Strategies for improving sales force effectiveness in wholesale distribution

A national study of the sales force effectiveness of paper and plastics wholesaler-distributors revealed that the top 20 percent of the sales forces write four times more volume than the bottom 20 percent. They achieve these results without sacrificing margins. Therefore, they generate over four times the gross dollar margins of the bottom 20 percent. Close examination of 116 categories of variables that may contribute to enhancing sales force effectiveness unveiled 45 variables relating to give significant factors that ensure a sales force top performance ranking: teamwork, training, supplier relations, hiring practices, and personality characteristics. This article features an in-depth presentation of the results and emerging managerial recommendations. The author relates key findings, examines the measures used to determine sales force performance, and identifies dominant strategies that result in increasing sales force effectiveness in wholesale distribution.