Industry: Telecommunications

Client Situation

	Needed rapid expansion into the SMB market to achieve aggressive growth objectives
	Traditional direct sales approaches were too costly
	Needed to assess customer segment needs and determine whether lower cost web and tele-channels could be successful in finding and retaining new customers

Client Objectives

	Articulate customer needs for telecommunications services in the SMB market and the type of sales coverage needed to effectively reach and serve these customers
	Assess whether web and tele-channels could be scaled to cost effectively meet needs in the SMB market

AGI Role

	Conducted primary research with customers and thought leaders in academia
	Analyzed significant body of data on market potential
	Worked with client marketing and sales executives to build and test customer segment hypotheses
	Helped client “dry run” new approaches to coverage at select industry forums
	Populated new segments and established account target lists for new sales channels
	Worked with client to develop customer/segment communications theme and strategy

Client Deliverables

	Created value propositions for the SMB market
	Established “winnable” sales potential in SMB market, over and above current sales levels
	Recommended combination of web and tele-resources to reach and service SMB customers
	Documented “rules of engagement” articulating ways in which field resources would interact with web and tele-resources to be credited for ensuing sales

Industry: Specialty Chemicals

Client Situation

	Client segmented customer base according to historical sales
	Segmentation models placed customers into three discreet groups with largest share of field assets going to Tier 1/Large accounts
	Despite receiving a significant share of field assets Tier 1 accounts remained slow growing

Client Objective

Determine whether a more refined customer segmentation framework and associated coverage standards would result in stronger growth among largest accounts

AGI Role

	Conducted transaction analysis in multiple regions and determined that business at large current accounts was subject to high levels of churn
	Sales time analysis further indicated that sellers spent significant blocks of time fire fighting at current accounts but little time either expanding the sales base through further account penetration or hunting for business at target accounts with high potential but low or no share
	Sales process analysis indicated that successful large account sellers invested significant amounts of time expanding contacts in current accounts but little if any in building contacts at target accounts

Client Deliverables

	New basis for segmenting accounts on the basis of three variables: current sales, potential sales and status…current account vs. target
	Sales coverage recommendations including use of service specialists to offload routine matters from high paid sellers as well as use of “hunter account managers” to focus on winning business at high potential target accounts
	Sales process steps and time allocation recommendations for large current and potential accounts
	Deployment recommendations for account managers, account hunters and service representatives along with preliminary account assignments

Industry: Automation Solutions Company

Client Situation

	Client technical edge in market had eroded significantly
	Solution sales was considered a means to achieve increased differentiation
	To produce a solution sales coverage strategy, over 30 multiple productivity initiatives were conceived and implemented
	Because these initiatives were disconnected and in some cases competitive in nature, little if any progress was made in designing and implementing a true solution sales strategy

Client Objective

Design and launch a true value added sales strategy targeted at accounts where such value would make a difference in the buying decision

AGI Role

	Crafted a detailed solution buy/sell process map for key segments
	Analyzed current selling capabilities and identified potential execution gaps
	Reprioritized initiatives and focused on the select few that would close execution gaps
	Helped re-focus client on accounts where solution selling would be valued and therefore command a premium
	Participated in select initiatives including new job designs, rules of engagement, hiring profiles, sales process training specifications, new performance metrics and goals, new sales compensation plans

Client Deliverables

	Account targets for solution selling
	Solution selling process for selected segments
	Job definitions and rules of engagement to support solution selling
	Performance metrics, goal setting procedures and new sales compensation

Industry: Technology Company

Client Situation

	Field sales assets devoted insufficient time to high value account coverage activities
	An inside sales organization had been designed and deployed to off-load lower value/repetitive coverage tasks
	Client executives were uncertain regarding whether this investment was producing the desired impact

Client Objective

Create a coverage model to optimize the use of field and tele-assets in covering the client’s top 3000 customers

AGI Role

	Mapped out steps in sales coverage process
	Utilized sales process analytics to determine optimum steps to allocate to tele- and field resources
	Analyzed field sales and tele-sales time to determine allocation of current resources
	Identified gaps between optimum and actual resource allocations
	Developed ROI model to quantify potential return if tele-assets were utilized to fullest capabilities

