Question, question, question

Emcon Team Learns to Question…and Listen

The Situation:

Imagine going to your auto repair shop and immediately, the clerk says, “Hi. We know how to fix brakes, align your wheels, repair you exhaust, do inspections, change your oil, clear your exhaust system, calibrate your pistons….”  Wouldn’t it be easier, and more effective, if the clerk first asked what problem you were having with your car?

That simple distinction was at the core of what Rich Garwood, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Emcon, a leading facilities logistics management company, needed his team to understand.  He recognized that too many times, his salespeople were telling clients everything the company could do, rather than determining what the client needed them to do.

“We were presenting first without learning, hoping our clients would choose from our services and apply it to their business.  We needed to understand our clients’ issues and then present solutions.”

The Results:

Garwood knew he needed a training professional who could organize his team’s approach, systematize their process, structure sales calls and generate results.  Garwood turned to Steve Giglio, whom he was referred to by contacts at Conde Nast publishing.  And while his team initially felt that working with Steve was not going to be productive, they were soon converted as Steve helped shift their mindset.

“Steve got them to understand that they need a process to make a sale.  He changed their way of interacting with clients from ‘this is what I have’ to ‘let’s talk about what you need.’

Results were immediate.  Garwood’s team implemented Steve’s strategies and techniques to improve their interactions, starting by making sure they talked to decision makers…the C-suite. They ask probing questions to get to the root of a potential client’s needs.  These fundamental shifts in how the team presents its services has positively affected the bottom line.

“Our sales will grow by 20 percent this year.  I can site specific examples of where Steve’s training has resulted in additional sales that we would have never captured previously.”

Double Digit Sales Growth is in Vogue

“Not another sales training course!”  So is the reaction of many senior sales people.  And yet Laura McEwen, vice president and publisher of Teen Vogue magazine, had to overcome any opposition.  “We are selling beyond the print publication today- – utilizing our iPhone app, online marketing opportunities, digital initiatives, event marketing and more,” explained McEwen.  “It was imperative that we get the team speaking the same language and drive sales across multiple platforms.  And that’s a good lesson for everyone.”

McEwen was also challenged by being new to the organization. Implementing sales training as a first act had the potential to cause tension.  “The training had to deliver results and make the team feel it was time well spent.  There was a lot riding on how well it went.”

THE SITUATION:

Hedging her bets, McEwen turned to Steve Giglio, with whom she had worked previously.  Her senior management team had developed a new sales presentation.  Steve helped fine tune it, craft the delivery and roll it out to the sales team.  His work included observing each sales person, trailing some on sales calls, and providing insight into where they could improve.  For even the most seasoned sales people, video taping sessions revealed areas that needed development.

THE RESULTS:

Teen Vogue sales have increased by double digits each month in 2010 compared to last year.  Each team member has seen improved results, some dramatically.  “I attribute our success to having a great team that was open to Steve’s training.  He helped set the table and they executed based on his techniques.  We have been able to grow despite the economic situation that has seen many in our industry scale back or close.  I am optimistic because Steve has helped us create a strong foundation.”

Case Studies

Steve Giglio’s client roster is deep with internationally recognized brands.  And for each of them, even at the highest level, Steve delivers results.  Click on the case studies below to get an idea of what Steve can do for your company.

 

Leadership Development Case Studies

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American Express Executive Inspired to Excel

 

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Steve Giglio Works One-on-one with LexisNexis Executives

 

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Vanity Fair Executive Gets Quickly Up to Speed on New Team

 

Sales Training Case Studies:


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KGS-Alpha Capital Markets Learns: Messaging Starts at the Top

 

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Emcon Team Learns to Question and Listen

 

teenvogue

Double Digit Sales Growth is in Vogue

 

 

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Harry Fox Music Licensing Agency Affects Directional Shift and Creates Confident Sales Team

 

american_express_logo

AMEX Converts Sales People to Business Consultants

 

 

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Time Out Asks the Right Questions

 

Vanity Fair Sales Training Case Study

Case Study

Vanity Fair Asks the Right Questions

The situation:

Vanity Fair’s advertising sales department is regularly called on for services normally reserved for advertising agencies. Clients demand full marketing campaigns, from creative design direction to online banners to interactive marketing campaigns. This new paradigm means a new language for the sales team, something they needed to master quickly.  “In order to the get the right answers, we had to be asking the right questions.  We brought in Steve and he made that happen,” said Edward Menicheschi, Publisher.  Steve’s goal was to alter how the sales team was vieved, moving from product vendors to trusted business consultants.

