Gartner: Harnessing Sales Culture Can Drive Sales Performance

Harnessing an organization’s sales culture can lead to improved sales performance, according to Gartner.

“Culture is often an afterthought for sales leaders – it’s something that just exists, but is off track or isn’t actively managed,” said Shayne Jackson, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Sales Practice. “As a result, teams are often disconnected, leading to higher turnover and lower performance.”

In a survey of more than 200 senior sales leaders conducted from November through December 2023, Gartner identified various cultural attributes that motivate sales performance.

Attributes such as transparency link to 2.9x greater likelihood of increased profit growth. Similarly, by prioritizing seller empowerment as a key pillar of sales culture, organizations are 2.8x more likely to see improved commercial performance. In addition, cultures that focus on psychological safety, where sellers are permitted to “fail safely,” are 2.7x more likely to see improved customer acquisition.

Among the other key attributes, Gartner recommends that CSOs invest in sales employees’ career development and growth opportunities, citing a 2.6x improvement in commercial performance. The report says that sellers should be encouraged to use innovative approaches to their work. Organizations that foster innovation are 2.5x more likely to see digital commerce growth, according to the research.

Fostering internal competition among the sales team to meet their goals is also recommended. The survey shows that organizations are 2.6x more likely to see faster sales cycles when promoting competition.

“CSOs must take control of their sales culture by assessing the culture as it stands, designing the necessary culture adjustment and then transforming the culture to boost performance and achieve their organization’s goals,” added Jackson. “To leverage culture as a driver of performance and retention, sales leaders must understand the culture that exists today, evaluate if it is meeting seller needs, confirm it aligns with leadership’s values, and then make adjustments to drive specific types of growth.”

Channel Impact^®
Channel partners can play a key role in the systematic evaluation of culture, and provide recommendations for improvement.