Ambition:
The BPO division of a leading US based Information Technology and consultancy firm struggled to penetrate international enterprise accounts due to competition with the larger IT and consulting division for the same accounts. This internal rivalry often prioritised IT pursuits over BPO, leading to missed opportunities and significant revenue losses for the BPO division. Attempts to establish an Inside Sales function within the BPO division failed twice due to conflicts from simultaneous account engagements, inconsistent messaging, and improper solicitation practices.
Action:
When tasked with establishing the Inside Sales project within the BPO division, I identified critical challenges and implemented key solutions to improve target account penetration:
- Lack of Centralized Systems for Account Engagement: Inefficiencies arose from the absence of a unified system for monitoring account metrics. We integrated middleware between the BPO and IT CRM, creating structured reports, rule-based account filtration, and automated notifications. This enabled a structured, data-driven approach with transparency and proactive decision-making across all stakeholders.
- Absence of a Unified Enterprise Account Strategy: Confusion over IT and BPO outreach and engagements led to missed opportunities. We developed an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) account structure in Salesforce, listing all BPO opportunities and mapping stakeholders with engagement levels into a scorecard mechanism. This approach provided clear account scoring in BPO accounts, later adopted by the IT division as well.
- Lack of Joint Value Proposition: The absence of a unified plan to demonstrate combined IT and BPO value led to missed opportunities as a comprehensive solution provider. We introduced an ABM strategy to map accounts and identify opportunities, developing engagement frameworks for each vertical to effectively showcase combined capabilities.
- Enhancing SDR Domain Expertise: We trained Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) on domain-specific knowledge to improve their effectiveness in setting up meetings and making calls, aligning them better with the needs of potential clients.
- Implementation of Sales/Demand Generation Frameworks: We employed frameworks like the Challenger Sales model and Value-Based Selling, improving lead qualification and engagement strategies, which increased overall demand generation effectiveness.
Ambitions Realized:
- The BPO division’s lead count increased fivefold within three months of implementation.
- Transparent operations prompted active interest from the IT division in BPO efforts.
- Established a Global Sales Support and Operations (GSSO) division, which replaced some lead generation vendors in the IT space and captured over 60% of centralized outreach efforts.
- Collaboration between BPO and IT divisions resulted in significant improvements in conversion rates, with increased cross-divisional synergy and efficiency in sales operations.
- Achieved our best year with business wins exceeding ₹300 crores!
Feel free to connect with me, Vivek Sahay, or drop an email to vivek@viveksahay.in to discuss strategic sales approaches and overcoming challenges in high-stakes BPO deals. Let’s turn obstacles into opportunities together!
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