For companies seeking to grow (and isn't every company?), the most crucial connection is between sales and strategy. Yet in most companies, instead of a strong connection, there is a widening gap. Today, U.S. companies invest almost $900 billion annually in their sales forces, yet companies deliver only 50-60% of the financial performance that their strategies promise. That's wasted money and managerial effort.
In his book, Aligning Strategy and Sales, Harvard Business School Professor Frank Cespedes focuses on closing this gap by establishing effective connections that improve both sales and strategy. Cespedes deals with defining the specific goals of strategy, articulating strategic choices, and developing effective control systems.
In this interactive Harvard Business Review webinar, Frank Cespedes discusses how to close the strategy-sales gap and shares practical know-how, emphasizes the role of processes and systems, and provides advice that will drive performance.