Business Practices Research

Benchmarks in sales Productivity 2008

A Survey of Sales Organization Practices

In academics and business, there is little substantial and reliable research conducted on the state of the sales organization on an ongoing basis which can be used by educators and practitioners to provide benchmarks in their programs. The Center for Sales Leadership faculty has developed a repository of ongoing research into the attitudes and behaviors of a broad range of target respondents.

For the full Benchmarks in Sales Productivy 2008 report click here.

Key findings in our 2008 survey include:

  • Average sales force is 69% male and 76% Caucasian
  • Cost of Hire averages $27,700
  • Investment to break even averages $43,000
  • Turnover (22%) cost averages $35,000
  • 75% of firms compensate on base plus commission systems
  • Average compensation of top performers is $101,900
  • Only half of firms provide leadership training
  • Training fails when behaviors not reinforced and tie to benefit
Cost of Hire by Business Type


Benchmarks in sales Productivity 2006

For the full Benchmarks in Sales Productivy 2006 report click here.

Key findings in our 2006 survey include:

  • Average sales force is 70% male and 80% Caucasian
  • Only 35% of firms report a formal training program, averaging less than 45 days, for new hires
  • Firms average only 3.5 hours interviewing candidates prior to hire
  • Training at most firms omits important skills such as – technology, CRM, team selling, critical thinking
  • 76% of firms compensate on base plus commission systems
  • Sales compensation of high performers is double that of an average producer – quadruple that of a poor performer
  • Over 25% of firms report a turnover in their sale force of greater than 20% annually
  • Firms estimate that every sales force turnover costs $68,000, excluding the cost of lost sales
  • 70% of turnover occurs in the first two to three years of employment