The Result:

Vanity Fair’s team now finds news sales opportunities beyond its traditional channel of ad space. Team members consistently ask 20 to 30 questions when addressing a new client or handling a request from an existing one, uncovering new revenue generating sources. They excel at understanding clients marketing goals and can tailor programs that meet those needs. “Steve has provided new language that has allowed our teams to find sales opportunities and grow our services to increase our relevancy, which is so important today. Our teams communicate our value better and it has lead to many more closed deals.

ALSO SEE:
Consistent Sales Approach
Improved Sales
More Effective Sales Teams

TimeOut New York Sales Training Case Study

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Case Study

Steve Giglio Delivers More Sales for Time Out New York

The situation:

Time Out New York, the definitive magazine and online source covering everything there is to experience in New York City, had grown its sales team from 5 to 10 people. Alison Tocci, Group Publisher, knew her whole team would benefit from sales training. “I believe in proper and ongoing sales training. Otherwise, sales people are put out into the world without the tools they need to succeed.”

Steve Giglio tailored a sales system for Time Out New York that focused on taking time to research current and potential clients, and the competitive landscape. He also developed a customizable list of probing questions that helped teams determine areas of opportunity. “Steve created the process in which our sales people ask at least 10 questions before talking about Time Out,” says Tocci. “It engages the client and lets them know that their business is important to us.”

The result:

Sales improved immediately. “I give Steve Giglio a lot of credit,” says Tocci. “He helped our team members benefit from the investment we made in their future. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone.”

ALSO SEE:
Consistent Sales Approach
More Effective Sales Teams
Deal Closing Proficiency

Steve Giglio Builds Confidence, Provides Peace of Mind

When you have confident leadership, you have the confidence to let them lead. Steve Giglio’s executive development programs, tailored to the needs of each individual, provide your executives with new tools and techniques essential for effective leadership and management. Once the program is completed, your team will have a blueprint from which to work, infusing their own style while ensuring the company’s culture remains intact.

Case Study

American Express Executives Inspired to Excel

Steve Giglio thoroughly researches companies, competition and industries for executive development programsThe situation:

American Express already had a team of exceptional leaders but needed to raise them to the next level. Lew Taffer, former Senior Vice President, American Express Establishment Services, felt that “it would take an outside perspective to see where areas of development were and to formulate a plan to address them.” He was, however, wary of bringing in someone who had little knowledge of the company’s business and culture.

Steve Giglio allayed those fears. “I was immediately impressed with Steve’s polished, professional demeanor and acute business knowledge,” says Taffer. “He has a keen insight that allows him to quickly and accurately assess a situation, and then address it directly in a manner that puts people at ease but also gets their attention. He opened my eyes to things about my teams I would never have seen.”

The result:

Steve created an action plan based on each individual’s needs that focused their attention on areas of weakness. And the results were immediate. American Express senior managers were more assertive, they had better command of their business segments and were far more effective leaders.

ALSO SEE:
Return on Executive Investment
Accelerated and Anchored Change
Superior Team Management

AMEX ED Case Study

Case Study

American Express Executives Inspired to Excel

The situation:

American Express already had a team of exceptional leaders but needed to raise them to the next level. Lew Taffer, former Senior Vice President, American Express Establishment Services, felt that “it would take an outside perspective to see where areas of development were and to formulate a plan to address them.” He was, however, wary of bringing in someone who had little knowledge of the company’s business and culture.

Steve Giglio allayed those fears. “I was immediately impressed with Steve’s polished, professional demeanor and acute business knowledge,” says Taffer. “He has a keen insight that allows him to quickly and accurately assess a situation, and then address it directly in a manner that puts people at ease but also gets their attention. He opened my eyes to things about my teams I would never have seen.”

The result:

Steve created an action plan based on each individual’s needs that focused their attention on areas of weakness. And the results were immediate. American Express senior managers were more assertive, they had better command of their business segments and were far more effective leaders.

ALSO SEE:
Return on Executive Investment
Accelerated and Anchored Change
Superior Team Management

Vanity Fair ED Case Study

Case Study

Vanity Fair Executive Gets Quickly Up to Speed on New Team

The situation:

Jason Wagenheim had just joined Vainity Fair and was tasked with managing a complex team of seasoned sales veterans and relatively new associates. He needed to learn as much as he could about his team, understanding where they excelled and what challenges they faced. From there, he could adjust his own style to meet the needs of his team and their clients.

