Book review: Restructuring the Distribution
Sales Effort for Maximum Productivity

Did you know that inside and outside sales forces typically comprise 30 percent to 40 percent of the typical distributor’s operating expenses?

Yet research shows that many distributors cannot answer the following questions, with supporting analyses, about their sales efforts:

1. How do we measure sales productivity and are we becoming more or less productive?

2. How many inside and outside salespeople do we need? On what accounts should we deploy them?

3. Are there different ways to deploy outside sellers, using them for different tasks that would make them more productive?

4. What comprehensive process do we use to manage inside and outside sales expense?

5. Should I pay commissions on reverse auctions and purchases by small/high transaction customers?

6. What is the minimum account size I should assign to a territory?

If you want answers to these questions in a format that uses actual distributor examples, order your copy of Restructuring the Distribution Sales Effort for Maximum Productivity. The book is a comprehensive text written by distribution veterans Scott Benfield and Rich Vurva. Their combined experience covers more than 50 years in business-to-business distribution markets. They quickly slice through the hype and get down to science and hard math on making the sales force work more effectively.