Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge

I work in sales for a consumer’s electronic company that was designing the channel strategy to  improve the brand’s performance and reduce dependency of sales with one of the three B2B  clients that represented 70% of revenue. Our local team selected the smallest account as the  one who had the potential to disrupt the market and challenge the market leader since their

business objectives were aligned with our company’s desire for growth, our local strategy of  affordability for the brand, and willingness to invest and provide differential value for our  customers.

Nevertheless, our regional sales leader was not on board with our strategy since there were no  recent benchmark of a best practice or significant results with this B2B client. Also, he was not  convinced that the strategy and actions we were defining were going to bring us the revenue  that would give us the return on investment of the resources we were asking to allocate (brand  fixture and visibility in points of sale and a dedicated sales and operations team).

Selection

To face this challenge and get the approval we needed, we decided to use storytelling as the  main tool to present the account plan. Since we had no data that could back up our estimates  and could demonstrate that selecting this B2B client would solve our high dependency of  revenue with the market leader, we needed to make our case by addressing more qualitative  but profound statements that showed the brand alignment we had with this B2B client. Also, it  was important we presented it in a way that could appeal to emotions and inspire the regional  business leader to get his approval.

Application

We changed the structure of the presentation that was used in all the region.

First, we presented the story of our client’s brand and the context of their business instead of  showcasing from the beginning the performance of our brand. We included examples of 1)

innovative and complementary services our client launched in our country that became a  reference for their industry, 2) investments they made to improve customer experience and 3)  business objectives they had to increase market share in the country through financing  programs

With the above information, we were able to highlight the similarities and synergies between  our business: brands that think differently and have the customer and their needs at the center,

attracting and retaining high value young customers that seek strong connections with brands,  commercial offers focused on financing vs low prices and discounts and goal to challenge the  market leader and gain some of its customers.

Then, we presented financial and business information of our B2B client, their main competitive  advantages and how the price segment mix had evolved to reflect their value strategy and  reinforce the alignment with our strategy.

Last, we presented how some small tactical campaigns had started to show results and which  were the sales estimation for the upcoming calendar year with a detailed 360 commercial  strategy.

Insight & Approach

With the storytelling tool we definitely captured the attention of the regional business leader  and his interest in evaluating and engaging with our proposed strategy. We demonstrated the  importance of seeing business opportunities beyond numbers, in understanding the cause of  our strategy and the strength behind the alignment of our brands knowing that both constantly  disrupted the market and could challenge the leader. We got the approval for the business  case and all the resources needed for the strategy. In applying this design thinking tool, we  were able to prove that we did not need a history of data to get people on board. We could  make up the data according to the potential we were seeing.

Nevertheless, after our presentation and the approval, the conversation was focused on our  sales estimates and we had to commit to higher results. We had no major argument to prove  that those results could not be met, so we had to accept them.

If we were to present this type of business case again, it will be advisable to continue with the

storytelling tool but I think it is important to include more context of the current state and how  not addressing the high dependency on the market leader and trying something different will be  more challenging, expensive and will not change the needle in results.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge I work in sales for a consumer ’s electronic company that was designing the channel strategy to improve the brand ’s performance and reduce dependency of sales with one of the three B2B clients that represented 70 % of revenue . Our local team selected the smallest account as the one who had the potential to disrupt the market and challenge the market leader since their business objectives were aligned with our company ’s desire for growth , our local strategy of affordability for the brand , and willingness to invest and provide differential value for our customers . Nevertheless , our regional sales leader was not on board with our strategy since there were no recent benchmark of a best practice or significant results with this B2B client . Also , he was not convinced that the strategy and actions we were defining were going to bring us the revenue that would give us the return on investment of the resources we were asking to allocate ( brand fixture and visibility in points of sale and a dedicated sales and operations team ) . Selection To face this challenge and get the approval we needed , we decided to use storytelling as the main tool to present the account plan . Since we had no data that could back up our estimates and could demonstrate that selecting this B2B client would solve our high dependency of revenue with the market leader , we needed to make our case by addressing more qualitative but profound statements that showed the brand alignment we had with this B2B client . Also , it was important we presented it in a way that could appeal to emotions and inspire the regional business leader to get his approval . Application We changed the structure of the presentation that was used in all the region . First , we presented the story of our client ’s brand and the context of their business instead of showcasing from the beginning the performance of our brand . We included examples of 1 ) innovative and complementary services our client launched in our country that became a reference for their industry , 2 ) investments they made to improve customer experience and 3 ) business objectives they had to increase market share in the country through financing programs With the above information , we were able to highlight the similarities and synergies between our business : brands that think differently and have the customer and their needs at the center , attracting and retaining high value young customers that seek strong connections with brands , commercial offers focused on financing vs low prices and discounts and goal to challenge the market leader and gain some of its customers . Then , we presented financial and business information of our B2B client , their main competitive advantages and how the price segment mix had evolved to reflect their value strategy and reinforce the alignment with our strategy . Last , we presented how some small tactical campaigns had started to show results and which were the sales estimation for the upcoming calendar year with a detailed 360 commercial strategy . Insight & Approach With the storytelling tool we definitely captured the attention of the regional business leader and his interest in evaluating and engaging with our proposed strategy . We demonstrated the importance of seeing business opportunities beyond numbers , in understanding the cause of our strategy and the strength behind the alignment of our brands knowing that both constantly disrupted the market and could challenge the leader . We got the approval for the business case and all the resources needed for the strategy . In applying this design thinking tool , we were able to prove that we did not need a history of data to get people on board . We could make up the data according to the potential we were seeing . Nevertheless , after our presentation and the approval , the conversation was focused on our sales estimates and we had to commit to higher results . We had no major argument to prove that those results could not be met , so we had to accept them . If we were to present this type of business case again , it will be advisable to continue with the storytelling tool but I think it is important to include more context of the current state and how not addressing the high dependency on the market leader and trying something different will be more challenging , expensive and will not change the needle in results .