Wagenheim and Steve Giglio worked together to uncover the talents of the Vanity Fair sales team while pinpointing areas needs immediate attention. Steve conducted in-depth interviews of each sales person and provided individual analysis. “Steve gave me such incredible insight into my team. I was quickly able to address key issues that had limited our team’s success.”

The result:

After just three months in his new position, Wagenheim altered his managment style, allowing for more flexibility while also more assertiveness when needed. “The work Steve and I did together made me a stronger manager. Roles and goals are well defined. Standards have been set and are being met consistently. And my team is motivated to learn about our clients in new, innovative ways. Steve’s impact on our success will be long standing.”

Regarding Steve’s style, Wagenheim says, “He always wants you to win and will accept nothing less. He doesn’t coddle people. He provides direct, honest feedback but always in a way that is constructive. And even though his humor is so important to his style, everyone takes him seriously. It’s how he is so remarkably effective.”

ALSO SEE:
Return on Executive Investment
Accelerated and Anchored Change
Increased confidence and peace of mind

KGS Case Study

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Case Study

KGS-Alpha Capital Markets Learns: Messaging Starts at the Top

Agency CMOs.  Callable and bullet agency debt. Non-agency RMBS. A complex product mix, yes? It is. And they are the foundation products offered through KGS-Alpha Capital Markets.  Spearheaded by Dan Goldman, Levent Kahraman and their partner, KGS is a relatively new company yet with many years of combined experience in asset backed securities.  They have created a strong team charged with explaining these products while acting as trusted advisers to create long term revenue streams for KGS.

The situation:

Goldman’s challenge was building a sales team that could deliver the company’s complex value proposition in much the same way he did.  Then he realized…he needed help refining his own presentation before rolling it out to the team.

Steve’s assessment:

“Dan had everything he needed in his presentation, but the order was confusing.  It lacked a linear path that gave the audience an easy way of understanding why KGS was formed in the first place.  I could see they had a great value story to tell and I felt they owed it to their customers to tell it in an understandable way, allowing for a sense of confidence in their purchase decision.”

Process:

Goldman contracted with Steve for executive development training at the time the company was forming.  Together, they created strong, clear messaging with a focus on making it easily repeated by different associates.  From the start, Goldman knew he had made the right choice.  “Steve had the ability right off the bat to understand our business quickly and then help me package our products effectively so our sales team would feel confident selling them.  He is a very quick study.”

Results:

Steve then worked with the KGS sales team, training them on how to effectively prepare for meetings, how to assess client needs through intelligent questioning and delivering solutions that set them apart from their competition.  “Several were skeptical about Steve at first but within 20 minutes, he had them converted!  His command of the room, knowledge of our business and effective techniques won them over.  They trusted him from then on.”

Goldman says the results were immediate and that within a month, several on his team were creating new results.  “We knew his work would have an impact, but we didn’t think it would be that quick.  That really is the value of working with Steve, he gets people to put things into action that get results. We look forward to continuing our work with him.”

Steve’s View:

“KGS is on a very clear path.  The team is listening first, which Levant has coined ‘trapping the fit.”  Then they assess the client’s needs and possible objections, after which they create tailored solutions that make it clear KGS is a valued advisor.  The company has taken the systems I helped them create and owned them.  They feel invested in how we arrived at the new processes and have put them into practice, creating positive, measurable results.”

ALSO SEE:
Return on Executive Investment
Accelerated and Anchored Change
Increased confidence and peace of mind

Arsenal Capital ED Case Study

Steve Giglio accelerates and anchors change in an organization

Case Study

Arsenal Capital Defines Company Messaging Through Executive Training

The Situation:

“We needed an outsider to hear how we communicated our company’s core values and help us streamline our brand to be powerfully effective,” says Terry Mullen of Arsenal Capital.

Steve immediately noticed Arsenal’s message was too complex. It needed to be distilled down to the point where it could be easily understood, and it needed to be flexible enough to address diverse audiences. Steve rigorously studied Arsenal’s industry, finding areas where the company’s messaging and the market needs were at odds. He then worked with four top-level executives, tailoring programs to fit the company’s messaging needs and the skill sets of each individual.

The result:

Arsenal Capital now has consistent and concise messaging that can be tailored to any audience. Steve Giglio was able to pinpoint the company’s value proposition and the unique services offered. He created a communication standard that ensures an accurate presentation of the company to investors. The changes he initiated are now used for all communications efforts.

ALSO SEE:
Return on Executive Investment
Superior Team Management
Increased confidence and peace of mind