2005 First Quarter
“The expectation for all business relationships is that needs will
be met; the expectation for partnering relationships is that value
will be created.”
Randall K. Murphy Founder and President, Acclivus
VALUE CREATION:
Practicing What You Preach
In a time when competition among businesses is becoming increasingly
complex, commodity markets exclusively driven by price have become
the enemy of many successful valueoriented companies.
It should come as no surprise that solid and long-lasting business
relationships are typically based on principles of value creation.
However, organizations of all types have recently embraced the term
“value creation,” often times without a clear understanding of what
the term really means to customers and clients. Sadly, the term
“value creation” has almost become a catch phrase without any teeth.
Even worse, many organizations preach value creation with little
intent to practice it, and with no way of knowing how to do it.
How do the truly “value creating” companies differentiate themselves
from these pretenders?
It is first important to recognize that creating value is not something
you do for your customers . . . it is something that you build with
your customers. Business relationships based on jointly creating
value tend to forge solid, longlasting partnerships; a value-creating
environment provides a foundation for these long-term relationships.
To truly use “value creation” as a means of differentiating yourself
from your competition, you must yield concrete results. In the sales
process, just mentioning the words by themselves can only get you
so far. In the short term, saying “we bring value to our customer
partnerships” may create a “feel good” rapport with your customers,
but this euphoria will soon disappear unless value is actually created.
Lynn Versteeg, Acclivus Performance Development
Consultant, leads participants through the R³ Sales Excellence™
program |
There is a strong correlation between meeting your customers’ needs
and creating value in a partnership with them. First, you must understand
what your customers' business issues are; have a clear understanding
of how your products or services can solve your customers' business
problems, strengthen their customer relationships, and financially
impact their business.
Take the time to truly understand your customers’ goals, problems
and needs. Find ways you can help them improve. Working in partnership
with your customers, develop a solution for these issues. The more
closely you work with your customers toward their needs, the stronger
the value creating partnership will be. Value creation is a culture;
it is the way you work with your customers.
When you measure your success in terms of your customers' success,
results will be so clear and tangible that differentiating yourself
from your competition will be easy.
 S³
ALIGNMENT™ SURVEY UPDATE
Acclivus Corporation, with guidance from experts at the Association
for Services Management International (AFSMI), the Baylor University
Center for Professional Selling, Sales & Marketing Management
magazine and Training magazine, surveyed more than 12,000
managers and executives.
Our Purpose
Sales, support and services (S³) professionals working together
to create value with customers is one of the few remaining competitive
advantages in today's marketplace. We call this distinct advantage
S³ Alignment™.
What We Learned
Data received from 264 companies indicates:
- There is ample room for improvement in alignment of sales, support
and services professionals.
- Higher levels of customer and employee loyalty are strongly
associated with higher scores in all six S³ Alignment™ factors—S³
Planning, S³ Insight, S³ Approach, S³ Relationships, S³ Training,
and S³ Rewards.
- Increased profit is strongly associated with higher levels of
S³ Alignment™, particularly in the area of Relationships. In fact,
there was a 6.7% difference in profit between companies with the
highest and lowest S³ Alignment™ Index scores.
- Higher revenue is significantly correlated with higher levels
of S³ Alignment™, especially in the area of training.
Implications
To measurably improve performance through greater S³ Alignment™,
an organization must be willing to:
- Make an honest and independent evaluation of the current level
of S³ Alignment™ from the perspectives of sales, support and services
functions.
- Reinforce areas of high alignment, and agree on areas of misalignment.
- Select three to five areas of S³ Alignment™ for improvement
based on creating the greatest positive impact on relationships,
results and revenue.
Visit www.acclivus.com to request a complimentary copy of these
research results published in the whitepaper “S³ Alignment: How
Sales, Support, and Services Professionals Can Work Together to
Increase Loyalty, Profit, and Revenue.”
