Website Case Studies
Case Study 1
When your customer facing staff don’t think of themselves as salespeople…
Diagnosis: A global market research company contacted Excel Communications because subject matter experts within their research function were increasingly involved in working with customers, presenting data and supporting pitches. They were required to influence, inform and educate their customers however the researchers didn’t think of themselves as sales people.
Design: The tried and tested framework of the unique Outcome Selling programme was redesigned as a two day sales-for-non-sales people event branded as Influencing with Integrity and tailored to the technical world of quantitative and qualitative research. The framework was proven and the capabilities and techniques adapted to reflect the learning goals of the participants.
Delivery: The workshop ran to plan, bringing best practice communication and influencing skills to a group of technical experts who would never have willingly participated in a sales training course. The very practical design included real-play activities within the programme so the participants gained the confidence to use their new skills immediately. Most importantly the branding, language and framing of the workshop allowed the audience to fully participate and apply the learning to their sales situation – even though they weren’t sales people!
Case Study 2
When your audience are sales professionals…
Diagnosis: A national retail chain contacted our salesforce centre of excellence. The need was for a harmonised sales model that would make a difference to the motivation and results of experienced sales people working both in retail premises, selling to consumers, and field based cold calling business-to-business sales. In discussion it was agreed that supporting sales managers would also be crucial to the project’s success.
Design: Our third generation sales programme, Outcome Selling, was tailored to their branding as one element of a sales and sales-management development programme. The sales people developed their one-to-one selling, group selling and negotiation skills whilst their managers also went on to develop their leadership and coaching capability.
Delivery: The programme was rolled out across the business over a two year period and everyone both enjoyed and gained real value from the sales training, even though the most experienced participants had been quite sceptical at the beginning. By supporting the managers at the same time as developing the sales people it became clear that the organisation was able to continue benefiting long after the training was completed.
Case Study 3
When the audience are your customers…
Diagnosis: A multi-national pharmaceutical company contacted us because a key business unit wanted to help their customers; doctors and expert nurses who needed to get critical healthcare messages to their patients. The most influential way for thought leaders to communicate with their peers is in person and they needed the skills of effective presenting and chairing.
Design: Presenting and chairing require two quite different, and yet overlapping, skill sets. Options for a hybrid workshop were discussed but the agreement was for a programme of events, building the customers’ skills more gradually with separate half-day and full day workshops.
Delivery: A series of meetings were organised at national venues and with input from an advisory board. A range of customers participated and, where appropriate, relevant healthcare messages were used for practice, rehearsal and coaching so that key customers were both educated and upskilled over a period of time. The client provided valuable help with the educational content, we ensured that the experience was engaging, challenging and yet still fun for their customers who, in turn, became more confident and engaging educators.
Case Study 4
When the audience is a sales conference…
Diagnosis: A healthcare client got in touch, needing a branded sales model that could be launched at a national sales conference to engage and inspire their experienced and newer sales representatives. With a moderate budget it was agreed that Excel Enterprise would design and lead the conference training with support from the sales managers to engage more than 100 sales people.
Design: Our results focused sales programme, Outcome Selling, was tailored to work in a one-day, conference style setting with experienced sales people. Reference materials were designed to augment their product information. Sales managers were briefed and input into the design of a new Field Coaching Template that would reinforce both the new sales framework as well as coaching best practice.
Delivery: Phase 1 was a train-the-trainer event for managers so that they could support and coach their sales people using the new coaching template. Phase 2 was the conference launch, an engaging, fun and interactive event. Phase 3 was a follow up workshop that celebrated success, clarified trickier topics and embedded the learning.
Case Study 5
When the audience is a European sales conference…
Diagnosis: A London based client got in touch because they wanted a simple and effective sales model that could be heavily branded to their business, their culture and their products and then launched at a European sales conference. With a reasonable budget it was agreed that Excel Enterprise would design, author and artwork materials and training for more than 250 European sales people.
Design: Our relationship based approach to sales, Outcome Selling, was tailored to work in a two-day, conference style setting with experienced sales people. Reference materials were written around their values, culture and products before being approved by both commercial and technical directors and then translated into five other European languages. A team of 14 sales trainers was chosen from our existing faculty and fully briefed and prepared for the project.
Delivery: Our lead trainers introduced the event to a plenary of 250 whilst being simultaneously translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. The next two days were spent with trainers leading 14 parallel sessions in any one of the six languages that they speak between them and a project manager permanently in residence orchestrating the whole event. The result was one company, one culture and one consistent approach to sales across the whole of Europe.