| Here are some examples of the training
that we have provided for our clients
Retail, B2B
and B2C examples below:
Retail
Sales Training Examples
The
Client
Blue
Banana operate a chain of 12 retail stores, and are
currently engaged in an extensive growth policy that
will see the opening of a further 3 stores in the near
future.
Specialising
in supplying a range of alternative clothing and services
with appeal to late teens and early twenties, Blue Banana
brings modern diversity coupled with real professionalism
to the high streets and malls of Britain . The blending
of bold marketing and effective retail skills is the
key to success for the group, whose high street presence
is complemented by a strong internet presence.
The
Need
With
many young graduates employed in senior managerial and
supervisory roles, the company benefits from their enthusiasm
and energy. This gels with its target customers, but
can be short on specific sales and management skills,
leaving opportunities unmet and limiting staff and business
potential.
Managing
Director Ian Bisbey wanted to see a much higher of level
retail sales and management skills applied in the business,
and sought a training provider that could both appreciate
the uniqueness of the situation and quickly deliver
an effective intervention. It was critical that the
provider could relate to the kind of people in the business,
and present quality material that would challenge and
empower delegates to deliver better and more consistent
performance.
The
Solution
Whilst
researching a number of possible providers, Ian spoke
with MTD Sales Training who were immediately able to
appreciate the requirements due to their own extensive
retail and commercial experience. A tailored two-day
programme was designed to focus on both aspects of the
need, and which could be delivered in a way that engaged
the delegates with its value and style.
With
his practical and engaging manner, Mike Clarkson (the
trainer) was quickly able to connect with the delegates.
His workshop inspired them with a number of relevant
and intriguing models and techniques illustrated by
examples from his own experience.
Crucially,
an agreed 'Expectation Regime' was initiated that facilitated
learning and practical application by delegates that
they could apply with their own personal style for maximum
impact.
Outcomes
At
a time when Retail Store sales are in decline, the results
of the training have been outstanding. Ian commented
that along with other aspects of business development
the outcomes left him ecstatic.
"Sales
are up in all stores, with most showing double figure
growth year on year - one of them is up by a massive
25%!"
Ian
further explained how the training had managed to empower
his people in a way that boosted confidence and overall
abilities across the team. The expansion programme can
be pursued with confidence, and standards throughout
the company are being pushed upward, supported by the
professionalism, energy and enthusiasm that is now on
tap across the company.
To
maintain momentum and further enhance the business,
a complete programme of further training is being planned
for 2009 designed for Blue Banana to build on its current
successes, and demonstrating that difficult market conditions
can be overcome with a clear and focused approach supported
by practical, effective sales and management training.
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The
Client
Since
their foundation in 1986, The Holiday Place Plc has
built a reputation for offering a quality, personalised
service and superb value for money for their customers.
They are a specialist Tour Operator providing holidays
for the discerning traveller to a diverse range of great
value hotels & resorts in some of the worlds most
exotic locations.
The
Need
The
Holiday Place wanted their telephone staff to be able
to close more deals and up and cross sell a wide range
of products and services. With a view to being the No
1 Tour Operator within the UK they called MTD in to
design and deliver an ongoing sales training programme
for their staff.
The
Solution
We
designed a 3 module sales training programme for all
of their reservation's staff that included:
Module
1
-
Relationship Building Skills and Questioning Methodologies.
Module
2
-
Proposing specific solutions to the Customer, and securing
their commitment (Closing Skills)
Module
3
-
Effective Negotiation and Problem Solving Skills.
We
also ran a series of sales coaching workshops for their
Team Leaders so that they could get the best from every
member of their team after we had conducted the training
"The
results were astounding; we now have a sales team that
closes
50% more enquiries than previously"
"I
would like to thank John Spencer-Ades and MTD sales
training for their excellent training programme. Our
telephone sales force underwent a training programme
in sales closing and cross selling techniques. The three
key modules were, relationship building, sales closing
skills and effective negotiation.
