Many distribution companies have an informal plan to target key customers or develop growth opportunities. But too often a focus on the monthly numbers leads to inefficient sales behavior contrary to management’s plan. This article outlines a straightforward and disciplined process that establishes clear priorities in terms of customers and products, strategy for differentiating among different types of customers, and the role and functions to be performed by the sales force.

Frequently we find a disconnect between what an organization perceives its strategy to be and what the sales force is actually doing in the field. The disconnect is between what the management of the organization thinks the sale force should be doing to execute company strategy and what they are actually doing. …