Even at the Sales 2.0 Conference, one of the premier international events for top B2B sales leaders, some sales leaders still wonder what “Sales 2.0” is, exactly. More important, they wonder how it can help them increase sales and become leaders of better, more effective sales teams.

Sales managers fulfil a critical but widely misunderstood role in any sales organisation, argues President of SalesAssessment.com Andrew Dugdale. Today’s newer, flatter style of sales organisation may be impeding sales performance.

Once upon a time, business deals were sealed with a handshake and a person’s good word. But in today’s business climate, sales organisations run on complex, global systems where face-to-face interaction is increasingly rare. In a sea of enterprise bureaucracy and a hyper-competitive global market, sales organisations can easily lose sight of simple, yet powerful ways to drive performance and keep talented sales people happy and productive. And, let’s be honest: What’s a more powerful motivator than fast, efficient and highly rewarding sales compensation?