In the preface to Aligning Strategy and Sales, Frank Cespedes writes; "Selling is, by far, the most expensive part of implementation for most firms... The amount invested in sales forces (including salaries, benefits, and other components of SG&A -- selling,...
Media
Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and author of Sales Management That Works, Aligning Strategy and Sales, as well as other books and articles.
7 tips for your performance review
It's that time of year again: the dreaded performance review. While this practice is key to getting teams to set priorities and clarify actions, managers (and employees) often treat it as a make-work task instead of a productive conversation. Perhaps it's no wonder...
Translating Strategy Into Sales Behaviors That Win
Frank sat down with Linda Richardson of Top Sales Magazine to discuss "Translating Strategy into Sales Behaviors That Win." Read the full article in Top Sales Magazine.
It Doesn’t Matter If Competitors Know Your Strategy
It’s tough for people to implement what they don’t understand. Communicating priorities to the front line, especially salespeople, is highly correlated with business performance. Conversely, this “middle ground” is where strategy execution often breaks down. Yet, many...
How to Align a Sales Force With Strategic Goals
The gap between your company’s sales efforts and strategy can be a huge vulnerability, says a new book. But there are ways to link your go-to-market initiatives with strategic goals. If you want people in the field to understand your strategic initiatives and...
Top Sales & Marketing Book 2014
Excited to announce “Aligning Strategy & Sales” is in the running for the Top Sales & Marketing Book of 2014. To cast your vote, please take a minute to click on the link below. Appreciate your support in advance! Click here to vote!
The 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards Longlist
"Aligning Strategy & Sales" was named to the 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards Longlist as one of the best sales books of 2014. Read more on 800-CEO-READ.
How the ‘Best’ Recruits Could Hurt Your Team
Putting the right team on the field is crucial, especially in sales, where differences in individual performance are greater than in other functions. Studies in B2B contexts find that rep performance in similar territories often varies by 300 percent, while in retail...
Why reports of the death of the salesman are greatly exaggerated
Perhaps it’s time for a re-think of “Death of a Salesman.” After two decades of talk about the “new economy” and the “disruption” of certain professions by the Internet, you might think that sales as we know it is as stale and outdated as Willy Loman — a function that...
There’s No Excuse for Avoiding Strategy
Strategy has shrunk. For many firms and even for some prominent strategy consultants, the concept is now nothing more than “just-in-time decision making” or “a few critical initiatives” or other variations on “adaptability.” Driving this view is a set of assumptions:...