Tweet

Company: Strategy to Revenue, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Company Description: Strategy to Revenue provides revenue enhancing services to large organisations through the improvement and mobilisation of their sales operations. The Company's innovative multimedia sales effectiveness programmes are designed to support the execution of strategic business and marketing initiatives for large sales teams, bridging the gap between marketing and sales functions.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year

Nomination Title: DHL Global Forwarding - Quest for Sales Excellence

Tell the story about your organization's sales training and/or coaching program since the beginning of July 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Strategy to Revenue (STR) was engaged by DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) in September 2012 to transform the global sales force to become the number one in the logistics industry as part of their 'Good to Great' business strategy.

In order to fully understand the current situation, STR worked in collaboration with the DHL Global Sales Training team to analyze the sales process, existing selling models and concepts used in the field, and identify the gaps to drive high performance.

The resulting goals for the Quest for Sales Excellence (QSE) program were to;

• Bring the sales community of 3,000 people working globally to the same level of competence
• Provide an excellent onboarding experience for new hires and address existing employees.
• Customize the program for each role ( Field Sales, Trade Lane, Key Account & Sales Manager, Sales Facilitator)
• Deliver a commons sales language across the organization
• Deliver the program in 8 languages
• Internal accreditation process to certify the Internal Sales Facilitators who rolls out QSE globally

The STR and DHL Global Sales Training team invented the concept of the ‘Learning Journey’ supported by a sports theme. The Learning Journey was a ground breaking approach to sales performance improvement and started out with the learner agreeing to completion of their own ‘Learning Contract’ and taking ownership and accountability to drive the behavioral change. The Learning Journey also develops a coaching mentality across the sales organization.

A major part of the learning journey is the completion of the Knowledge Transfer, a series of self-paced online learning modules and on-the-job activities directed through a Learning Diary. During the Knowledge Transfer we align all the key skills required at each stage of the sales process.

On completion of the Knowledge Transfer and final assessment, the sales people or sales manager attend a three day ACTIONsession. The ACTIONsession allows for the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge and experience from the on the job activities through sharing of best practice, but also provides the environment for further practice through case study activities. By the end of the ACTIONsession they had to complete an online final assessment to complete their certification.

All of the Learning Journey is managed by the QSE Facilitator World Platform which is developed by another Global Partner Company of DGF. Online session evaluations give the opportunity to capture the feedback from participants in order to improve QSE continuously.

The QSE program started rolling in March, 2013 to the Sales Management community first followed by the rest of the sales community. The resulting accomplishments include;

• A consistent approach to sales training global ensuring common language and process to drive sales effectiveness across the sales community
• Increased time to productivity of new hires
• Adoption of a coaching mentality and cadence by the sales management community
• Transformation of selected members of the sales trainer community from ‘trainers’ to facilitators and ultimately to ‘performance advisors’ in the country’s.
• An increase in pipeline value which should soon translate into increased revenues

The QSE program was an example of a truly global sales development program addressing all sales roles and breaking the mold of traditional sales training.

Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated sales training or coaching program:

The QSE program was sponsored and supported from the very top of DHL Global Forwarding and a multi-million pound investment into the company. Roger Crook, CEO DHL Global Forwarding was the Executive Sponsor and the Regional Sales Leaders who are part of the Global Sales Excom committee endorsed QSE at a regional and country level.

On the Operational side, the sponsor STR engaged with was Michael Dhu, Vice President Global Head of Sales Steering and Cigdem Wondergem, Global Head of Sales Training.

Cigdem Wondergem has been with DP DHL group for 15 years and is a visionary in driving sales performance through learning and development.