Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling

Frank V. Cespedes

Book | 2014

Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling

Abstract

There are many books that provide strategy advice and selling methodologies. But there is a gap in the management literature when it comes to linking sales efforts with strategy. Part 1 of this book provides data indicating how and why sales remain (by far) the biggest part of strategy implementation in most firms, the issues involved in linking selling investments with strategic goals, and a framework for analyzing the relevant processes. Part 2 discusses strategic choices, what research tells us about selling effectiveness, and how to translate a strategy into customer-selection and sales-call criteria. Part 3 focuses on core sales management issues: account management practices, hiring and development, compensation and incentives, performance reviews, and measuring sales effectiveness. Part 4 examines broader organizational requirements for effective selling and strategy implementation: developing sales managers who can manage and improving coordination between sales and other functions.

Keywords: Sales; strategy; Strategy; Sales;

Format: Print

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Citation:

Cespedes, Frank V. Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2014.

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Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling

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