Sales Transformation Flying in formation DOWNLOAD

As airshow spectators watch a squadron of jets fly wingtip-to-wingtip, few are aware of the precise planning, training and support behind the pilots’ performance. From the ground, all they see is flawless execution. So what’s in the way of sales organizations that would like to wow their customers with similar precision, efficiency and effectiveness?

For many companies, misalignment is at the core of their frustration. All too often, sales tactics don’t support the corporate growth strategy. Sales models focus on products rather than relationships. Incentives reinforce ineffective behaviors. Processes complicate, rather than accelerate, the sales cycle. Technology is purchased, but not adopted by the sales force. Learn more about the offering.

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• Sales Quotas in Unpredictable Times
• Sales Quotas in Uncertain Times
• Channel & Sales Force Effectiveness
• 2010 Strategic Sales Compensation Survey: Are We Ready for Better Times?
• Sales, Marketing and Customer Integration and Divestiture

Meet our people

• Jonathan Copulsky, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
• Jonathan Trichel, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
• Ed Basanese, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Related offerings

• Customer Transformation
• Business Analytics
• Direct to Consumer
• Customer Strategy
• Pricing and Profitability Management
• Service Delivery Transformation
• Talent
• Mergers & Acquisitions 

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From takeoff to landing

Creating a high-flying sales force often begins with go-to-market strategies that are grounded in a deep understanding of the target customers and markets. Transforming these strategies into results requires a concerted effort that aligns the functional stakeholders – Sales, Operations, Marketing, Customer Service, Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology. Together, they provide the talent, rewards, processes and technology that can allow companies to meet top-line growth targets while managing bottom-line profits.

How we can help

Leading companies around the globe choose Deloitte because of our deep understanding of their industries and sales environments. We align broad capabilities – spanning strategy and operations, finance, technology and human capital – to help our clients solve their toughest growth challenges. Our sales transformation practice provides a structured approach to effectively identify and prioritize opportunities across six specific dimensions:

• Go-to-market strategy. Develop and execute sales strategies through effective account management. Tailor messaging to customer segments in an effort to increase revenue, profitability and win rates.
• Partner and channel management. Implement policies, processes and systems to manage the partner lifecycle, as well as the partner and channel network.
• Sales process and execution. Empower the sales force with efficient and effective processes, lead management and predictive modeling tools. Endeavor to increase customer retention by executing highly effective order fulfillment and follow-through on crosssell and up-sell opportunities.
• People. Attract, retain and motivate talent to meet performance goals. Support long-term career development with training, mentoring and coaching programs.
• Technology. Leverage time-tested sales tools while exploring innovative technologies targeted at increasing sales effectiveness. Analyze internal and external data to gain insights needed to help build on wins and mitigate losses.
• Sales adoption. Drive sustainable performance through strong leadership support. Build organizational flexibility and alignment to reach strategic goals in constantly changing sales environments.

Bottom-line benefits

An effective sales transformation strategy can:

• Enhance revenue growth through higher sales traffic, unit volumes, average order size and purchase frequency.
• Improve profitability through lower customer acquisition costs and increase revenues through cost-effective sales and referrals.
• Boost sales productivity and deliver superior results with consistent and repeatable sales processes.
• Lock-in customers, increase brand value and build entry barriers for new competitors through sales differentiation.
• Build sustainable customer relationships that increase retention, loyalty and referrals.

Four ways to get more value now

1. Think customers not sales. Use segmentation analysis to identify your most valuable customers and targets. Study their needs, expectations and buying behavior and use these insights to design sales channels and processes that are aligned with your customers’ expectations, not your own.
2. Right-size territories. Create sales territories by considering differences in market potential, staffing requirements and geography. Set sales quotas that are large enough to cover the market and small enough to keep the sales force motivated.
3. Spread success. Look for success stories among your highest performers and share the sales practices, tools and processes that make them effective.
4. Reward the right performance. Consider a mix of success measures – including customer profitability – to focus and reward the sales force for results that support your business strategy and financial goals. Make sure high performers are rewarded well.

Sales Transformation in action

• A large automotive manufacturer wanted to improve sales performance. Deloitte was engaged to help them improve their sales capabilities by developing solutions to increase their ability to generate, capture, deliver, track and invoice leads. As a result, leads initiated through the client’s website increased by approximately 40 percent and the volume of third-party leads increased by 300 percent, producing 20,000 new sales opportunities.
• A large software company wanted to improve overall sales effectiveness. Deloitte was engaged to help them develop integrated sales processes, sales training modules and implementation sessions. As a result of improved processes and training, the sales team improved their consultative sales and management skills, which contributed to revenue growth through increased win rates and cost containment through process improvements.

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.