CLIENT

Healthcare Company, 9,000 employees

CHALLENGE

Lack of a uniform understanding of strategy and a reactive, tactical, firefighting approach to sales
planning has led to large performance gaps.

NEEDS

  • Create a universal understanding of strategy and the key terms.
  • Provide sales managers and representatives with practical tools they can use on a regular basis to effectively and confidently set the strategic direction for their business.
  • Design a single strategic sales account plan template (2 pages) that creates a common language and process to more efficiently discuss, review and modify the business across the entire sales management team.

SOLUTION

  1. Review of the company’s current strategic management techniques, tools and frameworks to get a baseline understanding of the “As Is” situation.
  2. Telephone interviews with a representative sample of sales and marketing managers to gauge process/plan strengths, weaknesses, needs and wants relative to strategic planning and management.
  3. Participants completed the Strategic Thinking Assessment to baseline pre-program strategy skill levels. The Strategy Survey was taken to help managers focus on the key elements of their business relative to market, customers, competition and company. Managers of managers completed a Behavioral Assessment to determine gaps in key competency behaviors relative to strategic sales management.
  4. Development and facilitation of one-day sales management off-site meetings to workshop on strategic sales concepts, tools and frameworks. Resources included the Deep Dive workbook to immediately apply the learning’s to their business, and the hardcover book, Deep Dive: The Proven Method for Building Strategy.
  5. Completion of the StrategyPrint template by managers to use as a two-page blueprint for their business, providing that critical link between their strategic plan and their daily activities.
  6. Managers received access to the Strategy Vault online resource center, which includes hundreds of articles, videos, templates, MP3s, insight logbook and strategic thinking software. Managers and representatives received the Strategy Vault Mobile App to apply and refresh program learning’s while in the field.
  7. Senior sales leaders received one-to-one strategic coaching for 6 months to provide customized support and a sounding board on strategic direction and plans.
  8. Quarterly webinars were conducted to provide a forum for sales managers to ask questions, learn new content and share best practices with one another.
  9. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 6 and 12 months to compare with baseline measurements and gauge progress.
  10. As new managers were hired or brought in from other areas, they were enrolled in the Deep Dive Learning Management System. This web-based video learning program enabled the new managers to get up to speed quickly on the foundational principles of strategic thinking and planning and the built-in quizzes ensured that they mastered the material.

CLIENT RESULTS & COMMENTS

  • Sales leaders reported this was the first time they’ve had a set of practical tools to set strategy for their business and update that strategy on a regular basis versus once a year, resulting in increases in double-digit percentage increase in revenue and profits.
  • Leaders reported positive feedback from 100% of participants on the value of the concepts and tools from a strategic sales management perspective and managers increased their strategy knowledge by 30%.
  • Sales leaders increased their effectiveness and efficiency by having one common language for the key business planning terms (goals, objectives, strategies and tactics) to achieve consistency in setting
    direction.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent strategy workshops at our recent series of Leadership Seminars. We are now using your strategy frameworks throughout the organization. These strategy seminars made a difference and were exactly what we needed to launch our new Market Planning approach. Thank you for the outstanding effort. It will make a big difference in our business.
Vice President of Commercial Innovation Strategy

I thought that yesterday’s strategy session presented by Rich Horwath was very well done! The topic, Rich’s messages and the materials were relevant and importantly, actionable! The follow-up provided by the book Deep Dive is also an excellent way to pull-through the learning’s from this program. We have incorporated Rich’s model of Strategic Thinking into our Leadership Training for all Managing Directors, Regional Directors and First Line Managers.
Vice President, Leadership Development