ABA has traditionally been able to justify the higher prices by providing a superior level of service. Many of their sales professionals are experi- enced in this specialized industrial- equipment industry and have exten- sive knowledge of ABA’s product set and the products of competing firms. Furthermore, many have worked in the construction industry and thus understand the conditions and situ- ations under which the vehicles ABA manufactures are typically used. At the time of this consulting en- gagement, ABA set a strategic goal to grow market share. Because the sales force comprised ABA’s com- petitive advantage, the company’s management determined that the best way to increase share would be to increase the number of sales professionals deployed in the field. This strategic expansion of their sales force was problematic, however, due to two challenges.


First, ABA lacked a standardized,


repeatable sales process. Each sales professional had created his or her own individual sales process in order to address opportunities. As a result, it was difficult for management to assess the pipeline, make forecasts, and generally run the business. There were many estimates of future busi- ness that later proved inaccurate – along with many revenue surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. ABA’s management knew that such prob- lems would increase in size and scope once the company increased the size of its sales force. Second, their sales reps lacked the formal business training neces- sary to fully satisfy the needs of their customers. Because ABA depended on rental companies to rent and sell to end users, most of their revenues were tied directly to the capabilities and effectiveness of the rental yards. While ABA’s sales reps had good relationships with these yards, they were generally unable to help them become more successful at renting and selling ABA’s equipment. ABA’s management saw this as a major


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liability, since helping those dealers grow their businesses would clearly have yielded increased revenues and channel loyalty. ABA’s management realized it needed to create a repeatable sales process and an ongoing program to build a greater level of business acu- men throughout the sales organiza- tion. Therefore, they looked to hire a sales-training organization that could help with both of these issues. ABA had hired such firms in the past, but that training had been focused on personal coaching and various com- ponents of the sales process and did not take a comprehensive approach. ABA’s management was also aware of sales training’s dismal track record in driving long-term change in sell- ing behavior. According to multiple surveys, approximately 85 percent of all sales training has no impact on actual revenue after about 90 days; however, because the selection of a sales training vendor was clearly the key to success, ABA decided to hire a sales consulting company to help. The goal of the consulting en- gagement was to seek a partner or partners to develop a new sales methodology and process, and then to deliver appropriate training for ABA’s field sales personnel. The con- sulting engagement, as defined by the consultant, had four parts:


1. Initial assessment: interview ABA’s sales teams in order to determine the current situation and needs


2. RFP assistance: help ABA write an RFP in order to evaluate and select a sales performance im- provement provider


3. Evaluation support: sit on ABA’s steering committee, participate in internal meetings, review RFP responses and vendor presenta- tions, and evaluate proposals


4. Negotiation support: work with ABA during negotiations with vendors to ensure vendors would get all that was needed at a fair and appropriate investment level The consulting company per- formed this project over a three- month period, during which ABA completed the RFP, evaluated mul- tiple vendors, negotiated a contract with the first choice, and then began rolling out the training programs. Top executives at ABA reported sales growth, lower turnover, and better relationships with vendors and channel partners overall a year after the program was instituted. 


Note: Although this case study is based on a real company, at the request of the consulting company some specific infor- mation about its client has been withheld or modified.


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