The question I posed last week is both simplistic in expectation of a black and white answer, as it is a real world challenge for many B2B sales organisations.

Naturally, as real world practitioners, you know that the answer is that it can’t be as simple as one before the other.  Both need to be addressed like a parallel journey.  Because myriad interconnections and feedback loops (should) exist between the two.  Fair to say though, a clear picture of what the system (needs to) looks like is always very helpful at the front end of the journeys.  Forgive me for using another football analogy.

Those of you familiar with how the AFL and NRL teams plan and “strategise” at the end of the year will know that the recruiters get busy to find new players that will fill gaps and enhance capability  for the team vis-à-vis the team plan (sales organisation, read “sales system”).  The recruiters don’t simply go looking for the most talented players available because they are the best.  They chose who they need in terms of the team game plan.  Which means, in many cases they deliberately do not choose the best players available, when they perceive such players not fitting into the system.

The challenge of the process and system vs people and leadership challenges carries similar hallmarks.