Flevy Management Insights Q&A

How can sales teams be restructured to better align with a Breakthrough Strategy?

     David Tang    |    Breakthrough Strategy


This article provides a detailed response to: How can sales teams be restructured to better align with a Breakthrough Strategy? For a comprehensive understanding of Breakthrough Strategy, we also include relevant case studies for further reading and links to Breakthrough Strategy best practice resources.

TLDR Implementing a Breakthrough Strategy in sales teams involves assessing current structures, adopting a customer-centric approach, and focusing on alignment with strategic objectives, continuous improvement, and effective communication for significant growth.

Reading time: 5 minutes

Before we begin, let's review some important management concepts, as they related to this question.

What does Sales Team Alignment mean?
What does Customer-Centric Sales Approach mean?
What does Change Management Principles mean?
What does Continuous Improvement mean?


Aligning sales teams with a Breakthrough Strategy requires a deep understanding of the organization's goals, market dynamics, and the capabilities of the sales force. A Breakthrough Strategy, by definition, aims to significantly shift market position or financial performance through innovative approaches, products, or services. This necessitates a sales team structure that is agile, aligned, and equipped with the right tools and skills to execute the strategy effectively.

Assessing Current Sales Team Structure

The first step in restructuring sales teams to align with a Breakthrough Strategy is to conduct a thorough assessment of the current sales team structure. This includes evaluating roles, responsibilities, skill sets, and how well the current structure supports strategic objectives. According to McKinsey, organizations that realign their sales strategy with their business strategy can see up to a 5-10% increase in sales productivity. A key part of this assessment involves identifying gaps between current capabilities and what is needed to execute the Breakthrough Strategy. This may involve analyzing sales performance data, customer feedback, and market trends to understand where adjustments are needed.

Another aspect of this assessment is understanding the market and customer segments the organization aims to target with its Breakthrough Strategy. This requires a deep dive into customer needs, preferences, and purchasing behaviors. Sales teams may need to be restructured to focus on new or underserved market segments that are critical to the success of the Breakthrough Strategy. For example, if the strategy involves entering a new technology market, the sales team may need to be restructured to include roles with deep technical expertise or experience in that market.

Finally, the assessment should consider the tools, technologies, and resources the sales team needs to effectively execute the Breakthrough Strategy. This could include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, data analytics tools, or training programs. Ensuring the sales team has access to the right tools and resources is essential for enabling them to execute the strategy effectively and achieve desired outcomes.

Are you familiar with Flevy? We are you shortcut to immediate value.
Flevy provides business best practices—the same as those produced by top-tier consulting firms and used by Fortune 100 companies. Our best practice business frameworks, financial models, and templates are of the same caliber as those produced by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and Accenture. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with 20+ years of experience.

Trusted by over 10,000+ Client Organizations
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes, from startups and small businesses to the Fortune 100, in over 130 countries.
AT&T GE Cisco Intel IBM Coke Dell Toyota HP Nike Samsung Microsoft Astrazeneca JP Morgan KPMG Walgreens Walmart 3M Kaiser Oracle SAP Google E&Y Volvo Bosch Merck Fedex Shell Amgen Eli Lilly Roche AIG Abbott Amazon PwC T-Mobile Broadcom Bayer Pearson Titleist ConEd Pfizer NTT Data Schwab

Developing a Customer-Centric Sales Approach

To align sales teams with a Breakthrough Strategy, organizations must adopt a customer-centric sales approach. This involves restructuring the sales team to be more agile and responsive to customer needs and preferences. According to Accenture, companies that adopt customer-centric sales and marketing strategies can achieve up to 10% higher customer satisfaction rates. A customer-centric approach requires sales teams to have a deep understanding of the customer's business, challenges, and goals. This may involve creating specialized roles or teams focused on specific customer segments or industries.

Implementing a customer-centric approach also requires changes to sales processes and metrics. Sales teams should be measured not just on revenue targets but also on customer satisfaction, retention, and lifetime value metrics. This shift in metrics encourages sales teams to focus on building long-term relationships with customers rather than just closing immediate sales. For example, a technology company may restructure its sales team to include customer success roles that work closely with customers post-sale to ensure they are achieving their desired outcomes with the product.

Training and development are also critical components of developing a customer-centric sales approach. Sales teams need ongoing training on the Breakthrough Strategy, market trends, and customer insights. This training should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the sales team and include practical, hands-on learning experiences. For example, role-playing exercises that simulate challenging customer scenarios can help sales teams develop the skills and confidence they need to effectively engage with customers.

Implementing Sales Team Restructuring

Once the organization has assessed its current sales team structure and developed a plan for aligning it with the Breakthrough Strategy, the next step is to implement the restructuring. This requires careful planning and communication to ensure a smooth transition. Change management principles should be applied to help sales teams understand the reasons for the restructuring, how it will benefit them, and the organization, and what is expected of them going forward. Clear communication and transparency are key to gaining buy-in and minimizing resistance to change.

Restructuring may involve redefining roles, creating new teams, or reallocating resources. For example, an organization may create new roles focused on strategic accounts or industries that are critical to the Breakthrough Strategy. It may also involve consolidating smaller, less effective teams into larger, more strategic teams. During this process, it's important to consider the impact on sales team morale and culture. Efforts should be made to retain top performers and ensure that all team members feel valued and supported during the transition.

