Getting Your Inside Sales Initiative Right

Two companies going through a large merger brought ESG in to advise them on how to converge their separate go-to-market strategies into one cohesive strategy. They knew they would benefit from outside insight and wanted to ensure that their next moves would lead to long-term growth. We sat in on their initial meeting and listened as they discussed passing an inside sales initiative to their customer service reps.  

This perspective made sense for several reasons; the customer service reps understood the customers, the product, the pricing, and were already set up to make calls. But, because of the insight we had from working with similar M&As, we knew this would not be effective. We pushed back and said that this was not going to work. 

If they wanted this strategy to be effective, then they needed to rethink their approach. Professional inside selling is unique and nuanced, and your customer service reps are not the right people for this initiative. Build this as a strategic asset to the company, or you’re wasting time and money.

Our recent partnership with a B2B service company demonstrates that an inside sales initiative is not only possible, but profitable in today’s shifting marketplace.

Real World Results

After implementing the new strategies, we’d equipped this company to attain more sales, create more revenue, and streamline the company’s core processes. The staff was now optimized to handle inside and outside sales initiatives while adapting to a hybrid work-from-home model. 

With a solid action plan in place, company goals are now attainable and they are finally able to move forward towards success. This new momentum empowers the company for even greater growth and provides the capacity to adapt to new markets and challenges as they appear.

The Future Belongs to Those Who Adapt

Our team has architected and delivered world-class inside selling capabilities for decades. Let us learn about your challenges, and offer insights as to the optimal transformation path to achieve best-in-class through a combination of top talent, bulletproof business process, and technology that attracts and retains the very best sales professionals and customers.

