The old way of selling is dead! We have known it for some time, but the world’s economy has shown us once and forever that the old days are over – definitively. Sales cycles have become longer, conversion rates are falling, forecasts are becoming unreliable and margins are shrinking. The traditional sales boost plan involves incentives, layoffs, training and technology but overlooks the simple fact that most organizations are a dysfunctional bunch of isolated departments that make it hard for people to perform, let alone work with clients. In the New World of Sales, organizations are client-focused by design and apply smart training and technology to support the structural choices they have made. The New World of Sales takes the concept of a client-focused organization as a starting point for a discussion about ways to overcome sales bottlenecks and to align people, processes and tools. If you are tired of the old recipes and are keen to integrate more sustainable methods for a new world of sales, you are more than welcome to join us and start a new journey.

1. VALUE CREATION IN
HIGH-PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS
Benny Corvers
19 March 2014

3. 3
INCEPTION
THE ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE
TIME
SALESVOLUME
GROWTH
MATURITY
DECLINE
* Source: Smith et al. (1985)

4. 4
CLIENT Market, Sell, Design, Produce & Deliver
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS A START-UP

5. 5
CLIENT Market, Sell, Design, Produce & Deliver
IT ATTRACTED MANY CLIENTS

6. 6
CLIENT
LOADS OF CLIENTS, ACTUALLY …
Market, Sell, Design, Produce & Deliver

7. 7
TIME FOR OUR FIRST NEW HIRE!

8. 8
CLIENT
SO ADMIN SUPPORT SHOULD DO THE TRICK FOR NOW
Market, Sell, Design, Produce & Deliver
Admin

9. 9
CLIENT
THEN WE DECIDED TO SPLIT SALES & OPERATIONS
Sales & Marketing
Admin
Design, Production &
Transport

10. 10
CLIENT
BUT THOSE DAMN CLIENTS KEPT COMING …
Sales & Marketing
Admin
Design, Production &
Transport

11. 11
TIME FOR OUR SECOND HIRE!

12. 12
CLIENT
SO WE ADDED OUR FIRST MANAGEMENT LAYER
Sales & Marketing
Admin
Design, Production &
Transport
Sales Management

13. 13
CLIENT
THEN WE SPLIT UP OPERATIONS
Sales & Marketing
Admin
Design
Sales Management
Production &
Transport

14. 14
CLIENT
AND WE ISOLATED MARKETING FROM SALES
Sales
Admin
Design
Sales Management
Marketing
Production &
Transport

15. 15
AND WHY NOT CREATE A SPECIALIZED PRESALES UNIT?
Sales
Admin
Design
Sales Management
Production &
Transport
Marketing Presales

16. 16
NOW WE NEED SOMEONE TO TACKLE THE COMPLEXITY
Sales
Admin
Design
Sales Management
Production &
Transport
Marketing Presales
Operations
Manager

17. 17
WHO STARTED BY CREATING TWO MORE UNITS
Sales
Admin
Sales Management
Design TransportMarketing Presales Production
Operations
Manager

18. 18
AND ALSO THE SUPPORT DEPARTMENT KEPT GROWING
Sales
Admin
Sales Management
Design TransportMarketing Presales Production
Operations
Manager
Invoicing

19. 19
EVEN THE OPERATIONS NOW NEED SUPPORT STAFF
Sales
Admin
Sales Management
Design TransportMarketing Presales Production
Operations
Manager
Invoicing Quality Warehouse

20. 20
IN THE END, IT WAS CLEAR WE LACKED LEADERSHIP

21. 21
SO WE ADDED SOME BIG HONCHOS ON TOP
Admin
Design
Sales Director
TransportMarketing Presales
Supervisor
Production
Invoicing Quality Warehouse
CTO
COOCEO
Sales

22. 22
WE ARE NOW LOSING SIGHT OF OUR CLIENT

23. 23
OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BECOME TERRIBLY COMPLEX

24. 24
AND WE ARE ALL LOCKED UP IN OUR FUNCTIONAL SILOS

25. 25
THE END RESULT? WE ARE LOST …

26. 26
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF SALES ARE DOWN?
TEN ‘PROVEN’ RECIPES
#1 Fire sales reps
#2 Replace sales management
#3 Increase marketing spend
#4 Eliminate marketing
#5 ‘Align’ sales & marketing
#6 Install a new, expensive CRM tool
#7 Get everyone an iPad
#8 Kick-in some more incentives
#9 Roll-out new sales training
#10 Start from #1

27. 27
CLIENT
SO HOW CAN WE GET BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS?
Market, Sell, Design, Produce & Deliver
Clients take center stage
A simple and transparent organization
Efficiency and low overhead cost
Agility to change course

28. 28
LET’S LOOK BEYOND THE SYMPTOMS

29. 29
WE NEED TO INTEGRATE MULTIPLE VIEWS

30. 30
Map #1 Map #2
Map #3Map #3
LIKE PLANNING A FAMILY TRIP
Define the
Territory
Which country?
Zoom in
Vision, Mission
& Strategy
Where are we
going?
Enter GPS
Coordinates
Design Specs
Take personal
wishes and needs
of each family
member into
account
Plan according to
budget
Consider the
destination from
multiple angles
Structure Systems
CulturePeople

31. 31
FIGHTING THE FANATIC FRACTIONALIZATION OF FUNCTIONS
FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE
Function 1 F2 Fn…
FLOW
BASED
STRUCTURE
Client Order 1
O2
On
…

32. 32
WITH SELF-ORGANISING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS
CLIENT
PROSPECTING
ACCOUNT
MANAGEMENT
BUSINESS
ADVISORY
SKILLS
PRESALES
EXPERTISE
PRICING
KNOWLEDGE
TECHNICAL
WRITING
SKILLS
OPERATIONS
EXPERTISE
HR EXPERTISE
RELATIONSHIPS
Shared objectives
Shared knowledge
Mutual respect
COMMUNICATION
Frequent
Timely
Accurate
Problem-Solving

33. 33
IN AUTONOMOUS CLIENT-FOCUSED MINI-COMPANIES
NORTH
SOUTH
PUBLIC
LARGE
ACCOUNT
MANAGER
MARKETING
SPECIALIST
BUSINESS
CONSULTANT
PRESALES
CONSULTANT
PRODUCT
MANAGER
HR SPECIALIST
ACCOUNT
MANAGERS
MARKETING
SPECIALIST
BUSINESS
CONSULTANT
TECHNICAL
WRITER
QUALITY
MANAGER
FINANCE
SPECIALIST
LARGE
ACCOUNT
MANAGER
ACCOUNT
MANAGERS
BUSINESS
CONSULTANT
PRESALES
CONSULTANT
LEGAL
OFFICERS
BUDGET &
CONTROL
SPECIALIST

34. 34
WITH MORE ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION
JOB CONTROL
JOB DEMANDS
LOW-STRAIN
JOBS
ACTIVE
JOBS
HIGH-STRAIN
JOBS
PASSIVE
JOBS
MOTIVATION &
LEARNING
STRESS
* Source: Karasek, 1979

35. 35
Client-Centric
Organization
THE END RESULT
Ownership Motivation
Agility
Reduced
Complexity
Better
Coordination
CLIENT

36. 36
MORE ABOUT WORKPLACE INNOVATION

37. 37
LET’S NOW HEAR THE STORY OF QUINTESSENCE …