Finally, the success of the sales team restructuring should be closely monitored and measured. This involves setting clear, measurable objectives for the restructured sales team and regularly reviewing performance against these objectives. Feedback should be solicited from sales team members, customers, and other stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. Continuous improvement should be a key focus, with adjustments made as needed to ensure the sales team remains aligned with the Breakthrough Strategy and is able to achieve its objectives.

Implementing a Breakthrough Strategy requires a comprehensive approach to restructuring sales teams that focuses on alignment with strategic objectives, customer-centricity, and continuous improvement. By carefully assessing the current structure, developing a plan for alignment, and implementing changes with a focus on communication and measurement, organizations can ensure their sales teams are well-positioned to execute the Breakthrough Strategy and achieve significant growth and success.

Best Practices in Breakthrough Strategy

Here are best practices relevant to Breakthrough Strategy from the Flevy Marketplace. View all our Breakthrough Strategy materials here.

Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.

Explore all of our best practices in: Breakthrough Strategy

Breakthrough Strategy Case Studies

For a practical understanding of Breakthrough Strategy, take a look at these case studies.

Renewable Energy Market Entry Strategy for APAC Region

Scenario: The organization is a mid-sized renewable energy company based in North America, aiming to expand its operations into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Read Full Case Study

Breakout Strategy Facilitation for Defense Contractor in Competitive Landscape

Scenario: A leading defense contractor is facing stagnation in a highly competitive and regulated market.

Read Full Case Study

Breakout Strategy Formulation for Luxury Retailer in Competitive Landscape

Scenario: A luxury retail firm is struggling to differentiate itself in a saturated market.

Read Full Case Study

Breakout Strategy Development for a High-Growth Tech Firm

Scenario: A rapidly growing technology firm has been experiencing challenges in scaling its operations due to an unplanned surge in customer demand.

Read Full Case Study

Breakout Strategy Formulation for Boutique Consulting Firm

Scenario: The organization is a mid-sized boutique consulting company specializing in digital transformation.

Read Full Case Study

Breakthrough Strategy for Professional Services Firm

Scenario: The organization is a mid-sized professional services provider specializing in financial consulting with a strong regional presence in North America.

Read Full Case Study


Explore all Flevy Management Case Studies

Related Questions

Here are our additional questions you may be interested in.

What role does customer feedback play in refining and adjusting a Breakthrough Strategy post-implementation?
Customer feedback is crucial for refining Breakthrough Strategies post-implementation, ensuring organizations stay relevant and customer-centric through continuous improvement and innovation. [Read full explanation]
What role does customer feedback play in refining a Breakout Strategy post-implementation?
Customer feedback is crucial for refining a Breakout Strategy post-implementation, driving continuous improvement, aligning with market needs, and enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. [Read full explanation]
How are emerging technologies like AI and machine learning reshaping the approach to developing Breakthrough Strategies?
AI and Machine Learning are revolutionizing Strategic Planning and Execution by enabling data-driven decision-making, automating strategic processes, and driving Innovation and Competitive Advantage, reshaping industry landscapes. [Read full explanation]
What are the first steps in transitioning from a conventional strategy to a Breakout Strategy?
Transitioning to a Breakout Strategy involves recognizing the need for change, conducting comprehensive internal and external analyses, developing a clear strategy with a focus on leveraging core competencies for new opportunities, ensuring Operational Excellence, and implementing robust Change Management practices for disciplined execution and continuous adaptation. [Read full explanation]
What impact do sustainability and environmental considerations have on formulating a Breakout Strategy in today's business environment?
Sustainability and environmental considerations are pivotal in Breakout Strategy, driving innovation, competitive advantage, and long-term profitability through cost savings, new markets, and enhanced brand reputation. [Read full explanation]
How can companies ensure alignment between their Breakout Strategy and overall corporate values and culture?
Achieve sustainable growth by aligning Breakout Strategy with corporate values and culture through Strategic Planning, Leadership Commitment, and Continuous Communication for enhanced performance. [Read full explanation]

 
David Tang, New York

Strategy & Operations, Digital Transformation, Management Consulting

This Q&A article was reviewed by David Tang. David is the CEO and Founder of Flevy. Prior to Flevy, David worked as a management consultant for 8 years, where he served clients in North America, EMEA, and APAC. He graduated from Cornell with a BS in Electrical Engineering and MEng in Management.

To cite this article, please use:

Source: "How can sales teams be restructured to better align with a Breakthrough Strategy?," Flevy Management Insights, David Tang, 2025




Flevy is the world's largest knowledge base of best practices.


Leverage the Experience of Experts.

Find documents of the same caliber as those used by top-tier consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture.

Download Immediately and Use.

Our PowerPoint presentations, Excel workbooks, and Word documents are completely customizable, including rebrandable.

Save Time, Effort, and Money.

Save yourself and your employees countless hours. Use that time to work on more value-added and fulfilling activities.




Read Customer Testimonials



Download our FREE Strategy & Transformation Framework Templates

Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.