Client Deliverables

	Refined job definitions and roles for both field and tele-sales assets
	Greater focus by field sales on proactive account management and hunting
	Greater focus by tele-sales on account service and routine incremental sales
	Recommended additions to the tele-sales team and calculated associated return on investment

Industry: Shipping Company

Client Situation

	An acquisition nearly doubled the size of the sales force
	As a result, sales processes and territory management practices, already variable before the acquisition, were further fragmented
	Best practices became obscured, under-utilized and unscalable

Client Objectives

	Aggressive growth goals called for a dramatic increase in sales productivity
	Best practices in sales coverage and account management for the combined organization needed to be identified, codified and deployed

AGI Role

	Gather insight from sales people, sales managers and customers about which coverage processes work best
	Confirm insights through broad reach customer survey and historical data analysis
	Conduct sales time analysis to quantify amount of sales resource needed to deploy best practices and estimate costs
	Cross reference sales potential and share of wallet data to estimate revenue uplift from improved coverage practices

Client Deliverables

	Documented best coverage practices for major customer segments
	Prioritized initiatives needed to broadly implement best practices
	Calculated ROI associated with best practice implementation

Industry: Global Communications

Client Situation

	Client did not believe they were winning their “fair share” of sales opportunities
	An ineffective sales process was believed to be the root cause

Client Objectives

	Confirm whether or not the current sales process was less effective relative to alternatives
	Identify specific sales process improvements
	Create a detailed implementation plan leading to improved rates of closure on identified leads

AGI Role

	Undertake depth interviews and “ride withs” with field personnel
	Implement a sales time/process analysis survey
	Document existing sales processes for major customer segments
	Identify pockets of “best practice”, based on qualitative and quantitative analysis, within the company
	Recommend specific improvements and quantify expected results
	Build and deploy tools to scale best practices

Client Deliverables

	Detailed current sales process maps for key customer segments
	Specific “weak spots” in current process and recommendations for improvement
	Expected uplift in revenue if sales process improvements all implemented
	Sales process “playbooks”, line management coaching models and revised metrics/compensation programs to support new sales processes

Industry: High Tech

Client Situation

	High variability in sales productivity worldwide
	Poor coordination and collaboration between channel sales and direct sales
	Tendency for channel sales partners to be highly tactical and reactive

Client Objective

Restructure roles and reporting relationships on the sales team to improve both efficiency and effectiveness as well as to infuse a more strategic orientation into the channel sales group

AGI Role

	Conduct sales potential analysis in key country markets
	Conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with business partners, channel reps and direct reps to uncover best practices and problem areas
	Document desired coverage processes; identify where upgrade in current practice is needed
	Improve planning processes to gain better collaboration among direct sales, indirect sales support and partners
	Develop training in new planning and collaboration techniques

Client Deliverables

	Improved, more collaborative field sales/partner sales coverage process
	Revised organization charts and reporting relationships to better support more collaborative planning and coverage processes
	Headcount and deployment recommendations that balanced workload and resources relative to opportunity
	New coverage process training curriculum
	Coaching methodology for first line management to employ in changing/improving seller behaviors among direct sales and partners

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Client Situation

	New and strategically critical product being launched into a highly competitive market
	Sales force already promoting a highly successful product line

Client Objective

Successfully introduce the important new product without diminishing the growth prospects for core products

AGI Role

	Conduct workload analysis to ascertain hours needed to support current products and projected hours needed to launch new product
	Conduct customer research to confirm buying decision making process for new product
	Document knowledge, skills, abilities needed for success in promoting new product and extent to which these differ from existing situation
	Determine whether new product could be successfully launched into the current product line or whether a separate sales force would be required

Client Deliverables

	New product sales process
	Workload and manpower required to maintain and grow current product line
	Methodology to test ROI on alternative organizational approaches
	Recommendations on sales organization to maximize ROI; introduce product specialists and overlay existing sales organization
	Rules of engagement spelling out role and use of new product specialists
	New metrics and compensation plans to support new product launch and new mode of sales coverage

