Case Study
EO Johnson Business TechnologiesRebuilt corporate sales skills and strategy formation that tripled sales in 5 years and integrated two acquisitions.
Situation
Industry Leader Needed Outside Help
EO Johnson, a leading printer technology company in Wausau, Wisconsin was in a serious slump after the 2008 recession. They were losing market share to increased competition, they had an aging and tired sales force that needed a wake-up call, they had no formal strategic planning process, and for the first time ever they looked to outside expertise to assist with their growth journey. They heard me speak at their association annual meeting, liked my approach to building a company, and I was soon after retained to lead the company back to healthy sustainable growth. I worked directly with the CEO and her team.
Details
Transforming EO Johnson’s Strategy and Sales
Problem
The fifty-person sales force was badly missing quota, and they were at risk of losing market share. The company, while very successful over the years had never developed a formal strategic planning process and they had no structured or disciplined approach to training their sales team. Furthermore, they were facing many new challenges, not the least of which was their entry into the Managed IT Services business which is a technology outsourcing model – a complete departure from their core business. The executive team was talented, stressed, mis-aligned, yet cooperative and very open to receiving help. Due to my extensive knowledge of technology and Managed Services, I was retained to drive a strategy plan, and re-build and train the sales force for a changing marketplace and new product mix. After the initial strategic planning and training engagements, I was retained over a six-year period to help shepherd their growth.
Action Taken
I began with a comprehensive 3-day Strategy Session to align the executive team around a crystal-clear vision for their future. This vision was detailed in an Opportunity Map and a specific set of Corporate Charters that documented the full implementation of their plan. My comprehensive and proprietary toolkit was used to lead these initiatives. Next, I trained the sales team (50 reps) using my proven model called Breakaway Sales – a comprehensive selling methodology involving a Structured Sales Cycle, Buying Behaviors, Territory and Time Management, and Mental Toughness – all tailored for their industry and marketplace. The sales force used my 200 % planning model to design territory strategies that would double their performance in one year. I continued to lead strategy formation every year and developed a customized digital sales training approach to train new reps as they were brought into the company. I later converted all of my classroom offerings to an on-line digital school providing sales training and guidance 24x7x365. I was invited annually to deliver motivational speeches for their annual sales rallies. I am considered an extension of their management team and recognized as a key asset that supported their growth journey.
Result
Both the planning and sales initiatives were highly successful, transformed the entire sales team and led to explosive organic growth over the next five years taking the company from $ 24 million to over $ 60 million in sales. Resulting from these sales driven initiatives, the company was able to transform their customer deliverables through the acquisition of Locknet Managed Services enabling them to achieve leadership status in this complex IT business model. I supported the acquisition and integration of these two firms. Today, EO Johnson continues to grow EBITDA at a 20 % per year clip due to the significant margin improvement of their IT services business and productivity of their sales force.
Sales Increase
$36M +
EBITDA Per year
Testimonial
“As I mentioned at our kickoff meeting, you have a big piece of our success. I appreciate what you have done from both a strategic planning and sales productivity perspective. Your programs work and we are grateful. Thanks for your friendship and it is wonderful to have someone with your many talents to rely on. We have a bright future.“
Roger King
President, EO Johnson Business Technologies
Let's Talk
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(612) 865-0415
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