When employee-owned AVI Systems was looking to improve their business structure and take their sales teams to new heights, they needed to leverage their talent with processes, disciplines, and tools that could help them deliver quality solutions to their clients. Beginning with an informal sales process, AVI began searching for ways to get better control of their sales campaigns, as well as proactively manage their pipeline. The desired outcome: create a highly predictable and more consistently accurate sales performance.
The Challenge
AVI needed to create a formal sales process that could help their sales teams better manage their sales campaigns and pipeline. Without the right structure, it was difficult to forecast accurately or build the kind of accountability that drives consistent performance.
The Solution
AVI partnered with Baker Communications in 2016 to support their sales and management training using Pathways to Growth. As a mid-sized company, AVI's sales team initially viewed the program as something more appropriate for larger corporations. However, not long after the first participants went through the program, the immense merit of following the disciplines became clear.
Since AVI implemented the tools and disciplines from Pathways to Growth, they have been able to conduct more effective sales meetings and strategy sessions for all of their sales opportunities. They increased the accuracy and management of their forecast, their sales funnel, and their pipeline, and created better strategies to achieve their sales goals through the use of Sales Leading Indicators. Applying probability factors to their campaigns as they progressed through their sales funnel helped create a more precise, data-driven approach.
"There is nothing like this that I have experienced before in over 30 years of sales leadership in this industry."
Don Mastro, VP of Sales, AVI SystemsThe Outcome
Most industries saw a significant impact from the Covid-19 pandemic. AVI was no exception — their entire industry suffered a major collapse. But because AVI had been using the disciplines, processes, and tools in Pathways to Growth, they were able to flatten the pandemic's impact while industry competitors experienced 30–40% shrinkage.
Today, AVI has delivered Pathways to Growth to over 24 branches in the U.S., providing this training to their sales teams, sales managers, and sales leadership. Fast forward to 2021, and AVI achieved 43% growth year over year through their first quarter — due to continued focus on the Pathways to Growth program keeping sellers accountable and motivated through sustained coaching.
The Summary
According to the Sales Management Association, organizations that implement a formal sales process improve revenue on average by 18%. Those that spend 3 hours per month on pipeline management improve revenues by another 11%. And those that train their sales managers on pipeline management can improve revenue performance by a further 9%. AVI's results demonstrate all of these principles working together.
Baker Communications congratulates AVI for successfully weathering the pandemic storm. World-class performance never happens by accident. Through training and process improvement, companies can transform and stabilize their entire organization.