Industry: Travel & Entertainment

Client Situation

	Client had a single sales force promoting multiple brands through a single sales channel (travel agencies)
	Brands largely targeted at different non-competitive demographics
	Client wanted to test cost effectiveness of deploying two brand specific sales forces vs. one sales force selling both brands

Client Objective

Increase sales of both brands at a cost that would deliver improved profit

AGI Role

	Quantify sales opportunity of each travel agency segment
	Document sales process for agency segments and quantify workload needed to effectively cover agencies in each segment
	Integrate criteria to build optimal territories into a deployment algorithm including sales time/workload, sales potential, sales growth and historical relationships
	Build optimal territories using new algorithm
	Test effectiveness of new designs; determine how much sales revenue increase would be needed to offset cost of fielding two separate organizations
	Build territory maps and create initial account assignments and quotas

Client Deliverables

	Financial justification for splitting sales force in two
	Geographic sales territories and maps for each sales organization
	Account and prospect lists for each new territory

Industry: Service Provider

Client Situation

	Client planning to enter a new segment with a product line extension
	Segment not previously covered in a formal manner
	Client needed to understand how many sellers would be needed and what accounts/territories they should be assigned for optimum results

Client Objectives

	Understand selling investment needed to ensure success in this new segment
	Generate detailed roadmap on where new sellers should be stationed and what accounts/territories they should be assigned

AGI Role

	Build model to estimate sales potential of each potential customer in the new segment
	Work with client to establish criteria to consider in building new territories; sales opportunity, workload/travel, growth and others
	Build sales deployment model to balance sales coverage of opportunities against workload/time constraints
	Work with client to populate the deployment model and produce preliminary territory/account assignments

Client Deliverables

	Deployment model
	Territory/account assignments
	Estimated costs of fielding sales assets in new segment
	Year 1 revenue plan and cost benefit analysis of new deployment

Industry: Business Service Provider

Client Situation

	Client strategy calls for moving “up market” to larger more sophisticated customers
	Upgraded sales talent will be needed to successfully execute this strategy

Client Objective

Profile the kind of seller needed to succeed in the “up market” and develop a strategy to recruit and develop this caliber of talent

AGI Role

	Interviewed select customers to identify selling activities, skills and abilities that they value most
	Researched competitors in the “up market” to ascertain profile of most successful sellers
	Worked with client to create job profiles and articulate the knowledge, skills and abilities of high potential sellers
	Articulated two pronged strategy to acquire desired sales team: a) identify top performers among current sellers; and b) identify sources of talent among competitors and related sales organizations
	Updated training program to prepare new sellers to sell complex bundles of services to sophisticated customers

Client Deliverables

	Job profiles for up market sales position, including desired knowledge, skills and abilities
	Sales time profile for new sales position
	High potential candidates in current sales organization
	Sources of candidates in the external market
	Revised training program to rapidly develop talent

Industry: Electronic Publishing

Client Situation

Increasing customer sophistication combined with expanding a complex product line creates an environment where solution selling is needed to meet client needs and rationalize complex service offerings

Client Objectives

	Define the meaning of solution selling in their environment
	Build plan to migrate portions of the sales team to solution selling role to meet demand from large, complex customers

AGI Role

	Use qualitative and quantitative analytics to identify top performers covering large complex customers who informally practice solution selling techniques
	Analyze sales process and time allocation of these top performers; articulate specific solution selling tactics they employ
	Work with client to document characteristics of these top solution sellers; pay special attention to their knowledge, skills and abilities
	Work with client to size the “gap” between time and skill profiles of other sellers in the organization relative to successful solution sellers
	Identify those sellers most ready to migrate to solution selling
	Work with client to design and implement training and development programs that will rapidly develop skills and facilitate deployment of solution selling team

Client Deliverables

	Tailored definition of solution selling in client’s market
	Profile of the ideal solution seller
	Solution selling jobs populated with in-house talent
	Training and development programs to facilitate rapid deployment of solution sellers

