Sales FAST Project
External discussion participants
Hig-level topics
Sales force training
Enabling the sales force through technology
Notes: Marketing and sales interaction
Notes: Retaining talent, incentive design
Notes: Organizational structure
Major opportunities
Takeaways: sales training
E-learning processes heavily utilized at best-in-class organizations
Cisco, Sun, Siebel
Keep sales force in the field as much as possible
Product knowledge requires experts, live training, webcasts, and web-on-demand
Cisco, Sun, Siebel, Dell
Multiple layers driving toward JIT training in bitesize chunks
Advanced consulting and relationship skills are now critical
Cisco has 60 consultants in the field mentoring sales force in skillset
Siebel has the skill set imbedded
Training certification testing is considered critical enabler by some
Siebel & Enron
Pay attention to alignment with marketing, recruiting and business goals
Sales training notables
GE Capital
Commitment - Largest per employee training budget
Dell
Matrixed approach - Dell Univ., HR sales training, product marketing
Product knowledge - Rolling out hundreds of new products annually
Oracle
Monthly web cast on critical topics
Moving toward smaller and more regular sales bites
Enron
Alignment - Training driven by business goals - training aligned with hiring
Certification - Compensation tied to testing - 3 certification levels
Web - White papers capture best practices - written and promoted internally
Client executive program - University and Enron program
Best-in-class
Sales training at Sun Microsystems and Siebel
Sun Microsystems
Sun BizTV - Monthly satellite broadcasts of industry knowledge to sales force
SE TV - Monthly satellite broadcasts of product knowledge to sales force
Mentoring - Used as a fundamental development technique
McNeally Report - CEO’s audio presentations on direction/motivation
– Sales force has web access to all necessary product information
Siebel
Picture talk - Extensive use of live web casts - recorded for asynchronous use
Sales training within marketing - Training built into the product lifecycle
Certification - Clear employee understanding of expectations
JIT - Shortening product shelf life demands proactive training
Closed loop - Training and recruiting are aligned
Best-in-class
Sales training at Cisco Systems
Cisco
CiscoCast - Broadcast corporate information through e-mail and web video
Field e-learning - Anywhere accessibility to sales education web site
New hires - Web-based starter kit
Web courses - Classes designed for multiple skill levels and audiences
Practice - Labs are set up for product demo and configurations
Collaboration - Regional, national, global interactive web-based learning
Training coalition - Cross divisional representatives that define training needs
Consulting skill set - 70 consultants in the field mentoring account managers
Moving skill set forward by working side by side with the AMs
Systems engineers (product experts) - Web, training lunches, specialization
Sales training - next actions
Build relationship with best-in-class organizations
Cisco, Sun, Siebel (possibly Enron, Dell)
Arrange live visits
Expose AMAT sales leadership to best-in-class models
Sales e-learning roundtable
Align training with business goals - Cisco and Enron models
Ramp consulting capabilities - Hire skill set, mentor sales force - Cisco model
Ramp e-learning use/capabilities - Sun, Cisco, Siebel models
Drive right information JIT to sales force/product experts in the field
E-learning must be sales driven - not corporate “throw over the wall”
Regular product and industry webcasts
Web-based catalog of sales-based information and recorded webcasts
Evaluate certification testing - Enron and Siebel models
Takeaways: technology
Best-in-class give sales force web access to all relevant tools and information
Cisco, Sun
Tools must be tailored to sales force - upfront design input and ongoing feedback
Cisco
Use of technology is a given across the BKM organizations
Cisco, Siebel, Sun, GE Capital
Faster identification and response to opportunities
Siebel
CRM software and technology being implemented at 50%+ of these companies
Most CRM experiences have been positive/profitable to date
Change management is key consideration in technology implementations
Technology notables
Sun Micro
Technology supports effective resource allocation and goal focus
My Sun web technology moves sales force from transaction=>relationship focus
All necessary sales tools and product info. available via laptop from the field.
