Deloitte: Sales needs HR to back it up

By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

In the global report ‘Human Capital trends 2012: Leap ahead’, Deloitte highlights how the internet has made customers demand more, have unprecedented access to product and pricing information and have the ability to make purchases at the touch of a button.

The report also identified eight key focus areas where leading HR organisations are developing the sales force to improve performance:

1. Different talent for a different way of selling; Many companies are choosing to hire a different breed of sales rep for high-value roles.
2. New skills and competencies; To be effective in this more challenging environment, sales reps need to learn and develop new skills.
3. New organisational structures that foster collaboration; Many leading HR organisations are helping to develop new structures that foster team selling and cross-channel coordination.
4. Rewards and incentives that drive the desired behaviours; New compensation models should balance short-term sales wins with longer-term relationship development.
5. Governance that balances control and flexibility; Many leading companies are developing governance structures and internal controls that manage risk and rogue behaviour without stifling innovation and initiative.
6. Stronger integration across channels and functions; These days, more and more customers are buying goods and services without interacting with a sales rep.
7. Effective sales management; Skilled sales managers coordinate the various aspects of the sales process and allocate resources to improve results.
8. Overcoming resistance to change; The new approach to selling is fundamentally different and requires new behaviours and new ways of thinking.

Achieving this future vision will require HR leaders who understand front-line sales issues, the customer experience, and the particular DNA required for the sales force of the future,” says Nicky Wakefield, Deloitte Consulting Human Capital partner.