Industry: Information Services

Client Situation

	Two sales forces were being merged into one
	Partially overlapping products and customer assignments ensued
	Territory revenues went flat or outright declined
	Turf battles and new product cannibalization of core products became increasingly common

Client Objectives

	Complete the integration of the two sales organizations
	Eliminate turf battles and product conflict
	Get back to a consistent focus on growth

AGI Role

	Identify where account/territory overlaps occur and assess performance impact
	Analyze account/territory revenue performance by product over time emphasizing pre and post merger performance
	Work with client to select one “owner” of accounts/territories where overlap occurs; balance workload and potential
	Clarify objectives of new more focused sales positions to ensure coverage of all sales responsibilities
	Introduce new metrics: revenue retention, new product sales and total revenue growth
	Introduce performance standards in each metric category based on both past sales and sales potential
	Introduce revised sales compensation plans to support new performance metrics

Client Deliverables

	New and more focused territory/account alignment
	New more focused job designs
	New performance metrics and goals designed to re-invigorate growth
	New sales compensation plans which integrated new performance metrics into a powerful growth oriented formula

Industry: Networking Equipment

Client Situation

	As sales flattened out for traditional product line, new products and services were introduced
	Client realized that growth was contingent on both maintaining and growing current accounts as well as finding and closing new business

Client Objective

Drive the sales organization to produce moderate growth in current accounts and significant new account wins

AGI Role

	Analyze historical sales performance over a two to three year period; determine percent of total sales derived from sales retention year over year, account penetration and new account conversions
	Analyze account performance over 12 to 24 month period. Identify accounts where sales retention is well above par
	Identify where penetration sales are well above par
	Identify sellers/territories where new account conversions are significantly above historical norms
	Document strategies and tactics associated with excellent results in retention, penetration and conversion selling
	Work with client to build tailored sales strategies to improve sales retention, account penetration and new account sales in other territories
	Consider new account “hunter” role in geographies where account conversion results are sub-par and opportunities are significant

Client Deliverables

	Benchmarks in conversion, penetration and retention sales excellence:
	Strategies to improve results in conversion, penetration and retention
	New job role for new account hunting in select geographies

Industry: Multinational Conglomerate

Client Situation

	Sales leadership recognized inconsistencies and inequities in sales compensation plans across business units in a large, multinational corporation
	There was concern that such inconsistency would do more than impact morale; management was convinced that misdirected, unfocused approaches to sales compensation were costing them market share and growth

Client Objective

Give individual divisions access to best in class sales compensation techniques that could be tailored to the specific needs of the business and the region

AGI Role

	Document “best in class” processes for designing, managing, administering, communicating and auditing sales compensation plans
	Ensure these practices were tuned and consistent with corporate culture and business objectives
	Ensure flexible application of principles to each business unit in each region of the globe

Client Deliverables

Comprehensive compensation plan design guide, articulating:
	Best practices for designing sales compensation plans
	Proper application of specific design elements to business plans
	Design decision steps and criteria
	Straw man solutions with rationale detailing when and where appropriate

Industry: High Technology

Client Situation

	An extremely complex product line with territory based sellers and multiple product and vertical overlays
	Confusion in sales roles and responsibilities
	Exposure for significant overpayment in sales incentives due to double, triple and quadruple crediting

Client Objective

	Tighten up roles and responsibilities in sales coverage through better sales collaboration guidelines and associated crediting procedures
	Ensure incentive payouts fall within business plan guidelines

AGI Role

	Mapped sales processes for key product families
	Identified distinct roles and points of influence for each sales and specialist job
	Determined sales metrics applicable to each sales and sales support position
	Used insight into sales roles to create crediting guidelines for sales transactions in each product family
	Leveraged understanding of sales roles to create robust goal setting protocols that accounted for both the cost and the influence of sellers and specialists in the sales process
	Built sales incentive compensation plans tailored to desired role and influence of sales and support positions in the sale process

Client Deliverables

	Job role and product assignment matrix
	Sales collaboration and crediting playbooks
	Quota setting processes that ensured appropriate productivity uplift
	Sales incentive plans aligned to selling role and business plan objectives