Corporate Express
Company: Corporate Express, Broomfield, Colorado
Company Description: Corporate Express, a Buhrmann company, is the world’s largest business-to-business supplier of essential office and computer products and services to customers who value superior procurement solutions. Corporate Express’ North American operations have 300 facilities, including 54 distribution centers, and employ 14,500 people.
Nomination Category: Business or Industrial Theatre Productions
Nomination Sub Category: Convention
Nomination Title: Corporate Express Sales Meeting
1. The date in 2006 on which this nominated production was first presented:
# How many people are in your organization's entire sales department?
There are approximately 1,700 people in the Corporate Express sales department.
# What is your organization's annual sales volume? If this information is
confidential, simply enter "Confidential" in this space:
The 2005 annual sales volume for Corporate Express North America Sales was
$4.6 Billion.
# Provide a brief biography of the leader(s) of your sales organization (up to
100 words):
The Corporate Express Sales Organization Leader is Gary Gonsalves, Senior Vice
President, Office Products Sales.
Gary Gonsalves is the Senior Vice President of Office Products Sales for
Corporate Express North America. Gonsalves is a 26-year veteran of the office
products industry and has served in a number of positions at Corporate Express
including Division Vice President of Sales and California-South Division
President. Gonsalves was most recently the Region President for Corporate
Express's Western Region.
Gonsalves has a business marketing degree from San Diego State University.
# Describe for the judges your sales meeting (up to 100 words). You may include
here URLs (web addresses) of any photographs, video clips, documents, etc. that
will support your entry. IMPORTANT: list each URL on a separate line, begin each
URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets; for example,
http://www.xyzcorp.com/videoclips.html:
In June, Corporate Express’s sales organization and key leaders met in
Nashville to learn about key initiatives, network with colleagues, and focus
on the 2006 sales goals. Under the theme ‘Our Future is Now,’ more than 1,900
attendees enjoyed a rousing General Session to open the event, followed by
sales breakouts and workshops focusing on key areas, and training modules to
help our business grow. This year’s National Sales Meeting also included
Supplier Expo, where more than 100 suppliers hosted booths in a trade show
event where sales people learned more about manufacturing, sourcing and the
launch of new products.
# Briefly describe the 3 keys to the success of your sales meeting (up to 100
words):
1. Excite and invigorate the Corporate Express sales force.
Through the use of high-level executive presentations, multi-media video and
sales interaction, the sales meeting began with a rousing general session that
left the sales force cheering, and excited for what came next.
2. Convey key initiatives for 2006 and beyond. By hearing directly from
executive management, attendees left the meeting with an understanding of not
only the current state of business, but also future sales initiatives.
3. Provide attendees with an opportunity to share best practices with their peers. Interacting with peers and sharing best practices are important goals for meeting attendees. Daily workshop and breakout sessions provided attendees the opportunity to network and interact.
# List the 3 most important lessons your organization learned during this
process (up to 100 word):
1. Involve field sales members. While breakout and workshop sessions are well
received by attendees, incorporating field sales members to share best
practices and selling tips in the sessions are important to the success of the
sessions.
2. Interactive General Session. Attendees don’t want to be lectured through
traditional PowerPoint methods. A general session should include multi-media
presentations, sales interaction and enthusiasm from all presenters.
3. Give time for vendors and sales force to interact. All members of a sales
force should spend time with vendors to learn about new products, technology
and selling tips. A vendor expo and an evening event with vendors allows time
for this interaction
2. Briefly describe this entry’s communications objectives and how it met those objectives (up to 100 words):
See above
3. List the appropriate creative and production credits for this entry: Advertising Agency/City: Client: Art Director: Cinematographer: Creative Director: Designer: Director: Illustrator/City: Music Producer/City: Photographer/City: Printer/City: Producer: Production Company/City: Programmer: Writer: Web Development Firm/City:
See above