Challenge
Facing margin pressure and stagnating market growth, a leading player in the German SHP wholesale market identified significant untapped potential within its existing customer base, particularly among customers classified as high potential accounts.
Realizing that sustainable growth would depend less on isolated sales skills and more on consistent execution, the organization chose a leadership led Commercial Excellence approach.
Approach
Together, we designed a structured Commercial Excellence Academy built around two tightly connected learning journeys: one for sales leadership and one for field sales. At the core was a clear, end to end Commercial Excellence process, embedded directly into CRM usage and daily management routines.
Leadership enablement was the starting point. Sales managers were trained to lead and coach with clarity and discipline, running structured cadence meetings, coaching opportunities, debriefing customer visits, and using CRM data to steer priorities. Rather than adding another management tool, the program established a common coaching rhythm that translated strategy into day to day execution.
Sales training was then deployed into this leadership environment. Field sales participated in practical training modules combining in person sessions, simulations, and regular follow up check ins. This ensured that new behaviors were not only learned but consistently reinforced through coaching and real customer work.
Results
The results were tangible: customer needs were systematically identified, account plans were established for the majority of high potential customers, and differentiated solutions were developed at scale. Despite a declining market, growth with high potential customers significantly outperformed the overall business.
What made the difference: early and deliberate leadership enablement, a clear coaching cadence, CRM anchored execution, and a learning journey designed as an ongoing management system—turning Commercial Excellence from an initiative into a leadership habit.
