The 2021

world‑class sales
practices study
Only 6% of organizations
excel in the top 12
sales practices.

These world-class sales

As we recover from the COVID-19
organizations have:
pandemic and look to build for

9%
the future, what is really going to
boost average‑performing sales
organizations to world‑class status?
higher revenue attainment
Our recent research has pinpointed the top 12
sales practices of world-class sales organizations

11%
– from culture to processes, and from talent
to technology.

These 12 practices are all directly linked to higher win rates

tangible, quantifiable results. And while there
are many other sales practices you can adopt to

17%
improve your sales results, these 12 will drive the
greatest impact on performance.

higher quota attainment

26%
stronger seller retention

2
1

TOP
Planning makes perfect
Plan sales calls more effectively. Sellers are busy people. So, make the

12
most of every minute with a call planning tool that integrates your
workflows and technology. And train sellers on using it.

2 Change your spots

You won’t succeed with one-size-fits-all. Instead, align your solution
with your buyer’s challenges, and adjust your approach based on their
feedback.

3 Talent matters
Close workforce gaps with a talent strategy. The right strategy
accelerates sales because it puts the right people in the right position.
world-class Hire for future needs and consolidate talent oversight under sales.
sales practices
4 Facts over favorites
Don’t rely on subjective opinions for internal hires. Instead, formalize
your hiring process with objective assessments, and you’ll make
smarter hiring decisions.

5 Look beyond the numbers

Sales quotas don’t tell you the whole story of what a “good” seller
looks like. To get the full picture, use external benchmarks and
data-driven assessments to understand what’s behind top sellers’
performance and how to replicate this.

6 Embrace difference
Diverse, inclusive organizations perform better than their peers.
Ensure your sales leaders and managers lead with purpose, eliminate
subjective people processes, and create development plans for
individuals from under‑represented groups who show potential.

These represent the top 12 world-class sales practices, ranked in no specific order 3
7 Quality not quantity
Improve your data quality by cleansing your existing CRM data. Then set a
framework that governs where and how you store your data, defines what
data you collect and retain, and assigns ownership of your data strategy.

8 Don’t guess, know

Establish a rigorous sales forecasting process. Stop relying on gut instincts
and move toward an objective approach that relies on your CRM data.
Schedule regular forecast reviews to keep everything up to date.

9 Never stop learning

Formalize the coaching process. The most effective coaching is
well‑structured, planned, and calendared. Define what coaching is,
then set a consistent schedule.

10 Big data, big wins

Use data to predict performance. Use it right and you’ll know
with certainty how deals move, identify sellers’ weaknesses to address
with targeted coaching, and replicate winning selling behaviors across
your salesforce.

11 Collaborate to dominate
Align sales management, operations, and enablement. These three
functions often operate independently. Create a coalition by finding new
ways to work together, creating an environment that welcomes dialogue.

12 Get on the same page

Align sales, marketing, and customer service. These teams frequently
operate from a silo. To ensure these groups maintain their focus on
your buyer, share data and set up regular meetings.

These represent the top 12 world-class sales practices, ranked in no specific order 4
1
Planning WHERE TO START
We effectively use call
planning tools to prepare
makes » Choose the right call planning tool.
The most effective tool is quite simply

perfect
for customer interactions. the tool your sellers will use. This might
be a checklist, a template, or methodology
that allows sellers to gather information to
share and use to win deals.
WORLD-CLASS
» Integrate the tool with your workflow

74%
and technology. Sellers won’t use tools
that don’t connect seamlessly with their
KEY INSIGHTS workflows. If your tool adds tedious steps
agree that aren’t meaningful or can’t integrate
Sellers typically spend 20% of their time with your existing tech stack, sellers will
planning their calls. That cuts into the be less likely to use it.
already limited time in their schedule —
30% — devoted to selling. » Train and coach your sellers on how to
use call planning tools. To drive greater
ALL World-class organizations take advantage of adoption, show your sellers how call
call planning tools to reduce the time sellers planning tools can help them quickly

24%
agree
spend preparing for sales calls. And with an
average of 6.2 buying influences involved in
a sale, their sellers make the most of their call
preparation to tailor their interactions so they
figure out how to address each buyer
persona. Sales managers can help sellers
save additional time by focusing their
call planning efforts on calls that require
can stand out from the pack. documented, formal planning.

5
2 WHERE TO START

» Follow a consistent sales methodology.

