AllShelter

AllShelter had noticed changes to the volume and value of opportunities in their sales pipeline. The number of large and more complex sales opportunities had grown to represent more than 50% of the overall value of the pipeline. This segment of opportunities required a longer sales cycle as compared to other prospective customer groups and the segment had a lower win-rate as compared to other segments. As a result, monthly sales results decreased, and overall business performance was impacted. Whilst the sales opportunity pipeline was full of large opportunities, year-to-date sales results were significantly below budget. On a month-by-month basis, sales and budget forecasting were strong for each month but sales conversion slowed without indication of blockages.

Strategic Specialists Group were engaged to undertake a review of the sales function of the business.

Strategic Specialists Group placed an experienced Chief Sales Officer in the business to analyse the structure, resources, processes, systems, and the sales pipeline. Analysis of the pipeline would include a review and diagnosis of the opportunity value, volume, quality, and conversion probability.

The Chief Sales Officer (CSO) was engaged on a part-time basis to work in the business with the sales team. To conduct the review and analysis the CSO introduced a weekly sales team meeting to review win/loss ratios and sales forecasts against budget. Through this process the CSO introduced the Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner system, which was used to refine the sales review and align the sales process with the business strategy. A three-phase approach was undertaken:

Phase 1: Establishment

A review of the business’ sales and marketing capabilities identified five key priorities:

• Set-up a regular weekly review of large sales opportunities with each of three sales staff
• Introduced a ‘sales winning’ methodology and sales concepts to the sales team
• Tailored the Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner system to suit the AllShelter sales process

Phase 2: Gaining traction

• The CSO facilitated sales pipeline review sessions with the Sales Manager and sales team
• Design of a sales strategy and action plan as Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner system output.

Phase 3: Adoption

• Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner system tailored to our client’s specific sales process and critical success factors
• Development of sales team capabilities to utilise the Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner
• Training, development and mentoring of the Sales Manager to run the Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner process, which enabled time-efficiencies to then allocate quality time to development of ideas, sales strategies, and action plans.

• An increase of 50% accuracy in monthly sales forecasting
• Adoption of a ‘sales winning’ methodology and implementation of the Sales  Opportunity Analyser Planner system tailored the sales funnel to AllShelter’s specific products, markets, and objectives
• Built knowledge about variances in sales opportunities and the impacts on team capabilities, sales process utilised, resources and the effort required to win different opportunities
• The Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner provided a 360-degree view of the competitive landscape and the data, resources, marketing, and tactics to nurture leads through the conversion process
• Development of 50+ opportunities for development of tailored sales strategies and action plans
• Increase in sales conversion rates through data-driven sales tactics
• Demonstrated success in identifying opportunities the client was about to lose through use of the Sales Opportunity Analyser Planner system to enable targeted tactics to convert to a win
• Increase in win rates on large sales opportunities within 6-months of CSO engagement.