The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance : How to Get More Sales from Your Sales Force [Hardcover]

Andris A. Zoltners (Author), Prabhakant Sinha (Author), Greggor A. Zoltners (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2001

"Every firm's sales force combines the distinctive personalities of its members with the complex issues of size, pay structure, incentives, performance evaluation, and effective uses of new technology. And while underrepresented in most marketing texts, the success of the sales force is a major component in the overall success of most companies. The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance develops an effective, innovative framework for evaluating and improving the performance of any sales force. This book identifies and describes the key factors for creating a fast-track, go-to-market strategy. It's loaded with proven ideas for improving such "success drivers" as: culture * sales force structure * hiring * sales manager selection * training * compensation * technology * sales territory design * goal setting * performance management. Packed with valuable insights and real-life examples, this guide is an excellent source of practical ideas for sales and marketing managers in all industries."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"""This is the best book I have read on improving the productivity of your sales force.""

--Professor Philip Kotler, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

""This book is an absolute gem, easily the best book on the topic that I have ever read.""

-- Professor Kash Rangan, Harvard Business School

""A checklist for sound thinking, this book should be found in the bookcase of anyone who wants to make a mark on sales forces in the 21st Century.""

--Anthony F. DiCio, Director of Advertising Finance and Administration, The New York Times

Book Description

"Every firm’s sales force combines the distinctive personalities of its members with the complex issues of size, pay structure, incentives, performance evaluation, and effective uses of new technology. And while underrepresented in most marketing texts, the success of the sales force is a major component in the overall success of most companies.

The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance develops an effective, innovative framework for evaluating and improving the performance of any sales force. This book identifies and describes the key factors for creating a fast-track, go-to-market strategy. It’s loaded with proven ideas for improving such ""success drivers"" as:

culture * sales force structure * hiring * sales manager selection * training * compensation * technology * sales territory design * goal setting * performance management.

Packed with valuable insights and real-life examples, this guide is an excellent source of practical ideas for sales and marketing managers in all industries."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814406505
• ISBN-13: 978-0814406502
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Enough Stars for this Masterpiece!, August 6, 2005

By 

Miguel Hidalgo (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance : How to Get More Sales from Your Sales Force (Hardcover)

Whewie! I had many reservations about buying this book. The previous reviews made me skeptical, especially when I looked at the price tag and acknowledged the fact that I was going to bleed to death reading a blah-blah boring has-been couple of spineless professors rant about their lame memoirs and anecdotes lazily collected by one of their pet clones.

To be precise, this book was written by two of the most influential consultants, professors and businessmen in the world. They worked with sales forces and represented companies of all sizes, in addition to being 'team-driven' by their own successful consultancy spanning thirty years.

In many instances, they gained from the output of academia and collaborated their research with students associated from the prestigious Northwestern's J.K. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

This book has foundation, structure, conceptual analysis and excellent ideas for any student, manager-in-training or business executive who is trying to avoid the "art of selling" or "quick buck motivational" 'diaper-training series' collections (sold at newsstands everywhere).

There are chapters from other excellent contributors related to Internet Strategies, Market Strategy and Segmentation. I found the material to be factual, concise and thoughtful.

This is a rare book written about sales forces. Sales forces are the life-blood of ANY company. Your ability to communicate with people will increase your power, wealth and happiness. A sales force can easily become 'unruly beasts' because the sales force are people dealing with people. Great sales managers must understand CONCEPTS about how to FOCUS, CHANNEL and DISCIPLINE people without disrupting profitability...AND LOSING GREAT PEOPLE!!!

"The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance provides education the way a textbook does, but it also provides guidance. It advises, similar to a manager's manual, and it seeks to provide the sales manager with an understanding of the entire sales force system by presenting frameworks for sales force design and performance enhancement."

Buckle Up! This book contains "all muscle and no fat." It is a mental and physical exercise book that requires considerable attention. "The quality of the selling organization has a direct effect on a company's sales and profitability." Now, time for me to mold my sales force into terrific shape. :)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read!, October 14, 2003

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance : How to Get More Sales from Your Sales Force (Hardcover)

To boost your sales group's performance, give your salespeople very specific assessments and instructions, as per authors Andris A. Zoltners, Prabhakant Sinha and Greggor A. Zoltners. The trouble here is that the instructions are not only detailed, they are highly technical. You have to see sales as a science to make the best use of the graphs, charts, lists, diagrams and formulas. If you can make your way through the academic writing, you'll find some useful hard data, such as statistical evidence that backs the need for precise sales performance assessments. Despite its lengthy retelling of some very basic sales principles, we recommend this manual to the audience its authors suggest, "sales managers, top managers, salespeople who want to advance professionally, divisional presidents and business owners" plus business school students. If you're going to be academic, you might as well learn something.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a masterpiece, January 31, 2009

By 

C K Venkatraman "Venkat" (India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Accelerating Sales Force Performance : How to Get More Sales from Your Sales Force (Hardcover)

I was asked by my Managing Director to read this book. This book covers both the soft and hard aspects of Sales Force Effectiveness. hjas a complete top down framework to analyse,design and manage a Sales tesm as per the needs of the Organization. Some of the analytics given are both simple and hav a "aha" value.

Highly recommended for all Sales and Non Sales managers. Every organizatrion will find something in this book that will improve their Sales Staff performance.