“Merging two of the largest real estate practices in the country was very difficult. We brought Bob Howard in to assist in this integration and to drive sales and marketing. Bob did a terrific job of getting the two groups of folks to trust each other and to sell together. His aggressive teaming approach to selling extremely effective in helping unify the culture and in bringing in big wins like Centex.”
– Former Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Real Estate Group
Situation
This complex organization was experiencing increased competition, a lengthy sales cycle and pressure on pricing. Their services were viewed as commodities. Previous Investments in sales and marketing initiatives had failed. Few practice personnel were actually involved in sales activities.
Approach and Analysis
From our analysis we concluded that significant opportunities existed in the firm’s revenue strategy, its sales process and in its sales people. The firm’s branding and the way it positioned its services were out of alignment with the market and far less effective than possible.
Action Taken
We developed an end-to-end, predictable and repeatable sales process and installed Inside Sales Teams working with Regional Reps who together shortened the sales cycle by two-thirds.
We then “changed the rules of engagement,” utilizing the Inside Sales Team to pre-qualify the prospects prior to being pursued by the Key Account Reps. With the help of our Sales Coaches, the Inside Sales Professionals we closing the smaller deals over the phone within a few months while the Key Account Reps focused on large prospects.
Results
We produced a win rate of 80%, shortened the sales cycle by two-thirds and increased revenue 25%. A large, virtual sales force was created and we won large engagements with competitors’ anchor clients. An effective sales culture was created, clearly differentiating firm from others, and competitive threats were largely abated.