Your sales methodology should spell

Change
out what your sellers should do and
how and why they should do it for each
phase of the buying journey. Your sales
methodology should cover things like
We effectively

your spots
how to prepare for sales calls, how to
articulate solutions identify decision-makers, and how to
analyze opportunities.
that are aligned to
buyers’ needs. » Align your sales methodology with your
buyer’s journey. Your sales methodology
is your foundation. To take it to the next
level, it’s critical to align your sales process
WORLD-CLASS with your buyer’s path. To create a formal
map of your customer’s journey, include all

94%
stages, from awareness to implementation
and support. Along the journey, track
KEY INSIGHTS decisions and defining moments, or the
agree times when customers form an impression
A one-size-fits-all approach to buyers of your organization.
doesn’t work. When sellers work backward
and tailor their solution to the buyer’s » Focus on the voice of the customer.
context, challenges, and desired outcome, In our 2021 Buyer Preferences Study,
they’ll become more successful. Part of buyers ranked ‘talked too much, did
ALL that success depends on a seller’s ability to not seem to listen’ as the second most
master perspective. Delivering perspective impactful negative behavior exhibited by

52%
agree
— tailored insights that help customers see
a challenge or opportunity in a new light
— instead of a laundry list of features and
benefits can convince decision-makers to
sellers. Prepare questions that will elicit
insights that you need to move your deal
forward. Ask your buying influences for
feedback and use their input to refine
move a deal forward. your approach.

6
3 WHERE TO START

» Consolidate oversight in the

sales organization. Many organizations
view the processes in the talent cycle —
recruitment, hiring, assignment, development,
and exiting — as distinct tactics. As a result,

Talent
they delegate these activities to other
departments, such as HR and learning and
development, instead of viewing them
Our talent strategy through a holistic lens. When organizations
ensures we have the

matters
bring the oversight of these activities under
people capability the sales organization’s umbrella, they develop
a clearer vision that enables success against
to achieve our
the business goals of the sales organization.
business goals.
» Plan for the future. Many sales organizations
have a backward-looking view of hiring.
They tend to look at what’s made them
WORLD-CLASS successful in the past and hire to that model.
However, that fails to account for changes

94%
in the market, such as the pandemic and
digitalization. Hire for what you forecast your
needs will be, not what they currently are.
agree
» Measure the impact of your talent strategy.
KEY INSIGHTS Create a dashboard of metrics so you can
track your strategy. Monitor metrics such
Talent gaps in sales and management as vacancy rates, time to fill positions,
teams are the top internal challenge cited percentage of positions filled internally
ALL by sales organizations, according to our and externally, time between hire date
2020‑2021 Sales Performance Study. and full-quota productivity, engagement

32%
agree
World‑class organizations outnumber the
rest three to one in believing that their
talent strategy delivers people with the
right capacity, competency, and capability
levels, and voluntary and involuntary
attrition. Supplement this objective data
with qualitative feedback from new hires,
exit interviews, and clients. Every quarter,
to succeed in the future. review your data and refine your strategy.

7
4 WHERE TO START

» Formalize the internal hiring process.

Sales directors and sales managers
have a large sphere of influence, so the
ramifications of a bad managerial hire can
cascade through the sales organization.

Facts over
Yet many organizations take an informal
We have an effective approach to internal hiring because they’re
comfortable hiring a known quantity.
process to identify The process for hiring from within should
candidates for roles from

favorites
be as formal as your external process,
within our organization using candidate profiles and data.
prior to filling roles through
» Look deeper than the sales numbers.
external methods. Sales organizations often promote their
top sellers to manager roles. But this
isn’t always the most logical progression
because the two roles differ significantly.
WORLD-CLASS A data-driven assessment can better
KEY INSIGHTS identify candidates with the competencies

94%
and drivers that will enable them to lead.
Even before COVID-19, it took an average of four
months to fill an open position. And once filled, » Build a pipeline of future leaders.
agree it took nine months to get a new hire up to full Employees who want to advance their
productivity. Now, amid the Great Resignation, careers need to know that their employer
the timeline is longer, and it’s even harder — is investing in their development. Internal
and costlier — to recruit external talent. assessments can help you recognize
gaps in skills and competencies that
When organizations have an effective process you can fill with additional training and
ALL that identifies internal candidates, it saves time coaching opportunities. When you help
and money. But perhaps most importantly, your sales team identify their strengths

30%
agree
these candidates are already embedded in your
workflows, values, and culture, relieving some
of the onboarding pressure. The key is to create
a systematic, repeatable process for identifying
and weaknesses, they’ll be able to set
clearer goals for improvement. They’ll also
be more engaged, be more likely to stay
with your organization, and be primed for
internal candidates who will excel in new roles. future opportunities.

