Training purpose:
The purpose of the training was to increase salesmanship in a sales organisation which is in a tough price war in a stagnating market with apparently poor differentiation.

ALSTOM Power Flowsystems should leave no stone unturned in order to squeeze margins and obtain more orders from the market. The success criterion is partly the qualitative experience that the salespersons to a higher extent take our value-creating sales arguments seriously… and use them, partly the naturally improved competitive and earnings position generally and per country.

At a slightly lower level, it was a desire to create a common language about sales activities and this could be done by using joint training tools for the entire international sales organisation.

The target group of the training was the international sales organisation represented by a total of 12 countries.

Choice of supplier:
The above general wishes were expressed in advance. SalesPartners contacted us, but it was clear from the beginning that the concept would suit our wishes. The necessary adjustments to the concept (primarily to have access to several languages) were quickly made.

Besides the many language versions, we found the following elements important:

1. That we could decide the timing of the individual sessions - per country and team.
2. That we could decide who and how many from a local team should participate in a certain session.
3. That we could integrate our own contents into the training with the interactive model.
4. That if used as intended, the concept is relatively cheap and far more effective than traditional sales training – and you can return to old subjects repeatedly and go through them again and find new aspects in order to improve yourself.

Actual solution for training and implementation:
The trainers were trained for three days – one per country. After that, the local trainers have been responsible for the implementation of the local programme adjusted to local conditions (time priority etc.), but with a time frame agreed in advance and with the ongoing possibility of coaching and other support directly from SalesPartners. The idea was that 1-2 modules should be implemented per month.

Actual training results:
FlowSystems performed markedly better in 2003 in almost all countries compared with the year before. This applies to sales as well as margins and product volume. Many other factors have also had an impact on this development, but I also believe that in certain countries increased attention to “sale” has been contributory to the success.

The tools have been used with varying spirit and efficiency – in this connection it should be noted that the start-up of the programme in terms of time was delayed four months and thus coincided with our peak season.

An overall comment to this programme is that at least in our business it is very difficult to separate the results from the programme relative to the results from all the other turnaround activities we have. I definitely feel that the sales organisation is much keener on professional sales methodology and the programme has contributed to this.

We now have a tool that we can use in the long term which we intend to do. In the meantime we must admit that also in the last season, internal turbulence in the company has prevented us from using the programme to its maximum and to give management follow-up (locally and centrally) on the activity – and, therefore, we have not yet fully reaped the benefits of our investment.

Personally, I am convinced that it is up to us to benefit from this programme and I will continue to prioritise it.


Best regards

Mads Prebensen
Int. Sales & marketingdirector, ALSTOM Power Flowsystems