The
results were astounding; we now have a sales team that
closes 50% more enquiries than previously. The conversion
rate from lead to sales has more than doubled, and with
certain products even quadrupled. The profit per sale
has increased by over 15%.
The
benefits were not only evident in the sales to our customers
but also the relationships between the staff and B2B
relationships with our suppliers were improved considerably.
All
in all, the entire programme was a great success with
the results being a happy and extremely motivated work
force and a substantial increase on our bottom line"
Raj
Shah - Managing Director - The Holiday Place PLC
"He
is very motivational and makes people
strive to achieve results"
"John
(our trainer) was a very knowledgeable person. He often
used his own past experiences as a salesperson, sales
director to reinforce his point or opinion. He has the
ability to identify the needs of all within the group
he is training no matter what their skill level. He
is very motivational & makes people strive to achieve
results they never thought was possible. He is always
available to give advice"
Ken
Newton - Sales Development Executive - The Holiday Place
"I
find it easy to ask for the business now"
"John
made the training sessions very enjoyable and included
different training methods as opposed to just the standard
method. I did enjoy all the training sessions as it
was a relaxed atmosphere and at the same did make me
think of different ways to approach different situations
in a positive light. I am able to listen to clients
needs as opposed to selling the client what I feel they
want. Therefore not make assumptions. I find it easy
to ask for the business now"
Naina
Karsan - Sales Consultant - The Holiday Place
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The
Client
Porcelanosa
Group, founded in 1972, is Europe 's leading ceramic
tile, bathroom and kitchen manufacturers offering a
wide range of products including showers, bathroom suites,
whirlpool baths, floor and wall tiles and bathroom accessories
Porcelanosa
has operated in the UK for almost twenty years, and
over the last three years has invested over £50million
in an expansion of its showroom and distribution network
across the country.
This
expansion has naturally led to the employment of more
sales people across the UK in order to provide Porcelanosa
customers with the highest standards of attention and
service commensurate with the company's products and
philosophy.
The
Need
To
meet the demands of growth whilst offering a consistent
and recognisable approach to advising customers and
maximising sales results the need to promote
and maintain high standards of Professional Showroom
Sales Skills was evident across each of the
operating companies.
Industry
leading standards of performance were required from
all sales personnel, including showroom managers and
staff. These standards would have to be supported with
high degrees of sales skills and knowledge so that consistency
and effectiveness would be achieved through strongly
motivated and professional sales people.
The
Solution
Amongst
others, MTD were invited to explore potential training
solutions to satisfy these needs. Drawing on their extensive
experience in retail sales; considerable time and energy
was invested in researching the customer experience,
the knowledge and skill base of the people, and their
current sales approaches.
Informed
by this research a pilot Showroom Sales Skills Workshop
was devised which was attended by representatives from
all levels of the business.
The
outcomes were very positive as the workshop focused
on the crucial knowledge and skill areas in a way that
engaged and motivated delegates to consistently build
strong and profitable customer relationships. Coupled
with the engaging and practical style of workshop leader
Mike Clarkson, the MTD solution was unanimously selected.
To
ensure maximum impact, final workshop design was further
enhanced through face to face interviews with staff
at a variety of locations. This enabled MTD to deeply
appreciate the situation at the critical customer interface,
fine-tune the workshop and maximise its value. Small,
yet highly significant adjustments were included that
ensured total relevance and efficacy of the programme.
To provide the closest possible focus a range of 33
skill competencies in seven groups were identified and
measured as a start point for the workshops.
The
challenge now was to implement the package across the
whole of the UK in the shortest possible time. A
full schedule to roll out the workshops to 160 people
from 26 locations was drawn up between Porcelanosa and
MTD which was immediately implemented. The
complete UK and Ireland programme was delivered at key
sites over an eight week period in the autumn of 2007.