8
5 WHERE TO START

» Assess your sellers’ performance.

Assessment data is critical to
understanding what “good” looks
like. It’s even more important as the
definition of “good” continues to evolve.

Look
Assessments can inform your hiring and
development strategies by revealing the
traits, drivers, and behaviors that make
We have a clear, your top performers excel.
externally informed
understanding of what
“good” looks like for
beyond the » Update your job profiles and
job descriptions. Your market and
selling model have likely changed in the

numbers
each of our sales roles. pandemic and with digital transformation.
List the key attributes that you think
your organization will need to thrive in
the future. Study adjacent industries
WORLD-CLASS KEY INSIGHTS to determine what types of skills are
prevalent or emerging and consider

94%
In many sales organizations, achieving quota whether those skills are relevant to
is enough to convince sales leaders that their your industry.
sellers are “good.” In others, leaders define
agree “good” in terms of how sales reps sound when » Create personalized learning journeys.
talking to a buyer or in how well they reflect A detailed assessment can reveal
the competencies and personalities of sellers your sellers’ skill gaps as well as their
who have excelled in the past. Some look preferences for learning and coaching
for a particular set of industry expertise techniques. Some sellers may prefer to
or sales experience. learn with others; others prefer to learn
ALL independently. Some will be self-directed;
World-class sales organizations use objective others will want clear direction on how to

33%
agree
data to measure the traits and capabilities
of their top performers. This gives them
a solid foundation to base their hiring
and development decisions, to replicate
achieve their goals. Using data to develop
a personalized learning strategy ensures
that your sellers will receive information in
the way that’s most meaningful to them,
winning behaviors in their other sellers. accelerating their growth.

9
6
Embrace WHERE TO START

» Lead with purpose. Your sales leaders and

difference
managers must articulate your purpose
Our sales organization’s and model the behaviors you want to see
throughout the organization. Leaders
internal culture is both
and managers need to exhibit inclusive
diverse and inclusive. behaviors. Their goal should be creating
a culture where employees feel physically
and emotionally safe, are given access to
opportunity, are listened to, and are able
WORLD-CLASS to challenge others’ positions.

94%
» Eliminate bias. Subjective hiring,
KEY INSIGHTS promotion, and retention processes
can be breeding grounds for conscious
agree Sales organizations that are diverse and and unconscious bias. A data‑driven,
inclusive report stronger metrics than their skills‑based system can help eliminate
peers across the board. And adhering bias and ensure those hired and rising
to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) through the ranks have the training and
practices has the greatest impact on tools they need to reach the next level.
reducing voluntary turnover.
ALL » Identify people in underrepresented
Achieving DE&I goals is a process — there’s groups who show potential. Offer them

54%
agree
no easy fix. There isn’t a singular initiative
or program you can implement and check
the box. Instead, you’ll need a foundation of
values and goals, that are transparent and
development opportunities and start a
growth planning process for them. With
training, coaching, and sponsorship, you
can fast-track their development and
reinforced, to create lasting change. ready them for leadership roles.

10
7 WHERE TO START

» Choose your data. The first step is to decide

what problems your data can help you solve.
Then choose how to collect and analyze your
data as well as what metrics to measure.

Quality not
» Establish a data governance framework.
With so much data at your disposal, it’s
necessary to develop a way to manage
your data universe. A formal framework

quantity
will improve your data quality. To set a
Our sales organization framework, assign responsibility for data
ownership and management tasks, including
is highly confident in
data entry; define where your organization
our CRM data. stores its data; ensure data quality through
steps such as deduplication, cleansing, and
augmentation; and decide which tools and
resources, such as dashboards and predictive
WORLD-CLASS KEY INSIGHTS analytics, to invest in.

83%
Garbage in, garbage out: that’s the status quo » Assign leaders for your sales data strategy.
for many sales organizations. They simply Consistent oversight is necessary to ensure
don’t have the right data practices to yield that you follow through on your strategy.
agree high-quality insights. And, since the average Sales leaders should delegate ownership
sales organization has 10 sales technologies, of different parts of the strategy, such
many sales organizations are generating as data security to your IT team and tool
useless data streams that can’t help them selection to your sales operations team.
understand their customers or market. A data governance committee, composed
of representatives from across your
ALL Organizations need to earn the return on their sales organization, should evaluate your
investment in these systems. One way to do progress and look for gaps in your program.

