Selling Power Magazine Article

For the seventh year, the corporate research team at Selling Power has identified and ranked the best companies to sell for among the largest sales forces in the U.S.

The focus primarily remained on companies with sales forces of 500 or more salespeople. An extensive survey questionnaire was sent to the top sales executives, training managers, and HR managers to request key data important to prospective employees looking to enter the sales profession. In addition, independent research added to the information database.

Each year we examine the data, focusing on three key categories: compensation, training, and career mobility. Companies that were unable to verify vital details within each category were excluded from the ranking.

Within the category of compensation, the corporate research team looks at average starting salaries, incentive pay plans, availability of company cars, and other benefit packages such as health and wellness.

In the area of training, we examine the time companies invest in both initial selling skills training and product knowledge training programs. To assess the issues of career mobility, we look at such essential details as frequency of performance reviews, turnover in the sales force, and the number of people promoted each year from the sales ranks.

Next, all information is compiled, analyzed, and scored in order to maintain complete confidentiality for each company's data. Each company is given an overall score in the three categories and is compared to the selected companies in two general industries: manufacturing and service. Selling Power ranks the top 25 manufacturing companies and the top 25 service companies to complete our list of the top 50 companies to sell for.

"The 50 Best Companies to Sell For" represents a wide variety of sub-industries, including software/systems, food/beverage, household, health, construction, information/communications, hospitality, transportation, and financial services.

As expected, our detailed rating system placed the top companies extremely close, with 23 manufacturing companies and 24 service companies tied in the rankings. In these instances the companies were placed in alphabetical order.

The ranking spread remained fairly consistent in both the manufacturing and service industries when compared to last year. Anyone entering the sales field should begin their efforts by taking a good look at these top companies to sell for.