16 Jun The Post Covid Need For Speed In Organizational Assessments
In April 2021, McKinsey published “Ready, Set, Go: Reinventing The Organization For Speed In The Post-COVID-19 Era. This informative article was spot-on about the “need for speed” and reduction of “red tape” in every organization to get products and services to market faster. While we agree wholeheartedly with McKinsey’s conclusions, the article did not address the concurrent needs of the sales organization. Rapid organizational assessment (eg. Oak Island’s Salesmeasure™) enables leadership and sales talent to quickly “level up” to the higher expectations of new, faster procurement and delivery methods while still maintaining or exceeding previously established market quality and consistency.
3 Essential Steps To Cause Rapid Positive Change For Sales Organizations:
- Install supportive processes for new, rapid deployment goals – shortened time to market can be challenging for sales talent, who have grown accustomed to a longer timeline during which they build stronger relationships, etc.
- Assess the sales organization’s talent pool to determine whether sales talent is capable of keeping pace with the need for speed
- Redesign foundational sales processes and business functions to meet the new need for speed. For example, quotas and compensation plans might require significant adjustments as companies accelerate the delivery of products and services to market at a pace not seen before.
To further emphasize the benefits of rapid assessment within sales organizations, we will describe the rationale and outcomes of our recent project with a global outsourcing services company.
Facts First – Data-Driven Sales Decisions Improve ROI:
A US $6Bn Revenue Company gathered their team in a “War-Room” to consider the results of an organizational assessment. The CRO wrote the word “think” in big letters on the whiteboard, then crossed the word out as he issued an edict[1] – “The next person who uses this word at the beginning of a statement will be fired!”
Even though no one was in real danger of being fired, the executives took the advice about “factfulness” to heart; They consistently called each other out for any business-related statements not based on fact. Imagine a corporate leadership paradigm in which gut-level instincts and hunches are respected, but decisions are based on an analysis of FACTS only. Because of the myriad benefits documented by research in addition to outcomes I’ve personally witnessed, I believe the case for rapid organizational assessments is open and shut.
Rapid Organizational Assessments – Action Plan For ROI Improvement
In 2019, we conducted an organizational assessment for a global outsourcing services company that had recently appointed a new managing director (MD) of business in India. To create an actionable plan for rapid ROI improvement, the India MD wanted to set priorities based on data from an objective assessment of the sales organization.
Using our proven methodology and rapid delivery process, we interviewed clients and team members and gathered data through surveys and existing CRM and HRI systems. We delivered a rapid organizational assessment, which helped improve sales both in terms of KPI and ROI goal achievement and sales talent confidence levels. Oak Island Associates measured the customer’s sales function against benchmarks in 4 proven dimensions of the sales performance system.
Oak Island Assessment Measured These 4 proven dimensions of the Sales Performance System:
- The Sales Pipeline (Demand Generation, Opportunity Management, and Account Management)
- Talent Lifecycle Management
- Leadership and Coaching
- Sales Enablement
As part of our sales effectiveness organizational assessment, we reported on 50+ benchmarks highlighting a business’s rating in relation to best-in-class organizations. Using a maturity modeling system, we identified incremental investments which would result in rapid positive impacts on ROI.
Quick Early Wins – Rapid Sales Assessment = Forward Momentum – Confidence & ROI
Our work was phased carefully to include early “quick wins’ – establishing forward momentum with improved ROI. The sales transformation for this company spanned over 7 months of work, but early “quick win” tactics were included to establish momentum. This ensured buy-in from sales leaders in all lines of business across 30+ countries.
Outcomes: A Roadmap for Rapid Success In Sales Organizations
Upon examination of the output from the fast assessment work completed, global sales leaders concluded that the original analysis could apply to the worldwide Sales Ecosystem of the organization. The sales effectiveness assessment was shared with more than 1500 salespeople and applied in more than 30 countries across the globe.
Roadmap for Success – Sales Organization Assessment Included Five Core Elements:
- Rationalization of sales processes for 7 lines of business in over 30 countries to allow for rapid communication across boundaries
- Creation of the most current, predictive, competency profiles of 9 sales roles across the globe
- Application of psychometric assessments to over 1,500 salespeople globally
- Development of sales and sales management playbooks that defined the future of selling for this organization
- Alignment of Sales and Marketing functions that improved demand generation and increased close ratios of Marketing Generated Leads
The Evolution of SalesmeasureTM Organizational Assessment
We codified this successful assessment approach into Salesmeasure™ an affordable organizational sales system assessment that enables us to rapidly assess an organization’s sales performance system, engage and collaborate with Sales Leaders, and create strategies for quick wins and longer-term countermeasures that ensure ongoing ROI improvements. Our method maximizes engagement across the corporate culture, ensuring predictable revenue and many other positive short and long-term results.
For more information about an organizational assessment or a free consultation, contact Harry Dunklin at Oak Island Associates.