Although brand awareness and relationships with wholesalers and installers were strong, the sales force struggled to acquire new customers. Reps were experienced “farmers” maintaining existing accounts but lacked the mindset, skills, and confidence needed for proactive outreach and cold calling. With wholesalers holding significant power and installers either fiercely loyal or opting for cheaper imports, the company needed a systematic approach to new customer acquisition.
We designed a multi‑week learning journey to build the skills, routines, and confidence required for effective cold calling and meeting acquisition. The journey included focused webinars on lead generation and cold‑calling tactics, a high‑energy calling day where sales reps made real calls under expert guidance, a training day on discovery meetings, regular post‑webinars to track progress and overcome obstacles, and dedicated manager sessions to embed calling days into monthly routines.
The impact was quick and measurable: the 64 participants made 1,044 calls, reached 820 potential customers, and secured 613 meetings. Within eight weeks, these meetings generated almost € 1m in sales, massively exceeding the training investment. The Chief Sales Officer summed it up: “We’d be stupid if not every sales rep went through this program.” Inspired by the results, six additional country organizations adopted the same learning journey within a year. Sales managers now run monthly calling days, creating a sustainable engine for new customer acquisition.
What really moved the needle: an immersive, practice‑driven learning journey that turned hesitant farmers into confident hunters, equipped with the mindset, skills, and routines to consistently win new customers.
