IT Staffing Company, New Jersey

Challenges:

Revenue was flat for the prior two years.  Number of customers and number of placed contractors was stagnant.  Four direct sales people.  Company and sales personnel were living off of the installed customer base.  No new accounts closed in months.

Actions:

Upon execution of a 90-day consulting agreement, implemented the PMC Sales Process.

1. Retain Phase:  Evaluated five existing sales personnel and determined as follows:
   
   1. Top producer had most of the installed base due to simple attrition of other sales people over the years.  “Largest fish in a small pond” mindset.
   2. One sales rep was a hard charger who had just joined the firm within the past two months.  This rep had a lot of heart and drive but had gained little sales wisdom or technique.  A diamond in the rough.
   3. Two sales reps had not produced a lick in the past year.  Each had several key accounts that “threw them a bone” at quarter’s end when they begged for business when the Sales Manager leaned on them.  Were apparently satisfied to make their base salary and subsist.

2. Train Phase:  Conducted the PMC 3-day, deep-emersion training on site.
   
   1. Established and documented the company’s sales process.  Set up contact management and reporting systems to conform to the established sales process.
   2. Created the company’s sales message.  Segmented the message to encompass all stages of an eight-stage sales process.

1. Created SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) analysis of the Company, the Company’s product, and competitive advantages/disadvantages.
2. Created detailed profiles of the “suspects”, by title and authority, with who we intended to communicate.
3. Built the sales message to overlay the suspect’s challenges with the Company’s product/service benefits as gleaned from the SWOT analysis.

3. Conducting intensive sales training and repetitive drilling focused on how to:

1. Conform to metrics established for outbound lead generation.
2. Establish interest with disinterested “suspects”.
3. Ask thought provoking sales questions focused on the suspect’s challenges as determined in the profiling process.
4. Lead the suspect to the next logical step in our established sales process, gaining incremental commitment at each stage.
5. Conduct a peer-to-peer “29 Minute Face-to-Face” meeting with a senior level decision makers that includes:
   1. Establishing equal business stature.
   2. Leading a business discussion vs. technology or product discussion.
   3. Getting referred down to conduct in depth discovery.
   4. Gain commitment for return meeting to share discovery results.
6. Capture, enter, and report all germane sales data that supports the Company’s ability to accurately gauge sales pipeline progression and more accurately forecast business on a monthly and quarterly basis.

3. Maintain Phase:  Asked by CEO to perform as a “virtual” V.P. Sales for this phase that is contractually for no less than 90 days.
   
   1. Conducted territory reviews in contact management system to determine:

1. Where the business was coming from and how to earn the right to all of the business from these accounts.
2. Where the Company had established a business relationship with marquee companies but failed to leverage that relationship into a meaningful flow of business.
3. Created campaign to “use the boss’ business card” to set up face-to-face meetings with higher level decision making contacts within key accounts.

2. Conducted weekly Sales Pipeline review calls that established accountability.  Metrics included:

1. Number of outbound calls made to suspects.
2. Number of contacts made with new suspects.
3. Number of “Qualified Suspects” developed from new contacts.
4. Number of face-to-face meetings scheduled.
5. Number of face-to-face meetings conducted and report of results.

3. Conducted weekly call:

1. Reviewed and re-enforced sales concepts and messaging established in the Training phase.
2. Reviewed business and current events that could be used to legitimize new sales contact.
3. Reviewed specific sales opportunities and solicit Company-wide resources to assist in moving through the sales cycle.

4. Conducted “in-field” sales training and mentoring by accompanying sales reps on sales calls to senior level contacts in key accounts.
5. Conducted monthly sales pipeline progress and quota attainment meetings with CEO and sales reps.

Results: 

1. Top producer fully embraced the new process.  Personal production doubled within two months.
2. The new “hard charger” fully embraced the new process and took every opportunity to leverage PMC during key account visits.  This rep. attained quota from a zero account base in month three of his employment.  Continued to substantially exceed monthly quota consistently.
3. The two marginal producers did not or could not do what was required to succeed.  One resigned almost immediately.  The other, after having been given two months of unlimited support, could not produce and was asked to “fire himself”.
4. Successfully conducted an Executive Search for two new sales reps.  Conducted sales process, sales training, messaging training with new reps.  Both reps reached 100% quota attainment in month four of employment.
5. Company now bringing in 8-12 new accounts per month.
6. Company now deriving about 40% of monthly revenue from new accounts, up from 0% at PMC program commencement.