2010 SIMPLY SAMPLING CASE STUDY
THE CHALLENGE
Traditionally, textile rental service companies have primarily depended on their sales teams to drive new product sales. This means the weight of driving new revenue was typically placed solely on the shoulders of a few sales people while neglecting the possibility of utilizing a full service team staff who were already interacting with customers on a daily basis. To exp
and this thinking, Performance Matters led a two-day seminar in the spring of 2010, entitled “Simply Sampling.” A select number of Service Managers from non-competing markets were invited to learn how route reps can greatly affect the bottom line and to share their insights and best practices. The sessions focused on how to identify customer needs and improve sales by teaching proprietary sampling techniques that have been honed from years of experience.
THE SOLUTION
In the final session of the Simply Sampling seminar, the Performance Matters team unveiled their proprietary “Simply Sampling” program to the attendees. While the final goal was an increased revenue stream, the program’s secondary motive was to help Service teams increase their footprint within their current accounts and become a solution provider for customers to increase their loyalty, drive dependability and deepen relationships.
Participants of the program were trained on how to teach route sales reps the behaviors and tools to enhance growth while driving participation. New sampling approaches were introduced along with strategies for driving customer loyalty. Results were tracked through proprietary tools and eight weekly conference calls were held to instill accountability at route sales rep, manager and department levels. Additionally, incentives were added to create excitement for the new program within each client.
THE RESULT
After eight weeks of implementing the Simply Sampling program, the results were substantial for all participants. The highest performing service team saw an average of $28.34 in increased route sales per route each week. This seventeen-route team produced $3,858.80 in additional sales revenue implementing the Simply Sampling process. Of those results, the best performing route sales rep produced a $51.68 average jump in sales. There was 100% route rep participation with a minimum route sales average of $17.23 per week. Department morale soared as the reps saw how they could drive revenue by focusing not on the actual sale, but on how to meet a customer’s needs.
Through this proprietary process, customers purchased 69.7% of sampled items. Several of the service teams noted that they previously had a culture of only selling a product to a client when they asked for it. “We always had a company philosophy that the role of the RSRs was to service the customers, not be salesmen,” said the Service Manager of the team with the highest route sales average. “This process has changed our culture from being reactive to proactive and has had a big impact on our bottom line.”