27%
agree
that is by developing a sales data strategy
that turns data into an asset. Organizations
that develop clear data strategies have higher
win rates and quota attainment than those
The committee should also periodically
review your strategy, including your systems
and technology, processes, data roles and
responsibilities, data quality, and data usage,
that don’t. to assess the need for change.

11
8 WHERE TO START

» Eliminate subjectivity in forecasting.

Sellers often rely on gut feelings about
an opportunity’s possibility rather than

Don’t
objective data. While a seller’s instinct is
an asset, it’s not reliable. Sellers are often
too subjective on those deals that are
close-but-not-quite-closed opportunities,
We have a rigorous

guess,
particularly as they struggle with a lack
forecasting of pipeline and increasingly limited time
to sell.
process that drives

know
forecast accuracy. » Generate predictive data. Document
a data strategy that helps your sales
organization use your data as an asset.
Encourage your sellers to see entering
WORLD-CLASS data into your CRM as a good investment
of their time, so they can get greater

92%
visibility into current deals and better
predict future opportunities.

agree » Coach sellers on how to use

KEY INSIGHTS technology and process. Invest time
in developing clear processes and
Organizations with a rigorous sales technology workflows and reinforce
forecasting process win more deals. them with coaching. Then set a cadence
The problem is that many organizations don’t for regular forecast reviews — weekly,
ALL have one that they can rely on. Either their monthly, and quarterly — with your
process is too complex, which makes it sellers to avoid reliance on outdated or

39%
agree
hard to use consistently, or it’s lacking in
formality. As a result, fewer than 25% of sales
organizations have forecast accuracy of 75%
or greater, according to our 2020-2021 Sales
inaccurate reports. Sellers can evaluate
opportunities more objectively when their
managers coach them to look at their
prior experience, buyer roles, and buyer
Performance Study. decision‑making process.

12
9 WHERE TO START

» Define what coaching is. Sales organizations

often use “coaching” to describe any
manager‑seller interaction. Others use it to
refer to working on account strategies, such
as setting pricing or competing with a rival.

Never stop
But coaching is broader than that. Coaching
is a leadership skill that sales managers use to
develop a seller’s full potential over the long
term. They use their social, communication, and
Managers consistently

learning
questioning skills to show sellers opportunities
coach salespeople for improvement. There are five types of
strategic coaching conversations: lead and
to higher levels
opportunity, skills and behaviors, funnel,
of performance. account, and territory.

» Follow a consistent, defined coaching process.

Even if sales organizations have a formal
WORLD-CLASS coaching process, they still often leave the
KEY INSIGHTS process up to their sales managers. Random

94%
and informal approaches won’t work — and
Most sales managers coach their sellers they won’t develop your managers’ coaching
— if you define “coaching” as interacting skills. A formal approach defines areas for
agree with their sellers. But most don’t do so coaching, develops a coaching process
consistently or with a clear goal in mind. connected to the buyer’s journey, requires sales
Few sales managers do more than help managers to improve their sales coaching skills,
their sellers close individual opportunities. and monitors the impact of sales coaching.

When sales managers coach well, their » Focus on quality, not quantity. Sales managers
ALL sales reps are more likely to make their with many direct reports often think they don’t
goals. But too many coaches employ a have enough time to coach. But it’s not about

41%
agree
random or informal approach. Effective
coaching has a clear plan, schedule, and
strategy. Without a consistent approach
to coaching, even the most effective sales
the time managers spend; it’s the substance of
the coaching that matters. Effective coaching
reinforces your sales methodology and process
and models the same skills that sellers can use
managers lose their impact. to build stronger relationships with buyers.

13
10 WHERE TO START

» Look for patterns. Analyze your data to

see how opportunities move along the
buyer’s journey. Evaluate what actions
led to desired outcomes as well as losses.
With these insights, you’ll be able to

Big data,
pinpoint techniques that result in a desired
outcome and which opportunities take the
longest to move through the pipeline.

big wins
» Replicate your sales approach. If you
We use sales analytics have a consistent sales methodology,
you’ll be able to use your data to analyze
to measure and predict
successful deals. Most importantly the
sales performance. methodology you use should allow you
to know which data is meaningful and
therefore deals can be reviewed along
the path to closing. Known leading
WORLD-CLASS vs lagging indicators provide a better
KEY INSIGHTS approach than searching randomly for

