Research Sets High Water Performance Mark for Sales Operations

In a research report entitled, "Understanding What Your Sales Manager Is Up Against", published by the Harvard Business Review, critical insight was provided regarding the benefits achieved when executives manage their sales operation top-down to a sales and sales management methodology supported by CRM.

The researchers categorized companies into four levels based on varying degrees of process utilization. The four levels were:

1. Organizations who lack a standard process,

2. Organizations who have adopted a process but don't manage to it,

3. Organizations who manage to a process but only monitor backward looking data, and are unable to effectively adapt to changing conditions,

4. Organizations who dynamically monitor and provide feedback on the use of their standard process, and are able to adapt rapidly to changing conditions.

The researchers found that Level 1 - Level 3 organizations were the norm and were significantly outperformed by their Level 4 competitors. They reported the following comparative metrics:

· Accurately targeting prospects: Level 4 performed 75% better,

· Properly qualifying leads: Level 4 performed 110% better,

· Effective presentation of benefits: Level 4 performed 61% better,

· Effectively cross selling and up selling: Level 4 performed 185% better,

· Sell value and avoid excessive discounting: Level 4 performed 143% better,

· Effectively introducing new products: Level 4 performed 103% better.