Sales-Force Decision Models: Insights from 25 Years of Implementation

Prabhakant Sinha and Andris A. Zoltners
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Prabhakant Sinha: ZS Associates, 1800 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201
Andris A. Zoltners: J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, and ZS Associates

Interfaces, 2001, vol. 31, issue 3_supplement, S8-S44

Abstract: Over 25 years, we have developed many sales-force and modeling insights through over 2,000 projects with several hundred selling organizations in over 50 countries. Content insights are useful in making sales-force decisions. Examples are that profitability is flat for a wide range of sales-force sizes; phased sales-force growth is rarely optimal; focused strategies dominate scattered strategies; most sales territories (55 percent) are too large or too small; and no compensation plan satisfies everyone. Implementation insights concern model building, use, and implementation, for example, a model's economic value can come from such sources as reduced uncertainty, accuracy, increased speed, objectivity, and stakeholder involvement; theory and practice have different and complementary perspectives; experience and wisdom are sometimes better than models; and models provide insights, while people make decisions.

Keywords: MARKETING—SALES FORCE; DECISION ANALYSIS—APPLICATIONS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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