Restructuring A Sales Force for the Modern Marketplace

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the function of the sales force and how modern times require organizations to rethink how to best use the sales force. Areas such as the use of technology, territory alignment, and training of sales people are discussed as they relate to the marketplace. The culture of sales organizations is reviewed to assess whether they are structured to manage major changes that will assist in yielding benefits and reaching strategic objectives. In addition, I describe the degree to which organizations require warning signs before a change is made and explore whether they should make a change before warning signs are seen. I conclude with a commentary on whether it is time for a change even if the sales organization is operating well.