Sensormatic

Client: Sensormatic
Industry: Retail
Services: Consultative Selling, Insight Selling, Coaching for Action and Accountability, Sales Coaching

Challenge

Build an effective sales training culture.

That was the mission of three highly experienced sales and enablement leaders at Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI).

Powering operational excellence at scale and enabling smart and connected shopper engagement, the trio pinpointed its key objectives:

• Educate the entire sales team on value selling
• Enhance the coaching capabilities of front-line sales leaders
• Adopt a standard methodology, language, and fluency in value-based conversations

“Our goal was to establish a standardized consultative selling approach that effectively addresses diverse buyer criteria while empowering our leaders to conduct impactful, collaborative sales coaching conversations,” shared Michael Petersen, Director of Global Sales Effectiveness at Sensormatic.

To accomplish this, Sensormatic would need to invest in its field reps and managers. Organizations spend time and money on sales training each year, but the training is often a bust. 

“We had sales training, but we didn’t build sales skills, the training didn’t stick, and there wasn’t an increase in sales results,” shared Ondrea Carter, Global Retail Training Academy Leader at Sensormatic. “The training focused on products and features. It didn’t teach sellers how to think about their territory, prioritize clients, or attack their lists. We needed to transition sellers from transactional to consultative, embed a common language, and build a strong culture of sales coaching.”

In 2021, the leaders initiated a search. After trimming its list to 15 potential vendors and conducting several interviews, Sensormatic partnered with RAIN Group, a global sales training company, to assist in its learning culture transformation.

Petersen said, “It came down to who we trust to shepherd us through this process we had never been through before. Our team and RAIN Group mapped out a three-year focus plan that put us on a good trajectory.” 

Solution

With over 330 sellers and 50+ sales leaders in North America, APAC, LATAM, and EMEA, Sensormatic and RAIN Group collaborated to create “Raise the Bar,” a value-selling-based program covering modules in RAIN Group’s Consultative Selling and Insight Selling: Advanced Consultative Selling courses.

Topics covered included: making the impact and ROI case, leading a thorough needs discovery, overcoming objections, crafting a value proposition, mastering virtual collaboration, mini-stories that sell, six buyer personas, and more.

Each module entailed pre-work, a classroom session, application assignments, and application coaching. Sales leaders completed application coaching training for each module to ensure sellers refine skills, receive direct feedback, and are held accountable for implementing those skills on-the-job.

“RAIN Group has an innovative learning architecture that allows our sellers to learn new skills, practice them, and get coached immediately. We also translated consultative selling into six different languages to accommodate all participants,” said Barbara Lewis, Learning and Enablement Specialist at Sensormatic.

Sales leaders also completed Sales Coaching for Action and Accountability, where they learned how to coach their team for long-term behavior change, productivity, and success. This included a 90-day sales achievement challenge with the team to implement new skills and maximize motivation, focus, and execution.

In the third year, Sensormatic set out to establish a coaching approach and framework for 54 leaders via a 1:1 coaching program. The goal was to close gaps in coaching skills and help leaders develop coaching plans.

“We initially allotted three 1-hour sessions for each territory manager and channel leader. It was so valuable that some people did 5-6 because they wanted more. It wasn’t enough to train the sellers. The lynchpin was the middle-line sales manager piece,” shared Petersen.

Results

Since 2022, the Raise the Bar initiative has helped Sensormatic achieve the following results:

Sellers are considering more ways to penetrate existing clients and new markets (proactive selling vs. filling orders).

• 67% increase in the total number of opportunities
• 25% increase in the total value of the pipeline

Sellers are cross-selling, thinking more about complete solutions versus individual products.

• 71% increase in the total number of opportunities selling two or more products

Sales leaders have embraced sales coaching and the resources within the program. 

• 85% of leaders have implemented a coaching cadence, hosting coaching sessions with their team. Of those, 71% are using the formal Coaching Plan.

“This year, we put a big emphasis on coaching. It was the ‘Ah Ha’ year for many of the leaders as they really embraced the Coaching Plan template and saw how it could help improve their teams,” shared Carter.

Earning an average global score of 4.5/5.0 across all programs, RAIN Group and Sensormatic created a highly successful program.

“The curriculum, practice sessions, and role-plays were excellent. RAIN Group has been a consistent partner. We work together to determine what we do each year for managers and sellers. For the first time, there is cohesiveness. Sellers don’t feel like they have to do the training, but they want to do it because they trust in our plan and know they’ll get something out of it,” shared Petersen.

Following the training, Carter and Lewis interviewed every seller and sales manager for feedback.

“We hit a good nerve. Our team liked the training. Today, we have a sales training culture. When I got here seven years ago, it didn’t exist. We had sellers who took orders. Now, we have sellers who think about how to structure deals. We made big changes,” shared Petersen.

Participant Feedback

“This training program helped me become a better salesperson by equipping me with the right skill sets I never thought I needed."

“Content is awesome; it will help the sales team improve their skills and perform well through a guided process.”

“Great prework material – lessons are very participatory; not just read and take notes.”

“The individual format allowed me to discuss seller-level challenges, and my coach provided specific suggestions.”