91%
patterns. Sellers who consistently engage
CRM systems and supporting sales technology in the right behaviors to get to the best
platforms give sales leaders access to rich customer outcome will be easy to find
agree amounts of data — the challenge is to as will those who do not.
extract insights from this data that you can
use to measure and improve your sellers’ » Identify gaps that require coaching.
performance. If you’ve got high adoption Analytics can highlight sellers’ weaknesses.
of your sales technology tools, particularly For example, accounts can be at risk if a
your CRM, and if you’ve implemented a data seller has a narrow reach or span in the
ALL governance strategy, it’s time for the next step. account. This can be seen in the account
management system or CRM. The sales

37%
agree
Advanced sales analytics technology can offer
your sellers specific guidance about how to
increase the likelihood of a sale. These insights
help sellers improve win rates and perform
manager who is easily able to identify this
issue can coach a seller on how to identify
and work with a range of buying influences
who are key decision makers to improve
consistently at a high level. the likelihood of success.

14
11 Collaborate
WHERE TO START

» Recognize opportunities for collaboration.

If you see misalignment, view it as an
opportunity to collaborate. For example,
if a sales manager notices that the field
updates in your CRM don’t align with the
opportunity planning methodology your

Sales management,
operations, and
to dominate teams are using, tell sales operations.
If sales operations realizes that a new
prospecting tool with buyer intent data
introduces a slightly different buyer
enablement are persona, partner with sales enablement
to add the persona and develop value
effectively aligned
messaging. Set goals for these areas
to drive results. KEY INSIGHTS that you can work toward together.

The vast majority of world-class organizations » Challenge each other. Each group
report alignment between their sales should have a unique perspective, and
WORLD-CLASS management, sales operations, and sales collaboration doesn’t mandate agreement.
enablement functions. Sales management is Healthy discussions on each group’s point

94%
responsible for executing the sales strategy, of view may improve innovation and clarity
including hiring, developing, and retaining across the sales organization.
sales reps. Sales operations sets up the go-to-
agree market plan, including setting processes and » Formalize your collaboration efforts.
implementing technology. Sales enablement Sporadic collaboration doesn’t foster
builds on this foundation, empowering sellers alignment; constant collaboration will.
and their managers to be relevant and offer Schedule a regular cadence of meetings
value in every customer interaction. to address issues that often arise. For
instance, sales managers need to provide
ALL World-class organizations have taken critical, regular feedback to the operations and
proactive steps to ensure alignment between enablement teams on process adjustments

39%
agree
these three groups. That requires much more
than having all three report to a CSO or
CRO. It requires constant collaboration and
checking in, even if all three are operating on
and skill gaps that need to be addressed.
Similarly, sales operations and sales
enablement should inform sales managers
of future changes so that they can support
separate tracks at full speed. their sales teams.

15
12 WHERE TO START

» Center everything you do on your customer.

A primary obstacle to alignment is a
functional, siloed mindset. To ensure
effective alignment regarding what
customers want and need, it’s essential

Get on the
to make customers, their desired
experiences, and their paths to decision
and implementation the main design point
Sales, marketing, and of all of your alignment efforts. Once your
customer service are

same page
teams are aligned on that point, it’s easier
effectively aligned to focus externally and line up internally.
on customer wants
» Collect, share, and analyze customer data.
and needs. Work together as an enterprise to
understand your customers’ experience.
While the quantitative data your tech stack
collects is useful, qualitative data from your
WORLD-CLASS customers is even more informative. Ask
your customers to share their experiences in

90%
their own words, so you better understand
how they engage with your organization at
KEY INSIGHTS the different stages of their journey.
agree
Sales, marketing, and customer service all » Foster collaboration with
want one thing: satisfied customers. Despite cross‑functional teams. When
this shared goal, in many sales organizations, representatives from sales, marketing, and
collaboration among these departments service sit together, they’re more likely to
is rare. They often view the customer collaborate to ensure that customers enjoy
ALL independently through their own lens, without the best possible service and outcomes.
considering the customer experience earlier or They can share insights they’ve gleaned

39%
agree
later in the buying cycle. Siloed thinking and
planning mean that each team addresses each
customer piecemeal, so they lack a consistent
approach and, in the end, don’t serve their
from not only their relationships with
various buying influences but also from the
data captured in their sales technology,
helping them to better understand their
common goal. customers’ business objectives.

16
Conclusion
The message that we’ve gleaned from compiling the top 12 sales practices
that contribute to world-class sales results is that they all of which boil
down to finding and investing in the right people and making it easier for
those people to excel in their role.