The
Outcomes
Delegates
found the training was stimulating, inspirational and
practical. They were able to absorb and utilise the
material in ways that helped them develop their skills,
abilities and confidence; this meant more success in
dealing with customers!
Results
included some delegates immediately increasing
their sales figures by over 60%, an increase in conversions
and a much improved approach to managing the elongated
sales process.
Delegates
found the content, style and delivery of the workshop
were of a very high standard. This enabled them to readily
understand how they can meet their objectives.
Some
of their comments were:
"Mike
is extremely helpful, and knows how to pitch to all
ages and backgrounds greatly - I found it very helpful,
and it has taught me a lot and I believe it
will have a huge impact on my selling ability."
"I
was pleased to learn from the course, which will help
me in my work. I now have
a fresh approach to areas I didn't realise I needed
support with."
"The
majority of it was very appropriate to the selling we
do, and practical as well. I will try
to apply this knowledge to the job of selling more professionally
and in the process I will sell more!"
"I
didn't get bored; Mike kept it fresh
without going over the facts more than required. I shall
go away from this with lots of new ideas to try and
find out which are best for me."
"I
found it will help to streamline all the previous techniques
into one, which will make life simpler. A
completely different approach - Mike's presentation
was good, passionate and very knowledgeable.
He was firm yet friendly."
"In
all areas the training was beneficial, but particularly
in the group exercises. It
gave me an insight to alternative ways of selling
and benefitted me by using different ways and techniques
of selling."
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The
client. the coach holiday.com
Started
in 1996, coach holidays are a business offering the
best value coaching holidays in the U.K. and Europe
many of their clients come back year after year. The
imminent delivery of brochures to customers prompted
them to get in touch with MTD
The
need.
The
coach holiday company wanted their telephone staff to
both maximize the call and ensure they gave staff the
best experience coupled with the inclusion of "added
sales" in the form of optional excursions, travel insurances
etc
The
solution.
Firstly
we contacted the business as mystery telephone shoppers
to identify how the leads were handled currently.
From
our findings we developed a one day solution to enhance
the skills of the team both in handling up enquiries
and identifying needs along with ensuring clients were
fully aware of all options before they went on holiday.
The
sessions focused on questioning skills and generating
interest in the add on areas.
"I
really found Bill helpful & friendly"
"The
training was very realistic and not at all daunting"
Lena
Taleb - The coach holiday.com
"I
feel my sales techniques & customer service skills
have improved"
"I
found the training fun and not boring...I am now aware
of effective ways to sell"
Gayle
Charles - The coach holiday.com
"Our
insurance sales have rocketed"
"From our point
of view all of the directors, management and staff found
the sessions to be very professional, highly entertaining
and enormously productive. Our insurance sales have
rocketed and the reservations staff have quickly adapted
to a new way of speaking to clients"
Official
response from the directors of the company
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Business
To Business Examples

The
client.
Friends
Reunited Jobs is an offshoot of the high successful
Friends Reunited website.
As
a job search portal it was the Sales staff responsibility
to sell advertising space to businesses and they needed
sales cycle training from the start to finish!
The
need.
Whilst
Friends Reunited Jobs were successful at what they were
doing they wanted to improve upon the sales targets
by handling objections more effectively and negotiating
advertising deals with greater success.
The
solution.
We
designed a training programme that covered:
The sales cycle
Consultative Selling
Understanding buyer types
Overcoming objections
How to ask for the business and negotiating
the deal
"100%
happy customer"
"John,
our trainer, was brilliant we all had a great day and
enjoyed learning about personalities and how to adapt
this into selling. We all thought the delivery was clear
and we were given lots of opportunities to ask questions
and make the training relevant to what we are selling.
I think we will definitely want him back in the future.
I put the techniques into practice right away and got
3 sales immediately! 100% happy customer"
Kind
Regards
Caroline
Goouch
Sales
Manager
www.jobsreunited.co.uk
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The
Client
Bank
of Scotland Merchant Services enables businesses to
accept plastic cards as a means of payment throughout
the UK . Working across a broad range of retail and
commercial customers, they offer the most comprehensive
and effective card-processing solution to its customers.
The
Need
As
part of its competitive repositioning, Bank of Scotland
Merchant Services needed to reinforce and develop its
existing sales function through the re-establishment
of several new roles, including the key Sales Management
function. Critically, the need for professional training
to focus on the creation, motivation and leadership
of high-performing sales teams was identified as a top
priority.
The
Solution
MTD
designed and delivered a 2-day Sales Management Workshop
that focused on applying the core skills of Team Leadership,
Performance Management and Individual Coaching to the
task of managing a diverse group of itinerant salespeople.
All
delegates found the content, style and delivery of the
workshop were of a very high standard. This enabled
them to readily understand how they can meet challenging
objectives through their sales teams. Some of their
comments are:
"Mike
had obviously undertaken research, as the course was
very relevant to my role. The module was very useful,
and all of the topics were very beneficial, and it will
certainly help me to achieve more with my team and to
get more participation from them in my coaching sessions."
"The
activities gave me new ideas that I can use with my
team"
"Good
environment, appropriate to the role. Good theories
that can be used unchanged in the real world."
"Mike
did well to hold the attention of all the delegates.
Demonstrating his belief in what he teaches, by putting
into practice what he preaches. The style in which the
course was delivered was very beneficial, along with
the handouts provided - thanks Mike"
"The
course was excellent - Mike tailored it closely to the
specific needs of our newly recruited sales management
team. Sales management theory was delivered in an engaging
and innovative way, setting the scene for the ultimate
goal - providing the team with the practical tools to
put the theory into practice."
Phil
Curtis, Managing Director & Vice President
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The
Client
Shropshire
Tourism is a not for profit membership body that exists
to promote the County of Shropshire as a visitor destination.
Its work includes providing advice and support to all
tourist based businesses in Shropshire , and attracting
visitors to the county through advertising, promoting
and marketing activities.
A
number of Tourism Officers work within the organisation,
whose roles include providing business advice and tourism
services to members. Part of that role is to sell advertising
space within the various publications that are used
topromote the area. Traditionally this includes county
and district brochures; the print runs of these brochures
have significantly been reduced as more visitors choose
their holidays and short breaks on line.
Shropshire
Tourism also has a strong internet presence, which carries
high quality information and booking facilities, supplementing
and replacing the traditional paper-based material.
This has been developed and is maintained by the organisation's
own internet design team which delivers ground breaking
standards of website production to members in a highly
cost-effective package.
The
Need
The
organisation is part funded through the public purse
and members' subscriptions. However, this funding does
not meet its whole financial needs, and the majority
of income has to be self-generated each year. Part of
this income comes from advertising revenues and undertaking
contract work.
In
response to the changing needs of members, and to widen
its scope of service provision, a new web design and
hosting product has been developed to help members take
advantage of the organisation's web design ability to
obtain and maintain a high quality presence on the internet.
This will attract high quality bookings from visitors
to the county in an economical way, and compete with
major commercial web sites providers on equal terms.
The
challenge then is to market and sell the idea of web
site design and hosting provided through Shropshire
Tourism to its members. Whilst the team of officers
had traditionally sold advertising space in brochures,
they found it extremely difficult to get members interested
in the new service, and sales were not being made.
It
was decided that training in telephone sales was required.
A key feature of this had to be that it didn't come
across to members (or the officers) as a "hard-sell"
exercise - more a consultation process aimed at advising
members on the need to become more tuned into the fast
evolving world of the internet and see the benefits
of this as an effective marketing media for their business.
The
Solution
Research
of several potential training providers was undertaken
to establish who would represent the best fit from those
who had the experience and ability to work closely with
the Shropshire Tourism team. It was important that the
trainer had a style that would match the people and
the credibility to deliver a well-researched and bespoke
solution. As a result, MTD and their consultant trainer
Mike Clarkson were chosen to provide a day's training
followed with regular coaching sessions to embed and
drive the development of effective sales skills. The
programme was implemented over a three month period,
taking the minimum time from the daily tasks yet allowing
a clear focus on the key skills involved. As the programme
developed, the content and emphasis were adapted, and
innovative methods were applied to encourage ownership
and clear direction of the training content.
Outcomes
Importantly,
all the delegates found the style and methods used were
extremely helpful and pertinent to their jobs. They
were able to understand the key principles of a sales
advisory style and were able to apply them readily to
the task. Universally they reported that the training
was helpful to their jobs, relevant to their needs,
presented at the right pace and pitched at the right
level. Comments included that Mike was informative,
helpful, and always ready with new ideas, that having
the tools and techniques to conduct an efficient sales
call and how to respond improved confidence to turn
in more sales, and that it was enjoyable and very beneficial
- "Mike tailors it to our needs and delivers what we
want to learn". Another stated: "Mike was very good
at gaining enthusiasm, his diligence in researching
facts and presenting them revealed a patience and dedication
that goes beyond sheer professionalism."
Simon
McCloy, the Chief Executive found the training hit the
spot exactly, with sales improving and better
team motivation. He said: "Without
exception the entire team has benefited significantly
from the supportive training you have given and all
of them have seen a marked improvement in their own
personal individual sales skills and techniques.
"Of
equal importance to me was to ensure that the approach
taken was complementary to our own company and ethos
and the style of training recognised the individual
personalities and strengths and weaknesses of the team
- I have to say that on all counts you were spot on."
The
partnership style and bespoke nature of the training
programme has been so useful for Shropshire Tourism
that further personal development in both sales and
management is now being planned.
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The
client.
Aspire Business Solutions are the business arm of Loughborough
College
ABS
was set up to sell and offer services
that the college can offer to businesses through "Aspire
Business Solutions". These include Foreign Languages
for business, Distance Learning, E-Learning and Management
Training.
The
need.
Whilst
the sales staff had excellent product knowledge they
did not know how to make cold calls and conduct follow
up meetings with their clients to ultimately "close"
more business.
The
solution.
A
1-day consultative selling course was designed that
was delivered to their sales team.
It
focused on generating leads through the telephone, how
to understand and implement the sales process and how
to overcome objections and close more clients.
"Mark
did an excellent job at pitching at the
right
level to meet everyone's needs..."
"We
had a very productive training course. We had a broad
range of sales experiences in the group & Mark did
an excellent job of pitching at the right level to meet
everyone's needs. We enjoyed the informal style of presentation
& found the group work interesting, useful &
fun. Our training event was very interactive and has
made an immediate impact on our sales team. We have
made significant changes to our sales processes and
techniques as a result of the training and we are anticipating
an increase in our business as a result. I am happy
to recommend MTD to any organisation wishing to increase
their sales successes and should we need further sales
training I'll be coming back to you"
Ian
Wright - Commercial Services Manager - Aspire Business
Solutions
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The
Client
Smith
& McLaurin are one of the longest established manufacturing
companies in labelling products. Still based in their
original Scottish factory, they provide a complete range
of products supported with innovative levels of service.
Customers represent a vast range of sectors including
retail, food processing, manufacturing, distribution
and pharmaceutical industries.
Leading
their field in supporting customers' evolving needs,
their commercial focus has rapidly moved into the search
for solutions to environmental imperatives. More important
than ever, the need to guide and take the market forward
into previously unknown territory is paramount. Environmental
issues including manufacturing processes, the use of
chemicals, transportation packaging and end of use disposal
need to be accommodated.
Practical,
economical and effective solutions have been developed
that provide buyers with the best available current
products, supported with continuous research into new
materials and methods. Backed by total quality assurance
and more than a century of experience Smith & McLaurin
now lead the field in the ability to provide holistic
environmentally effective solutions: positively different.
