The Art of Scoring: Measuring What Matters in Sales

Why Checking Your Sales Maturity Is Like Glancing at Your GPS—You Might Not Be Where You Think 

Ever had that moment on a road trip when you realize you've been confidently heading in the wrong direction for the last hour? 

Scoring your sales function is a bit like checking your GPS: a quick reality check that can save you from a much longer detour. Even small deviations when sailing create large corrections if not checked in time. Therefore frequent constant updates ensure your never too far off course. 

If you've followed our previous articles, you know that self-assessment isn't about navel-gazing—it's about honest reflection and actionable improvement. 

Today, we're zooming in on sales, where even the best teams can mistake activity for achievement (we've all seen the "busy but lost" routine). 

Why Score Your Sales Function? Let's face it: sales is the engine room of most organizations. But engines need tune-ups, and maintenance.

Honest self-reflection helps you spot the difference—and, just as importantly, see how you stack up against your peers. Are your sales processes as sharp as you think, or are you running on reputation and caffeine? 

The Playbook's Scoring System—A Quick Recap 

The Commercial Excellence Playbook uses a simple but powerful three-lens approach: 

AS IS (1–10): Where are we today? (Be honest—this isn't the time for wishful thinking.) 

IDEAL (1–10): What would "excellent" look like for us? (Not perfection, but what would move the needle.) 

IMPORTANCE (1–10): How much does this area matter to our business right now? 

The magic happens when you compare your AS IS and IDEAL scores, then factor in IMPORTANCE. It's a reality check that's as useful as it is humbling. 

Practical Examples: 

Scoring Across Sales Wavelengths Let's examine each wavelength of the sales function with a practical example: 

1. Strategy Wavelength: Sales Channel Strategy: 

Reflection: Are your channels aligned with how customers want to buy, or how you've always sold?

The incite: Multiple channels exist but they aren’t optimised for each customer segment. I don't have a clear channel strategy. 

SCORING: AS IS (4/10) IDEAL (8/10) GAP (4) IMPORTANCE (9)

2. Process Wavelength: Sales Process Documentation Area

Reflection: If your top performer left tomorrow, could a new hire follow their playbook?

The Incite: Processes exist but they live in peoples heads. I am reliant upon the quality of the individual sales rep. 

SCORING: AS IS (4/10) IDEAL (9/10) GAP (5) IMPORTANCE (10)

3. People Wavelength: Sales Capability Development Area

Reflection: Are you developing your team based on what they need, or what's convenient to deliver?

The Incite: Training exists but isn't linked to performance gaps, and i don't have a documented sales process. When I’ve seen something interesting, I usually get the sales reps trained, but it may not be what they need.

SCORING: AS IS (6/10) IDEAL (8/10) GAP (2) IMPORTANCE (8)

4. Technology Wavelength: CRM Utilization 

Reflection: Is your CRM a strategic asset or just an expensive contact list?

The Incite: We have a system in place. It takes a lot of effort by the senior management to ensure it’s used. We don't have system to extract or gain incites from the data stored other than seeing how many visits a rep is doing. 

SCORING: AS IS (2/10) IDEAL (6/10) GAP (4) IMPORTANCE (8)

What Your Scores Mean

And What to Do Next Looking across these wavelengths, patterns emerge. 

Perhaps your technology scores higher than your people or process dimensions—a common scenario where tools outpace capabilities. Or maybe your strategy is clear, but execution lags behind. 

If your GAP is wide and IMPORTANCE is high, you've just found your next priority. 

Don't be discouraged if your scores feel a bit low—no one wins a marathon by sprinting out of the blocks. The goal is progress, not perfection. 

Use your scores to spark a conversation with your team. 

What's holding you back? 

Is it tools, training, or just old habits?

Try It Yourself (And Go Deeper with the Playbook) Ready for your own reality check? 

Try scoring one wavelength of your sales function today. 

You might be surprised where you stand. 

For a deeper dive, the Commercial Excellence Playbook is available on Amazon. It's packed with practical frameworks and more scoring templates to help you benchmark, reflect, and improve: Amazon Australia Amazon USA Amazon UK Amazon France 

Every improvement begins with a single honest score. So, take a moment, check your "GPS," and see where your sales function really stands across all wavelengths. You might just find your next shortcut to commercial excellence.