But this is also the message that millions of We recommend that you start in one of two
Americans have been sending over the last areas: either the sales practice that’s easiest
year. During the Great Resignation, millions to address that will yield the biggest payoff or
of people have quit their jobs to look for the the opportunity that’s causing you the most
next opportunity. pain. Obtaining alignment between sales,
marketing, and service will likely be a heavier
If you aren’t developing your new hires, lift than using call planning tools effectively
building a diverse and inclusive culture, or implementing more consistent coaching.
or offering technology and tools that make If you succeed in one area, you’ll gather
work easier, your sellers will simply move on momentum as well as support to continue
to the next opportunity where they will find striving toward world-class status.
someone willing to invest in them.
If you’re ready to start your journey to become
It can be daunting to consider making all world-class, we can help. We’ll help you assess
of these improvements at once. We don’t your sales organization against these 12 best
suggest tackling more than one or two sales practices and recommend how you can start
practices at a time. And there is no single transforming your sales organization today, so
correct starting place. you can close the gap between where you are
and where you need to be.

Contact us
to learn more.
kornferry.com
17
APPENDIX A: THE 12 PRACTICES – PERCENTAGE AGREEMENT AMONG WORLD-CLASS SALES ORGANIZATIONS

Sales practice World - class All

We effectively use call planning tools to prepare for customer interactions. 74% 24%

We effectively articulate solutions that are aligned to buyers’ needs. 94% 52%

Our talent strategy ensures we have the people capability to achieve our business goals. 94% 32%

We have an effective process to identify candidates for roles from within our organization prior to filling roles 94% 30%
through external methods.

We have a clear, externally informed understanding of what “good” looks like for each of our sales roles. 94% 33%

Our sales organization’s internal culture is both diverse and inclusive. 94% 54%

Our sales organization is highly confident in our CRM data. 83% 27%

We have a rigorous forecasting process that drives forecast accuracy. 92% 39%

Managers consistently coach salespeople to higher levels of performance. 94% 41%

We use sales analytics to measure and predict sales performance. 91% 37%

Sales management, operations, and enablement are effectively aligned to drive results. 94% 39%

Sales, marketing, and customer service are effectively aligned on customer wants and needs. 90% 39%

(Practices are not ranked)

18
APPENDIX B: STUDY METHODOLOGY

In this study we surveyed more than 1,100 global sales

respondents who answered 60+ practice questions from
April to June 2021. We analyzed responses from 911 sales
leaders.2 Our global B2B respondents spanned a range
of industries, with particularly strong representation from
the technology, manufacturing, professional services,
and industrial/chemical sectors.

We then correlated the 60+ sales practices with seven key

operational metrics. Using this correlation, we determined
the top 12 world-class practices that have the strongest
connection to sales success at the organizational level.

After identifying the top 12 practices, we then identified

those organizations that responded “agree” or “strongly
agree” in at least 10 of the 12 practices. The result of this
qualification process is that 5.8% of our study population
is in this year’s world-class segment. These world-class
sales organizations significantly outperform other study
participants, reporting 8.9% higher revenue attainment,
17.0% higher quota attainment, and 11.4% higher win rates.

2 For relevance to our readership, we excluded small and microbusinesses.

19
APPENDIX C: 2021 WORLD-CLASS SALES PRACTICES STUDY – DEMOGRAPHICS

Respondents by industry % Respondents by roles %

Technology 23% Senior Sales Mgmt 40%
Manufacturing 16% Sales Professional 17%
Professional & Business Services 13% Exec Mgmt, Non-Sales 16%
Industrial & Chemical 12% Frontline Sales Manager 8%
Consumer/Consumer Products 11% Sales Enablement 5%
Healthcare 8% Marketing 4%
Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Boisciences 7% Human Resources 3%
Banking/Financial Services/Insurance 6% Sales Operations 3%
Other 3% Other 3%
Educational & Government 2% Customer Service Leader 2%

Respondents by revenue % Respondents by region %

$2M – $10M 12% North America 56%
$11M – $50M 16% EMEA 25%
$51M – $250M 22% APAC 11%
$251M – $1B 16% LATAM 7%
$1.01B – $5B 16% Other 1%
> $5B 18%

20
Korn Ferry is a global organizational
consulting firm. We work with our clients
to design optimal organization structures,
roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire
the right people and advise them on how to
reward and motivate their workforce while
developing professionals as they navigate and
advance their careers. Our 7,000 experts in
more than 50 countries deliver on five core
areas: Organization Strategy, Assessment and
Succession, Talent Acquisition, Leadership
Development, and Total Rewards.

© 2022 Korn Ferry. All Rights Reserved.