Exporting Best Practice Sales Training

Challenge

Oerlikon Balzers is a leading high performance industrial coating company based in Lichtenstein. The company operates 100+ surface coating centers in 43 countries around the world. Micro-thin advanced coatings extend the life of precision components and industrial parts including gears, mechanical drives, and dental equipment.

The sizable Oerlikon sales organization consists of a direct sales force operating in 18 different countries. Like many industrial companies most sales managers are trained engineers with excellent technical skills and extensive product knowledge.

Desiring to bring a strategic best practices discipline to the sales organization, Oerlikon engaged Ascension to bring its Purposeful Selling program and Red Team activity based selling and accountability process to the company.

Solution

Ascension designed and delivered our “Art of Selling” workshop in Germany consisting of the essential interpersonal skills of effective consultative sales professionals.

This was followed by the Ascension “Science of Selling” workshop which teaches sales managers how to analyze territories and build strategic sales growth plans using client-specific customized planning templates and proprietary Ascension analytical tools.

Following the workshops Ascension designed and facilitated follow on Red Team™ activity based sales reviews and coaching/mentoring sessions in Lichtenstein with Oerlikon global sales managers connected via scheduled telco sessions.

Impact

The multi-faceted Ascension training and follow on activity based sales review/coaching process has resulted in:

• Year-on-year revenue and market share growth
• Enhanced management insight into territory sales issues
• Better major account focus
• Improved sales focus

Post Ascension sales training feedback satisfaction scores from Oerlikon Balzers were +90% by both client management and sales personnel.