Page 1 © 2019 Miller Heiman Group. All rights reserved. CSO Insights 2018 Sales Operations Optimization Study All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Key Findings From The CSO Insights 2019 World-Class Sales Practices StudyCSO Insights 2019 World-Class Sales Practices Study Page 2 © 2019 Miller Heiman Group. All rights reserved. INSIDE THIS REPORT Many sales organizations saw increases in quota attainment and revenues last year. However, key leading metrics decreased and adherence to many sales best practices remains low, leading us to attribute the uptick in lagging sales metrics more to the economy than to any sales transformation initiatives. In this report, we take a fresh look at the 12 best practices that correlate most strongly with sales performance. We also provide practical recommendations for how organizations can implement these strategies to insulate their sales performance against the inevitable economic fluctuations. MAJOR FINDINGS World-Class sales performance requires cross- functional effort World-Class sales organizations have a system for driving performance that aligns their strategies (go- to-market, talent, organizational design, etc.) with customer engagement processes and best practices as well as performance support (sales management, sales operations and sales enablement). Alignment of this “sales system” is a work in progress, as cross-functional teams collaborate to define and redefine what works.The customers path remains a priority Though the economy is thriving in many regions, buyers are still in control of their actions, and adding value remains key to sales success. In addition, buyers want to work with organizations that see beyond the deal. World-Class organizations put the customers path including how customers use products and services after the sale at the center of everything they do. No sales team is an island Five of this years Top 12 best practices are in the area of performance support, and all five are repeats from prior years. World-Class sales organizations do not leave the business of selling to the sales team alone. From coaching to forecasting to call planning tools, cross-functional teams work together to provide sales the support they need to have consistently positive, mutually valuable interactions with customers. Talent strategy and data analytics make their debut Two newcomers to the Top 12 reflect the changing dynamics of the selling environment. At a time when the majority of sales leaders recognize that they may not have the talent they need for the future, World- Class sales organizations are taking a strategic approach to talent that covers the lifecycle of the salesperson, from hiring profiles and practices to development to exit strategies. And with the amount of data being collected increasing exponentially, World-Class sales organizations also are developing clear strategies for how best to use data to drive their organizations to greater success. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY