How to Assess Your Sales Force

type="text/javascript"> ch_client = "articlealley";cover every area in which the sales team have
ch_type = "mpu"; ch_width = 590; ch_height =to prove their ability. Areas to include are product
250; ch_non_contextual = 4; ch_noborders = 1;knowledge, self and work organisation, selling
ch_vertical ="premium"; ch_sid = "590x250 Articletechniques and development of personal traits.
Mixed Top"; ch_alternate_ad_url = " varFinally, a good assessment system should only
ch_queries = new Array( ); varassess those factors that can be either measured
ength)); if ( ch_selected < ch_queries.length ) {and counted or observed and described and,
ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected]; } Withoutwhich ever system you use, it should also be
regular individual assessment, changes incompletely undertood by those you are assessing
performance that are early indicators of a need- the sales people.
to provide corrective sales training will be missed.Assessment systems that fulfill the above criteria
It is, therefore, inconceivable that any salesshould also evaluate each individual criteria
manager would attempt to manage their salesaccording to its importance to the company's
department without such assessment as to do sosuccess i.e important factors have a greater
would lead to declining results.influence and less important factors are accorded
In practice, there are various different methodsless influence in the overall assessment process.
that can be used, each with different advantagesE. Gnuschke, a sales expert, has developed an
and disadvantages. Some assessment sytems areapproach to testing which meets these
based on turnover in pounds or market share butrequirements. Details of his approach to sales
such systems are prone to being influenced byforce evaluation to objectively determine sales
factors outside the control of the sales person, sotraining needs are described below.
do not accurately assess the sales person's ability.The first stage in the process is setting
This can then jeopardise the assessment as aappropriate test or assessment criteria. These
whole.factors should be tailored to your own company
Effective assessment systems are neutral. Forsuch that they are fully appropriate. As a good
effectiveness the assessment must be carriedstarting point to developing your own check list I
out regularly, so any assessment is not based onhave provided some examples.
a single point in time, also it must comprehensively