1# CASE STUDY - 8 salespeople and a decline
STORY:
Thomas is the sales director for a team of 8 salespeople. For the past 6 months, he has seen the company's sales decrease without really knowing where the problem lies.
Lorsqu’il ouvre son logiciel de relation client, il constate qu'il n'y a jamais eu autant de soumissions actives dans son logiciel mais...paradoxalement...il n’y a jamais eu autant d'offre qui s'étire dans le temps...
According to Thomas, these data are contradictory. Nothing has changed... How is it possible that salespeople have so many submissions but no new sales? With an average of 15 years of experience in sales, there is no doubt that his salespeople know how to close a sale. The calculation is therefore simple... more submissions equal more sales, right?
However, the results do not lie, there is a problem in the sales department. Thomas must report to the general management by the end of the year, so he must rectify the situation. To do so, he turns to RDVCB.
In response to Thomas's situation, RDVCB offers the following solution:
Phase#1 Consultation
During their first preliminary meeting, RDVCB collects the necessary figures for step #2. Thomas provides limited access to their customer relationship manager tool as well as reports from their submission software. With all the information in hand, RDVCB can begin processing and synthesizing it.
Phase#2 Calculation and presentation of sales ratio synthesis.
Thanks to the figures, Thomas manages to identify facts that are useful for a proper understanding of the situation. In this sense, RDVCB presents him with the extent of his decline, which department is most impacted, and especially which product or service has undergone a change.
In the present case, and thanks to the figures, Thomas and RDVCB establish that only clients from trade shows are not converting, and only for subscriptions. By isolating this group and this product category by salesperson, they clearly see that two of the team's salespeople are now handling more cases of this kind than before. It is these cases that seem to clog the customer relationship software.
The two salespeople are Paul and Vincent. By cross-checking the information in the customer relationship manager tool, the facts are confirmed: this new trio (trade show clients + subscriptions + Paul and Vincent) is increasing the number of pending submissions. It is therefore necessary to understand the challenge and make the necessary corrections.
Phase#3 Diagnosing the salespeople:
Now that Thomas knows where the problem lies, it remains to see what is causing the bottleneck. RDVCB therefore proposes to diagnose Paul and Vincent using a questionnaire about their work processes. Upon reviewing the results, it turns out that Paul and Vincent face the same challenge; they are stuck at the proposal and negotiation stage but not at the closing of the sale. The challenge is earlier in their work process.
Phase#4 Analysis of reflexes and habits in action
To facilitate the work of the entire team, RDVCB collects best practices from the 6 other salespeople who have higher performance in subscriptions on one hand and professional trade show clients on the other. RDVCB takes advantage of its visit to Thomas's offices to observe negotiations and the drafting of quotes in the problematic niche. RDVCB identifies 2 successful points per salesperson, which will be reused in creating the material for phase #5.
Phase#5 Creation of work materials
To better structure upcoming negotiations, RDVCB creates three documents: a value proposition, a personalized service offer for the trade show and subscription niche, and a list of objections. To ensure that the documents comply with the company's policies, RDVCB has everything approved by Thomas, who sets up a presentation meeting for the entire team.
Phase #6 Learning session
A short 1-hour training session is then delivered to the entire sales team. The information is standardized, and the team can then downplay such interventions by removing the exclusive blame from Paul and Vincent. Since prospects are distributed randomly, this situation could have happened to other salespeople as their proportion of trade show clients and subscriptions increases. Most even find it beneficial as they learn new possible approaches with these customers.
Phase#7 Consultation and follow-up meeting
To ensure that the salespeople use the tools provided to them, a 1-hour follow-up meeting is scheduled 2 weeks after the training. The latest results show a return to normal for the team's figures, even for the other salespeople on the team..
Phase#8 Ready-to-use training
To maintain the acquired knowledge, a follow-up meeting and ready-to-use training on "Arguing with enthusiasm and conviction" is scheduled 3 months later. This training will serve as a continuation in maintaining good habits within the team. It will be the ideal time to review the adjustments made and, above all, how to push things a bit further. Thomas is already looking forward to it!
