Improving sales processes and customer interaction by enhancing performance based on customer opinion

Our client and their needs

With more than 110 years of experience in the production of industrial machinery, this company is a leading, globally active supplier of process equipment today. Its expertise focuses on dosage systems and pneumatic conveying systems, as well as complete material flow systems. The company is present at 30 locations around the world and employs some 2,500 staff.

Competition in this market is becoming increasingly fierce, with the same products being offered at lower prices. The strength of the company – the quality of its products – was no longer enough to guarantee long-term relationships and thus maintain its market share. Steering the behaviour of the key account managers away from being exclusively driven by sales helped the company to achieve this goal.

Our design and delivery

During the preparatory phase, it had to be ensured that all of the key accounts had a clear understanding of and access to the company values, and knew how these concepts were to be incorporated into daily business. The next step involved the revision of the sales process and thus structured staff planning. The final stage focused on identifying new sales channels and customer interaction.

How could we guarantee the results through training?

• Maintain closer strategic proximity to the customer and therefore gain influence much earlier in the sales process
• Ensure a simultaneously inward influence in the sales process
• Invest more time in customer relations and networks in order to establish contact with purchase influencers
• Increase customer individuality by listening closely to them. This helped to discover which values were decisive for customers. Intelligent surveys, curiosity and the courage to ask ‘difficult’ questions were essential elements here.
• Improve relationship building abilities in order to generate customer retention and loyalty.
• Dealing with difficult customer conversations
• Better handling of price pressure through the confidence that this company does much more than its competitors
• Inspiration and motivation to change and consolidate behaviour

Our results and their impact

The gustavkäser training sessions imparted knowledge, but it was the real-life practice in between those dates that really brought about behavioural changes and sustainability, and ultimately generated positive results. Participant feedback showed that the physical tools, such as memory cards and manuals, were highly appreciated as memory aids, and are still used regularly today. The participants also reported that far from being just another training course, several ‘light-bulb moments’ had followed since.

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