Services

• Analysis and strategy

• Stakeholder communications

• Branding

• Instructional design

• Information design

Outcomes

• Reduced time-to-effectiveness for newly hired sales representatives, resulting in positive effect on market share

• 100% of leadership training program participants were successfully promoted to positions of significantly greater responsibility

• Improved consistency and usability of career development materials

• Improved efficiency of sales management training

Situation

This confidential client was losing market share and needed to strengthen their sales organization. Existing efforts were hampered by turnover, an inadequate pool of management candidates, and lack of a clearly identified progression for professional development.

We were hired to help with a series of separate communications and training initiatives intended to build an effective management pipeline, reduce time-to-effectiveness for new hires, improve sales management training, and improve and consolidate career development programs.

How we helped

In addition to providing guidance for content development and visual design, we helped stakeholders see how seemingly unrelated solutions could be integrated into compelling, cohesive systems. We organized sales development content into practical, audience-centered materials, built internal brands to communicate value, and created stakeholder presentations for use in garnering support and explaining the changes. 

Process clarity

Project: Management Development program
Sales directors needed more accessible information about expectations, options, and resources for the development of their managers.

A centralized intranet resource was our recommendation, but the client needed an affordable tool in the short term. So, we transformed the client's existing information into a color-coded tool that detailed training activities, provided hyperlinks to associated documents on the client intranet, and enabled progress tracking.

Stakeholder communications for executive buy-in

Project: Leadership Development initiative
This concise briefing document explained the business need, strategic rationale, learning strategy, and learning design for presentation to senior management.

Result: Client obtained management support, secured resources, and established program visibility

Blended learning

Project: Sales New-Hire Training program

Self-study materials for new sales reps integrated foundational content, a printed workbook to guide and supplement the person’s experience through standardized e-learning courses, and periodic on-site training. An additional Coach version set expectations for interaction, provided coaching guidance, and included answers to quiz questions.
Result: Helped reduce sales representative time-to-effectiveness during a period of rapid sales force expansion.

(Awarded ASTD Excellence in Practice Citation)

Design analysis

Project: Career Development program

By evaluating real-world usage and stakeholder input against potential design options, we helped the client understand trade-offs between customization and cost when designing a system to house career development content for sales reps.

Although the client was focused on materials for just one of their three distinct sales teams, we were able to help them create a system that could later be applied to the other teams.