Challenge

The commercial-business unit of a direct-service company had to overhaul the method in which its dispersed sales team operated. The group, consisting of 20 area managers, 200 sales managers, and 2,000 sales representatives across the company, was facing challenges with high employee turnover and underperformance. Annually, a significant portion of the sales leads received through the call center, approximately 100,000, went unaddressed due to inadequate management tools and procedures.

The pressure to increase sales quickly added complexity to the situation, as the client's top executives were eager to see results. They enlisted Cloudseed's assistance to create and execute the project within half the typical time frame of 12 to 24 months, putting a tight deadline of 6 months on the project.

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Discovery

We collaborated with the client to evaluate their past initiatives for increasing sales. While some had yielded positive results, others had been less successful. Additionally, some employees were hesitant to embark on another extensive change program. Furthermore, simply supplying the necessary tools alone would not guarantee swift or permanent changes in the way the client's dispersed sales team functioned.

It was found that the necessary shifts in behavior were too extensive for the top corporate team to handle alone, as is typical. Therefore, it became necessary for the client to collaborate with the middle-level sales managers by selecting a suitable group of area managers to spearhead the change initiative.

The key aspect of this strategy was assisting the 20 area managers, who held a crucial position in the company's sales structure, to transform into efficient and dedicated agents of change. We established main "training centers" where they were educated on utilizing new techniques and procedures, consisting of standard performance measurements, diagnostic reports, and a specifically crafted tool for monitoring and encouraging responsibility for every sales opportunity that entered the company.

After completing their training at the academy, the managers simultaneously implemented the new tools and processes and assisted sales managers and reps in utilizing them. To ensure long-term success, we collaborated with the client to establish recurring coaching sessions in which regional managers utilized the performance tools to assess sales managers and identify and address any areas of improvement.

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Results 

The client then worked intensively with Cloudseed, providing them with the necessary training, resources, and support to implement the changes. This included revising their sales strategies, processes, and techniques, as well as providing them with the latest technology and tools to improve their performance.

The targeted time frame for this transformation was 6 months, and by the end of this period, the client had successfully transformed their sales force. The results were evident in the increased lead-conversion rates, which had risen by 20 percent, and the number of self-generated leads, which had climbed by 25 percent.

By the end of 12 months, the client had achieved their goal of increasing the performance of their sales force and had set a strong foundation for continued growth and success in the future.