Marwaan Karame

When the star Sirius rises at dawn, or so the tradition goes, the summer doldrums and worse set in. However, we see it as a time of hidden possibility. In our experience, FP&A departments are chronically understaffed and have little need for busy work, summer or not. That said, July and August, the vacation-time calm before the looming annual planning storm, offer one of the few opportunities to think about one-off priorities in desperate need of attention.

Discussions about increasing sales force effectiveness happen a lot these days. They usually result in ideas to help salespeople generate more revenue. However, not every dollar of revenue is created equal. Misguided efforts to sell unprofitable products and services to customers destroy rather than create value. So, building a highly effective sales force begins by ensuring the team is strategically and effectively selling the right products and services to the right customers.