“The New Science of Sales Force Productivity” (Harvard Business Review) addresses a pain point common to many sales managers—how many new reps should one hire to achieve increased targets set by corporate?  The authors posit that by taking a scientific approach to sales processes rather than trying to hire costly rainmakers, a company can dramatically increase the productivity of all its sales people.

Inadequate or outdated tools and unaddressed process barriers often result in sales reps spending too much time doing things that aren’t selling.  Instead, the "TOPSales Approach" names optimized tools (such as new technology) and enhancements in sales force deployment as key factors that vastly improve a sales team’s efficacy in selling.