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Rapid Results at a $42 Billion Computer Company with R³ Service
Business Goals:
- Become #1 in customer satisfaction in the computer industry
- Build strong, long-term customer relationships
- Ensure profitability across all segments of the services business
Performance Challenges:
- Customer satisfaction scores well below other major computer
companies
- Inconsistent customer satisfaction rating across regions and
segments
- Service professionals usually reactive and technically focused
Performance Needs:
- Enable individuals to manage customer expectations
- Diagnose to find root causes
- Handle demands and make recommendations
- Differentiate the value of the service delivered
The Acclivus Solution:
- Predisposition and alignment of service engineers, managers,
and executives
- R³ Service for representatives; Acclivus Coaching
for managers
- Reinforcement via a 10-week field application program and weekly
coaching
- Third-party customer satisfaction measurement
The Facts
Data Collected:¹
- Customer satisfaction scores for both on-site service and phone
service
- Server, desktop, and laptop service customers surveyed
- 1,047 total phone interviews conducted in Q3, Q4, and Q1
Participants:
- 2,000+ service engineers, specialists, and managers
- North American services organization
- R3 Service sessions launched in early Q1
¹ Customer satisfaction tracking and analysis
conducted by an independent, third-party research company not affiliated
with Acclivus Corporation
WELCOME NEW CLIENTS
Banctec
Beck Group
Boise Office Solutions
Caterpillar
Consonus Healthcare
Firstlogic
Global Exchange Services
Hologic
National Oilwell Varco
Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical
Shell Oil
Simplexgrinnell
Stewart & Stevenson Services
Superior Energy Services
EXCELLENCE AWARD
Acclivus receives the 2004 Supplier Excellence
Award from Clarke American. From left to right, Chuck Dawson
of Clarke American, Scott Keller of Acclivus, Mollie Daniels
of Clarke American, Jim Jory of Clarke American, Terry Murphy
of Acclivus, Alan Sfikas of Clarke American and Gary Bordon
of Clarke American. |
Acclivus was recently recognized by Clarke American, Inc. as one
of four organizations out of more than 1,600 suppliers to be honored
with the company's 2004 Supplier Excellence Award. The award distinguishes
suppliers that have significantly contributed to the success of
Clarke American through innovation and the demonstration of passion
to the company.
“Acclivus embodies the award's criteria-trusted, customer-focused,
passionate, collaborative, proactive and results-driven,” explains
Jim Jory, director of sales development for Clarke American. “Both
companies believe in quality, which is what Acclivus delivers—quality
training so that Clarke American's field sales associates can be
effective and efficient in what they do.”
As part of the award, Clarke American made a donation to The Smile
Train in Acclivus' name.
MARTIN CARBONE NAMED ACCLIVUS SENIOR
PARTNER
 In
January, Acclivus promoted Martin Carbone to senior partner. Martin
has been with Acclivus for nine years, partnering with our most
important Northeast clients.
Martin has the opportunity to travel internationally and work with
Fortune 100 clients as he consults and teaches around the areas
of strategic selling, negotiation, planning and strategy, effective
relationship building, and executive coaching. He works internationally
with clients such as IBM, Thomson Financial, BearingPoint, KPMG
and D&B.
| FACILITATOR FOCUS
Terry Murphy, Vice President – Performance Development,
and Amy Barbour, Senior Performance Consultant, oversee
the facilitation and delivery of Acclivus performance development
programs around the world.
Based in Dallas, Terry and Amy work directly with clients,
implementation teams and the Acclivus Performance Development
Partner network to maintain strict control over the flawless
and consistent delivery of all programs in the Acclivus R3
Solutions Performance Development System.
Nancy Ribordy is a performance development consultant
with Acclivus. Nancy brings 20 years of experience in sales
and management. Prior to joining Acclivus, Nancy served as
regional sales manager for Marketing Innovators, an incentive
marketing company; sales manager for Westin Hotels; and sales
manager of the conference center for The Palmer House.
Her expertise extends beyond program facilitation, to include
effective relationship building, strategic selling, executive
coaching, negotiation, and planning and strategy. Nancy works
with Acclivus clients such as IBM, Thomson Financial, BearingPoint,
D&B, Verizon, NASDAQ, and Cadbury Schweppes.
Skip Field spent 27 years at Xerox Corporation in
service and technical support in a variety of different positions,
including four years as a Network Consultant working with
Xerox's Local Area Network Ethernet and its proprietary professional
workstations, servers and printers.
In 1998 Skip joined Acclivus Corporation as a consultant
focusing on the service industry. During the last six years
Skip has facilitated over 200 workshops with our key clients
such as Hewlett-Packard Chemical Analysis Group, Agilent Technologies,
GES Exposition Services, Rockwell Automation, D&B, WearGuard-Crest,
Roche Diagnostics, Pioneer-Standard Electronics, Thomson Financial,
Medtronic, Xerox, Nokia, Siemens Medical Solutions, JDS Uniphase
and Rogers™ Wireless. |
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PROGRAM FOCUS
We've expanded the Acclivus R3 Solutions® Performance Development
System by adding three all-new programs in the last year.
