PDS, Inc. President Bruce Sherman and his partner, CEO David Lettween, had worked together for the previous owner until they purchased the business from him in August of 1991.  After successful growth in the business, they found themselves asking questions like, “What do you do when revenue growth plateaus, your efforts are not paying off like they used to and you feel like your sales team is not as committed as they need to be?”  In searching for the answers to those questions, they brought in the expertise of Jim Lobaito and his company, The Performance Group, a sales development company located in Urbandale, Iowa.

“I could tell the company was in good hands,” Lobaito stated.  “How the company was being run was not the issue.  We needed to get a handle on why the sales results were not at the level Dave and Bruce expected, to discover that, we conducted a Sales Force Audit.” 

The Sales Force Audit is a holistic look at the people, the processes, the systems and strategies; all the factors that drive revenue.  Part of the findings identified two individuals who were not able to execute on Packaging Distribution Service’s strategies and most likely, would continue to struggle.
 
Following the recommendations of The Performance Group, Sherman and Lettween set goals that each person needed to meet within a set time frame.  As the Sales Force Audit predicted, neither of them reached those goals, and both found a reason to leave the company before being asked to leave.

Jim explains why this happens; “Everyone wants to contribute and be part of a team.  When people are not performing up to the standards, they choose to opt out.”

Another element from the Sales Force Audit identified that needed to be addressed was how Packaging Distribution Services was recruiting salespeople.  For that, The Performance Group utilized their Ideal Candidate and Position Profile analyses.  This process identifies what the position will require and what talents a salesperson would need to bring to that position.  This process creates a clear picture of what the ideal salesperson looks like and the key performance factors required to ensure success. “Once they have this ‘picture” of whom they should hire it makes sourcing candidates a lot easier,” Lobaito said.   This has become an essential tool in Packaging Distribution Services’ hiring process.  Each prospective salesperson undergoes the same assessment process that evaluates their ability to fulfill a particular role within the company.

“What we’re looking for is an aptitude to be aggressive in the sales position, and it’s a very difficult trait to read,” Lettween said.  “These assessments seem to identify those kinds of traits in people and we’ve found that they’ve been a good prognosticator of performance.”

Lobaito, President of The Performance Group, ties the principle behind the Ideal Candidate and Position Profile to the book “Good to Great,” in which author Jim Collins wrote, “It’s about getting the right people on the bus, the right people off the bus and the right people in the right seats.”
“Get the right person in the right seat and point them in the right direction self motivation happens and you don’t have to spend all your time managing them.  And that is the type of salesperson Dave wanted,” Lobaito said.

Sherman and Lettween have referred several clients to The Performance Group due to their high level of satisfaction with the company’s service and aptitude. The Des Moines-based company’s continued use of the Ideal Candidate and Position Profile has resulted in improved sales and a more talented sales staff.

The Performance Group, located at 4171 N.W. Urbandale Drive in Urbandale, Iowa strives to help businesses solve their problems in order for them to achieve their full potential.  The company use of the Sales Force Audit shows executives how to build a superior sales force.
 “Our only objective is to empower our clients to achieve their ambitious growth objectives,” Lobaito said.  “And the key to their growth is an effective sales organization.”

The Performance Group, a sales development company, provides custom-designed programs that maximize profits for companies nationwide. For more information, call (515)262-9509, or visit the company’s Web site, www.pmgllc.net.