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  • August 22, 2017
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

Find the Right Metrics for Your Sales Team

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Robert Marsh
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

This article reports the results of a survey of key performance indicators (KPIs) used by more than 800 sales groups across industries. The most common KPIs are closed deals and salesperson performance against quota, which, on average, firms measure monthly. But a closed deal is an outcome and lagging indicator. This article discusses how some firms deconstruct their sales conversion funnels to identify relevant leading indicators and coach/develop selling behaviors. Thus managing sales performance and not only reviewing quotas and after-the-fact outcomes.

Keywords

Sales; Performance Evaluation; Measurement and Metrics; Salesforce Management

Citation

Cespedes, Frank V., and Robert Marsh. "Find the Right Metrics for Your Sales Team." Harvard Business Review (website) (August 22, 2017).
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About The Author

Frank V. Cespedes

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • January 2023 (Revised January 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Belden and Digital Transformation: From Product Sales to Solutions Sales

    By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amy Klopfenstein
    • November 15, 2022
    • Harvard Business Review (website)

    Using Simulations to Upskill Employees

    By: Frank V. Cespedes, Trond Aas, Alex Hunt and Huw Newton-Hill
    • October 2022 (Revised December 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Aphro Beverages

    By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amram Migdal
More from the Authors
  • Belden and Digital Transformation: From Product Sales to Solutions Sales By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amy Klopfenstein
  • Using Simulations to Upskill Employees By: Frank V. Cespedes, Trond Aas, Alex Hunt and Huw Newton-Hill
  • Aphro Beverages By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amram Migdal
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