The
Need
With
an experienced sales team, used to working in supply
situations that have become commoditised and singular
in nature, the need to elevate the sales process to
more consultative levels became clear.
The
sale is now more complex in nature, demanding that core
sales arguments be transmitted to key stakeholders in
ways that enable their sourcing to contribute value
to their wider needs, commercially, corporately and
environmentally.
Sales
people must move away from the commodity mindset, deal
with different buying influencers and specifiers in
major corporate accounts to create awareness and foster
consultative relationships. The ability to differentiate,
add recognisable value and compete effectively means
that core sales and business development skills must
be honed and applied with impact.
Further,
the individual needs of each team member must be accommodated
in ways that support the learning and development process
whilst recognising and supplementing the value of their
experience.
The
Solution
In
considering several potential providers, the senior
management team sought a capable training organisation
able to satisfy a wide range needs for helping move
the company to another level. A key element was that
the personality, experience, knowledge and ability of
trainers would meet the robust demands of the task.
Fundamental to this was that the provider understood
the corporate needs and could demonstrate the ability
and will to devise and deliver material that itself
adds value to the process in a challenging yet supportive
manner.
MTD
and their Consultant Trainer Mike Clarkson met this
challenge through the active application of the methods
under discussion. Presenting their capability to the
board of directors whilst demonstrating a clear understanding
of how to apply the core skills needed, plus the willingness
and flexibility to adapt led to their being chosen above
all others for the job.
A
core training programme having the flexibility to flow
through the entire organisation at all levels was jointly
devised, and the first stages of sales development were
rapidly implemented.
Outcomes
It
is really important to get a training programme off
to a good start and to engage effectively with delegates
for them to buy in and gain immediately. The comments
received from delegates include:
"Mike
was very good at keeping the course interesting, with
an excellent way of explaining your downfalls without
being condescending" - Scott Coates
"I
really gained something which can be rare in training
courses in my experience - very well delivered training,
gratefully received" - Mitch Lambert
"Mike
was very clear and engaged everyone in the room during
the 2 days; he was also very approachable and kept a
good element of fun in the training" - John Radford
"It
was easy to concentrate, clear and incisive - some elements
clearly forgotten were revisited and will be used immediately"
- George Keyes
Sales
Director Craig Monks added: "Mike really 'gelled' with
my team and worked at a comfortable pace that we could
all follow. The two days have given me a great
reminder of things I know, and some new ideas. Overall
it 'joined-up' so many things to create a powerful set
of new resources"
Following
the first stage of the training significant sales results
have already been achieved, in particular a large
account was landed helped by the direct application
of specific tools from the workshop.
Confidence
in the sales team is at a new high, and the
whole company is looking forward to working with MTD
as they continue to innovate and drive the environmental
agenda with their customers.
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Due
to Non Disclosure Agreements We Are Unable To Name The
Following Clients:
The
client...
Top 3 European vehicle rental and fleet management organisation, a subsidiary of a major vehicle brand.
The need...
Sales force very effective at taking orders from existing customers and managing existing relationships, but demonstrated a large degree of weakness in developing new business, cross-selling and up-selling.
The
solution...
A three tiered approach:
- Working with the senior management to provide them with the necessary sales management skills and approaches to enable them to effectively manage their sales force in a proactive fashion, resulting in a change of behaviours from a ‘numbers’ approach to a proactive Client and business development approach.
- Secondly, working with the Corporate sector salesforce, designing and delivering a bespoke structured sales training and development programme delivered over three months, interspersed with one to one coaching and supported by an interim management role, working directly with the salesforce and the management to reinforce the structures, approaches and methodologies focused upon throughout the training programme.
- Thirdly, designing and delivering a two day sales training programme to the Retail sector staff and management to enable them to understand the way in which the salesforce would be selling, focusing on commercial acumen, local knowledge, identification and creation of opportunities, and excellence in customer service.