Author

Mark Newhall

Founder of ESG

Other Blogs
February 10, 2021Among the many changes the pandemic brought to the workplace is to finally put an end to outdated ideas about where and how work should be done, creating new, likely permanent expectations about flexibility, working conditions and life balance among the workforce. In addition, the pandemic stimulated personal reflection with many employees deciding it is a good time to switch careers. It is perhaps not a surprise that two out of three people who lost their jobs during the pandemic have switched careers, seeking greater stability in different industries. What may be surprising is that, according to a recent Ceridian study, 64% of all, currently employed people are looking for new jobs and for those under 30, the percentage is 76%.   Clearly this time of reflection has employees concluding that a change is needed. We should expect employee churn to continue, and possibly increase, when work is fully back to normal.  What should employers take from this? Employees want what they have always wanted – flexibility, equity and balance. Now, however, employee expectations have shifted and companies that are not able to quickly pivot for the long term, may find themselves in a new talent crunch.   In order to execute on your 2021 strategy, you need people strategies that are aligned with your business and that meet the expectations of your employees. The cobbled together people operations, processes and tools that companies rushed to put in place mostly did the trick of keeping employees productive and companies profitable, although innovation and company culture suffered for some. But these short-term solutions may not be optimal long-term strategies.  Businesses should be asking themselves many questions including:  Is your employee value proposition as compelling now as it was before the pandemic? What will your hybrid work model look like long-term and how will you realign your office processes to maintain required communications and alignment and retain the positive aspects of your office culture? How can you deploy a distributed workplace to ensure equity among your workforce and among roles that are not easily performed remotely? Are your leaders and managers trained on how to manage, coach, collaborate, evaluate performance and motivate their team remotely?  As you restructure to meet the changing  needs of your business, are you able to optimize your existing talent resources to retain valuable organizational knowledge and offer compelling development and advancement opportunities? Will you be able to provide the type of employee experience people are coming to demand?  The opportunities for workforce and organizational transformation are extensive and vast. Companies that have committed to partially or fully remote workplaces are able to tap into the global talent pool, effectively reaching 99% of the world’s population that doesn’t live within commuting distance of their physical office locations.  Flexible organizations that can envision new ways of working and can execute on comprehensive long-term strategies will drive engagement, achieve organizational agility, maintain alignment and foster teamwork across all functions, roles and locations. This will translate into competitive advantage in this new post pandemic landscape. At ESG, we are supporting our clients through the complex projects we are all tackling during this time of change. We would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your current business challenges and determine where ESG can provide support.   —By Karen Kralios, Principal, Organization, Culture & Talent Strategy Practice Leader, ESG Based in Denver, Colorado, Execution Specialists Group (ESG) is a strategy execution-focused consultancy with extensive global experience engaging with client senior leadership to plan and deliver on complex post M&A integration and digital transformation objectives. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s “Top Management Consulting Firms” for the past five years (2016-2020), ESG clients include Advance Auto Parts, Bridgestone, Caesars Entertainment, Gordon Food Service, Office Depot/OfficeMax, Target Corporation, Whole Foods and more. To learn more about ESG, visit www.esgimpact.com Printer Friendly Version [...] Read more...
May 11, 2016FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DENVER, Colorado— Execution Specialists Group LLC (ESG) has been named by Forbes as “One of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms” in April 2016. This annual list identifies top management consultancies that provide businesses with superior guidance in their respective practice areas. ESG, a Denver ­based consultancy focused on strategy execution, was recognized as one of the nation’s leading management consulting firms in the area of business strategy alongside 60 industry peers. “We’re extremely honored by this recognition”, said Mark Newhall, ESG Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “To be nominated by our clients and endorsed by our peers across multiple business sectors is a tremendous validation of our commitment to client success. Our team continually strives to provide the best and most practical value possible in strategy development, which is never complete without disciplined and rigorous execution.” To compile this list of honorees, Forbes collaborated with online statistics provider Statista. Firms were considered based on lists of associations, consulting directories, competitions and company databases, as well as through the PR and marketing departments of 50 large management consulting firms. Results are based on surveys of 7,286 partners and project managers from management consultancies, and 1,316 management consultancy clients. Executives participating in this survey were asked to recommend consultancies based on a list of industries and functional areas in which they have worked with a consultancy during the last four years. ABOUT ESG Founded in 2008 in Denver, Execution Specialists Group (ESG) is a strategy execution­focused consultancy with extensive global experience engaging with client senior leadership to plan and deliver on complex integration, transformation, and innovation objectives. ESG relentlessly focuses on delivering meaningful client outcomes and leaving behind a culture of execution. ESG contact Media Relations mediarelations@esgimpact.com   printer friendly version [...] Read more...
May 8, 2018ESG is Sole Denver-based Organization to Receive Client and Peer-Nominated Distinction. Execution Specialists Group (ESG), a strategy execution-focused consultancy, today announced that the organization has been named by Forbes to its list of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms for 2018. Just ten years after its founding in Denver, 2018 marks the third consecutive year that ESG has appeared on Forbes’ annual ranking of the highest rated consultancies across all sectors and functional areas. ESG is among just over 200 management consulting firms nationwide to earn a spot on the list and the only firm headquartered in Denver. “What continues to make ESG’s appearance on the Forbes list such an honor is that the ratings are taken from more than 1,000 clients and more than 7,500 other management consultancies. To receive the recommendation of peers and senior executives is tremendously meaningful to me and our entire team,” said Mark Newhall, founder and CEO, ESG. “Among the consultancies on the list, we feel ESG is extraordinarily well-positioned, not only in its depth of strategic expertise, but also in its place as one of Colorado’s most unique and capable homegrown organizations.”   To compile its list, Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to survey partners and executives of management consultancies, as well as senior executives who had worked with such firms over the last four years. Respondents were asked to recommend consultancies across predetermined sectors and functional areas and firms with a disproportionate number of recommendations were organized into star ratings. About ESG Based in Denver, Colorado, Execution Specialists Group (ESG) is a strategy execution-focused consultancy with extensive global experience engaging with client senior leadership to plan and deliver on complex integration, transformation, and innovation objectives. ESG relentlessly focuses on delivering meaningful client outcomes and leaving behind a culture of execution. Recognized by Forbes as one of the “Top Management Consulting Firms” for the past three years (2016-2018), ESG has consistently delivered on client transformation across all functional disciplines including sales, merchandising, supply chain, marketing, real estate, technology, human resources and finance to deliver disciplined program design and execution. Clients include Advance Auto Parts, Caesars Entertainment, Gordon Food Service, Office Depot/OfficeMax, Target Corporation, Whole Foods and more. To learn more about ESG, visit www.esgimpact.com Media Contact Jennifer Levasseur (720) 235-0816 x399 mediarelations@esgimpact.com Printer Friendly Version [...] Read more...
