Who are we?
Creators of extraordinary revenue growth through innovation
Delivering end to end sales transformation solutions
We are the only European company capable of delivering sales academies across all sales roles in all industries, in many languages and cultures
Providing the ability to measure, develop, and train small sales teams or a global sales force to a consistent best practice methodology
Sales Performance Authority
“We consistently help progressive businesses and market leading FTSE 100 companies improve their sales team’s performance and increase revenues.
Our unique award-winning approach, accredited by leading business schools, objectively evaluates skills, knowledge and behaviour in a real sales environment against recognised best practice.
The results motivate each sales person to embrace change, develop their skills and improve performance.
By delivering the highest quality tailored learning and development programmes we work with you to achieve extraordinary results and truly sustainable change.”
What we do
Why are we different?
Tailored Skills &
Development
Sustainability
Empowering Sales
Management
Return onInvestment
Objectivity versus
Subjectivity
The founders of Silent Edge, both former Sales Directors, were frustrated with how to change behaviour in sales due to:
) Training sheep dip with no measurement
) Hard to change the behaviour of a sales animal
) Sales figures don’t tell a true story
) Sales training did not stick or change the behaviour of sales staff
) 83% of sales managers are best sales person made manager
History – why Silent Edge was formed
) Founded in 2002
) Our associate network is now 40 strong and core team of 20 staff in the UK
) Can deliver in local language in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Turkey and the Balkans
) Awards include:
‘Best Use of Sales Automation Tool’
‘Best use of Data in Business to Business’
‘Young sales professional of the year’
‘Sales Trainer of the Year’
‘Best training solution’
‘Best use of innovation in sales’
‘Best use of technology in sales’
About Silent Edge
Some of Silent Edge’s Clients
Results and Testimonials
(Account Managers & New Business) 450% growth (£750k – £4m) in 6 months
(National Accounts Team)
£6m increase (13%) in the first year of working with Silent Edge (33% ROI) – they are growing at 10% in year two and the market is growing at 2%
(Field Sales, Telesales & Managers)
30% increase in sales (£14m) in a year
(Field Sales & Managers)
50% growth in year one and 35% in year two (margins also increased)
(Field Sales & Managers)
won £2.3m of new business within 3 months of the end of the programme with £500k profit
(Inbound Call Centre) experienced a 20% uplift across 160 people in their Irish call centre
(Online Inbound Telesales)
pilot team have been top performers in December – performing 8.6% better that the average of the telesales team
Cranfield conclusion about the Silent Edge Process
“The competencies that Silent Edge have defined really help drive sales performance and the model can also predict how likely the sales person is going to close a deal”
Professor Lynette Ryals. Cranfield University School of Management
Only 12% of new business, 2% of telesales and 4% of account managers in the UK have all of the necessary skills to be able to fulfil their job
Cranfield School of Management / Silent Edge survey 2008
Developing high-performing sales people
Sa
les S
ucc
ess: C
losin
g, C
losin
g to
ne
xt Sta
ge, N
ext ste
ps
Socialisers
Experts
Consultants
Product Closers
Storytellers
Product Focused
Narrators
Deal Makers
ServiceProduct
Sa
les S
ucc
ess: C
losin
g, C
losin
g to
ne
xt Sta
ge, N
ext ste
ps
Socialisers
Experts
Consultants
Product Closers
Storytellers
Product Focused
Narrators
Deal Makers
ServiceProduct
