Sunday, January 29th, 2017
The classic performance dilemma
How do we achieve a balance between input and output measures to manage sales performance effectively? Lucy is what many people would call a “high achiever”. She had always been focused on delivering the best service for her clients and always supportive of her colleagues and her organisation. Lucy always looked forward to Christmas time. It typically marked the completion…
Saturday, September 3rd, 2016
Sales Leadership: the dynamic management of paradoxes
Leading modern sales forces requires us to develop synergies between paradoxes that may initially appear irreconcilable. I’m aboard the “Baie de Seine”, the ferry that covers the route Portsmouth–Bilbao. I am sitting at the back of the vessel watching the foamy trace it leaves on the sea and the seagulls that escort the ship, relentlessly defying the winds. It’s a…
Saturday, April 11th, 2015
Key transformational trends in selling
Organisations need to understand how selling is evolving and to involve sales leadership in developing strategies to thrive in the new environment. Summary Professional selling is undergoing significant and unprecedented change that, in turn, profoundly impacts the role of the professional salesperson. Change has always been part of professional selling; however, the scale and speed of that change has…