Research
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:
Business Surveys
The Center conducts the “Benchmarks in Sales Productivity” biennially, which allows organizations to understand current business practices and identify key benchmarking information on a national basis.
Student & Alumni Surveys
The Center monitors DePaul students and alumni at various points in their journey to a sales career – entering the business college, during matriculation through classes focused on sales careers, upon graduating from the program and throughout their sales career.
Partner Surveys
The Center conducts custom designed surveys periodically targeted at specific areas, custom-designed based on our partner’s needs, conducted by faculty in the program, and delivering drive value-related decisions.
Business Research
Benchmarks in Sales Productivity 2008
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 Productivity 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
Academic Research
Business Communication Quarterly
My Favorite Assignment: Selections from the ABC 2008 Annual Convention, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
D. Joel Whalen, Column Editor
The 2008 My Favorite Assignment session at the ABC Conference in Lake Tahoe offered a rich variety of learning objectives and innovative teaching methods serving different target learners.
Additional materials may be viewed and downloaded from the following articles:
Student Communication Consultants To Not-For-Profit Organization
Phyllis Bunn
Delta State University
Download materials
The Great Barter
Mathukutty M. Monippally
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Download materials
Persuasive Business Presentation
Paula R. Wood
Fayetteville State University
Download materials
In the Business Communication Quarterly article, the reader may review the following information for each My Favorite Assignment:
- Overview of the assignment
- Target learners
- Learning objectives
- Time to complete the assignment
- Materials, equipment and special considerations
- Evaluating outcomes/grading
- Instructions for downloading more information (for selected assignments)
- Author biography and contact information
Sales Education Landscape Research
DePaul University’s Center for Sales Leadership conducts a biennial survey of the existence, content and scope of sales education programs in universities and colleges in the United States to determine individual and overall progress towards excellence in the education area across a variety of sales education programs.
The objectives of the survey are to investigate and analyze the ongoing status of educational programs in sales and sales management at the university and college level. The survey seeks to evaluate and compare the respective programs to encourage best practices among the limited number of universities and colleges who provide education in sales and sales management.
Check out our new interactive map displaying a portion of the survey results!
Get the entire 2009 Universities and Colleges Sales Education Landscape Report here.
If you are a university who would like to update their sales program’s information, please contact Janna Orendorff at jorendo2@depaul.edu.
Partner Research
Three major studies have been completed since 2005:
- Buyer Seller Interaction
- Inside Sales – Inside Sales Support
- Channel Selling & Marketing Strategy
Buyer Seller Interaction Study Highlights
Over 120 companies participated in this study.
We interviewed buyers and sellers in several distribution channels.
What we learned was surprising:
- Companies spend twice as much training people than recruiting them
- Sellers think that their people are well trained… buyers think that sellers don’t listen to them
- Over 85% of selling companies use a salary plus commission or bonus structure, customers think the root cause of dissatisfaction with service that account reps provide is their compensation structure
- 90% of manufacturers believe they have partnerships with key accounts yet only 5% of customers believe that partnerships exist!
Inside Sales Study Highlights
We investigated inside sales and inside sales support efforts on behalf of one of major partners
We interviewed senior management of 21 divisions of the company as well as 2 agencies.
We learned that there are 3 major opportunities where inside sales support has proven to financially beneficial in supporting the sales efforts for the company:
- Vacant territory coverage – More cost effective and more productive in reducing lost sales. Minimizes lost sales from sales people from adjacent territories forced to cover vacant territory.
- Combination sales coverage plans are very effective in maximizing volume and minimizing cost particularly where inside sales is responsible for geographically disparate territories, and
- Inside sales (promotion) support has improved sales for many field sales operations by increasing customer touches and service satisfaction.
Channel Selling & Marketing Strategy Study Highlights
In this study we investigated and secured insight regarding channel management changes from 15 of America’s premier grocery manufacturers concerning the following facts:
- America’s consumer base is changing dramatically. In the next 10 years we will witness real changes in: racial composition, ethnic diversity, and age distribution.
- These changes will change the shopping behavior and appetites of millions of Americans affecting: where they shop, what products they buy, what quantities they purchase, and how those products purchased will be consumed.
- We will also be far better informed of these new purchase dynamics with research that is more accurate and collected more expeditiously.
Student & Alumni Research
The Center for Sales Leadership conducts a survey of all College of Commerce students to determine their attitudes toward sales curriculum and sales careers. The survey focuses on student awareness of curriculum, behaviors in selecting classes, personal interests and characteristics, opinions on career choices and propensity to pursue a sales career.
Over 700 students from a representative sample of 4400 students in the DePaul University College of Commerce responded to the 2007-2008 survey.
Key findings in our most recent survey include:
- Student “buzz” (reputation among student body) is the primary driver of program awareness
- Schedule and peer opinion drives class selection
- Students exhibit conflicting self-images, such as “rejection doesn't bother me” and “I avoid asking for things”
- Sales careers rank below average in prestige, lifestyle, earnings and satisfaction
- Students believe a sales career could be a good choice because of variety, challenge and personal responsibility
- Students believe a sales career might be a bad choice because of commission, quotas and time away from home
- 19.8% indicate “very likely” or “likely” to pursue a sales career
- 80.8% believe it is somewhat or absolutely necessary for classes to be taught by instructors with academic experience
- 94.4% believe it is somewhat or absolutely necessary for classes to be taught by instructors with a sales career background
Sales Leadership Student Survey
The Center for Sales Leadership conducts a survey of all Sales Leadership Program students to determine shift in their attitudes and opinions which occur from their entrance into the program until their graduation with a sales minor. The survey focuses on student awareness of curriculum, attributes to be a successful sales professional, expected earning potential, and propensity to pursue a sales career.
Key findings in our most recent survey include:
- Students with no experience in a sales class or career are unlikely to pursue a sales career (16%)
- Student with some experience in a sales career are somewhat more likely to pursue a sales career (21%)
- Students with experience in a sales class are even more likely to pursue a sales career (37%)
- Student who graduate with a sales minor are very likely to pursue a sales career (67%)
Alumni Survey
The Center for Sales Leadership conducts a survey of all Sales Leadership Program alumni to their evaluation of the program, their job search process, current job position, career progression, compensation, propensity to change employers. The survey focuses on all alumni who have graduated from the program with a sales minor.