The first step in the business development process is often the
most difficult for many sales professionals to master. The ability
to successfully set initial sales appointments goes far beyond simply
“smiling and dialing.” Getting the Meeting™ provides participants
with the principles and skills necessary to initiate new sales opportunities.
The program inspires and enables sales professionals to make more
calls and get more meetings–driving new business development.
The program enables professionals to develop and deliver value
messages that hit the target, maximize vocal power, network effectively,
and manage resistance from gatekeepers and executives. The skills
are applied to actual participant accounts during the workshop.
Getting the Meeting™ is an exciting, intensive and fun-filled
one-day workshop designed for 12–20 participants.
International Acclivus Performance Development
Partners attend a Getting the Meeting™ session in Dallas, TX.
From left to right, Alfredo Perez (Mexico), Sixto Pérez Sosa
(Venezuela), Don Duguid (Brussels), Steve Walsh (Houston, TX) |
Many of today's inside sales and business-to-consumer organizations
operate in a fast-paced, high-volume, low-margin environment. Success
requires quick understanding of customers' needs, and the ability
to qualify opportunities in a matter of minutes. R³ transACTION™
helps to:
- Build relationships with customers, even if they are short-term
- Ensure that the product will solve the problem and meet the
need
- Close business without sounding pushy or manipulative
Acclivus Global Relationship Managers
Dorothy Landry (San Francisco, CA) and Laura Bennett (Chicago,
IL) participate in a role play during a recent session
|
The program is ideal for professionals who interact with customers
who often view the company's products as commodities, treat the
sales rep tactically, and have no intention of buying until they
find the lowest price or best terms. By taking a consultative approach,
sales reps can close the sale while protecting margins and maintaining
the customer relationship.
R³ transACTION™ can be presented in a one and one-half day
session, or in two modules. The 40-day Follow- Through program helps
participants apply on a daily basis what they learned, one skill
at a time.
R³ interACTION™ provides the skills, techniques, and approaches
required for managing even the most difficult customer interaction
and strengthening long-term customer relationships.
Customers who are dissatisfied or unhappy can represent the greatest
challenge—and opportunity—for the service or sales professional.
In pressure-packed situations, representatives must display poise
and demonstrate professionalism to continue the relationship.
R³ interACTION™ teaches participants how to identify and
maximize opportunities in difficult situations they face every day.
Acclivus Senior Performance Consultant
Amy Barbour (Dallas, TX) coaches Acclivus Global Relationship
Manager Alex Kurian (New York, NY) during a recent session
|
The sales representative who listens patiently, understands the
customer's point of view, and determines the fairest and most effective
resolution can frequently strengthen the relationship and increase
the customer's loyalty.
R³ interACTION™ is a one-day workshop designed for 12–20
participants.
EVENTS
Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA)
41st Annual Conference
May 22-25, 2005 in Dallas, TX
Acclivus will be a key sponsor at this conference and will be delivering
a presentation, "Why Sales, Support, and Services People Don't
Work Well Together–and What to Do About It."
Association for Services Management International (AFSMI)
2005 World Conference
October 9-12, 2005 in Nashville, TN
Acclivus will be sponsoring and exhibiting at this conference for
customer services and support executives and managers.
Acclivus Vice President and General Manager Ron Gajewski will be
presenting on the topic of “Negotiating Techniques to Strengthen
Your Customer Relationships and Protect Your Margins.”
MEDIA MENTIONS
The Winning Team
Sales and Marketing Strategies & News
Ron Gajewski - Acclivus Vice President and General Manager
Five Easy Pieces to Performance Management
Training & Development
Scott C. Watson - Acclivus Manager of Consulting
Management Maladies
Positive Publications
Ron Gajewski - Acclivus Vice President and General Manager
Avoiding the Four Deadly Sins of Performance Development
USA Today
Scott C. Watson - Acclivus Manager of Consulting
Service Professionals: The Key to Profitability in a Changing
Marketplace
Sbusiness
Charles Gottenkieny - Acclivus Performance Development Partner
Articles available on the Media
Mentions page.
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