A Sales Force Effectiveness Analysis is used to support the decision making process by providing a detailed overview of the variety of forces that may be acting on an organisational change issue. It allows the user to assess the source and strength of these forces and is particularly useful in the planning and implementation stages of change management.

1. F
Sales Force Effectiveness Analysis
Vassilis Engonopoulos
February 2014
Partner of Imparta Limited UK & TLC
http://www.hrcapital.gr

2. Objectives
• T develop a robust and sustainable field force effectiveness analysis,
o
so as to enable the organization to effectively pursue and achieve its
business objectives
• T identify the strengths and weaknesses of key employees and to
o
identify their development needs so as to plan and implement
focused developmental initiatives
• T identify high potential employees/star performers in order to
o
groom them for management positions in the future
• T
o incorporate an assessment process which is scientific,
standardized and fair so as to demonstrate credibility of the process
and gain confidence of all related stakeholders

3. Why Competency Compass?
Sales
Rep
Teamwork
Customer Comm. with.
Orientation
Impact
Leading
People
Develop.
People
Strategic
Results
Orientation. Orientation.
Change &
Innovation
1
2
3
•
The best way to understand performance is to observe what sales reps
actually do vs. the existing competency model.
•
Objective point of view rather than relying on assumptions.
•
They should be linked to meaningful behavior/outcomes that describe how
sales reps should perform in the business environment.
•
The best way to measure and predict performance is to assess whether sales
reps have key competencies.
•
They should be made visible/accessible.
•
Competencies can be learnt and developed.

4. COMPETENCY ICEBERG MODEL
Behavioral competencies are below the waterline - they are more difficult to
assess, and often harder to develop. Behavioral competencies can be
understood as manifestations of how a person views him or herself
(self-image), how he or she typically behaves (traits), or motives him or
her (motives).
Skill: - A person's ability to do something well. For example, is great
at using Microsoft Word.
Knowledge: - Information that a person uses in a particular area.
For example, this might differentiate the outstanding waiter or
waitress who speaks many languages from his or her average
counterpart in a restaurant with an international clientele.
Self-image: - A person's view of him or herself identity personality
,
,
and values. For example, seeing oneself as a leader or as a developer
,
of people.
Trait: - A typical aspect of a person's behavior For example, being a
.
good listener
.
Motive: - What drives someone's behavior in a particular area (an
underlying need for achievement, affiliation or power).

5. The Process
Competency Compass
Competence gap analysis determines how skilled or proficient individual
sales rep are on these components, how much individuals differ from desired
performance and whether or not they need development. The required
performance minus the present performance equals the competence gap.
Sales
Rep
1
2
3
Teamwork
Customer Comm. with.
Orientation
Impact
Leading
People
Develop.
People
Strategic
Results
Orientation. Orientation.
Change &
Innovation

6. Sales Force Effectiveness Analysis
Stage 1
Identify the dimensions
and levels of
competences
&
Customize the Material
Communication plan
Stage 2
Determine
the current
Situation
Stage 3
Assess the Gap and
producing reports
•
The first stage is to identify the dimensions and levels of competences. Translate each
competency in measurement behavior (attributes, traits, skills and knowledge) in
responding to competitive and challenging pharma environment .
Also prepare & customize all the appropriate material(role play, exercises and games etc.)
according to the measurement behavior and the conclusions from the field visit and
discussion with management . Communicate the purpose and objectives of project to reps.
•
The second stage is to determine the current state of sales reps competences using
assessment centers approach. This involves identifying the knowledge, skills, and
behavior dimensions and levels of which sales people already possess.
•
The third stage assess the gap between required sales reps competences and the
competences already acquired by the sales force during AC process.

7. Competency GAP Analysis
Stage
1. Identifying
the
dimensions
and levels of
competences
Customized
Material
Activities
• Clarify
the
meaning of competencies in the Company
environment
• Behaviors displayed by sales reps will be linked to meaningful and
relevant behavior (such as attributes, traits, skills and knowledge )
how the sales reps should perform in doctors environment
• Organize field visits to understand company sales approach
• Prepare and customize the material to be used in assessment center
2. Determining the • Assessment Center - These include a number of
observations, assessment techniques for gathering adequate
current state of sales
evidence for the presence of particular competence
reps competences
3. Assessing the gap
• Detail Reports will be produced for each participant in order to use in
the discussion of integration of scores
• The pooling of information will be done through statistical techniques
• Discussion Feedback per participant

8. ASSESSMENT CENTRES (AC)
Assessment Centers are described as the variety of
testing techniques that allow the sales reps to
demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills
and abilities most essential for success in a given
model.