Cranfield show the link to success from Silent Edge’s competency frameworks
Socialiser Narrator Deal Maker
Product Focused
Story Teller
Consultant Product Closer
Expert
New Bus 11% 16% 5% 23% 6% 15% 10% 12% 100%
Tele 27% 16% 6% 22% 11% 11% 6% 2% 100%
Acc Mgt 22% 12% 8% 8% 8% 16% 24% 4% 100%
At the heart of every sales force
Denial
Fear
Anger
Resistance
AcceptanceOpenness
Testing
Relearning
Integration
Sustainability
New Business Critical Hour™ Averages
62
New BusinessCritical Hour Average
87
Critical Knowledge
49
Critical Hour Observations
New Business Critical Hour™ Competency Averages
53
Pre-meeting(Critical Hour Competency)
71
Behaviour(Critical Hour Competency)
24
Listening(Critical Hour Competency)
41
Presenting(Critical Hour Competency)
59
Selling(Critical Hour Competency)
85
Preparation and Planning
(Critical Knowledge Competency)
90
Solution selling
(Critical Knowledge Competency)
88
Post meeting activity
(Critical Knowledge Competency)
Corporate sales team – team score by Account Management
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Qualification
Meeting preparation
Personal presentation
Set agenda
Rapport
Introductions
Sales person's conduct
Meeting management
Specify client needs
Understanding pains
Anecdotes
Company background Position companyCompany offerings
Match customer pain to the offering
Sales Value Proposition
Case study
Discuss value
Marketplace understanding
Differentiation from competition
Product/Service knowledge
Next steps/timescales
Create solution on the fly
Close to the next stage
Negotiation througout the meeting
Sales Person Score
Perception
Account Management Observations
Areas for Development (0 - 4)Above Average (5.5+ - 7.5)
Average (4+ - 5.5)Strength (7.5+ - 10)
Dimension
Qualification
Meeting preparation
Personal presentation
Set agenda
Rapport
Introductions
Sales person's conduct
Meeting management
Specify client needs
Understanding pains
Anecdotes
Updating on company developments
Position company
Company offerings
Match customer pain to the offering
Avg
5.5
4.6
9.6
1.2
7.5
7.0
8.0
7.5
7.6
8.1
2.1
2.2
1.2
9.1
7.4
SK
7.0
8.0
10.0
6.0
8.0
9.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
3.5
5.0
4.0
10.0
10.0
KW
6.0
7.5
10.0
1.0
9.0
10.0
9.5
10.0
9.5
10.0
7.5
5.0
3.0
10.0
9.0
AM
4.5
1.5
10.0
2.0
7.0
6.5
7.0
7.0
8.0
8.5
7.0
3.0
5.0
10.0
9.0
MA
4.5
7.5
10.0
1.0
8.0
9.0
8.5
9.0
8.0
10.0
3.5
1.5
0.0
10.0
9.0
MH
7.5
5.0
10.0
0.0
8.0
7.5
8.0
8.0
8.0
10.0
4.5
4.0
0.0
10.0
10.0
BM
7.0
6.0
10.0
5.0
8.5
9.0
9.0
9.0
7.5
6.5
1.5
1.5
0.0
10.0
8.0
RL
4.5
7.0
10.0
0.0
9.5
5.0
8.0
9.0
7.5
10.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.0
9.0
CH
4.0
2.5
10.0
0.0
8.0
5.0
9.5
9.0
7.5
8.5
3.5
3.5
0.0
10.0
9.0
JH
8.0
4.0
10.0
1.0
6.5
6.5
8.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
1.0
4.0
0.0
10.0
8.0
MD
4.5
8.0
8.0
0.0
6.0
6.5
8.5
6.0
9.0
7.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
8.0
9.0
ES
5.0
2.5
10.0
7.0
8.5
7.5
9.0
8.0
7.5
7.5
0.0
6.5
4.0
10.0
9.0
JO
7.0
6.5
8.5
0.0
8.0
7.5
8.0
9.0
6.0
2.0
0.0
5.0
3.0
10.0
8.0
AG
5.0
4.0
10.0
5.0
9.0
3.5
9.5
6.0
7.5
9.0
0.0
5.0
2.5
10.0
9.0
SP
5.5
3.5
10.0
0.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
7.0
8.0
9.0
0.0
6.5
6.5
10.0
8.0
CR
6.0
2.5
10.0
0.0
7.5
7.5
7.0
8.0
8.0
8.5
3.5
0.0
0.0
5.0
7.0
RF
3.5
4.5
10.0
0.0
7.5
7.5
9.0
8.0
8.5
10.0
3.5
0.0
0.0
10.0
7.0
Sales Value Proposition
Case study
Marketplace understanding
Differentiation from competition
Differentiation from competition when challenged
Product/Service knowledge
Discuss pricing
Next steps/timescales
Objection-handling
Create solution on the fly
Closing the deal
Close to the next stage
Negotiation througout the meeting
Price negotiation skills
Score(Max 290.0)
Percentage
1.8
1.1
5.4
3.0
3.1
8.4
5.5
8.9
7.6
7.8
4.0
7.5
7.1
5.5
168.4
58.1
8.5
0.0
9.5
9.0
N/A
10.0
9.0
10.0
N/A
10.0
N/A
10.0
8.5
N/A
202.0
80.8