Dell
Strive to make technology use intuitive
Enron
Implementing CRM software - in early stages
Creates more robust model of proprietary system that was in place
CRM software facilitates knowledge sharing by defining ideal customer info
Culture that embraces change increases their success with technology
Best-in-class
Technology at Cisco, GE and Siebel
GE Capital
All sales reps are issued lap tops
GE sales reps are required to use CRM technology
Technology helps in quote generation and pricing for each deal individually
CRM technology focuses training efforts
Leveraging technology to increase sales without adding reps
Siebel
Considers the use of CRM software a strategic advantage
Siebel product allows for more immediate productivity from new reps
Technology use and excellence is fundamental to business
Cisco
All key information available via web tools from the field
Rapid deployment of product information
Web tools tailored by sales input and ongoing feedback
Technology: next actions
Expand relationship with best-in-class companies
Sun, Cisco, Siebel, GE Capital
Expose AMAT sales organization to technology models at best-in-class
Arrange live visits and further briefings
Leverage FAST contacts - vested interest to show off their “gear”
Create organizational strategy and direction for sales technologies
Design strategy drawing upon Sun, Cisco, Siebel and Enron models
Design and implement pilots using existing AMAT intranet/infrastructure
Expand overall toolset available for sales force via the web
Sun and Cisco models
Expand use of and capabilities for e-learning
Sun, Cisco and Siebel models
Sales e-learning FAST roundtable
Evaluate business case for CRM
Involve sales and marketing in building business case
CRM briefing by Arthur Andersen - more detail upon request
Consider outside partner in creation/evaluation of business case
Follow with Enron / GE Capital on CRM experience
Selected notes: coordinating marketing and sales
Segmenting and targeting markets critical to successful coordination
Clear customer focus unites marketing and sales
The needs of vertical marketplaces unite marketing and sales
Notables
Marketing and sales coordination
Ad Tranz
Marketing and sales work closely on new product development
Clear presentation of benefits and costs in customizing products
Dell
Business model dependent on sales and marketing interaction
Market segmentation used to focus sales and business goals
Siebel
Customer focused vision results in effective sales and marketing collaboration
Accountability through customer surveys critical to execution
Sales training resides within marketing - training out before product launch
Airbus
Marketing and sales report to separate divisions
Co-located/integrated with business unit managers
Best-in-class
Marketing and sales coordination at Sun and Enron
Sun Microsystems
Shared technology between sales and marketing creates common language for
exchange and common process for execution
Enron
Managing director of sales set priorities for attacking market opportunities
Account strategy that brings together expert teams
Centralized account planning in the “war room”
Use of technology with defined sales and marketing responsibilities
Frequent review of pipeline and resource allocation
Marketing and sales coordination - next actions
Consider expanding relationship of marketing and sales through customer focus
Consider bringing marketing and sales together for CRM bus. case evaluation
Strategic marketing FAST Project
Selected notes: retaining talent
Stock incentives directly effect retention
Cisco
2-3 year development incubator for investing in individuals
Enron
Mentoring is critical to long-term retention
Sun
90% of Siebel’s sales force has an equity stake
100% of Cisco’s sales force has equity. Gives out options like a startup.
Selected notes: incentive design
Stock incentives to retain and motivate all employees at best-in-class
Cisco, Siebel, Sun
Aggressive compensation plan tied to customer satisfaction and profitability
Cisco, Sun
Many need to compete with dot-com resource drain - adjusting compensation
Boeing, Oracle, Siebel
Selected notes: incentive design
GE Capital
Sales reps know exactly what GE and they are making on each sale
Sun Micro
Designing customer satisfaction metric for compensation formula
Focusing revenue metrics toward linear bookings
Enron
Tiered compensation to maintain profitability
Maximize behavior by clear definition with high overachievement comp
Retention is not a major issue - high growth
Cisco
Gives out options like a startup
All employees have equity stake
Customer satisfaction tied to compensation for all employees
Retention is not a major issue - high growth
Selected notes: organizational design
Best-in-class companies have a clear sales champion that reports to CEO
Cisco, Siebel, Sun, Enron, Airbus
Almost every company has an SVP of worldwide sales or the equivalent
Oracle, Sun, Cisco, AdTranz, Enron, Bombardier, Boeing, Airbus
Frequently reorganizing to meet new market and customer demands
Cisco, Sun, AdTranz
Major areas of opportunity
Expand use of technology to enable sales force
Systems to reduce transaction processing / time away from customer
E-learning
CRM - Take brunt of service details off sales force shoulders
Web-based sales tools and product information
Change Management
Shape and standardize product materials based on needs of sales force
Drive speed of use and customization to customer audience
Expand sales force feedback into marketing, product info. and training
Expand mentoring to leverage knowledge of veterans
Expand consulting and relationship-building capabilities
Hire and deploy skill set
Leverage hired guns to mentor account managers
Build relationships with best-in-class companies
Ongoing source of innovations for sales force effectiveness
Identify and execute next leaps in productivity before competition
Cisco, Sun, Enron, Siebel, Dell
© 2000 Arthur Andersen All rights reserved.
