R.F. MacDonald Co.
Client Achieves Additional $11,000,000 As a Result of Implementing The Brooks Group’s Best-in Class Sales Methodology
Revenue gains are estimated $11,000,000 following the training and an anticipated $32,000,000 over the lifetime of new clients won.
This case study captures key issues and results for R.F. MacDonald Co. and its implementation of the IMPACT Selling® System. The use of talent assessments, sales training, and coaching reinforcement provided by The Brooks Group has led to improved hiring and retention and consistency of the sales process.
Situation
R.F. MacDonald Co., a leading provider of boilers and pumps for commercial and industrial applications, was experiencing substantial growth and senior leadership was in search of a sales training solution that would help sustain the company’s momentum.
R.F. MacDonald Co. was in search of a sales training program that would:
- Help to identify if the existing salespeople were the right fit for their roles
- Install a straightforward, memorable and usable sales process his team could use to become more effective when working with prospects and customers
- Help reps to call higher within their accounts, and work with more prospects that could specify R.F. MacDonald Co.’s products into their projects
- Provide reinforcement mechanisms to make sure that the new sales process would become part of a new culture of sales effectiveness
Solution
Discovery:
On the front end of the engagement, consultants from The Brooks Group conducted interviews with company stakeholders and invested time with R.F. MacDonald Co. sales managers and senior executives to thoroughly understand the sales team’s environment and existing culture..
Sales Management Training:
R.F. MacDonald Co.’s leadership knew that in order to drive culture change, their front-line sales managers had to be able to coach their team members to the new sales process. As a result, the training portion of the engagement included 2 days of sales management training designed to achieve that outcome.
Front-Line Sales Rep Training:
Following the management training, over the course of 2 days, The Brooks Group delivered customized sales training curriculum to R.F. MacDonald Co. salespeople. This training experience included role plays, practice scenarios and group exercises aligned with the realities of the sales environment.
Coaching and Reinforcement:
Following the 2-day instructor-led training program, the sales team attended a 9-session leader-led coaching program in order to bolster the reinforcement efforts and ensure that reps wouldn’t defer back to old habits after the training. Jim MacDonald, CEO, attended all of the sessions in his commitment to demonstrate corporate support of the program and unity in the training effort.
Individual Team Member Assessments (Ongoing):
Already familiar with the Brooks Talent Index System’s capabilities, owner Jim MacDonald was in full support of using assessments to find the right people for the company’s growing sales team. The results of the 4-dimensional assessments were used to identify the right candidates, as well as to aid in the coaching and training process of these individuals post-hire.
Now a diligent user of the Brooks Talent Index Assessments for talent acquisition, owner Jim MacDonald asserts that the company wouldn’t conduct sales hiring without it. The assessments go beyond the sales department as well, and the coaching reports are utilized for each new hire.
Result
Management at R.F. MacDonald Co. was extremely impressed with the careful planning and attention to detail that occurred prior to launching IMPACT, as well as the smooth execution that ensued. The customization process and use of relevant, industry-specific language resonated with trainees who felt connected and engaged with the material. More productive use of time and improved team dynamics were among the most heavily reported benefits achieved by the training program.
The Brooks Group’s commitment to results was especially appealing to the management team at R.F. MacDonald Co., and the ongoing interest in client success during the coaching sessions was reassurance that the right training company was in fact selected. As a company that was experiencing rapid sales growth, R.F. MacDonald Co. called on The Brooks Group not to fix a problem, but to continue the growth that had already taken place and to keep business moving in a positive trajectory.
4 months after the training, 90% of participants reported an improvement in sales performance.
- R.F. MacDonald Co. has seen a conservative return on training investment of $11M with 62 new deals being attributed to the use of IMPACT
- The anticipated value of the training program after the first 4 months is equal to $32M, determined by the lifetime value of new accounts won
- Nearly half of sales reps have seen an increase in their average sale amount and a decrease in the length of their sales cycle
- 97% of sales reps report using IMPACT in their day-to-day selling activity
- 86% of sales reps report an increase in new account acquisition as a result of using the strategies learned in the training program