Years of declining sales can indicate that products and markets have already passed the peak of their life cycle. Especially companies that have been very successful in the past often find it difficult to face the facts and take targeted countermeasures. If this is exacerbated by high price pressure, declining sales volumes and falling prices can result in an ‘explosive mixture’ for the company.
Achieving acceptance for the existing situation
Although change is necessary, both management and the company’s employees want to retain the familiar, entrenched processes. Or they don’t know how to initiate the process of change? Often the situation is also glossed over internally, “this slump is only short-lived…”, “caused by current circumstances…”, because no one wants to admit that things are much worse than they appear. Only once it is accepted that the situation is critical can the team take action.
Overcoming the fear of change
As interim managers, change is our bread and butter. However, it is important to achieve it together as a team. We challenge and encourage your team by integrating all the stakeholders in the change process.
How do we approach the situation?
We listen, form teams and start implementing changes right away!
Phase 1 – Facts and figures for a current state analysis
Phase 2 - Clear definition of your company’s target customers
Phase 3 - Change sales teams and sales processes from ‘passive’ sales to ‘active’ sales
Phase 4 - Staying on the ball and systematically retaining existing and new customers
Phase 5 - Introduce a price management process
Admittedly, at first the important topic of price management is unlikely to be met with great enthusiasm in your sales department. But a systematic and regular audit of your pricing is very important in order to survive in declining industries under price pressure. This also includes involving the sales department and preparing them for negotiations with appropriate techniques and arguments.
Phase 6 - Targeted adaptation of new product innovations to customer needs
An active sales force and customer-focused processes can achieve sales success even in declining markets!
Version: 05/03/2020
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Our attention is completely with our customers, so we are looking forward to a first contact by e-mail.