Snapshot of Training Content:
A six step sales skills development programme, of modular structure and delivered over three months, interspersed by monthly one-one coaching sessions, comprising of:
1. Before the Sales Begins Developing a commercial mind set Eradication of self-limiting beliefs Customer research and customers’ business understanding
2. Powerful Prospecting Effective and unobtrusive information gathering Creating commonality between sales person and customer – relationship building Securing meetings that count
3. Customer meetings Psychology of Human Interaction Building exceptional customer relationships Excellence in questioning and listening skills Identifying wants and needs Creating wants and needs
4. Proposing Specific Solutions Providing specific advantages and benefits Directional psychology and identifying buyer motivations Buying criteria and decision making process High Impact Presentation Skills Asking for the business
5. Account Development Creating effective account development plans Proposal writing Bid/Tender responses The ‘12 Touch’ technique Ongoing relationship management
6. Account Management Effective Account Management Preferred supplier positioning Managing the buyer Ring-fencing relationships – protecting your business!
Outcomes:
- Reducing the cold call : contract ratio from in excess of 150:1 to less than 8:1
- Opening of over 300 new accounts within 8 weeks
- Increase in revenue generated from over 100 existing accounts within 3 months
- Securing massive increase in RFP/ITT opportunities within 8 weeks
- Generating in excess of £38 million of new business (GP) within 6 months
- Following the success of this programme, our Consultant was invited back in to the business as an Interim Manager for another 6 months the following year to maintain the new sales process and inject more commercial focus.
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The
client...
UK division of world leading electronic component distribution organisation.
The need...
Internal sales force, under increasing market pressures, were not performing as proactive sales force, concentrating on taking orders and issuing quotes for stock requests on a reactive basis, with little or no follow-up.
The
solution...
Working with three divisional internal sales forces, and in conjunction with their management, we carried out a skills audit, ad compared it then to the ideal skill set that the business felt it required.
A structured and totally bespoke training programme was then designed, and delivered in a modular fashion to each of the groups, thus ensuring minimum down time and disruption to the business.
With real focus on effective telesales, as opposed to the incumbent ‘order-taking’ approach, this programme really had to combat the ‘hearts and minds’ attitudes that were entrenched within the business – as the staff in the majority of cases felt that things were not broken, why should they fix it?
Therefore, in an environment that was somewhat resistant to change, we had to work very closely and sensitively with the management and HR functionality to ensure that the sales force were taken on a journey that they wanted to be on, and this was completed with resounding success.
Snapshot of Training Content:
A staged sales skills development programme, of modular structure and delivered over five months, interspersed by monthly one-one coaching sessions, comprising of:
1. Customer Service Provision vs. Selling Skills Developing a commercial mind set Building your own sales toolkit Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours of Effective Sales People Eradication of self-limiting beliefs Understanding he power of self.
2. Customer Understanding Understanding what your customer does, why they do it, and how they do it. Simple and Effective information gathering Understanding the supply chain and ‘Shamrocks’ of business Cost of Sales, Opportunities and having the competition eat your lunch whilst you pay for it!
3. Picking Up the Phone, proactively Psychology of Human Interaction Building exceptional customer relationships Excellence in questioning and listening skills Quotation follow-up and asking for the order Identifying future wants and needs Creating future wants and needs
4. Proposing Specific Solutions Providing specific advantages and benefits The role of the buyer and their issues Buying criteria and decision making process High Impact Presentation Skills Asking for the business Handling price objections.
5. Account Development Creating effective account development plans Proposal writing Bid/Tender responses Ongoing relationship management
6. Negotiation Skills Effective negotiation techniques Positioning attitudes and powerbase creation WEB methodology Margin motivation Value Added Services Variables for effective negotiation Goal setting
Outcomes:
- Introduction of motivated, inspired staff
- Quote to order ratio established and improved on, week by week.
