High Performing Sales Forces Follow Same Path to Excellence

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- With sales forces across all industries facing a challenging year, it's critical that organizations maintain a motivated group of reps. While individual commissions remain the single most important variable that motivates a sales force, the base/incentive compensation split is a useful lever to align sales reps behavior to the strategic objectives of the organization, according to a benchmarking study by Best Practices, LLC.

In a cross-industry study involving 40 organizations, the most effective base pay to incentive pay ratio is 58 percent base to 42 percent incentive, according to the study. The pharmaceutical segment, however, reported an average split of 62 percent base and 38 percent incentive.

The study, Cross-Industry Field Sales Force Excellence, will help sales force executives across numerous industries better understand the effectiveness of their sales forces. The research probes areas such as: Sales Force Structure, Span of Control, Time Management, Training, Recruiting & Hiring, Compensation and more.

To download a complimentary study excerpt, go to: http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr934.htm

The research is a compilation of sales force metrics that showcases the leading practices of more than 40 organizations in manufacturing, pharmaceutical and software industry segments.

The research report illuminates the current state of affairs at best-in- class organizations, such as Pfizer, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, Novartis and Wyeth. The research data is presented both in cross-industry and segmented views.

  A small sample of the key metrics harvested from the study data include:

  -- Account Time Management: Effective field sales representatives spend
     64 percent of their time, on average, growing sales within existing
     accounts and 36 percent of their time acquiring new accounts.
  -- Turnover Rate: While the cross-industry hiring differential is
     12.9 percent, the turnover rate for the study's four market segments
     ranges from 9.4 percent to 17.5 percent.
  -- Sales Training:  Organizations on average outsource 27 percent of their
     sales training needs.

To discover more sales force performance benchmarks and view key findings from the comprehensive report, visit: http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr934.htm To learn more about Best Practices' other timely research visit: http://www3.best-in-class.com/ or contact Cameron Tew at 919-767-9246 or ctew@best-in-class.com

ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, LLC

Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class companies. For more information, call (919) 403-0251 or visit www.best-in-class.com.

CONTACT: Kim Hardin of Best Practices, LLC, +1-919-767-9221, khardin@best-in-class.com

Web site: http://www.best-in-class.com/

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