The 50 Best Companies to Sell For

For the first time, the corporate research team at Selling Power has identified and ranked the best companies to sell for among the largest sales forces in the United States.

We focused only 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 information important to prospective employees. A follow-up telephone survey confirmed the collected data.

Next, our editorial team examined the data, focusing on three key categories: compensation, training and career mobility. To ensure a fair valuation, companies that were unable to provide vital and verifiable details within each category were excluded from the ranking.

Within the category of compensation, the corporate research team looked at average starting salaries, incentive pay plans and availability of company cars and other benefit packages. In the area of training, we examined the time companies invested in initial selling skills and product knowledge training as well as follow-up training programs. To assess the benefits of career mobility, we looked at such essential details as number of performance reviews, turnover in the sales force and the number of people promoted each year from the sales ranks.

Next, all data were compiled and scored. Each company was given an overall score in each category and compared to the selected companies in three general industries: manufacturing, service and insurance. Selling Power chose to rank the top 20 manufacturing companies, the top 20 service companies and the top 10 insurance companies, for a total of the top 50 best companies to sell for.

In this issue we are profiling Shaw Industries, one of the best manufacturing firms to sell for. In the next issue, we will focus on UPS, one of the best service companies to sell for. In future issues of Selling Power magazine you can expect more in-depth profiles of sales organizations that view selling not just as a job, but as a professional career that places no limits on how far you can grow in the organization. To learn more about the companies listed, we suggest visiting their Websites. All of these companies realize that their future depends on having a top professional sales team, and that’s one of the main reasons why they are at the head of their class.