Commercial Excellence

« Improving the performance of the sales force and sales operations by the application of best skills, practices, processes and digital tools »

Business Process Management (BPM) mapping varies from one company to another. It depends on the standards applicable to the business and market segments on the one hand, the history, the culture and the structure of the company on the other. A key aspect of commercial processes is the distribution of responsibilities. In this area, it is necessary to ensure that the results delivered are consistent with the organisation's objectives and obligations, whether it concerns, for example, the qualification of new customers, the preparation of offers or the negotiation of contractual conditions. The identification and definition of relevant key performance indicators is of course also crucial.

Effective B2B business development does not only depend on the definition and execution of strategies at the level of a business unit. It requires every single sales team to optimally perform in the field of business acquisition anticipation. This means identifying strategic business opportunities at the earliest possible stage, launching true cross-disciplinary acquisition projects, defining and executing winning action plans, and proactively engaging with the customers. The aim is, for every significant opportunity, to convince all stakeholders and decision-makers of the concerned customers before they launch their own bidding processes, irrespective of the competition.

Business acquisition performance is measured in at least two categories. The first category relates to the pipeline of open opportunities. Measuring its total value over several time periods relative to the expected closing dates (e.g. up to the end of the operational reporting period and over successive periods thereafter) provides an assessment of the level of anticipation. Furthermore, the definition of relevant opportunity types and the consequent evaluation of the portfolio ensures that every sales team is maximising its business development drivers. The second category concerns the volume of business won during the operational reporting period and associated key performance indicators.