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Card payments processor, selling to small retailers, sales team of 40
Key issues
- Below budget sales performance
- High staff turnover
- Need to 'land grab' customer base not being met despite very strong offer
- Over-reliance on price as the reason to buy.
Sales Blueprint input
Helped create and develop 4 bona fide sales managers employing proper management and coaching techniques. Systematic removal of non-performers who fail to meet agreed benchmark for success. Implemented activity plans for all remaining sales people to drive ownership and increase overall activity levels. Re-engineered sales approach in each call. Redesigned all sales tools and their use in the field. Greatly improved sales skill levels across the board but particularly for the middle to top performers. New commission plan in place to reward over performance. Template for new recruits now being adhered to with consequent improvement in the quality of sales person recruited.
Outcome
Annual signings up 22% with 25% less sales people – over 700 more new customers signed by 10 less sales people! Each signing now worth at least £4 per month extra (21%), every month. 30% increase in signings per sales working day ratio. Business sold with investor receiving 12x multiple versus previously expected 6x.
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Food manufacturer, selling to supermarkets and (much larger) major food manufacturers, sales team of 4
Key issues
- Stagnating sales
- High activity, low results
- Need to win new business but maintain margins
Sales Blueprint input
Assessed appropriate activity and quantities needed. Implemented measures to drive and monitor these, specifically sold to sales team to ensure buy-in. Developed key selling propositions to position the company in new markets, improved skills to use these effectively in front of new customers and implemented key account plans to penetrate and consolidate new opportunities once won.
Outcome
Overall sales up 18% in year one, 15% in year two. Margins maintained and key accounts revenues improved 10% despite falling market. Business sold to trade buyer, investor made 3x money.
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Industrial services installer, selling to large SME's and corporates
Key issues
- Stagnating sales
- High activity, low results
- Need to win new business but maintain margins
Sales Blueprint input
Redesigned sales process and tools used within it. Dramatically up skilled sales team to make the most of the new approach and aided new sales management in embedding best practice across the quantity, direction and quality of sales activity.
Outcome
During initial six months of our input monthly sales doubled to £42k pcm and the sales team ended the year 242% of target. Some 18 months later service sales are running at £80k pcm and still climbing. This has more than compensated for sales lost to the recession on the installation side and helped the business exceed its growth targets. Business sold in 2010 for 3.1x money and IRR 48% in 30 months.
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Kitchen manufacturer, selling to local authorities, sales team of 8
Key issues
- Sales management vacuum after Sales Director led buyout
- Low levels of sales activity
- Too much focus on delivering today's sales rather than winning tomorrow's
- Poor forecasting, little sales management information.
Sales Blueprint input
Created dedicated sales team, agreed key measures and made them happen, improved focus on selling the real value of the organisation not its basic products. Implemented proper forecasting system and appropriate measures to indicate early warning system and risks to pipeline.
Outcome
Sales on budget in year one despite initially being 18% behind, record sales in year two despite falling market and poor performance from all competitors.
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Education provider, selling direct to public, sales team of 100
Key issues
- High sales staff turnover
- Worsening conversion rates
- Need to adapt to changing market conditions but not sure how to do so
Sales Blueprint input
Re-engineered sales approach and greatly improved skill sets among selling teams. Profiled new recruits and contributed to entirely new recruitment programme. Implemented sales management across the country, training the managers in all aspects of the role.
Outcome
Record sales in last two months, including several record sales days, all at budgeted margins. Greater consistency to results month-on-month. Fully implemented performance management, reducing poor performers quickly and replacing them with higher calibre, better performing and longer-lasting new employees.
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Specialist medical care provider, selling to NHS and local authorities, sales team of 5
Key issues
- Need to reach a wider audience with specialist services without overtly selling
- Biggest customer also biggest competitor!
- No real sales skills within the organisation
- Low levels of appreciation of the value of what they deliver
Sales Blueprint input
Design and implementation of appropriate sales team. Development of key proposition for each market and the skills to make the most of them with each customer. Introduction of key account plans to maximise penetration and revenue protection.
Outcome
Record levels of referrals to the business at improved levels of conversion leading to record revenues for 2 years running before the business was sold very successfully.
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Software licence provider, selling to large corporates and public sector, sales team of 35.
Key issues
- Below target new business wins, below budget existing business revenues
- Insufficient sales management processes to allow proper measurement and forecasting of sales
Sales Blueprint input
Diagnosis of wholesale change required. Implemented genuine sales activity planning and management, and processes and tools to support this. Redefined sales offer and sales approach to make the most of it. Restructured sales management. Implemented key account planning for major opportunities within existing business.
Outcome
Achieved year one budget despite being 20% down at the start of the project. Sales for new year are on target, sales activity is up and the business has won over 100 new customers within 3 months.
