Your Sales Team: World-Class or Also-Ran?

Here's a quick way to assess whether or not your sales team is best-in-class or is just along for the ride. Answer the following eight questions with a "Yes" or "No" answer. Keep track of how many times you answer "Yes", enter the total in the poll below, then click on the link to for your team's score:

• 1. Is our corporate sales strategy clearly articulated, measurable and actionable?
• 2. Does our sales compensation plan reinforce that strategy?
• 3. Is there a plan to retrain existing or hire new personnel to support that strategy?
• 4. Is our marketing team able to produce leads and provide materials that support the strategy?
• 5. Is sales support prepared to assist the sales team as we execute the strategy?
• 6. Is human resources prepared support any required training and rehiring efforts?
• 7. Is our CRM system ready to measure the metrics for that strategy?
• 8. Are there no major disconnects that might prevent the execution of the strategy?

• 0 times, Click HERE »
• 1 time, Click HERE »
• 2 times, Click HERE »
• 3 times, Click HERE »
• 4 times, Click HERE »
• 5 times, Click HERE »
• 6 times, Click HERE »
• 7 times, Click HERE »
• 8 times, Click HERE »

You answered YES exactly 0 times.
You're in deep trouble and you know it. Your top management doesn't understand sales and can't communicate well with the sales staff. So much is screwed up that it's only a matter of time before you company fails. Short of a complete replacement of the management chain, there's nothing that's going to make things any better. Sorry.

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

I highly recommend that you start looking for a different job.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

You're not a first-class sales team because there's not enough support inside your company to allow you get to that point. It's possible that through hard work and selling very hard, you can overcome these difficulties, but overall, there's some significant misalignment between what management thinks they want from the sales team and how they've set things up to achieve it.

You should probably keep your options open and look for a better position.

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

There's a significant misalignment between what management thinks they want from the sales team and how they've set things up to achieve it. Your best bet is to work with your management to correct the problem and get your company into strategic alignment.

Don't give up hope and don't give up!

Here's a post that might help:

• Sales Managers: A Field Guide

Your company has its sales strategy aligned so that your sales team can be world class. There are no disconnects between the company's sales strategy and the ability of the entire organization to deliver.

You're very fortunate. Not many companies achieve this level of strategic alignment. They are almost always the most successful companies in their industry.

Does this guarantee success. Of course not. And if the strategy is stupid, executing it perfectly isn't going to make an difference.

But if the strategy makes sense, everything is aligned for success. Good luck!