Project Initiator:

General Manager James Marshman

Assignment Period:

September 2011 – current

Spartan School Supplies Business Need:

We were striving to increase sales for the 2012 indent season and beyond. One of the questions raised in relation to achieving associated goals was the degree to which the sales team is optimised.

A successful application to the Enterprise Grants Program provided funding for a sales team optimisation program. The Next Level was invited to outline how its Sales System may produce findings and develop solutions which would ideally synchronise with the upcoming whole-of-company budget cycle.

The Next Level Business Solution:

The Next Level quickly conducted a review of our value chain, position in market, sales team structure and function. A model for Current Value and Potential Value was then developed that enabled us to rank and compare our customer & prospect base in a more meaningful & comprehensive way.

They then turned their attention to setting visit parameters that ensured each Spartan sales territory was optimised in terms of headcount, account mix, visit types and geographic efficiency. A suite of Valid Business Reasons (VBRs) was introduced to ensure that each visit to our top tier customers contains items of value to both parties.

The Next Level also developed a scoreboard to measure compliance with the system and create benchmarks for an upcoming incentive program.

The Results So Far:

The classification system and sales territories have been embedded into our company CRM system. The scoreboard is in the process of being embedded into the CRM.

As we move into full scale implementation, we are expecting to surpass our sales targets because of sales productivity improvements, such as a 33% improvement in visit capacity, a 40% improvement in customer coverage and a 71% improvement in prospect penetration.

Looking Ahead:

We recognise that sales team optimisation is an annual exercise and a key component of the budgeting cycle, and therefore look forward to continuing our work with The Next Level.