Passport to success

With a view to improving the value that the sales force of Gladstone add to their customers, an internal project named 'Project Passport' was launched on November 11th 2009. True North Associates Ltd were retained to design and facilitate the project, based on their in depth knowledge and experience of running similar projects with blue chip companies in the IT high tech 'space'.

The objective of the project is to ensure that each individual customer sales engagement best places the salesman to add value to the customer. A quote from Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, has been used as the recurring theme of the project: "Seek first to understand, before being understood". The challenge being given to the Gladstone sales teams is that they must seek to understand the business issues that their customers face (customer needs analysis) before they can hope to be 'understood' (the sales proposition).

The project endeavours to show a structured approach to the selling work that the Gladstone teams conduct in Face to Face meetings, Managing complex sales opportunities and Account Planning.

This project is seen as delivering a win, win, win scenario. A win for the customer as the sales teams will be better positioned to add value to the customer in positioning the full range of Gladstone's capabilities in a manner that is fully aligned to the discreet business needs the customer has. A win for Gladstone as this consultative approach will build strategic relationships with their customers and subsequent profitable recurring revenue, and a win for the sales people as it helps to develop them as individuals and strengthens their CV's.

To ensure that the skills and knowledge are put into action a 'Visa' is awarded to the salesperson once a Gladstone Sales Manager has witnessed the aforementioned skills in action either in front of customers or as part of the planning process.

3 February 2010