Beyond sales, how can we assess the value of the land?

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Deploying a sales force represents a significant investment for a brand. Recruitment, training, management, travel, reporting tools, and presence at the point of sale: behind every field operation are human and financial resources whose effectiveness must be measured.

The question of a sales force’s ROI therefore quickly arises: how can we know if the resources invested are actually generating value?

The answer seems obvious: compare the costs of the program to the sales it generates. In reality, however, the assessment is more complex. A sales team does more than just facilitate an immediate transaction. It also enhances brand presence, expands distribution, resolves stockouts, optimizes shelf visibility, builds relationships with retailers, and provides valuable feedback from the field.

To measure performance accurately, it is therefore necessary to choose the right metrics and, above all, to link them to the program’s initial objectives.

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Measuring ROI starts with defining what is expected of the sales force

Not all field operations have the same objective  

Before discussing KPIs, we need to start with a simple question: Why was this sales force deployed?

Depending on the situation, a team may be tasked with growing sales, expanding a product line’s market presence, accelerating a product launch, improving point-of-sale execution, or strengthening relationships with a distributor network.

The indicators must be directly derived from these objectives.

A sales force dedicated to a product launch could, for example, be evaluated based on the speed of product listing, actual in-store presence, and sales growth.

Conversely, a team that focuses primarily on merchandising may be monitored more closely in terms of product availability, compliance with display guidelines, or the visibility achieved.

Seeking a universal indicator of sales performance would therefore oversimplify the reality on the ground.

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Distinguishing Between Results and the Means Employed

Another key distinction is the one between activity indicators and outcome indicators.

The number of visits made, stores covered, or appointments scheduled serves as a measure of the team's activity.

Revenue generated, sales growth, the conversion rate, and changes in distribution are better indicators of performance.

Both categories are necessary.

Poor results combined with high activity levels may indicate a problem with targeting, the sales pitch, the offer, or the sales context. Conversely, strong performance with limited field coverage may indicate that there is additional potential.

Analysis therefore becomes more insightful when it examines the relationships between KPIs rather than looking at them in isolation.

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What KPIs should you track to measure the performance of a sales force?

Business Indicators

When data is available, sales naturally remain a key indicator.

Several measures may be relevant:

• revenue generated;

• volume of products sold;

• sales trends over a given period;

• conversion rate;

• average shopping cart;

• sales by visit or by retail location;

• change compared to a reference period.

However, an increase in revenue cannot always be attributed entirely to the sales force.

A national promotion, a media campaign, a price change, seasonal factors, or a change in distribution channels can also influence the results.

That is why it is best, whenever possible, to put the data back into context.

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Coverage and Productivity Indicators

A sales force must also be evaluated based on its ability to effectively cover its territory.

In particular, we can examine the number of retail locations visited, the frequency of visits, the coverage rate of the target market, and the average number of visits per sales representative.

This data helps us understand how resources are used.

Two teams can generate similar revenue with very different levels of activity. The question then becomes one of efficiency: how many resources must be allocated to achieve the result?

Geography also plays an important role. An area with widely scattered retail locations cannot be analyzed in exactly the same way as a densely populated urban area.

The context must always be provided along with the KPI.

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Point-of-Sale Performance Metrics

In retail, a significant portion of sales performance is determined even before the consumer reaches the shelf.

Is the product available? Is it properly displayed? Is it visible? Is the promotional material present? Is the listed price correct?

A sales force can address each of these elements.

Performance indicators may therefore include availability rates, observed stockouts, compliance with installation requirements, the presence of promotional materials, and the number of corrective actions taken.

These data are particularly interesting because they allow us to link on-the-ground activity to the brand's actual visibility.

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From Financial ROI to a More Comprehensive View of Performance

Calculate Financial ROI

In its simplest form, return on investment involves comparing the gains associated with an action to its cost.

The standard formula is:

ROI = (revenue generated – costs incurred) / costs incurred × 100

The calculation seems simple. The real challenge lies in defining “generated revenue.”

When the sales force is directly responsible for a specific sale, the attribution can be relatively clear.

In other situations, it is much less so.

Let’s consider a team tasked with improving the availability of a product line in several hundred stores. Its work can help reduce out-of-stock situations, secure better shelf placements, and increase visibility. Sales then increase, but this growth could be the result of several factors.

It would therefore be unwise to attribute this entire growth directly to the sales force.

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Building a Relevant Benchmark

To analyze the impact of a measure, it is helpful to have a point of comparison.

This could be a comparable prior period, a target set in advance, or—when conditions permit—a group of stores not subject to the same level of intervention.

The goal is not to artificially construct a perfect causal relationship.

Rather, the goal is to better distinguish between what is part of a general market trend and what appears to be related to on-the-ground operations.

Seasonal factors must also be taken into account.

Comparing December sales to those in September in certain categories, for example, could lead to erroneous conclusions.

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Don't overlook the indirect value

A sales force also produces results that aren't immediately visible in financial statements.

A sales representative can detect a recurring stockout, identify an objection from distributors, report a competitor’s initiative, or bring a local opportunity to the attention of management.

This information is valuable.

It can enable the brand to quickly adjust its strategy, refine its messaging, or better understand the realities of the distribution network.

Field reporting should therefore not be viewed solely as a monitoring tool. It is also a source of business insight.

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Turning Field Data into Decisions

Avoid a dashboard that tracks everything

Digital tools now make it possible to collect a vast amount of information.

The temptation, then, is to increase the number of KPIs.

Number of visits, average duration, kilometers traveled, photos, sales, out-of-stock items, orders, store locations, contacts…

However, a dashboard containing dozens of metrics isn't necessarily more useful.

The best reports are often those that prioritize information.

A few strategic KPIs help track the main objective. Operational metrics are then used to understand the results and identify areas for improvement.

Ideally, every piece of data collected should answer a question: What decision can it help us make?

If no response appears, its usefulness is worth questioning.

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Segment to Understand Performance Gaps

A national average can mask very different realities.

Performance may vary by region, brand, store format, product category, or time period.

Segmenting the results helps identify these discrepancies.

A particular store may have particularly high potential. A geographic area may require a different frequency of visits. Some stores may warrant more frequent visits, while others may be monitored on an as-needed basis.

Data then becomes a tool for resource allocation.

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Combining quantitative data with qualitative feedback

The numbers show what's happening. The field often helps us understand why.

A decline in performance can be attributed to a disruption, poor implementation, a competing offering, difficulty understanding the product, or changing expectations.

These items do not always appear in the sales data.

Combining quantitative metrics with structured feedback from teams therefore provides a more nuanced understanding of the situation.

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Make sales force management an ongoing process

Measuring ROI shouldn't be limited to the end of a project.

Regular monitoring makes it possible to quickly identify discrepancies and adjust the system accordingly.

If certain areas show better results, it becomes possible to analyze the factors behind their success. If a process isn't working as well as expected, teams can adjust their approach.

This approach transforms reporting into a management tool.

Sales performance is then no longer merely observed: it can be gradually optimized.

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Measure to Make Better Decisions

The ROI of a sales force cannot be reduced to a simple formula.

Revenue and sales remain essential, but they become more meaningful when analyzed alongside metrics related to coverage, productivity, execution, and on-site quality.

The first step, therefore, is to clearly define the program's objectives. KPIs are then used to measure what really matters.

As reporting tools continue to advance, companies have access to ever-increasing amounts of data. The real challenge will not be collecting more data, but transforming that information into operational decisions.

After all, measuring the performance of a sales force is only worthwhile if that measurement allows us to better target and support our teams and make better use of available resources.

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