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Any sales leader’s success is dependent on two things. The first is strategy and the second is execution. Ensure that you have the right sales strategy by aligning your sales resources correctly.  

 

Do you have the Right Rep in the Right Territory?

It seems like an easy question to answer, but is it? In our Annual Research Report, we found that one of the key elements of a successful sales strategy is organizational design. Follow a sequence when you evaluate or build your sales organization in order to stay away from common missteps. Take a look at how the top 10% of sales leaders construct their sales teams.  

 

A successful sales organization knows how to properly design their sales territories. This is a delicate science that often becomes an overlooked element. It is a science, not an art, and there is a method to follow. “Winging it,” as many sales leaders do, is entirely the wrong approach. Utilize sales data when mapping out territories. This step in your sales plan should be done after you assess your talent and before you set quota.

 

If this done out of sequence, you end up with poor resource allocation, which can then lead to missing your revenue target. Remember, the goal is to have your best sales reps work the territories with the most potential. Don’t give a new rep one of your high potential territories – they haven’t yet proven themselves. Instead, place one of your “A” players in a high potential territory.

 

How Do You Compare to Your Peers?

Here is a quick test to see if you have implemented best practices:

 

  • Do you know the potential of each account?
  • Do you know how your accounts should be prioritized?
  • What is the optimal size of each territory?
  • How would you design balanced territories?
  • How do you assess the potential in each territory?
  • How do you set goals for each territory?
  • What is your process for territory planning?
  • How do you transition accounts when you change territories?
  • How do you communicate territory decisions to the team?
  • Did you assign quota without looking at territories first?

     

Rate your performance on this quiz. How did you do? Based on your responses, what can you now improve? Download our research report for some additional questions to consider.

 

Why it Matters

Building a sales organization with balanced territories helps you hit your goal. Balanced territories enable your teams to be more productive and reduce sales turnover. By placing your top reps in your top territories, you give your team the ability to succeed.

 

If you only remember one thing when setting territories, remember to follow the process. Ignore your “gut feelings”  and avoid the temptation to skip steps. If you want to learn more about this critical aspect of sales strategies, download our How to Make the Number in 2017 Report. In it, we provide details on how to optimize your organization. By investing time now, you give yourself a head start for achieving success in the year to come.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Staples

Leads teams of highly qualified experts, all relentless in their pursuit of helping you make your number.
BIO
ALL PEOPLE

John is the global leader of SBI’s account management business unit. As such, he and his team help clients across 19 verticals drive top line growth and operational efficiency in sales and marketing.

 

John’s marketing, sales and product expertise span a multichannel strategic approach. He has an unyielding focus on strategic and key account development, which enables strategic alignment between all functional team members in order to reduce acquisition cost and increase lifetime value.

 

His broad experience in sales, marketing, product and engineering allows him to bring a unique problem solving approach to his team and clients. As he has discovered through decades of experience, clients are often distracted by the symptoms of a larger problem and overlook the root cause of it.

 

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