Sales Growth: Five Proven Strategies from the World's Sales Leaders

by Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami, Jon Vander Ark

A comprehensive guide to how companies can drive sales growthFinding growth today can be an enormous challenge for companies in a complex and fast-changing business environment. There are no simple solutions, but in "Sales Growth, " experts from McKinsey & Company provide a practical blue-print for achieving this goal by revealing what world-class sales executives are doing right now to find growth and capture it--as well as how they are creating the capabilities to keep growing in the future.

Broken down into five overarching strategies, this book focuses on the valuable lessons that power growth, including how to get ahead of the competition by taking advantage of trends and turning complex analysis into simple guidelines that sales reps on your front line need to sell better. Page by page, you'll learn how successful sales executives find untapped pockets of growth, act like locals to make the most of emerging markets opportunities, and power growth through digital sales. You'll also discover what it takes to find big growth in big data, develop the right "sales DNA" in your organization, and improve channel performance.Based on interviews of more than 120 of today's most successful global sales leaders, from a wide array of B2C and B2B organizationsOffers real-life examples of how successful sales leaders overcame the challenges encountered in the quest for growthContains insights on finding growth before your competitors, optimizing sales operations and technology, developing sales talent and capabilities, and much more

Created "by" sales executives "for" sales executives, this book will provide you with the practical guidelines and useful insights to drive sales growth today and in the future.

Genres: Business

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2012

Reviews

[Deema Soufi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be best for reference. Not to read from cover-to-cover which is what I did.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is for multi-product, multi-channel, multi-national sales companies. If you're not a complex, global sales leader, the much of this book isn't for you. That's not good or bad--just know the focus before you read it.

However, while there were some good insights in this book (see below), I took two stars away for two big issues.

First, big chunks of the book were outdated. For example, a recurring theme was that digital marketing was something we should take seriously, maybe even checking out the idea of social media marketing. And they talk often about a specific software or metric tool, all of which are no longer best in class (some of which aren't even available anymore).

Second, the writing is so very formal and dry. I almost quit reading this twice, just because it was such a slog to get through. But then I'd get another good insight and decide to keep going just a little longer. I did finish it and I'm glad I did. Some of my clients are multi-national brands and some of these insights are useful for me. But it's really not good writing.

In case you are a global sales leader, here are some of my notes:

Pay attention to micro trends as well. For example, the entire industry might be on a decline, but there might be pockets in that industry that are growing quickly. And you might have some customer relationships like that as well.

You can create micro territories and micro strategies to address the micro trends that make up the macro industry. There's a lot of power in doing this and a lot of danger in selling to the average.

One of the biggest drivers of customer buying behavior is the actual sales experience. When surveyed, people will say that it's not important, but when you look at their behavior and what it correlates to it turns out that it's three times more important than they say it is in actually driving buying behavior

The sales experience is really the customer experience.

A best salesforce will dedicate 2/3 of its time to the pre-sales qualification. This includes technical sales often called solutions managers.

Marketing and sales have to collaborate and be aligned. Marketing should not just one-way communicate to sales. Sales should communicate back to marketing.

Marketing and sales leaders should have rotational experiences where they walk a day in the shoes of the other department.

Both marketing and sales should be talking directly to customers. That should not be reserved for one of the groups only.

Outsourcing your entire sales and marketing department is happening more and more, and often getting really good results.

[Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve just finished Sales Growth by McKinsey. It’s a good book, in conclusion, leading sales companies achieve extraordinary growth through big data and insights teams identifying megatrends 18 months in advance, taking risk on early investment and implementing programs for coaching and recognition that become a dominant portion of Sales Managers interactions with their staff.

[Kamil Altıntaşoğlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical advice on how to set up a sales team and what to measure

[Ivan Titkov · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm ashamed that authors worked in the same Firm I did. The book is banal even for me, who never worked in sales. No insights, little data, little action. Explaining what a QR code is. Really?

[Chris Par]

this excellent text, show us the importance of research in sales as source of knowledge

[Elinor Stutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Reading Sales Growth is equivalent to opening the door of Fort Knox to take advantage of the bars of gold. The book is a brilliant collaborative effort that consolidates advice from 120 leading Executives from around the world. These experts openly share their knowledge of sales growth, strategy, long-term planning and most importantly, how to stay ahead of your competition and the marketplace. The book is full of practical examples and guidance that help sales managers get the most from big data, digital, operations, and coaching. Alongside the big picture are the nuggets of how to expand sales growth for what you already have in place today. Sales professionals and corporate executives alike cannot afford to pass this book by, it is that important!"

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Business books are usually bad; Sales books are often even worse. Yet this one is actually alright. Grounded, researched, practical, actionable - worth reading if you are thinking about building or improving your sales organization.

[Ilya Mrz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find growth before jumping into business.
Study yours customers
Norrow niches.
Use technology
Improve a logistic processes
Manage performance for a grow
Leadsales like a leader

Ps. I begins hate 'how to' business book, cuase almost all are identical. And for me it's like a bullshit

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophisticated, well researched (McKinsey authors!) sales growth book. Written for Sales Directors and executives. High level strategies. Peak into the world of sales senior leadership for front line reps.

Borrow it

[Kevin Teran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so McKinsey. It equipped with research and data on how to drive sales growth. There are some insights into a new way of sales. Plus the writers conducted an interview with several companies leaders making everything’s practical. With a foreword by Marc Benioff.

[Marcin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended to sales leaders as a frame of reference. Otherwise, nothing spectacular.

[John Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Don't know why the rating is so low. Details in the book are so true. A must read for sales leaders.