Brief

The global firm had a revenue of nearly $200m and has been in business for well over 20 years. In order to meet the high growth targets, they needed every major account to deliver solid results. Most of their sellers skilled engineers with subject matter expertise, who got promoted into sales roles after >10 years of working in technical roles, who didn’t have the sophisticated selling skills needed to navigate complex accounts, fending off hostile competitors and market conditions.

Is the deal real?

Step 1 was to identify all the symptoms of their sales team health. From executive leadership, to regional managers and the reps, individually. And then unpack them to accurately identify the real causes. Which turned out to be a ‘one-way’ street approach to account management. They knew how to take the deals down if they see them. They were not familiar with what it takes to build new ones proactively.

The Account Managers needed to see the light and the path to get those numbers.

Is it real for you?

Step 2 was to shortlist accounts, get to their past deals, current pipeline and as a preparation test a few tactics for 2-4 weeks. Work hand in hand with the Account Managers and Sales Managers to have first hand experience on the test process. The content was then created using those very details and tactics during the workshop held 6 weeks after the start of the process.

It is not real if the front line can’t execute.

Is it real for you now?

After delivering the workshop on Deal Creation and Key Account Management strategies and tactics, we followed up with the next steps in each of those accounts for the next 6 weeks. This was to reinforce the message in a way that every Account Manager knows what and how it is done. A 2nd workshop is done with the live results and weekly coaching along the way. The nucleus was formed and performance management part of the process started. The gears shift from Mentorship to Coaching to help keep the momentum.

* Our clients’ confidentiality is paramount. The results are real although we’ve changed their names.