B2B sales call efficiency

In a highly competitive market, the company faced challenges in adapting its sales approaches to the demands of the sector and the challenges posed by the competition. This case study explores how, by redefining its commercial strategy and implementing changes in the internal organization, it is possible to overcome obstacles and achieve significant sales growth.

The company and its sustainable growth

Founded in 1926, the company initially focused on manufacturing automotive parts. In the 1970s, it signed a key contract to become the exclusive importer and distributor of a major automotive brand in Portugal. Since then, it has experienced steady growth, expanding into new business areas and establishing a strong international presence, with over 100 companies spread across Europe, South America, and Africa.

It currently operates in several areas, such as industry, distribution, and automotive retail, remaining faithful to its vision of innovation, continuous improvement, and sustainability.

Identifying commercial challenges

The company was facing several challenges in its commercial process, particularly regarding market competitiveness and sales team performance. The main issues included:

• Aggressive competition: The company was dealing with highly aggressive sales proposals from competitors.
• Traditional approach: The sales team continued to rely on traditional methods and struggled to adapt to changing market demands.
• Low performance: The team showed weak results in terms of the number of proposals won.

Identifying root causes

A thorough analysis uncovered the following root causes behind the identified issues:

1. Lack of preparation: The lack of information prior to sales meetings hampered the negotiation process, especially when dealing with customer objections.
2. Lack of knowledge about the competitors: There was insufficient knowledge about the offerings and features of competing products, which prevented the company from positioning itself strategically.
3. Ineffective planning: Poor planning led to frequent meeting cancellations and lost business opportunities.

Commercial transformation and actions implemented

The company introduced a series of strategic changes to improve commercial performance and overcome the identified challenges:

1. Clear strategic definition: A strategy was developed to clarify the company’s competitive advantages and strengthen its market positioning.
2. Sales meeting preparation checklist: A preparation checklist, a standardized meeting structure, and supporting materials were created for use during sales meetings.
3. Customer-focused organizational model: Sales representatives and managers were reorganized by sales channel.
4. Sales funnel and KPI analysis: Routines for monitoring indicators and tracking the sales funnel were implemented.
5. Use of a “thermometer” board: Each client was represented by a card on a visual board, updated daily with the date and specific objective for the day. The following day, the previous day’s activities were evaluated.

Figure 1  – Example of a “thermometer” board

Results achieved through the implemented actions

The implemented actions led to substantial results, both financially and in overall sales performance:

• Annual savings: The company achieved annual savings of 1.4 million euros.
• Sales growth: Sales increased by 25%, reflecting the impact of the new sales strategy.
• Commissions charged: The value of commissions collected increased by 78%, a clear indication of a more effective sales team performance.

Figure 2  – Charts illustrating the achieved results

These results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the measures adopted and the success of the company’s commercial process restructuring.

This case study demonstrates how a detailed analysis of sales processes, coupled with a clearly defined strategy and the reorganization of the commercial team, can lead to significant improvements in sales, operational efficiency, and cost reduction.

We are committed to respecting our clients’ confidentiality. While we have altered or omitted their names, the results are genuine.