Do you have a clearly defined salaes strategy? (Targetsegments, markets,customers?) can you, and your sales team explain the strategy if asked to?
Can you,and the sales force, explain this strategy simply?
Does the sales structure support this strategy? (What channels are you using to reach your customers?)
Have you broken down the sales process and activities?
Can sales management and sales people monitor these steps in the process? and do sales people have the right professional selling skills?
Do you have clear standards of performance,or key performance indicators for each activity?
Salesplan
Is there a writtenplan?
Do all levels contribute to the process?
Are there clear(SMART) objectives for each area– in activity as well as sales targets or revenue?
Is the plan used as a“live” document,referred to and adjusted as the year progresses?
Sales management
Is the sales managementt culture supportive and developmental?
Are there clear sales control tools to assess performance against the process?
Do the sales managers spend the majority of their time with their direct reports in the field,or at least out of their office?
Do the sales managers understand the strategy and how it fits with the business plan?
Do the sales managers manage the activity and effort of their teams? (and not just look at the sales figures?)
Are the sales managers trained and developed on an on-going basis?
Salesforce
Do they have clearly defined job descriptions,covering the competencies they need?
Is there an ongoing, structured development and training program to build their skills and refresh the basics?
Are they aware of how you use the control system to improve their own sales performance?
Do the sales management carry out regular, and frequent, field visits with the sellers–and coach them?
Is there a regular performance review process that covers all aspects of the job?
Sales support
Are the staff support roles given regular sales training in the appropriate sales and negotiation skills?
Are the internal staff aware of the sales strategy and how it relates to their role?
Is there good communication between the internal staff and the salespeople?
Do the management of the various functions meet to make sure that there is a common understanding of each other’s aims and to overcome any issues or problems?
