In the previous note, we agreed that every consulting job starts with a thorough Diagnosis of the current situation, followed by a similar organization as a benchmark for comparison, known as “benchmark,” against which both companies are compared, noting the differences between them (commonly referred to as “gap analysis”). Based on these differences, a roadmap for improvements is designed, leading the original company to align with the benchmarked company.
But what elements of the company are changed or improved? Where are these changes applied?
The pillars of Commercial Consulting are Strategy, Processes, Technology, and Change Management, covering broadly all commercial activities of a company.
Starting at the beginning, companies operate according to their Strategy, in this case, their commercial strategy. This strategy must align with the objectives set by the company for a given period, whether annual, five-year, or longer.
There are concrete objectives, such as financial goals, for example, sales growth objectives or margin objectives. And there are market-oriented objectives, such as growing within a specific industry or being positively perceived by society. These strategic lines cut across the entire organization, but in the case of sales, they are very specific because, in most cases, we are talking about concrete numbers.
It’s true that many companies don’t locally decide their strategies because they come from their headquarters, possibly abroad. But it’s also true that local economies, regulations, and markets often influence sales, so adaptations or modifications to these global strategies are necessary and must be implemented locally.
Once these strategies are designed, Processes are defined to execute them correctly, such as the sales process, which outlines the steps to be followed in a sale, the control elements, tracking guidelines, etc.
And speaking of tracking, it’s crucial to have the right tools to track a commercial process, such as a CRM reflecting the sales steps and where each opportunity in the territory stands at any given moment.
All these tools are analyzed in the Technology chapter, as they must also link to various processes parallel to sales, such as financial criteria, crucial for forecasting company results.
It’s worth clarifying that when we talk about forecasting, we refer to sales forecasts, managed by the Sales Management but relevant to the Finance Department, as they determine the cash flow for operations. Hence, the importance of considering the technological aspect within this consultancy.
Finally, as we progress through this roadmap, we’ll need to adjust processes, operation manuals, and even train our people to implement improvements. This is done through the fourth stage of consultancy, which is Change Management.
The results of each of these steps are documented through diagnostic manuals, design manuals, operation manuals, and other documents describing the steps and new practices.
This is a brief summary of the backbone of all consultancy, but in truth, it’s often more complex and is designed based on the specific needs of each client.
If you have any questions about Consultancy or other topics related to commercial teams, don’t hesitate to contact us. Sales are our passion, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
