sales capability benchmarking
How does your team compare to best practice?And what do you need to do to improve performance?
Compare Your Sales Capability to Best-in-Class.
Most companies benchmark against competitors in their own sector. This creates a performance ceiling; you’re comparing yourself to others using the same playbook.
Our 28-element Sales Capability Benchmarking Model compares your sales operation to best practice from wherever it exists: SaaS, FMCG, manufacturing, consulting, media and more. This cross-industry perspective reveals what’s actually possible, not just what’s normal in your market.
Why 28 Elements?
Most sales assessments look at 5–6 things: pipeline, methodology, training, CRM. We go much further because sales performance depends on far more than the sales team alone.
We assess 28 elements across five categories:
Strategy & Leadership — Sales Strategy, Sales Leadership, Sales Culture, Change Management
Process & Execution — Pipeline Management, Sales Methodology, Forecasting, Opportunity Management, Territory Management, Key Account Management and more
Customer & Market — Customer Value Proposition, Customer Centricity, Market Segmentation, Competitive Intelligence
Enablement & Tools — CRM Adoption, Sales Operations, Sales Training, AI & Technology Adoption, Sales & Marketing Alignment
Performance Management — KPIs, Incentive Compensation, Sales Analytics, Deal Review Discipline
Sales problems are rarely isolated. A weak pipeline might stem from poor qualification, which stems from an unclear value proposition, which stems from a missing sales strategy. We assess the complete system to identify root causes, not just symptoms.
Five Maturity Levels
Each element is scored on a five-level maturity scale:
Level 1 — Unstructured: Activity is ad hoc and reactive. Processes vary by individual. Outcomes depend on individual heroics.
Level 2 — Repeatable: Some processes are documented and repeatable, but there is a lack of rigour and consistency.
Level 3 — Defined: Processes are formally documented and followed. Consistent approach across the team. Predictable performance.
Level 4 — Managed: Performance is measured. Data-driven decisions. Continuous monitoring and proactive adjustment.
Level 5 — Optimising: Continuous improvement culture. Regular innovation and refinement. Best-in-class performance.
Not every element needs to be Level 5. The right target depends on your business goals and market position. But you do need to know where you stand today and what it takes to reach the next level.
What You Receive
Overall and element-level scoring. See exactly where you stand across all 28 elements.
Detailed review of each area. For every element, we show what characterises your current level and exactly what you need to do to move up. For example, if you score Level 2 on Sales Methodology, we tell you precisely what Level 3 looks like and how to get there.
Prioritised action plan. After discussing the results with you, we create a detailed plan focused on the improvements that will have the greatest impact. We can help implement the changes or leave you to it; either way, you can re-run the model later to track progress.
The presentation below explains the framework in more detail:
Why not try our free 5 element health check
This model is inspired by the principles of capability maturity models. It is an independent framework and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by Carnegie Mellon University or the CMMI Institute.
Get In Touch
+44 (0) 7799 627901
info@shoodan.com