A world-class sales force is a powerful asset for any company, but using a direct selling organization is just one of a whole range of options for going to market. This chapter will help you decide when to use a sales force and when to use other marketing instruments such as advertising, telesales, and the Internet, to reach your market. The chapter presents a complete framework for determining what role a sales force should play in a firm's go-to-market strategy.

From this chapter you will learn:

• How to partition your customers into meaningful groups so that marketing efforts can be prioritized and customized for individual market segments
• How to determine the essential work required to serve the needs of each market segment
• How to find the most efficient and effective way to deliver essential work to each market segment
• How to decide whether to use a direct (company-owned) or an indirect (outside) sales organization