THE TASK

An exercise to measure the sales capability of a telecom client’s sales force in Africa was carried out by Centum Learning limited. The exercise was aimed at enabling the Client to have a quantitative as well as a qualitative understanding of the current levels of capability in the sales team. This would further enable them to understand the skill gaps of the sales teams and develop appropriate training initiatives.

THE SOLUTION

The tool used for this evaluation was the Sales Capability Index (SCI). SCI is a set of functional capabilities one must have to perform a particular task. A role may perform several tasks and therefore capabilities for each of these tasks, bifurcated by knowledge and skills, were mapped. Centum’s extensive understanding of the telecom Sales & Distribution domain through functional experience throughout the globe played a significant role in developing SCIs for multiple roles.

Since the SCI was calibrated based on roles, every role holder was tested on parameters relevant to their roles. The entire activity had a developmental focus and a two pronged method was used to conduct the assessment:

  1. Testing Knowledge – A 90-minute questionnaire, divided into five parts was designed for this purpose. The Questionnaire was administered in a timed, closed room environment.
  2. Testing skills – Centum Learning designed a set of one-on-one simulations along with observation sheets. The observation sheets were designed to capture binary responses on observable skills during the simulation. The simulations were conducted jointly by the client and Centum Learning. The presence of a local representative ensured that the simulations provided for the local business realities and cultural nuances were catered to.

THE RESULT

A total of 644 Sales & Distribution employees were covered under this initiative across 15 countries in Africa. A document detailing the scores achieved by the various role holders in various countries was provided to the client. Also included was a Pan African comparison of SCI scores between all countries.

Going forward, SCI will be measured every six months and the constant tracking will measure the effectiveness of the development efforts being undertaken.