1.0
0.0
10.0
3.0
N/A
8.0
5.0
9.0
10.0
10.0
N/A
10.0
8.0
N/A
191.0
73.5
2.5
5.0
10.0
4.0
N/A
9.0
6.0
9.5
10.0
8.0
N/A
7.0
9.0
N/A
176.0
67.7
2.5
0.0
6.5
3.0
N/A
9.0
7.0
10.0
10.0
9.5
N/A
7.0
8.0
N/A
172.0
66.2
1.0
5.0
5.0
4.0
N/A
8.0
7.0
7.5
N/A
9.0
N/A
7.5
8.0
N/A
162.5
65
3.5
1.0
8.5
3.0
N/A
9.0
4.0
8.0
N/A
10.0
N/A
8.0
7.0
N/A
160.5
64.2
2.5
0.0
10.0
0.5
N/A
10.0
8.0
9.5
N/A
7.0
N/A
9.0
7.0
N/A
153.0
61.2
0.0
0.0
4.5
3.0
N/A
9.0
10.0
10.0
N/A
9.0
N/A
9.0
7.5
N/A
152.0
60.8
1.0
0.0
10.0
1.5
N/A
8.0
6.0
10.0
N/A
9.0
N/A
7.0
8.0
N/A
151.5
60.6
0.0
0.0
8.5
2.0
3.0
8.5
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
N/A
9.0
10.0
N/A
162.0
60
0.0
0.0
5.0
2.5
N/A
4.0
0.0
8.5
N/A
8.5
N/A
6.5
8.5
N/A
145.5
58.2
2.5
0.0
4.0
3.0
6.0
10.0
7.0
8.0
4.0
9.0
2.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
168.0
57.9
2.5
0.0
1.5
2.5
N/A
9.0
5.0
8.0
N/A
8.0
N/A
5.5
7.0
N/A
144.0
57.6
0.0
0.0
4.0
4.0
1.0
9.0
7.0
7.5
N/A
8.0
N/A
5.5
7.0
N/A
148.0
56.9
5.0
1.0
3.5
5.0
N/A
9.0
7.0
9.0
N/A
8.5
N/A
5.0
7.5
N/A
141.0
56.4
0.0
0.0
6.5
2.0
N/A
10.0
5.0
8.5
6.5
6.0
N/A
7.5
5.5
N/A
146.5
56.3
What’s in it for sales people to go through this programme?
) They will see an objective mirror of their sales capability
) All scorecards are tailored to your language and culture
) Each person will have a highly detailed personal development plan that they will own
) The learning and development programme will be precisely tailored to their needs
) Sales managers become competent coaches and embed the change
) Sales staff will start to operate out of their comfort zone
) Create consistent approach to learning and development
) Back up the continuous learning approach to learning and development
) Consistent approach to how sell and deliver value to the customer
) Productivity will increase
) That means targets are exceeded and commissions are greater
) Making the sales person more valuable (CV)…Cranfield endorsed
) 83% of sales managers are best sales person made manager
) 31% of sales managers have had no sales management training
) 30% of managers have had psychometric management training (not sales management)
) Only 6% of sales managers have had proper sales management training
) 33% can’t remember what training they had or it was team building
) 76% of sales managers carry their own individual target
) 69% of sales managers said their biggest challenge was recruiting the right people
Research on Sales Managers – the facts
Sales Manager evaluation example results
"The skills training was the best Sales Management course that I have participated in my entire career.
The difference with this course is that I have implemented at least 10 things from the programme I received from Silent Edge.
The learning has been practical and relevant and will improve my effectiveness in my role and that of my people."
Karen Osborne, Head of Distribution Partners, AXA Insurance
Testimonial from Axa Insurance
BT testimonial from Customer Street
I have never seen before such a massive turn around in attitude and commitment. It would be accurate to say that if they could have excused themselves on mass prior to the event starting they would have done so without hesitation.
There is now genuine passion and belief in the Silent Edge programme which we will need to harness and maximise. Certainly the team of people that you coached this week are ambassadors for this programme moving forward and we now have people who are wanting to make this a success.
Ian Norris Head of On-Line Sales, BT Directories
Testimonial from Orange
The programme is the best I have been on by the way, way better than Vodafone and better than companies like Unilever, Coca Cola Enterprises and Whitbread, all of which I was a first line manager.
John Hough Business Manager for Enterprise Sales
Thank you
Developing Winners