Strict is an ICT consultancy company that helps clients realize digital ambitions. It has been around since 2000 and grew strongly for a long time. When growth started to level off, it was time for a new sales strategy. Thanks to the help of Conceptsales, Strict’s consultants are getting better at spotting sales opportunities and contributing more to the company’s bottom line.
In this reference case, Strict director Jan-Hein Bastiaenen and managing director Juri Pietersen of Conceptsales talk more about:
• Why Strict needed help
• Why Conceptsales was asked to advise
• How it managed to generate more sales opportunities
• How Strict secures results in the organization.
About Strict
Strict helps non-profit organizations, such as municipalities and hospitals. But also, Schiphol, ProRail and NS know to find their way to Strict for independent advice and guidance on the implementation of innovative technology. About 120 people currently work for Strict, including 90 consultants and project managers. From multidisciplinary teams, knowledge and skills are brought together in projects at the intersection of business and technology.
Strict needed a new sales strategy
Managing director Jan-Hein Bastiaenen explains that for years, Strict grew almost naturally, mainly through word-of-mouth advertising. “But over time, the realization grew that more results could be achieved with an improved sales strategy.”
With that new sales strategy, consultants are expected to contribute more to growth. After all, they work a lot with customers on site. As a result, they know better than anyone what challenges are at play there and what is needed to tackle them. This offers opportunities for cross- and upsell. But how do you enthuse consultants and project managers to put their shoulders to the wheel?
Bastiaenen therefore asked Conceptsales for help. That choice was obvious, says the director, because he knows co-founder Johanan Bos and had previously worked successfully with Conceptsales. There was already a relationship of trust. “Moreover, I knew that Conceptsales has a strong presence in the ICT sector and specializes in training commercial skills, also for non-salespeople.”
Conceptsales’ ambition is to transform organizations into ‘High-Performance sales machines’. Developing a smart sales strategy is an important part of this process. So is developing knowledge, acquiring more sales and soft skills and instill the right mindset in people. “But there is no ready-made recipe for that,” says Juri Pietersen, managing director of Conceptsales. “Of course, we do use a number of fixed methodologies, but our approach is always tailored to the specific customer demand, as was the case with Strict.”
Conceptsales devised, developed and launched an interactive teaching program called ‘listening commercially & advising’.
Pietersen: “Consultants and project managers often feel resistance to sales activities, because they feel they are risking their relationship of trust with the customer. They just want to be busy helping customers. But this can coexist perfectly together. In a customer conversation, sometimes a comment will just appear out of the blue, showing a particular challenge or need.
If you can recognize that need or want and you combine it with smart advice, a new sales opportunity is then quickly created. Comprehensive collaboration with the colleagues from sales then leads to from conversion to a nice assignment. For the consultant or project manager, but especially for Strict.
E-learnings and training
The start of the program consisted of an inspiring webinar about commercial mindset. This provided the foundation for the change. Then, each participant completed several customized e-learnings: on the value of Strict services, on knowledge and competences, and on the theory behind the sales skills used. “We develop those e-learnings ourselves,” explains Pietersen. “Because if you buy those, they are about everything and everyone but Strict”.
Consultants and project managers were then trained in separate groups on how to apply knowledge gained about Strict services and sales skills. The training sessions focused on recognizing opportunities, by listening ‘commercially’ and asking smart questions, and enticing the client to have a follow-up conversation with sales. ”With the principal consultants, we went one step further. They also learned to actively create demand using the Conceptsales outside-in sales methodology. The training sessions were also partly held in the evening, so that they could be easily combined with ongoing projects at customers.”
In the training sessions, actual Strict practical situations were simulated, and an actor took on the role of the customer. Pietersen: “So more was expected of participants than just sitting back and consuming, they really had to get to work with the skills they had learned. After all, you don’t learn to swim on the shore, you must go into the water to learn new skills. Real practice makes perfect!
More sales opportunities
Bastiaenen notices that the training courses are having an effect. “Not all consultants have finalized the complete program yet, but the feedback so far has been very positive. People learn to listen differently and notice that they can help customers solve problems even better. In addition, we are already noticing that we are getting a lot more leads.”
The director also sees a shift occurring. For a long time, 90% of Strict’s business consisted of sourcing or outsourcing people. “Then the lights of new technology flashed, and we were satisfied,” he says. “But our added value is mainly in helping organizations from A to Z in their digital transformation process; in becoming more agile. That includes landing innovative technology on the shop floor, with a high adoption rate. For this, organizations need to be set up differently. Responding faster to change requires employees to think differently. That kind of complete project has much more value for both parties,” says Bastiaenen.
Thanks to Conceptsales’ help, the ratio between sourcing and projects has now shifted considerably, the director believes. “We are moving towards 50-50.”
Conceptsales acts as a true business partner
Bastiaenen warmly recommends working with Conceptsales. “It really is a professional company. The design of the e-learnings, for example, is top-notch. They built the corresponding learning environment at breakneck speed. They understand the ICT world, the field of sales and act as real business partners. That is also how we work.
When one of our customers is hacked and suffers a breach, we have a team ready to help within 1 hour. Juri and his consultants are also always there for us.”
Conceptsales also advised us on our service portfolio. Resulting in more focus on digital transformation projects. This allows Strict to distinguish itself in the market. “IT projects often fly wildly out of control,” Bastiaenen knows. According to him, this is because many consultants want to write as many hours as possible. Strict works differently: “We charge per project phase, set the price in advance and go for the result.”
Lessons continue into the future
Het trainingsprogramma loopt nog het hele jaar 2023. Daarna komt er wat Bastiaenen betreft een vervolg. Zo wil Strict de lessen aanbieden aan de Young Professionals die in de eigen Academy leren de vertaalslag te maken van businessvraagstukken naar IT-oplossingen. “Omdat we groeien, dienen zich steeds weer nieuwe mensen aan voor wie het nuttig is om te leren hoe je kunt bijdragen aan commercieel succes. Als je dat vroeg in je carrière als Young Professional leert, lever je nog meer waarde voor je werkgever. Een win-win situatie dus!”
Want to know more about what Conceptsales can do for your organisation? Then get in touch with us.