-
Service model value proposition clarification -
Mission statement redefined
-
Sales strategy development
-
Creating a sales-oriented environment
-
Management execution of strategy
-
Key sales management position definition and hiring
Opportunity
A 35-year old technical software company was experiencing a steady decline in sales after the 2008-2009 recession. They were also experiencing a change in their customer base, high sales staff turnover and a change in the way customers were purchasing their software. They were in need of a sales strategy that would link their sales organization, compensation structure, sales processes and management with their growth goals.
Action
We organized a four-part approach with the aim of re-establishing a sales culture within a technical environment and defining a sales strategy that would align ‘all things sales’ with corporate sales goals. Step one was to gain clarity around 3-year growth goals and to re-discover the mission statement that would reflect the value the company creates and the impact they have on their customer’s business. The second step was to gain an understanding about their current sales organization and sales processes as well as perform in-depth customer interviews. From these interviews, we learned how and why customers buy the software, and how the software impacts their organization. The third step was to develop a multi-step, prioritized strategic sales activity plan that would a) bring the sales organization into alignment with three-year revenue goals and b) integrate the sales
Result
The results have been dramatic. Through group facilitations, we were able to define the essence of where this technically deep organization brings value and impacts customers and create a valid and thought-guiding mission statement. We laid the foundation for re-establishing a sales culture by creating a sales director position and staffing with an experienced executive. We also were able to define precise gaps in the sales process that were inhibiting sales, remodeled that sales compensation structure, re-aligned sales territories to develop new markets and establish broader, deeper customer relationships and instituted more aggressive hiring practices and training programs.
