ADCO Manufacturing, a California-based end-of-line equipment supplier, lacked a well-defined process for how its salespeople conduct strategic analyses of complex opportunities. There are often multiple decision makers throughout the sales cycle, each requiring different approaches to address their needs and concerns.
In the absence of a defined process, each salesperson would apply their own, individualized approach to analyze their position within an account. While not totally ineffective, when multiple individuals are following different methodologies, lack of team collaboration and lack of consistency, makes it challenging to manage. What ADCO needed was to apply a defined process in order to improve forecast accuracy and the ability to plan.
With that in mind, ADCO contacted the Miller Heiman Group, a global sales effectiveness training organization, to help address these challenges. The machine builder outlined the specific needs and Miller Heiman Group developed a custom-designed, three-day training program. To minimize distractions and fully-immerse the participants in the experience, the OEM convened the entire sales team, key support staff, and executive sponsors at an off-site location to attend the training.
The result
Not only is ADCO’s sales team now working from a consistent platform to develop and analyze their account strategies, but their feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive. Now that everyone is using the same processes and tools, including key support personnel and executive sponsors, the ability to collaborate and share approaches across the team has greatly improved. In addition, managing and assessing their position across opportunities and between salespeople has become much easier. While it is still early in the process, ADCO leadership is confident that the longer-term outcome of these activities will produce more consistent, winning strategies.
Of course, this kind of all-encompassing training comes with a price. To help alleviate some of the costs associated with this extensive training process, ADCO turned to PMMI and tapped into the PMMI U Skills fund, which offers the financial support member companies need to provide valuable learning and development opportunities to its employees.
Member companies can use the PMMI U Skills Fund to match its contribution up to $10,000 per year for work-related, multi-employee corporate training initiatives like PMMI’s in-plant industry training offerings (Certified Trainer, Risk Assessment, and Fundamentals of Field Service Workshops) or external offerings, such as the one ADCO chose.
For more information or to apply to the PMMI U Skills fund, contact Kate Fiorianti, senior manager, education, PMMI at: [email protected] or 571 266 4406