- Skilled, proactive sales staff adding value to their customers and making money
- Weekly telesales days introduced, with up to £300,000 being generated on a proactive basis per month that had never been experienced before.
- Opening of over 100 new trading accounts within 3 months
- Substantial (40%) increase in revenue generated from existing accounts within 3 months.
- Huge improvement in time management, motivation and overall effectiveness of staff.
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Client:
Domain Technologies
The client...
Poor telephone technique meant they were losing customer
satisfaction points.
Bad follow up with customers was providing ongoing problems
with repeat business and customer loyalty.
There was little understanding of the sales processes
that would create a good
impression on the phone
What we did...
An analysis of the telephone skills of the team showed
poor grasp of the fundementals of customer care and
sales techniques when talking to callers.
The solution...
Rather than a simple and basic "phone course",
we decided to look at their overall approach to the
customer and how that was reflected in the systems and
processes they used to create an impression.
It was found to be not providing the key results that
they required, so we set about working with them to
raise their overall standards, and incorporate a phone
process that would support their sales and service operations.
By conducting trials and process improvement techniques,
the team were able to identify their roles and responsibilities
more clearly and to quickly assimilate what they needed
to do to improve their service on the phone.
A team exercise showed how they needed to work together
to create a good impression and how that could be maintained
over a period of time for the customer.
The results...
The feedback was very positive and offered much scope
for improving the way the team worked together to improve
overall service.
Morale improved and they found it easier to work together as a team to create more positive experiences for the customer.
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Client: Wunderman
Team leaders and sales personnel were required to improve their skills in personal and technical sales.
We developed a program that supported their development needs in key areas of sales, and coached them in soft skills that covered management and selling on the phone. A series of training and coaching events covered all basic and advanced skills.
The 28 people on the program were assessed following the program and were seen to have improved when measured against key areas like sales confidence, telephone skills and managing their won time.
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Client:
Claire's Accessories
The
client...
Claire's Accessories identified the requirement for all of their District Sales Managers across 350 locations in the UK to be able to coach and develop their Branch Managers to improve sales in each of their stores.
A program was required to train and develop their District Sales Managers in the art of coaching and staff development.
The
solution...
A 2 day "Coaching For Managers" program was designed and delivered that covered coaching models, learning styles, management styles, body language, tonality, inflection, how to conduct one to ones and how to deal with under-performers and over-achievers. These courses were delivered over an 8 month period.
The
results:
Now all of their branch managers throughout their stores nationwide are performing at a much higher sales level due to the enhancement in their personal and professional development.
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Client: Serono (Switzerland)
The
client...
Serono is a global biotechnology leader with over 4,900 employees and worldwide revenues of USD 2.46 billion and a net income of USD 494 million in 2004. MTD received a call from the Director of Customer Services Division who wanted to improve the communication skills of his sales and service staff.
He didn't just want the "bog standard" communication skills course.
Instead he wanted to be "WOWed"!
The
solutions...
We put together a 2 day Advanced Communications course and delivered it at their Head Quarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
We also included some NLP techniques and Serono were that impressed that they have rolled out and offered our Advanced Communications course to the rest of their company!
Feedback
"On
behalf of all the participants, I want to convey our
highest level of satisfaction on the course we have
received from your trainer. He was a MASTER in communications,
an excellent coach and a very friendly person.
Our objectives have been exceeded! Thank you so much, Luis Llull Director Customer Services Serono International SA
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Client: Sandiford
Sales of Ford cars and parts were down and the managers were unable to see how and what to change to improve matters without cutbacks.
We analysed the processes used within the business and the motivation of the staff to improve matters. We discussed ways to increase customer turnaround and marketing ideas that could be used to create more parts sales. We ran a program that covered advanced selling skills and areas that would improve the sales staff's overall confidence in dealing with customers. We launched a skills program for the after-sales staff that would increase the potential for sales in the locality.
Within
a few months the company were back on track with
their sales operation and the parts sales had increased
beyond original targets.
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