Our client supplied Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to multiple industry sectors – safety gloves for a variety of applications – using distributors as a route to market both nationally and internationally.

In late 2014, the leadership team completed an MBO and published a 5-year plan to grow to £100m by 2020. The first year proved to be a considerable challenge for the Leadership Team to drive 20% growth.

The Leadership Team recognised the need to transform the performance of the Sales Division and appointed an interim Sales Director in May 2015 to activate the transformation.

The metrics for success would be;

1. Return to Growth @ 20% per annum
2. Capability Improvement all channels

Polyco operated across three channels of trade;

• UK & Independent / Regional Distributors
• UK & Corporate / National Distributors
• International / Export

Previously, there had been a long-term Sales Director in place with in-depth knowledge of the industry.

Polyco had a preferred sales cycle;

1. Product Specification @ End – User
2. Customer choice of distributor
3. Business Development through distributors

The existing sales cycle had several challenges:

• The first major challenge was a lack of data and insights into sales potential for each sales channel.
• The second major challenge was the resources applied to each sales channel.
• The third major challenge was the absence of planning tools used by the sales channels.
• And the fourth major challenge was the lack of investment in developing commercial capabilities across all sales channels.

Our approach of Assess, Recommend, and Implement provided the Leadership Team with the necessary confidence to activate the transformation programme.

Our experience of managing sales teams across multiple channels, including export, allowed us to gain the necessary insights into the barriers of performance and combining this with our recent consulting experience of developing sales academies provided the foundations for the development of commercial capabilities. Finally, our line management experience, both leadership and operational, provided the necessary gravitas and credibility to the sales teams to fully engage in the sales academy.

What did we deliver?

Our assessment resulted in the following recommendations that were implemented;

1. Re-allocate resources and efforts to the UK & Corporate / National Distributors
2. Activated Customer and Territory Planning Tools
3. Developed significant pipeline opportunities based upon access to significant end-user projects
4. Activated recruitment for key roles within National Accounts & Telesales
5. Developed and activated a go to market plan for the International / Export team

The sales transformation in revenue was achieved in month 5.

The sales transformation journey was started in month 2.