Table 1.

Topic guide.

1	How has the sales function evolved in your organization in recent years? Which of these sales steps is your salesforce not performing—prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, close, and follow-up? What changes have you observed in the business environment that have necessitated this evolution of the sales function?
2	As the sales function has evolved in your industry, is there a move towards outsourcing some selling steps (e.g., prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, close, and follow-up)? If so, what are the specific functions that have been outsourced? If not, why did your firm not outsource sales function?
3	Does your sales organization have the flexibility to changes directions? Specifically, can the salesforce change the functions it performs (prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, close, and follow-up)? What would you do to increase your salesforce's functional flexibility? What will be the positives and negatives from such a move?
4	Is your sales organization sufficiently flexible to insource or outsource sales functions rapidly? What would you do to increase your salesforce's sourcing flexibility? What will be the positives and negatives from such a move?
5	Does your sales organization have the flexibility to use emerging technology rapidly? What would you do to increase your salesforce's technology flexibility? What will be the positives and negatives from such a move?
6	If your sales organization increases its functional, sourcing, and technology flexibility, what will be the positive and negative impacts on the firm, the sales function, and the salespeople?
7	When you think about the sales force adapting to the various changes, how do you ensure the tradeoff between effectiveness (top-line growth) versus efficiency (cost control)? What does this mean for the sales manager? What does this mean to the sales organization?
8	When you think about all the technological advances that salespeople have today, how should the various levels—salespeople, sales management, and the sales organization as a whole—deal with these rapid changes.

All the above questions also have a component on what happens post-COVID-19.