Improving Sales Force Effectiveness

Executive Summary

Leading equity information resource to Wall Street analysts, money managers, and retail brokerage firms sought new sources of revenue and more focused and results-driven approach to customer acquisition.

Client:  Financial Market Intelligence Provider

 

Business Challenge

The executive vice president of a $ 100 million division was frustrated with sales results and had just let go his head of sales and needed quick turnaround on the creation of a sales plan, goal allocation and better ongoing sense of progress and results management.

Global Performance Tracking

 

Insights

Key observations included:

  • Staffing and service/channel model was undocumented and informal.
  • Reporting was inconsistent, lacked pipeline status and goal tracking.

 

Actions

  • Facilitated strategy sessions with heads of sales: field and telemarketing.
  • Elicited their feedback and cooperation towards a new future.
  • Conducted a diagnostic of their staffing model and market opportunity.
  • Conducted primary and secondary research to pinpoint: industry growth pockets,
  • Analyzed  customer profitability/revenue priorities and sales force competencies.
  • Created top/down and bottom up sales goals: region, territory, customer, and sales person.
  • Re-engineered service delivery model adding extended administrative team support to key accounts and focused telemarketing channel to do cold calling to lower priority prospects.
  • Created weekly online sales pipeline reporting against goal.
  • Conducted key account satisfaction studies and improvement programs.

 

Value/Impact

  • Division Executive was pleased to now have up to the minute, hands-on pulse on sales witheasy to access e-based reporting at aggregate, regional and sales representative levels.
  • Strategic customer/market/product shift and intentional close line of sight on sales strategy/tactics contributed to: 20% over goal in that year.