From technical sales to a unified sales culture

Client Background & Initial Situation

An internationally active industrial group specializing in power solutions for the industrial, marine, offshore, onshore, and government sectors.

The company was facing a changing market and competitive landscape. It was losing market share, and its sales force was highly technical in nature, focusing primarily on product features. There was no structured sales training program in place. Knowledge was primarily passed on informally within the departments—without a uniform methodology or binding standards. The sales department employed approximately 250 staff members in both internal and field sales. The training programs were conducted in two languages (German and English). HR and sales management were closely involved in the process.

Challenge

In collaboration with HR and sales management, the following areas of focus were defined:

  • Make the advantages and customer benefits of the products and services visible and understandable
  • Develop communication guidelines for acquiring new customers
  • Professionalize price negotiations, complaint management, and handling resistance
  • Bring questioning techniques up to a consistent standard of quality
  • Establish a sustainable sales training culture

Building on this, a comprehensive sales training concept was developed.

1. Basic Program: “Value-Based Selling” (Duration: 12 months)

Kickoff:

  • Two-day on-site foundational training
  • Voice impact analyses with all participants at the start of the program

Implementation Phase:

  • Five online training sessions (3 hours each), spaced approximately four weeks apart

Conclusion:

  • Repeat voice impact analysis to measure progress
  • Final on-site training (1 day)

The goal was to create a common sales foundation and establish a unified understanding of value propositions.

2. Sales Masterclass (12 months, following the Basic course)

An in-depth development program was launched for 12 selected high-potential sales professionals:

  • Four two-day modules held on-site
  • Intensive work on real-world client projects
  • Monthly one-on-one coaching sessions for each participant
  • Strategic deepening of sales and leadership skills

3. Advanced training courses (topic-specific)

Selected participants took part in additional modules:

  • Business Development
  • Complaint Management

Presentation Skills

For each module:

  • Two days of in-person training
  • Two supplementary online sessions

4. Long-term implementation

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the methodology, a monthly sales consultation session has been established:

  • Once a month
  • 2 hours
  • Open format for all sales staff

Goal: Practical application, case discussions, and continuous professional development.

Results & Conclusion

The impact was clearly evident in several areas:

  • Growth in market share
  • Increase in contribution margin
  • Rise in referrals from existing customers
  • Consistent language and methodology across the entire sales organization

What began as a technically oriented sales department evolved into a structured, value-driven sales organization with a clear methodology, measurable results, and a culture of ongoing training.