Transforming Your Sales Force For the 21st Century
Reviewed By Bob Boyles, President Smarter Distribution

Books by consultants seem to come in two different flavors, those that take the simple and make it complex and those that make the complex simple. For my money I believe that the latter are the books that give you the most benefit for your money. Dave Kahle has written just such a book about sales management for wholesale distribution companies. "Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century" conveys some simple yet powerful messages about the future direction of the industry and how wholesalers are going to need to adapt the structure of their sales force to prosper in the coming environment.

Dave's advice is straight forward and concise. Having worked at a wholesaler myself and fought the very same battles he describes it is obvious that he has taken his years of experience from working with wholesalers on improving their sales efforts and created a systematic method for wholesalers to adopt. My only regret is that the company I worked for didn’t have this book years ago.

Summary

I would recommend this book to anyone that manages a sales force within the wholesale distribution industry.

What people are saying about the book...

"Dave Kahle's Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century lays out the game plan for building an effective sales organization. I've learned to think differently because of it. His prescriptions are compelling and easy to follow. Every serious executive who has anything to do with the sales force should study this. When it comes to the processes of selling, there is none more knowledgeable than Dave Kahle......he's the best!" Les Young, Vice President - Corporate Services Aerospace Products International

"Dave Kahle has come to the rescue of anyone trying to create or improve their sales system. Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century provides a comprehensive program for a dynamic sales function--and it is easy to read and comprehend. Each chapter covers actionable ideas that can make an immediate impact. Dave's principles have transformed my thinking. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone responsible for the sales effectiveness of others." Tom Fehsenfeld - President Crystal Flash Energy

"Everything makes so much sense. I wish I had this book 15 years ago. I particularly appreciated the idea of training the salespeople to a minimum level of competency, and then helping to stimulate them to mastery. What a great way to understand what to do in terms of sales force training!" Bob Burdette - President Nunn Electric Supply Corporation

"Many of us in the world of distribution have sales force organizations that have evolved based on decisions we've made in the past. Today we are left looking for answers and solutions based on the collective changes and forces in the distribution model over the past couple of years. In this book, Dave really hits the nail on the head with his observations and insights into today's distribution sales force reality. His view of the future of distribution sales force design, based on the needs of the future will be a radical change for many distributors. Great information, well written, easy to understand, and provides a much needed roadmap for success. We'll implement many of the ideas in this book." Steve Desautel - Vice President of Merchandising Accu Bite Dental Supply

"Kahle takes what for many of us is a nebulous area -- decisions about the sales force -- and makes it extremely clear and straightforward. The book provided me with a clear understanding of what changes I need to make to field an effective sales force. Congratulations for taking the smoke and mirrors out of decisions about the sales force!" Jim Beckstein - President Mill Supplies Incorporated