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Mentoring · 03

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Sales & Commercial Management Mentoring

Discuss your commercial decisions with someone seasoned in the field.

Duration
6 months12 sessions of 90 minutes
Format
One-to-onealso as a first-100-days or peer-circle format
Agenda
The mentee brings itthe real work, that week’s issue
Mentor

A one-to-one programme in which sales directors and commercial managers discuss their own real commercial agenda regularly, for six months, with a mentor who has sat in that chair. The mentee brings the agenda: a price increase, a negotiation with a major customer, a change to the bonus system, an unprofitable customer or a quarter behind target. The mentor shares experience and views openly and leaves the decision to the mentee.

How the six months unfold

  1. 45 minIntroduction
  2. Month 1Start: agreement and opening three-way meeting
  3. Months 2–5Deepening: two sessions a month, mid-point review
  4. Month 6Close and closing three-way meeting
  5. +3 monthsFollow-up session

Topics most often brought to the table

  • Pricing decisions and price discipline
  • Discounts, pocket price and authority
  • Customer and product profitability
  • Key accounts and major negotiations
  • Building and leading the sales team
  • Targets, bonuses and indicators (KPIs)
  • Sales forecasting and balance with operations
  • Payment terms, collection and commercial risk
  • Channels, distributors and new markets
  • The commercial leader's position: management, finance and their own time

After six months, the executive

  1. 01

    Weighs price and discount decisions by their effect on profit as well as volume; gets the team asking “what does this discount buy us?” too.

  2. 02

    Plans, rather than postpones, passing cost increases on to price; goes to the customer with a rationale and options.

  3. 03

    Knows unprofitable customers and products by name; decides for each whether to grow, reprice or exit.

  4. 04

    Enters major negotiations having set their own limit, alternative and trade-off list in advance.

  5. 05

    Sets the sales team's targets, bonuses and indicators (KPIs) so that they also account for profit and collection.

  6. 06

    Discusses commercial decisions with the general manager, finance and operations on the same numbers; ties delivery promises to sales promises.