Strategic intelligence activity: The management of the sales force as a source of strategic information

Environmental information is very important to strategic management. Human sources are among the most commonly used sources of information and among them, boundary people, such as salesman, hold a privileged position. One dimension which measures the quality of a strategic response is its speed of implementation. Recognizing this, to ensure a good (fast) strategic response, fast communication of information is imperative. This article focuses on factors which influence the speed of communication of environmental information. It is based on an exploratory research which has been carried out on a sample of salesmen of an industrial company. Management policies regarding the use of the sales force as an efficient source of strategic information are proposed in conclusion.