These guys put the fun and the challenge into the relative dryness of their annual sales team optimisation discipline.  How?  They converted the necessary sales territory planning calculations and exercises into a “bootcamp” style series of challenges.  Once in the bootcamp environment, they grouped the Sales Execs into small teams ……….where each member worked on his/her sales plan, but did so with the support and help of other team members.

Ten rounds of progressive build exercises.  The outputs of each exercise became the inputs of the next.  The facilitator moved all players through in such a way as to find a balance between the racehorses and the tortoises.  Leveraging the better skilled Sales Execs to assist the lesser skilled or experienced so that no one was left floundering  and everyone was able to get their outputs right and keep moving successfully though to the completion of the 10 round bootcamp.

Output from the day’s blood sweat and tears ? All Sales Execs walk out with a first draft sales optimisation plan.  With a dose of camaraderie and good humour to assist rubber hitting the road.  One week’ s grace post bootcamp to finalise it…..with the input, and friendly fire prosecution from their Manager.  One week on….a robust, defensible, implementable, measurable sales territory plan.

Now, how do they keep the plan alive and the heat on the feet throughout the annual planning cycle.  Come back after Xmas – New Year for the answers.