BELLCOMB Technologies Sales Case Study XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bellcomb is the fastest growing and largest supplier of custom-designed lightweight

t composite structural panels in the world. Its 1,000,000-square-meter capacity and proprietary efficient production techniques make the company the industry leading manufacturer of honeycomb sandwich panels that solve complex problems. Since its establishment in 1989, Bellcomb has grown to serve clients in more than 40 industries with exceptional expertise in maritime. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bellcomb President and Founder David Hartwell had a reasonable growth strategy for the company: transform the companys customer base from a plethora of small accounts to select elite accounts. With our market position and our reputation for dimensional stability, non-combustibility, thermal efficiency, sound control, and moisture and corrosion control I felt that we should be directing our sales efforts at larger accounts with more complex needs, says Hartwell. Hartwell became disenchanted with his sales manager, because he continued to chase smaller accounts. After he fired the sales manager, he contacted Bye to work with a recruiter and hire a replacement that could get the job done. I had made one bad hire and didnt want to repeat that mistake. I learned the hard way that a candidate who interviews well is not necessarily a good hire. I certainly learned that a sales manager who understood the negotiation process was the key to fulfilling our goal, Hartwell explains. And I trusted Danitas assessment process to get us there. Byes assessment process proved successful with the hiring of Mark Phillion as the new sales manager. We now have a future, says Hartwell. Mark has proven that he understands the negotiation and selling processes, how to sell concepts and manage people. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Phillions impression of the Bellcomb sales organization he first saw was that they appeared to be nonenergetic and disheartened. They believed they were a manufacturing-driven company. I could see that they were really victims of ineffective sales leadership. They didnt know what they were supposed to do or how to do it. As a result, they were reactive, starved for leads and would glob onto any prospect that was breathing. They were so unempowered that they were poor negotiators, he explains. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX On a mission to demonstrate that there was a new coach in town, who was determined to improve life for the sales team on all fronts, the ex-Marine felt he needed to act quickly. In addition to creating a 30-, 60- and 90-day plan and instituting weekly meetings, the new sales manager delivered a 100-day state-of-the-union address in which he generated real excitement beyond sales.

Linking mental change with physical change, Phillion literally had the team clean house. Its tough to feel professional in an unprofessional environment. They straightened up their offices and got rid of the clutter, so they could focus. We worked on personal appearance. No more unprofessional attirebusiness casual or formal business attire only. And we worked on being present, committed-no more leaving early.

These physical changes helped change their mindset. We became a much more professional group. We freshened up the brand to reflect our sophisticated capabilities. We attend more shows, including international events, demonstrating our commitment to larger accounts. This has helped drive the culture and mentality we needed to make the psychological leap for multi-million-dollar accounts. The impact of these early changes spread across the entire company, prompting operations to implement processes required for large-account support. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX In tandem with these efforts, Phillion began plugging the holes revealed in the sales force assessments that Bye had previously conducted. It was clear that the sales team lacked a methodology, he notes. Without a sales process and common language, they didnt have a framework for successful selling. Danitas help in developing that framework was essential in turning our performance around. Training and coaching actually helped some salespeople who did not assess well excel. It helped them overcome lack of confidence and fears that were undermining their success-especially fears related to rejection and dealing with big dollars, Phillion explains. They learned to stick to the process, accepting the major premise that deals are never about price, but rather about economics. And one of the most valuable lessons theyre embracing is that its o.k. to walk away from a deal if its not right. In fact, its the thing to do rather than waste their time. Were creating best practices, like the 20 questions we must have prospects answers that help us get to No. Coaching is a huge factor in developing his sales team. Phillion focuses on each salesperson to get them to dream and help them achieve their dream. He says, By linking their success through a highly motivating compensation plan to the companys success, weve created a win-win environment. Each salesperson created their own goal poster-a visual reminder of what motivates them to be successful sales professionals. Each has their own playbook, complete with goals, plans and tactics. Theyre dealing with sales that can literally change their lives. The weekly sales meetings have evolved from early arguments about what the team could or couldnt do to sophisticated negotiation role-plays designed by Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Business. Weve definitely raised the bar, says Phillion. Were working on our next hurdle-overcoming the dysfunctional decision making that commonly occurs in big companies. Were confident well get there-and soon. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Improved sales-process cost-effectiveness by replacing 70% of the customers that comprised only 1% of revenue. 20 Questions reduced costly proposals that werent being closed. Firm negotiation process protects margins. Four months into the year, the company is on track to achieving a 50% revenue increase.