This client is from the sub-contract electrical sector and was experiencing a severe downturn in sales.  The market was very competitive at the time and some rivals were selling at a loss just to keep business turning over.  In addition, a major customer was in the process of relocating their company abroad and would be using local suppliers in the future.  The sales team were long-serving and very set in their ways.  They had experienced down-turns in the past, but nothing of this magnitude.  Dealing with pricing of enquiries was also taking virtually all of their working week, meaning that they didn’t have time to address the problem.

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​It was estimated that sales would need to be increased by at least 20% for the company to survive.  At this point, we were asked to provide strategic direction with a view to improving sales and marketing.

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Our solution centred on going back to first principles and embedding new processes and disciplines, meaning that everything that could be done to increase sales was actually happening.  This included:

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• Reducing the workload of the sales team to allow them to concentrate on selling rather than job costing.

• Developing new potential and actual sales leads.

• Creating a social media strategy.

• Introducing KPI's to cover the fundamentals of the sales process.

• Mentoring the team throughout the transition.

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​Over a 12-month period, the marketing and business development changes began to have an effect and the sales started to recover.  Shortly after that, the company become profitable again and by the end of the next financial year end, sales had risen by around the 20% requirement.  All this was achieved during an economic climate that industry veterans described as the worst that they had ever experienced.

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​MANAGING DIRECTOR - "I was desperate last year and didn't know which way to turn.  Thanks to you I can now see a positive future."