This book presents a very novel and strategic approach to Sales Management, an area that has suffered from a lack of sophistication in practice. This content-rich and thought-provoking book has a very unique positioning: It considers the sales performance of an organization at a very high, strategic level and offers specific guidance in managing not just a few direct reports but an entire organization?s sales function. The book includes many useful tools and guidelines and is enhanced with numerous examples that help bring the concepts to life and make them very approachable for the trade market. A checklist-based scoring system that is utilized throughout the book allows readers to specifically evaluate their own company as well as to track its progress as concepts are applied over time. This work is an essential resource and thought-provoking read for ambitious Sales Managers, including CEO-level executives.

Introduction.- Sales Strategy - Setting the Fundamental Course.- Sales Management - Designing Structures and Processes, Managing People and Living the Culture.- Information Management as the Key to Professionalism in Sales.- Customer Relationship Management - Staying on the Ball!.

Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Christian Homburg is Director of the Institute for Market-oriented Management at the University of Mannheim. He is also Chair of the Advisory Board of Professor Homburg & Partner, an internationally operating management consulting firm. Professor Homburg is the author of numerous publications and a regular speaker at various conferences.

Dr. Heiko Schäfer was a research assistant at Professor Homburg's chair and a freelance corporate consultant. After having worked  for several years as a corporate consultant at a renowned American consulting firm, he is now head of the strategy-global operations department at adidas.

Dr. Janna Schneider was a research assistant at Professor Homburg's chair. Today, she is head of the marketing and international sales department at AHS Prüfungstechnik, an international mechanical engineering company.