9. ASSESSMENT CENTRES (AC)
Allows candidate
to demonstrate behavior
/skills
/knowledge
Designed to measure
dimensions/competencies
required to deliver
effective performance in
a given job
Series of exercises
(situational & job
simulations )
Specially developed
assessment simulations
of future job situation
ASSESSMENT
CENTRE
Pooling of judgment
through a statistical
integration process
Designed to measure
dimensions/competencies required
to deliver effective performance in a
given job
It is a standardized
procedure of
evaluation
Used for a variety of HR
decisions

10. Stages in a typical AC
ACs normally involves the following stages. The list of critical responsibilities, at each stage in highlighted in
the below given table.
During AC
Pre AC
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Defining the objective
of AC .
Conduct job analysis.
Define the
competencies required
for the target position.
Identify the observers.
Train the observers.
Design the AC
exercises.
Decide the rating
methodology.
Make infrastructural
arrangements.
Schedule the AC.
Inform the sales reps
of the schedule.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Explain participants the purpose of the
AC, the procedure it would follow and
its outcome.
Give instructions to the participants,
before every exercise.
Conduct a discussion of all observers on
every participant’s ratings, at the end of
the session.
Make a report of the strengths and
improvement areas of every participant.
Give feedback to participants.
Get feedback from participants and
observers about the conduction of AC.
Post AC
•
•
•
Compile reports of all
participants .
Make improvements
in the design
according to the
recommendations.
Evaluate the validity
of results after a
definite period..

11. Tools used in Assessment Centers
• Psychometric Tests
• Interviews
• Games/Simulation Exercises
• Role Plays / Observation
• Presentations

12. AC’s tools per Competence
TOOLS
Role Plays /
Observation
Games/ Simulation
Exercises
Interviews
Presentation
Psychometric Tests
Teamwork
Customer
Orientation
Comm. with
Impact
Strategic
Orientation
Results Change &
Orientation Innovation

13. Exercises in Assessment Centers
T
ool
Competency-based
interview
Group exercise - Games
Presentation
Psychometric/Personality
/ Aptitude T
ests
Role-play exercise
Explanation
Includes personal history questions and
customers tasks and scenarios
Includes problem solving within a or team
Involves a 10 to 15 minute presentation on a
pre-determined topic.
Includes a personality questionnaire and/or
numerical, verbal, and diagrammatic job
match reports
Involves acting-out a business-related
situation
Videotaping the role play
Competency
Analytical skills, business acumen,
communication, interpersonal skills,
personal attributes
Personal assertiveness, teamwork,
Interpersonal effectiveness, drive
for result
Strategic orientation, presentation
delivery and communication, working
under pressure, business acumen
Personal assertiveness, behavioral
interaction, extroversion
/introversion, teamwork, change ,
innovation, productivity problem
,
solving
Approach to business situations

14. The advantages of Assessment Centers
(AC)
• Exercises are designed to bring out the specific competencies
that are required in the target position.
• Since the exercises are standardized, the observers evaluate the
candidates under relatively constant conditions and are therefore able
to make valid comparative judgments.
• The observers usually do not know the candidates personally and so
the personal biases are kept out of place.
• The observers are trained to observe and evaluate the specified
competencies. The observer become more accurate in their
observations about people and they and people around them have
increased confidence in their judgment of people-related issues.

15. The advantages of Assessment Centers
(AC)
• The assessment focuses on only the key identified
competencies and therefore makes the task easier for
assessors.
• A combination of internal and external observer pair helps gain an
objective view of the person’s potential.
• The fairness, equality and transparency that the process offers,
appeals to most participant’s logic.
• The candidate gets a clear picture of the job responsibilities and
challenges in the target position and therefore can make a much
well informed decision of whether he would like to take it up.
• Since multiple observers accurately record the behavior of
candidates in an AC, there is concrete evidence for the results of an
AC. These recordings can be later produced in case of any
arguments.