IN SUMMARY:
The two salesmen, Paul, and Vincent, now have everything in place to correct the situation themselves. The follow-ups with RDVCB have reassured the team and maintained the good integration of the tools in their daily routine. Thomas can also rely on concrete, synthesized figures to supervise his team, and he leaves with positive material to present to his general management. Thomas's team and he himself are also more inclined to implement tools and react more quickly, thus having proof that solutions are possible.
2# CAS STUDY- Alone at the Helm
STORY:
Pierre is the sole owner of his business. Although initially customers came to him in abundance, now, his sales figures are more difficult to achieve. He has exhausted his network and must now take the initiative to make contacts, a first for Pierre!
To remedy his client problem and avoid door-to-door solicitation, he has recently purchased web referencing and had cold calls made by an external company. However, this has led to nothing. All his contacts did not convert, and he lost a lot of money in the process. Pierre is furious, why didn't the customers sign up? He did everything, he presented his products and provided documentation, why didn't they jump at the chance to work with him? He can't continue to pay for leads endlessly without results! So, he has put everything on hold.
There is a problem, and he must find a solution to keep his business profitable. He has had enough; he wants to go through his sales with a fine-tooth comb. To do this, he turns to RDVCB.
Faced with Pierre's situation, RDVCB proposes the following solution:
Phase #1 Consultation
In response to Pierre's request, RDVCB suggests a preparatory meeting to collect the necessary data for the project. During this meeting, RDVCB realizes that Pierre has everything to build. He has very few marketing tools, his target clientele and market opportunities are unclear, and although talented, Pierre does not know where he stands in his sales approach. Pierre thus provides RDVCB with a good status report: how much a lead costs him, how many meetings he has per week, what the average price of his sales is, and he lets RDVCB come back to him with their analysis..
Phase#2 Calculation and presentation of sales ratio synthesis
The first step is the ratios. By calculating Pierre's ratios, RDVCB defines the optimal number of leads to have per week and balances this data with the sales figures desired by Pierre. Once done, RDVCB defines a healthy sales closure rate and the optimal number of submissions to obtain per week.
Phase #3 Market Study
To reduce the number of prospects and increase the quality value of these, RDVCB undertakes a statistical market study. This allows Pierre to see that he can conquer 20% of the market if he stays in the same territory and specializes his offer to a clientele of 5 to 15 employees in the industrial sector. Feedback from his clients also has a bombshell effect; he realizes that his clients would like a more accessible entry offer. This will be a point that will be corrected from the stage of creating the material.
Phase#4 Diagnosing the salespeople
Following the questionnaire, RDVCB finds that Pierre has challenges at the stage of preparation, service offering, proposal, and closing of his sales. So far, all the elements are balanced, and the choice of tools to present to Pierre is becoming clearer. What remains to be seen is what cannot be explained, how do Pierre's meetings with a new client go?
Phase #5 Analysis of reflexes and habits in action
RDVCB takes advantage of their visit to Pierre's office to have him participate in role-playing and situational exercises. RDVCB even has the opportunity to listen to a call Pierre made about a meeting he held over the phone two days earlier. RDVCB thus identifies four points of improvement to present to Pierre during the training, as well as the type of learning that suits him best. What is encouraging is that Pierre masters his subject; for the rest, RDVCB is there for that!
Phase#6 Creation of work materials
Thanks to steps #1 to 5, RDVCB knows what tools need to be developed. RDVCB therefore proposes: a customer scoring chart, a monthly sales board, a list of rebuttals, written pitches and speeches, a list of clients looking for a company like Pierre's, and a standard service offer. Following Pierre's feedback, RDVCB makes some corrections and sends him the final versions a few days later.
Phase#7 Training interface
As the ongoing project involves many new elements to master, RDVCB creates a virtual training interface for Pierre that compiles all the data from his sales department. In addition to easily finding the market study, ratios, his diagnosis, and the created tools; Pierre can now engage in self-learning through exercises, contextual content either audio and/or video, and contextual explanations..