March 17, 2020Execution Specialists Group (ESG), a strategy execution-focused consultancy, today announced that the organization has been named by Forbes to its list of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms for 2020. 2020 marks the fifth consecutive year that the talent and performance of ESG’s people has been recognized on Forbes’ annual ranking of the highest rated consultancies across all sectors and functional areas. [...] Read more...
February 24, 2021Is your CRM broken?  We hear about broken CRMs – or Customer Relationship Management systems – a lot from clients. We quickly discover it is actually configuration, and behind this, process. Your CRM is probably not broken, but your configuration of it is.  It’s all about the process and automation of what is important. You have invested millions of dollars in licenses and implementation fees for your CRM platform – not to mention the staff that maintains it.   Does it automate your processes like it should?  Do you feel like you are getting your money’s worth?  Does your CRM support the new pandemic processes?  Is the staffing in sales and support equipped with CRM to support their customers in the right way? Often, CRM systems are architected from a point in time and only gradually enhanced.  With more people working remotely, CRM has often become stale and not as relevant as it should be.  As we hear more and more clients lamenting a CRM that is expensive and not as utilized as it should, ESG works with these clients to optimize the CRM roadmap taking into account people, process, and technology.  Old legacy processes seemingly need to be refreshed to make CRM a driving force in customer satisfaction and increased sales. ‘COVID-izing’ your CRM platform will be critical for success moving forward as we emerge from the pandemic crisis.  Identifying what needs to happen to your CRM to make it effective is difficult.  It’s a combination of people, process, and technology.  Shifting the CRM, which enables your organization’s sales and service engine, is a complex undertaking best supported by experienced professionals who have successfully executed programs designing updated staffing, structure, and process that work together to provide the ultimate customer experience.  ESG can immerse quickly in your business and very quickly turn-around a prioritized CRM roadmap that builds on incremental success and includes potential staffing and process changes – not just the system enhancements / refactoring that is required.  To explore how  ESG can help you build a CRM Roadmap, let’s have a conversation.   ESG listens, learns and shares expertise as committed partners focused on achieving results for companies as they pursue transformation of all kinds.  We would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your current business challenges and determine where ESG can provide support. —By Ron Chaney, Partner, ESG Based in Denver, Colorado, Execution Specialists Group (ESG) is a strategy execution-focused consultancy with extensive global experience engaging with client senior leadership to plan and deliver on complex post M&A integration and digital transformation objectives. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s “Top Management Consulting Firms” for the past five years (2016-2020), ESG clients include Advance Auto Parts, Bridgestone, Caesars Entertainment, Gordon Food Service, Office Depot/OfficeMax, Target Corporation, Whole Foods and more. To learn more about ESG, visit www.esgimpact.com Printer Friendly Version [...] Read more...
January 31, 2018At this point on the calendar, near-and long-term business predictions for 2018 and beyond are easy to come by, and frankly not all that valuable. What is known, however, is that this year hundreds of mergers and acquisitions will be announced, planned or executed and, subsequently, companies will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to consulting specialists to help guide the M&A process. Whether these companies will be satisfied with the guidance they receive is an entirely different prediction altogether. For many companies, the M&A decision and process almost invariably becomes the responsibility of executives (financial officers, chief counsel, etc.) that won’t be involved in the day-to-day task of making an integration successful. This is why companies bring in management consulting specialists in the first place: they can provide valuable perspectives and advice across a number of important areas – from systems integration to team chemistry. The ideal partners have been through their share of successes and failures – it’s not their first rodeo. The most successful integrations we see are those where thoughtful advance planning takes place and clients take the time to carefully identify the specific skills and expertise they are looking for in a consulting partner. To provide some guidance related to some of the skill sets that matter – and those that don’t – following is a brief primer on some of the areas of value when making this selection. MUST-HAVES A “Been There, Done That” Approach: Obviously experience is critical in almost any strategic engagement, but M&A experience is just plain different. Successful M&A is about execution – understanding what can realistically be accomplished within a given timeframe and what the end result will look like. There are fundamental principles that can be applied to most M&A situations, but mastering execution within that set of principles requires repetition. When determining the right consultant, it’s critical to understand specific experiences and areas of expertise, whether as a consultant or at the corporate level. Were they the buyer or the seller? Determine if those projects were of comparable size and scope to your own. Ask about the complexities involved, including regulatory hurdles, supply chain issues or strategic and cultural gaps. Experience matters. Don’t act as a training ground for a consultant’s future clients; the right choice should provide you the value – not someone else. Less Optimization, More Transformation: There are plenty of management consultants that are wired like their clients in the C-suite – they want to make everything work as well as possible. It’s a noble pursuit, but M&A requires a somewhat different approach. For example, when companies integrate systems, such as CRM or HR solutions, one company with a newer, larger system might assume the best strategy is to force the other company to rapidly transition away from their legacy system. The forward-thinking and battle-tested management consultant has seen that movie before and understands that, more often than not, that approach leads to confusion, delays and costly downtime while IT departments scramble and employees catch up on unfamiliar processes. The ideal consultant is willing and able to invest time and effort into integration planning – asking the right questions at the outset of a project to determine where potential friction in a merger might take place, whether from a systematic or a cultural challenge. Newer doesn’t necessarily mean better. The right partner understands the operations side to a business and recognizes that clients don’t spend 24/7 thinking about integration – they’re focused on keeping the lights on and the doors open. Viewing a potential transformation from the perspective of both the C-suite and the operations staff may seem simple, but it’s actually a learned skill that requires a well-trained ear and plenty of time in the trenches. LESS GOOD Strategy without Execution: Bottom line – for M&A to be successful, it’s imperative that strategy and execution are in lock-step with one another. A solid management consultant understands how to translate strategy into day-to-day action. This includes identifying the unique traits that make each company distinctive – technology, processes, organizational structures, people skills, etc. – and creating an actionable roadmap that applies those areas into the integration. The right consultant contemplates all the possible scenarios and is able to make thoughtful recommendations that are cognizant of the unique cultures and characteristics of each side. UNNECESSARY Excessive PowerPoint, Expense Accounts: There will inevitably be management consultants who successfully overwhelm clients with flashy presentations and brand recognition (“nobody ever got fired for hiring ____”), that are often mistaken for value. During the evaluation phase, it may be more prudent to focus on references of successful engagements, as opposed to the slick nature of the marketing materials that are provided. Strategy without proper execution is a pathway to certain failure, and yet companies continue to find themselves in consulting relationships with big, high-level thinkers that don’t get things done. Instead, prudent executive teams will seek specialists who are capable of laying out the strategy, but are also able to roll up their sleeves and accomplish something. These types of partners have the opportunity to not only reach their clients’ business goals, but also to create a new culture of execution that will have an impact well after a transformation takes place. —By Mark Newhall, ESG Founder and CEO  Printer Friendly Version [...] Read more...