Creating next level of managers and assuring sales results at multi-industrial leader
Our client and their needs
The client is a global diversified technology and multi-industrial leader serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. A total of 135,000 employees create intelligent buildings, efficient energy solutions, integrated infrastructure and next-generation transportation systems that work seamlessly together to deliver on the promise of smart cities and communities. 2016 was a year of transformation for the company, and several actions to improve long-term shareholder value were taken. To support ongoing changes and striving toward sustainable growth and profitability, we agreed with the company on two main areas to be developed:
1) Developing sales managers in their managerial role as
- Autonomous people managers (individual and team performance, people development, developing high-performing teams within sales organisation)
- Leadership: managing business challenges and being an agent of change in the company (embracing the change, implementing and promoting it in the company)
2) The sales organisation is active in the ME&A region and its main focus lies in increasing value solution selling
- Substantial level of all sales projects to be based on specified technical solutions (strong solution & value-added selling abilities)
- building and maintaining relations with C-level, including solution & value-added selling on all levels
Our design and delivery
- Development of sales managers in the area of people management, coaching sales people, being an advocate of change in the company, creating a balance between sales role and management role. Scope of group training and individual coaching; working on practical daily situations.
- Development of sales engineers in customised value-selling training sessions executed as on-the-job practical training and individual follow-up with each sales engineer. Scope of training agreed together with the client, working solely on company-specific business cases.
Revision of practical results: some sales engineers were given the opportunity to move to bigger sales scope projects/KAM positions where their added value is higher for the company and clients.
Our results and their impact
Sales of complex solutions increased considerably, and the company was in better shape to cope with changed market conditions in 2016-17. Some sales engineers gained the opportunity to move to bigger sales scope positions/projects and contribute a higher level of added value.
We supported the reorganisation carried out by sales managers within their own teams to assure individual performance (achieved targets), faster customer response and the fair distribution of responsibility.
The biggest overall impact was undoubtedly achieved by developing sales managers, who had previously often acted as micromanagers. Now, the majority challenge and coach their sales teams to achieve their highest performance, thus assuring growth and the attainment of ambitious business objectives.
Sales managers became more autonomous in their managerial function, which in turn gave them time to focus on strategic issues. They now have a better overview of the bigger business picture, and are able to identify larger project opportunities and network at the right level, since they are less involved in daily business operations.
Our cooperation with the client began in 2014 and is currently being expanded to other areas such as key account management development and elevating sales managers to prepare them for future positions.
France
