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Sales
Function Dynamics
Leading companies today face a dawning realization they need to change the way they go to market. The highly effective sales and distribution models they perfected to achieve market leadership are now declining in effectiveness, sometimes quickly and dramatically. Formulaic sales approaches are falling far short of the demands of increasingly complex sales -- single decision-makers have given way to multiple stakeholders with different needs, decision-criteria, and alternative ways to get information. Long-term distributor relationships are suddenly being rendered irrelevant by more efficient models utilizing technology to cultivate customers and deliver products and services.
Some companies have appropriately reacted by trying to transition from a transactional to a consultative sales approach. These efforts have typically included the fragmented application of training, new incentive compensation plans, and various sales automation implementations but often have fallen short of establishing a more effective consultative sales model. What’s missing is a broader look at the entire sales process, understanding what needs to change in response to markets in transition where previously successful sales models are declining in their effectiveness.
Business Challenges
Developing a new sales model involves a delicate balance of management focus. Business must be sustained, which drives attention to optimizing the current sales approach. But at the same time management must experiment with new models, perfecting a new approach to the point of trustworthiness in making a complete transition.
The stakes are high and the scope of change is considerable. Often the sales rep role needs to be redefined into multiple, more specialized roles each requiring different competencies and integration clarity in a more complex team sales process. Also critical will be sales management’s ability to set clear expectations, ensure accountability, assess effectiveness, and coach the behaviors and best practices needed to thrive in their competitive environment. Often this is a significant departure from a more traditional sales manager role of monitoring and modeling sales activity known to be successful in the past.
Re-examination of distribution channels and the addition of new channels also requires a delicate touch and sophisticated approach. While the value of traditional distribution channels may have diminished, there may still be some value to preserve in redefined roles. Important relationships can be damaged or lost without skilled definition of new channel roles based on win-win propositions.
Our Depth of Knowledge
Success in today’s marketplace requires both great strategy and an integrated approach to the implementation of that strategy across functions. Over the last 20 years we have helped clients in a wide variety of industries address both the "what" of strategy and the "how" of implementation. Our services are intended to help clients develop competencies and implement Sales systems that enable strategically important performance in the organization. And we help Sales leaders build departments capable of delivering on their value proposition.
Our work with Sales clients has involved multiple engagements and encompasses a broad range of projects, including the following examples:
- Conceptualizing new sales models, structuring tests of new concepts and defining a low risk transition from the current model to a tested new approach
- Conducting a data-based assessment of the current sales process, identifying existing best practices, gaps in the current process, and providing a clear path to close the gaps
- Implementing infrastructure and establishing approaches that set expectations, reinforce accountability and drive the sales behaviors necessary to protect and grow the market
- Analyzing and redefining the value of existing distribution channels, and managing the transition to a different role while preserving important business relationships
- Designing and implementing a competency assessment process to identify areas of improvement for sales behaviors and skills, and developing sales managers’ coaching skills to strengthen these behaviors
- Developing a process that identifies best sales practices on a regional and national level, and embeds such practices across the sales organization
- Developing a process and tools for sales territory strategic analysis and call planning, and modifying information support systems to provide the necessary data
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