Last October, the Asia head of a multi-billion dollar global organization reached out to me.

Their Asia business was just a rounding-off error in the overall P&L and the challenge was to make their operations significant in the eyes of their global leadership and build up the business to be truly impactful.

“Venkat, we’ve thrown everything at this – training, resources and endless role plays but the needle just won’t move. What are we missing?”

Have you ever invested heavily in sales trainings only to see lackluster results?

You’re not alone.

That’s when I asked him one simple question:

“How are these role plays translating into real plays?”

That question was the catalyst.

The leader was silent for almost a minute before he realized that it’s not about what they do in the training room, it comes down to what they do with the customer.

We designed an engagement where the primary focus was on translating all the untapped potential into performance on the field. At the onset, it was surprising to see how such a pivot brings out the internal dysfunctions at the customer interface.

The dysfunction of talking about ourselves.

The dysfunction of not truly listening to customers.

The dysfunction of not creating a memorable and valuable customer experience.

Over six months, we worked with every manager to role model the right behaviors with customers and help their team members to step up.

The result? In the last two quarters have been their best ever and the growth pipeline is abundant.

Now they’re eyeing the title of the fastest growing team this fiscal year.

Here’s the billion-dollar lesson (and yes, this was a multi-million dollar client):

What’s always in front of you, but hidden in plain sight, is the move from role play to real play. It’s about taking what’s learned in the workshops and implementing it face-to-face with the customer.

That’s the key. That’s what moves the needle.

So, the next time you’re scratching your head over lackluster results despite heavy investments in training, ask yourself: Are we playing roles, or are we playing for real?

*** 

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