Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Tool

“A path for closing the gap between the institution and the customer”

by Tina Turk Lupieri, January 2011

What is Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Tool?

A framework for supporting organizations to develop towards world-class in

sales and marketing

A tool for helping organizations in assessing the current status and identify
improvements in all major functions of sales and marketing

A source of ideas on how to become more customer centric

A guide for continuously providing orientation and focus

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Maturity Assessment Tool covers main functions in sales and
marketing within 6 categories
Marketing Data & Product
Methods Channels Sales
Organization Analytics Development
Channel Integration Product Development
Marketing Role Data Availability Segmentation Sales Model
Level Strategy

Product & Segment Product Development

Marketing Processes Data Management Channel Management Sales Processes
Management Process Definition

Marketing Skills and Product Development

Data Quality Brand Management Content Management Sales Tools
Capabilities Process Management

User Experience Product Development

Marketing Metrics Dashboards Readiness Pricing Sales Management
Assessment Skills & Capabilities

Marketing Tools Service/Product Quality Performance

Client Profile
Applied Management Measurement

Social Media Competitor's & Market Incentives &

Client Satisfaction
Readiness Data Compensation

Marketing Automation Sales Skills &

Website Program CRM Analytics
and Lead Management Capabilities

Campaign "Next best offer"

Strategic Partnerships
Measurement Generation Process

Analytics, SEO and

Paid Search

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The Maturity Assessment is done in 2 steps and delivered in
approximately 2 weeks
Step 1 – Identification
• Conduct assessment in selected
areas, i.e.:
- Interview with Head of Marketing
- Interview with Head of Sales
- Interview with Head of Product
Development
- …
• List improvement ideas
Deliverables
Sales & Marketing
Maturity Assessment
List of improvements
Working Method
3-4 Interviews
Step 2 –Prioritization
• Review and validate improvements
• Prioritize improvements (e.g. by
expected growth relevance and
ease of implementation)
• Assign planned scores
• Draft high level implementation
plan
Prioritized list of
improvements
High Level
Implementation Plan
Prioritization Workshop
(half a day)
Step 3 – Implementation
• Assign responsibilities per
implementation topic
• Monitor implementation
• Review improvement potential
regularly
• Apply and refine in day to day
operations
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Within Step 1 each category is scored, using qualitative
measures of excellence Exa
mp
le
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT

Basic Standard Top Score

Product development
Product development
Product Product development Product developments There is a clear product strategy is defined with
strategy is closely
Development decisions are done ad are defined with the development strategy in clear objectives, 1
aligned with the
Strategy hoc. yearly plan. place. initiatives, measures and
business strategy.
time frames.

The process is clearly Metrics, such as NPV,

The product defined and adhered to. forecasted v actual
Product Up front and pre-launch Post-launch assessment
development process There are deliverables sales, on time launch,
Development research is conducted to is performed to assess
depends upon and checkpoints defined are used to make 2
Process validate customer forecasted versus actual
employees’ individual for each stage. Tools resource allocation
Definition needs. results.
effort. and templates are decision and monitor
available. success.

Senior management
There is a list of current
Product There is no clear The responsibility for Senior management regularly monitors
projects available,
Development overview over the product development reviews product product portfolio
responsibility for its 4
Process product process management is implementation portfolio implementation and
implementation is
Management implementations. assigned. at least quarterly. effectively balances
defined.
resources available.

Employees are trained Cross functional teams

Product There is a clear There is a clear on the product are built, marketing and
Product development
Development definition of product definition of product development process technical staff cross train
skills and capabilities 2
Skills & development roles. development skills and and understand how to each other for better
are not defined.
Capabilities capabilities. complete high quality understanding and
deliverables. collaboration.
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The MS Excel tool provides the assessment results in a
graphic format for each category
Exa
mp
Current Planned le
Score Score

Product
Product Development Çurrent
Develop- 1 4
Strategy Strategy Planned
ment 5

4
Product Development
2 3 3
Process Definition
2

1
Product Development
4 4 Skills & Capabilities 0 Process Definition
Process Management

Product Development
2 4
Skills & Capabilities

Process Management

Index 2,33 3

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Based on the assessment and development aspirations,
specific improvements are defined Exa
mp
le
Current Planned
Improvements
Score Score

Define the product development strategy that is closely

Product aligned with the business strategy. Reinforce the need for
Product Development Strategy 1 4 top management to view product development as a future
Development
source of growth.

Define metrics for making resource allocation decision and

Product Development Process
2 3 success monitoring. Develop scorecards with criteria for
Definition go/no go decisions.

Establish a “Product Development Committee” with senior

Product Development Process management for monitoring the product implementation
4 4 portfolio, making go/nogo decisions and decisions
Management
regarding resources allocation.

Develop and execute a training plan for key employees

Product Development Skills &
2 4 dealing with product development. Organize cross training
Capabilities workshops.

Index 2,33 3,67

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 A path to excellence is a process and best in class organizations
have its unique mix of sales and marketing capabilities. What is
yours and do you feel you need to improve it?
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
BASIC STANDARD TOP

Simple measures are Performance

Measurement
Performance

used for informal management process

Sales

Target setting is Target setting is history and Balanced scorecard driven process with regular
target setting (e.g. in place per role; with
„history“ based. future based. internal and external benchmarking.
revenues, sales financial and non-
volumes). financial indicators.
Integration
Channels

Level

Only one key sales Sales channels not Integration is done on major areas, Fully integrated channel strategy defined with
channel in place. aligned. minor channel conflicts still occur. channel/segmentation prioritization.

The product
Development

Metrics are used to Up front and pre-launch research is

development process The process is clearly
Process
Product

make resource allocation conducted to validate customer Post-launch assessment is performed to assess
depends upon defined and adhered
decisions and monitor needs. forecasted versus actual results.
employees’ individual to.
success.
effort.
Segmentation

Revenue information Segmentation with multiple dimensions available,

Methods

Very basic segmentation Segments’ profitability value and needs based.

Clear prioritization of per segment,
(e.g. demographics, information available.
segments. basic needs
regions). segmentation in place.

Target setting and measurement

Measurement

Data collection and reporting is in Reports are automatically generated

Campaign
Analytics

for all campaigns. Metrics are

Data &

Campaign results are place, results are consistent and by the system and used to predict
being measured ad defined (i.e ROMI, email open
are used to make decisions. future results and benchmarking.
hoc. rate, unique online visitors per
month).
Marketing has a clear role and is
Organization

Capabilities

recognized as the driver of the

Marketing

Marketing staff is trained and able to track the performance of all

Skill &

Marketing staff is specialised for marketing strategic development of the

communication. campaigns. They are able to extract, transform and manipulate data to company.
analyze trends and predict future results.

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Please, contact us for more information

Tina Turk Lupieri

tina@validea.eu

http://hr.linkedin.com/in/tinaturklupieri

VAL IDEA d.o.o. / management consulting //

// 1.maja 5 / 52215 Vodnjan - Dignano / Croatia / + 386 31 655 101 /+ 385 98 977 4814 // 9