Sale - Publications - Faculty & Research

September 24, 2024
Article

4 Steps That Can Optimize Your Sales Process

By: Frank V. Cespedes, Scott Peterson and Daniel Weinfurter

Sales is a performance art where outcomes matter, so most advice here focuses on closing the sale. But a close is the result of actions and choices that occur earlier in the process: how much time and effort to spend on customer discovery (understanding what and to... View Details

Keywords: Sales; Customer Satisfaction; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Advantage

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13 Apr 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Incorporating Price and Inventory Endogeneity in Firm-Level Sales Forecasting

Keywords: by Saravanan Kesavan, Vishal Gaur & Ananth Raman; Retail

28 Nov 2009
News

The Flaws in Holiday Sales Forecasts

18 Jun 2024
News

Valuable Tips for Improving Sales Hiring

27 Sep 2021
News

How Nimble Is Your Sales Planning?

July 2017
Article

The Four Stages to Becoming an Excellent Front-Line Sales Manager

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Sales occupations account for more than 10% of the total U.S. labor force, and that official estimate is almost certainly low: In an increasingly service economy, many people who do business development for a living are not listed as “sales” for reporting purposes.... View Details

Keywords: Salesforce Management

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March 1982
Supplement

Airframe Industry (L): Cumulative Aircraft Sales

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Keywords: Aerospace Industry

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2000
Working Paper

Estimating Retail Demand and Lost Sales

By: Ananth Raman and Giulio Zotteri

Citation

1991
Chapter

Aspects of Sales Management: Key Themes

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Keywords: Sales; Management

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October 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Blackstone and the Sale of Citigroup's Loan Portfolio

By: Victoria Ivashina and David Scharfstein

The credit boom that preceded the 2007-2009 financial crisis led to several lending practices that exposed banks to large risks. In particular, when the financial crisis unraveled, there were several billion dollars' worth of leveraged buyout (LBO) loans that were... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Private Equity; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Financial Markets; Investment; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry

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28 Nov 2012
News

Timing Is Everything for Insider Sales

07 Jun 2022
News

Navigating Sales Management with Frank Cespedes

December 15, 2015
Article

Don't Turn Your Sales Team Loose Without a Strategy

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Steve Thompson

When formulating a strategy, markets and segments are typically important categories. But only customers buy. Hence, for most firms, de facto strategy and much resource allocation are the aggregate result of the deals their salespeople close. However, few firms clarify... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Salesforce Management

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10 Aug 2021
Cold Call Podcast

The Science of Sales Conversations with Gong’s Amit Bendov

Keywords: Re: Alison Wood Brooks

Research Summary

Strategy Implementation: Role and Management of the Sales Force

My research concerns the role and management of the sales force as agents of a firm's business strategy and not only as individual or team contributors to profitable growth. This work takes the form of course development, teaching and workshops in HBS executive... View Details

May 1985 (Revised January 1986)
Case

Cole National Corp. (D): Field Sales Organization

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Keywords: Sales; Marketing Strategy

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September 1996
Supplement

Howard, Shea & Chan Asset Management (D): Sales Presentation, Video

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Presents a sales presentation, allowing students and executive participants to develop a set of criteria for such a presentation and apply them to a real one. View Details

Keywords: Presentations; Sales; Financial Services Industry

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