CASE STUDY: A Proactive approach to Business

Challenge

The Sulzer Corporation is a globally active industrial group. It consists of four core divisions, which rank among the top three suppliers in their markets, and one venture division. Sulzer Metaplas Inc. is the US division, which is a provider of PVD coatings for decorative and functional applications. Sulzer Metaplas' implementing growth goals involved increasing their sales pipelines, a more organized & structured sales environment and improving their overall marketing presence.

Analysis

In analyzing the company's existing structure, Focus America concluded that:

· Enhancing the company's visibility via various marketing tools was a must.
· Implementing a New Business department would create a more proactive & consistent approach to lead generation; this person was selected & managed by Focus America.
· Instituting a CRM package would help the company to successfully track and maintain information on prospects & customers.

Solution

· Set up Salesforce.com as well as develop a customized Sales Roadmap as a tool to aid both the Sales & Business Development departments through the various stages of the selling & buying cycle.
· Weekly & monthly meetings were held with the Business Development Representative to monitor their activity & the pipeline, discuss projects, review and establish expectations and develop new objectives moving forward.
· The implementation of various marketing tools helped to create more exposure for Sulzer Metaplas (US) Inc. The various tools include: Trade Shows, Case Studies, Reference Letters & Monthly E-Newsletters.
· Focus America helped with the selection of a Trade Show booth vendor.

Result

As a result Focus America's efforts:

· Salesforce.com and The Roadmap have become the standard for the sales organization allowing them to easily identify activities & opportunities in their pipeline.
· The Business Development Representative has exceeded his quota and is consistently feeding the organization real, quantifiable sales opportunities.
· Sulzer Metaplas (US) will be exhibiting at 5 Trade Shows in key geographies throughout North America during 2004.
· The E-Newsletter is providing quality information to their clients & prospects on a consistent basis. Generated reports help to measure the recipients' interest allowing Sulzer to focus their message even more.