An interactive and outcome-driven annual sales conference design produced long term momentum, skill improvement and sustained team focus, and led to better results than any previous conferences...
We worked with a major national blue chip brand in distribution and logistics, who wanted to step up the results generated from their annual sales conferences, and secure their position as leaders in a heavily competitive industry. The sales team sought to grow their accounts – the largest corporate accounts being serviced by their organisation.
From a three day conference emerged a momentum which, over a year on, is still going. Instead of using a traditional speaker-driven format, we facilitated high-value conversations and problem-solving, tapping the knowledge and wisdom of the group to engage people around a central strategy. We had them develop a plan for its implementation, build the skills they needed, and share best practices over the three days, leading to a more consistent and reliable sales approach across the team.
Past Conferences
In previous conferences, product managers had presented large amounts of product information. This meant there was very little time left for people to think through and apply that information. The bridge between the conference and the team’s current work reality had been tenuous and there had been limited learning and awareness built about what people could do to meet their customers’ needs more effectively. The methodology had the type of limitations which can often be seen in many corporate conferences; it involved lots of telling, not much asking. More lectures, less involvement.
FAST Facilitation
Instead, we designed and facilitated a highly interactive program which had the sales team sharing personal stories of success and failure, coming up with joint solutions, and making agreements and commitments to a new course of action, inside engaging, effectively focused conversations.
We invited product managers along to participate in the conversations we orchestrated. Instead of having them present their information in Powerpoint slides, we had everyone directed towards the real purpose behind the conference; namely, changed behaviours, new skills, new abilities, and increased sales in the long-term.
Design
In our initial design work, we worked with the team leaders and discovered that there were too many products to focus on in a three day conference; too much content would dissipate the focus away from the key points of leverage. We helped them see that the greatest potential lay within three specific product ranges. Focusing in on these key points of leverage was a vital piece of design work and created a foundation for them to build their own individualised insights and specific strategies during the conference.
We had begun the process of moving towards results, even before the conference had begun. We helped the team set a clear defined purpose which was manageable, realistic and capable of generating sustainable results 6 months to a year post-conference.
Strategy into Action
Previously, few structures had been in place to actually implement the plans and apply the motivation which had been generated from their conferences. We helped them focus in on actual structures to keep the momentum going; in the long-run, this was a vital ingredient to their success.
Now, a year on, the team is still focused on the three key areas which came about through our Meeting by Design process. They are still as committed to the actions and plans as they were right after the conference. They have changed their regular meeting structures to support the ongoing, long-term value laid down at their annual conference. And their success has exceeded all expectations.
|
