Building relationships to win in a competitive market

Client need

A multi-billion-dollar multinational electronics organization had experienced strong and steady growth for years. To maintain this trajectory through increased competition and shifting customer demands, the organization needed a new marketing framework dedicated to customer-oriented results by execution.

To implement this strategy, the organization partnered with BTS to co-create a training program for its visual display division’s B2B business development teams called “Winning in the competitive market.”  The two-fold solution would help salespeople and marketers 1) build long-term customer relationships and 2) strengthen collaboration between teammates based out of the organization’s headquarters and their counterparts at regional offices. By deepening their understanding of each, the organization’s sales and marketing teams would translate the new marketing framework into action across the globe.

Solution

Creating skills and behavior change

The resulting three-day program was rolled out to global sales and marketing managers through a mixture of virtual and in-person deliveries, as well as facilitator-led and self-paced learning. The program included a business-analysis simulation that allowed salespeople and marketers to test and understand the implications of the new marketing framework in a risk-free environment. The simulation built new skills and behaviors through:

• Defining critical moments throughout the sales process, such as negotiating prices within a strategic account
• A playbook with great (and not-so-great sales) tactics for addressing critical moments
• Innovation and digital transformation future-storming

At each decision-making juncture, sales and marketing managers came to understand the larger business development environment, the specific role of sales, and streamlined ways of working between their headquarters and regional offices — all with the goal of winning in an ever-competitive market.

Conclusion and results

Three years into the program, the organization has expressed its satisfaction with an NPS of 4.8.Progress on Go-Dos, or specific actions to be taken back on the job, is as follows:

• 48% of managers have finished the program
• 48% are in progress
• 4% have yet to begin

Testimonials

“The simulation was great and encouraged collaboration and engagement from the whole group."

“The facilitators had strong knowledge of the business, and examples were real and current.”