Phase #8 Learning Session
Eager to start using the tools on his own, RDVCB gives Pierre a proper presentation of all the tools created for his needs and the function of each. RDVCB also conducts a series of role-playing exercises to allow Pierre to get comfortable with his presentation and put it into his own words. He adds some elements of humor and simplifies certain steps. RDVCB takes the opportunity to show him tips and tricks to master his tools more quickly.
Now confident, Pierre has decided to reactivate his web referencing, and his next meeting is scheduled for a few days.
Phase #9 Consultation and Follow-up Meeting
A meeting takes place two weeks later. Since the changes, Pierre has had four fruitful meetings. Of the four, two have ended in submissions. According to Pierre, he can expect to sign one of the two. He has also decided to communicate his market study to his web referencing provider, noticing that the leads are fewer but more relevant. Pierre thus informs RDVCB that he has decided to hire a salesperson to do his sales for him. Thanks to his training interface, he is more confident than ever that he can now entrust this part to embrace his growth.
Phase#10 Customized Training
One month following the follow-up meeting, Pierre and RDVCB have agreed to train Pierre's new recruit on the tools and interface created for the department. A training that Pierre thinks he might be able to deliver to each new salesperson in the future. To be seen!
IN SUMMARY:
Pierre has understood that structuring his department has allowed him to get his head above water. He now knows that his service offer makes sense but that he needed to do a spring cleaning in his department. Pierre has never felt so much in control, and he no longer thinks about the profitability of his business but about its growth!
DISCOVER PACKAGE C BEHIND THE CASE OF THOMAS
3# CASE STUDY- Un nouveau marché
STORY:
Hicham, the vice-president of a Franco-Canadian company, oversees a team composed of 2 sales directors and 20 salespeople. With growth in mind for the next three years, he decides to add 4 salespeople to his team and to integrate a new sales director, George, to take care of a brand-new territory: Quebec.
Given the cultural specificities and unique codes of Quebec, Hicham seeks external assistance to structure his department and adapt his tools to this new reality. Following a recommendation from a business partner, he turns to RDVCB.
Faced with Hicham's situation, RDVCB proposes the following solution:
Phase#1 Consultation
A preliminary meeting is organized with Hicham and all his directors to isolate crucial information in their work. RDVCB notes that most of the directors have family ties to Quebec, but few have professional experience with this clientele. RDVCB collects the marketing tools used by Hicham and his team for the rest of Canada and France, requests sales reports, and notes the current team ratios.
Phase #2 Market Study
Since the market is different, RDVCB begins by collecting territory data with data platforms. It is determined that the Quebec territory should be divided into 4 sectors, considering more important points in certain cities. A survey is conducted among 16 active clients of the company with offices in Quebec.
Phase #3 Calculation and Presentation of Sales Ratio Synthesis
All ratios calculated for Canada and France are compared to the data collected in step #2. This allows RDVCB to present Hicham with realistic ratios focused on the desired sales figure by the end of the year for his 4 salespeople.
Phase#4 Diagnosing the Salespeople
To better frame and personalize the approach to the 4 new salespeople and the sales director, RDVCB has them complete a diagnostic. The result is that two have issues with the preparation phase, two with the needs assessment, but none with the other stages. This confirms to RDVCB that the employees lack tools and written materials.
Phase #5 Analysis of reflexes and habits in action
RDVCB accompanies one of Hicham's two other sales managers in his day-to-day work. RDVCB takes advantage of this opportunity to live a sales experience with him. Six distinctive elements are identified during this observation and will be reused in the next training in the creation of the material.
Phase #6 Creation of the work material
5 weeks have passed since the beginning of the mandate. Thanks to the data collected from steps 1 to 5, it is agreed that the following documents will be created: the persona, the value proposition, the customer score chart, pitch and written speeches, mapping of your sales process and service offering. Entitled to 9 documents, Hicham makes a special request to have 3 list of clients who are looking for a company like his but in France, Canada and Quebec. RDVCB therefore synthesizes the essential data collected in step #1à 5 to design the equipment on time. Once done, the whole thing is approved by Hicham.
