FORMALIZING

THE SALES
SUPPORT
FUNCTION

HOW-TO GUIDE
 Formalizing the Sales Support Function
HOW-TO GUIDE

At the highest level, the Sales Support function is responsible for ensuring that the Sales and
Marketing departments have the tools, resources, and systems they need to achieve current and
future sales revenue targets.

Use Demand Metric’s downloadable Director of Sales Support job description to

formalize the role of sales support in your organization.

Director of Sales Support Responsibilities

Facilitate Deal Closing manage multi-region opportunities by building and managing project
specific sales teams, and provide support to facilitate opportunity conversion.

Direct and Manage regional Sales Operations and Application Managers to efficiently support the
sales and marketing departments.

Develop and Impement comprehensive strategies, systems, tactics, metrics, budgets, resource
requirements, and action plans to grow and support sales revenue targets and future growth
targets within a specified geographic region.

Analyze Business Processes and collaborate with Senior Account Managers, Sales and Marketing
Directors, Technical Support, and Operations to identify opportunities to streamline processes and
measure results of activities.

Implement and Maintain enterprise Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and
provide support for sales, marketing, and customer service.

Develop Sales Support Metrics to track and report on performance and productivity of the tech-
nical sales support team.

Build a collaborative environment by emphasizing teamwork.

Develop and Communicate sales support strategy to management team.

Bottom Line
If you are serious about CRM or winning multi-region deals, you need a formalized Sales Support
function. Assess your current level of effectiveness, and if necessary, hire an experienced Director
of Sales Support who can optimize this process.

2 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

 STEP 1 - Assess your Effectiveness

Sales Support Effectiveness

1 Assess your
Effectiveness Survey Evaluates Success

Download the accompanying

Determine Your
2 Needs
Sales Support Effective-
ness Survey to evaluate your
current maturity in this area.

Formalize Job
3 Description

Sales Support Effectiveness Survey

Interview
4 Candidates
VIEW RESOURCE

Set Goals and

5 Objectives

3 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 2 - Determine Your Needs

Assess your Do You Need the Sales

1 Effectiveness Enablement Readiness
Assessment?

2 Determine
Your Needs
Not all organizations require a
formal Sales Support function.

If you have requirements in

the areas of CRM, multi-region
sales opportunities, collecting
Formalize Job sales metrics and benchmarks,
3 Description and reporting, there is a good
chance that you would benefit
from this function.

Interview
4 Candidates

Set Goals and Sales Enablement Readiness Assessment

5 Objectives
VIEW RESOURCE

4 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 3 - Formalize Job Description

Assess your Seek Out the Right

1 Effectiveness Candidate for Your Next Hire

Use Demand Metric’s

Determine Your customizable Director of Sales
2 Needs Support job description to
outline what you are looking
for in a candidate and the
requirements of the position.

3 Formalize Job
Description

Interview
4 Candidates
Director of Sales Support

VIEW RESOURCE

Set Goals and

5 Objectives

5 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 4 - Interview Candidates

Assess your Assess Candidates with

1 Effectiveness the Interview Evaluation
Matrix

Determine Your
2 Needs
You may wish to hire
internally for this role, as
deep knowledge of company
processes, strategy, and
methods are essential for
success in this position.
Formalize Job
3 Description Complete a fair, open hiring
process, and select the
candidate who is best for the job.
Important skills include business
analysis, sales and marketing

4 Interview
Candidates
operations, communication, and
system support.

Set Goals and

5 Objectives

Interview Evaluation Matrix

VIEW RESOURCE

6 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 5 - Set Goals per Objectives

Assess your Set Goals and Objectives

1 Effectiveness for Measurable Results

Once you have selected your

Determine Your Director, complete an initial
2 Needs meeting to set and document
the goals and objectives for the
year. Be sure to discuss how
efforts will be measured upon
performance review.
Formalize Job
3 Description

SALES ENABLEMENT PLAN

Playbook & Toolkit

Interview
4 Candidates
Follow this simple step-by-step playbook to develop a sales enablement plan
that increases your win-rate, deal-size and % reps attaining quota.

Sales Enablement Plan Playbook

5 Set Goals and VIEW RESOURCE

Objectives

7 FORMALIZING THE SALES SUPPORT FUNCTION HOW-TO GUIDE

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