Fredrick Herzberg, a renowned psychologist, aptly observed, “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.” This notion especially applies to optimizing a company's Sales Force, which forms the crucial artery carrying revenue to the corporate body's heart.

For effective implementation, take a look at these Sales Force best practices:

• Sales Force Effectiveness - Diagnosis & Correction Framework (14-slide PowerPoint deck)
• Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE): 5 Components of Selling (24-slide PowerPoint deck)
• Salesforce Management Business Toolkit (192-slide PowerPoint deck)
• Salesforce Quote-to-Cash (Q2C) - Implementation Toolkit (Excel workbook and supporting ZIP)

Sales Force Deployment

Sales Force Deployment is at the heart of the Sales Force spectrum. Its purpose is arranging and structuring the company's sales force to ensure maximum coverage of the market and the customer base, alongside balancing costs and service levels. Deploying effective Sales Force Management starts with clearly understanding your customer base and segmenting the market according to their behaviors, needs, and the firm’s business strategy.

Companies must consistently analyze these segments to align their Sales Force. A one-size-fits-all deployment strategy would be ineffective. Preserving regular checks on the changes in customer behavior ensures adaptive Sales Force deployment.

Sales Force Effectiveness

With effective deployment in place, improving Sales Force Effectiveness is the following key step. Bain & Company's research suggests that world-class businesses could witness a 5% to 10% productivity boost by improving sales force effectiveness¹. To drive this improvement, firms must focus on coaching, feedback, and continuous performance assessment.

Done effectively, this empowers a sales workforce, inculcates trust, and offers motivation. Firms may consider enacting performance management systems and cultivating a high feedback environment to promote skill improvement and high levels of performance.

Explore related management topics: Performance Management

Sales Force Automation and Technology

Another increasingly crucial aspect of Sales Force optimization is Sales Force Automation (SFA) and embracing technology. Implementing the right SFA system can simplify processes, streamline activities, render better insights, and facilitate the management of the sales funnel.

• Process Simplification - The automation of routine tasks enables the Sales Force to focus on driving sales.
• Streamlining Activities - SFA can improve the interaction between the Sales Force and customers, making their experience more seamless and satisfying.
• Better Insights - Through data analytics, firms can derive actionable insights.
• Sales Funnel Management - Effective use of SFA solutions supports pipeline management.

Explore related management topics: Data Analytics

Sales Force Motivation and Training

Last but not least, motivation and training stand as pillars to Sales Force Management. High-performance organizations strive not only to attract top talent but also to retain them.

Employing the right motivation practices can have a significant and positive impact on sales. These practices could range from monetary rewards to career progression opportunities. They must be purposefully structured to resonate with the values, aspirations, and needs of the Sales Force.

Training and developing Sales Force skills is just as crucial. Businesses must conduct regular training and development programs to keep the Sales Force updated with market dynamics, technology developments, selling strategies, and product knowledge.

In the landscape of competitive business warfare, a company’s Sale Force is a vital asset. The better managed this force, the stronger the competitive positioning stands. As such, CEOs, COOs, and Senior Executives must prioritize deploying, sizing, motivating, training, and automating this array. And remember the wise words of Steve Jobs, “Great companies are built on great products.” Your Sales Force is no different; it must be carefully built, nurtured, and optimized to drive your company to the top of the business ladder.