The situation
A new sales manager starts at an organization with twelve account managers. The two best sales reps clearly do things differently from the rest, but nobody has written down what. One of them retires in six months. The existing playbook is four years old and mostly describes the CRM.
The approach per building layer
- Building layer 2 · Sales process. Together with the best sales reps, capture the phases and exit criteria the way they already apply them today.
- Building layer 4 · Customer journey. Turn their distinctive habits into three win points that everyone can deliver.
- Building layer 7 · Steering. Two KPIs per phase with a norm, so the new manager coaches on the same definitions.
The first 90 days
- Week 1 to 3. Ride along with the two best sales reps and write down their approach. Upload the notes as a source for proposals.
- Week 4 to 8. Confirm phases, exit criteria and win points, after a workshop with the team.
- Week 9 to 12. Capture KPIs per phase and share the sales process playbook with the team.
What you have then
The knowledge of the best sales reps is captured before they leave. The team works with the same definitions, and the new manager has a basis for coaching that does not depend on one person.
Further reading
This is a scenario: a recognizable situation, not an account of a specific customer.