New Research: Sales Managers Who Can Articulate Strategy Are More Than Twice as Likely to Drive Their Teams to Hit Goals
Joint study from the Sales Management Association and Ignite Selling finds strategy execution hinges on translation and
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ASHEVILLE, N.C., Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ignite Selling, Inc., a leading global sales enablement and performance improvement company, today announced the release of new research conducted in partnership with the Sales Management Association (SMA) examining how sales organizations translate strategy into frontline execution. The findings indicate that most sales organizations are far more effective at designing strategy than they are at operationalizing it — and that the gap between the two is costly.
According to the research, only 58% of firms say most of their salespeople can articulate a coherent plan of action for meeting a specific, quantified sales objective. Sales managers fare better, at 76%, but the ability to do so — particularly among managers — is one of the strongest predictors of performance identified in the study. Firms whose sales managers can articulate a coherent strategy met their firm sales objective 84% of the time, compared to just 36% of firms whose managers could not, a 48-point gap that was the widest differential observed anywhere in the research.
The joint survey polled management-level practitioners in sales effectiveness and sales leadership roles at 97 firms ranging from under $1 million to over $10 billion in annual revenue, with 60% of respondent firms reporting revenue above $100 million.
“Getting the strategy right has less to do with a smarter strategic thesis and more to do with whether leaders can put that strategy into everyday language and coach their teams to execute it,” said Steve Gielda, Co-Founder and Principal Partner of Ignite Selling. “When a salesperson can’t describe their company’s strategy, it’s tempting to conclude they need more training — but that’s rarely the real gap. Most reps have already been taught the underlying skills. What they haven’t been taught is how those skills map to this year’s priorities. The fix isn’t a new curriculum; it’s clearer translation and reinforcement.”
The data also found that change management discipline is one of the strongest predictors of sales performance identified in the study. Firms that clearly communicate to salespeople how their roles need to change in support of a new strategy are roughly 2.5 times more likely to meet their firm sales objective (82% vs. 33%). Firms that go a step further and recalibrate sales learning, coaching, and development activities to reinforce that change are nearly three times more likely to hit their number (83% vs. 25%).
“Strategy execution is a translation and coaching problem, not a design problem,” said Bob Kelly, Chairman and Founder of the Sales Management Association. “The firms that outperform in this research aren’t winning because they have a more insightful strategic thesis. They’re winning because they execute an integrated set of ordinary management disciplines — goal-setting, guidance, coaching alignment, and follow-through — more consistently than their peers.”
An in-depth review of the findings, including a full breakdown of the fifteen management decisions and capabilities that underpin sales strategy execution, is available in a complimentary research brief available for download at igniteselling.com/resource/managing-sales-organization-strategy-research-brief.
Gielda and Kelly will take a deeper look at the findings and their implications for sales leaders and their teams in a joint webinar, “Changing Strategy in the Sales Force,” on Thursday, September 24. Registration is available at salesmanagement.org/event/changing-strategy-in-the-sales-force.
This research shows that closing the gap between strategy and execution is less about rethinking strategy itself and more about the everyday disciplines that translate it into frontline behavior: setting clear individual goals, actively guiding how salespeople prioritize effort, and equipping both managers and reps to articulate and act on a coherent plan.
Ignite Selling has been consistently recognized as one of the top sales training providers in the industry, named to Selling Power’s Top 20 Sales Training Companies list multiple years in a row and included on the Training Industry Watch List for Sales Training. In 2026, Ignite Selling was honored with a Stevie Award in the Sales Training Practice of the Year category as part of the Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service.
About Ignite Selling, Inc.
Ignite Selling is a leading global sales enablement and performance improvement company, helping businesses exceed their revenue goals by improving critical on-the-job behaviors through sales simulations and strategic sales coaching. Its simulation-based learning solutions use interactive Learning Maps and Competitive Sales Simulations, in both virtual and classroom environments, to give learners an engaging, relevant experience that prepares them for real-world selling situations. Learn more at igniteselling.com.
About the Sales Management Association
The Sales Management Association is a global, cross-industry professional organization for sales operations, sales effectiveness, and sales leadership professionals. It provides members with tools, networking, research, training, and professional development, and publishes research addressing a broad spectrum of sales effectiveness issues. Learn more at salesmanagement.org.
Media Contact
Will Milano will.milano@outlook.com
Ignite Selling Asheville NC 28804 United StatesHomewill.milano@outlook.com