Phase #7 Training Interface
In order to allow for a better transition, all generated content is now deposited on an online platform. RDVCB takes care to add exercises and content customized to the company. As a majority of the 4 sellers are of French origin, a section of the platform is even reserved for Quebec culture. Once done, everything is approved by Hicham, an official training date is set in the next few days.
Phase #8 Learning Session
In anticipation of the group training, salespeople began their virtual trainings individually. During the training, RDVCB teaches all aspects of the tools created as well as the functionalities of the platform in an interactive way. Everyone takes the opportunity to ask questions and share their individual progress..
Phase#9 Creating a Growth Plan
1 month after the training delivered to the team. Hicham realizes that he needs to adjust his prices to respond to the market's reaction. RDVCB then creates a growth plan with the impact of a price drop on the average selling price. This plan is delivered with automated calculations for frequent market changes.
PhasE#10 Animation and implementation of sales meetings
As sales meetings were not usual for Hicham or his manager George, RDVCB had planned to accompany the new sales manager in his first meetings. However, the employee must be absent for 12 weeks of paternity leave. RDVCB therefore proposes to take over the interim meetings until its return. Reports are sent after each meeting to Hicham and his manager to maintain smooth communication.
Phase #11 Consultation and follow-up meeting
Upon George's return, a follow-up meeting is scheduled with Hicham. Results are starting to show after several weeks of implementation. The tools allowed the Quebec team to gain 4 weeks of efficiency compared to previous teams. However, the manager's absences demoralized some employees. He agreed with Hicham to use the personalized training in the coming weeks as a unifying event and team building.
Phase#12 Personalized Training
The customized training from scratch is a great success. Role-playing and contextualizing allow the group to take on challenges together and highlight the great skills of their directors. He agreed with Hicham to potentially repeat this type of training once a year.
IN SUMMARY:
Hicham now has an in-depth understanding of the new Quebec market. He acquires new customers every month. While its three-year goals have evolved, the growth plan allows him to discern the aspects that will influence its revenue in three years. As a result, he can confidently stay on course for growth.
DISCOVER PACKAGE D BEHIND THE CASE OF HICHAM
# 4- CASE STUDY- Une nouvelle représentante à former
STORY:
Alexandra, founder of a promising start-up with 5 employees, is evolving thanks to grants, but she is aware that this growth will be short-lived. With this in mind, she decided to hire a recently graduated sales representative from her municipality, Sara. Although this new recruit is full of energy and willpower, she lacks field experience.
Alexandra, unfamiliar with managing a sales department, recognizes the need to structure her team. To achieve this goal, she turned to RDVCB.
Faced with Alexandra's situation, RDVCB offers her the following solution:
Phase #1 Consultation
During their first preliminary meeting, RDVCB collects the necessary figures for the rest of the process. Alexandra provides her current sales figures, her persona, as well as the marketing tools she uses with her current customer base.
Phase#2 Calculation and summary presentation of sales ratios
Even though Sara hasn't done any fieldwork yet, RDVCB is able to calculate the ratios and average of solicitations necessary to achieve the goal set by Alexandra. RDVCB determines the number of leads needed per week, the average sales, the submission rate, and the sales close rate.
Phase#3 Setting up tools
Starting from the beginning, RDVCB proposes to create a monthly sales board, a pitch, and a speech for Sara, as well as a list of clients looking for a solution similar to theirs..
Phase #4 Learning Session
To ensure that the documents comply with company policies, RDVCB submits them to Alexandra for approval. Then, affirmative training, supported by role-playing, is provided to Sara.
Phase#5 Follow-up Meeting
In order to verify Sara's use of the new tools, RDVCB is planning a follow-up meeting two weeks later.
IN SUMMARY:
Sara managed to solicit a few leads in the weeks that followed. Alexandra realizes that Sara will need time to get her bearings. However, Sara is very motivated to see her monthly goals and thus better understands Alexandra's expectations. The relationship starts positively.