Agriculture · Brazil, India, China
Recent work · 2026
A core sales program across three continents
A global crop nutrition company wanted one core sales program for its commercial teams in very different markets.
Read the case →
Reshaping the sales force
Situation
Reshaping the sales force
"We're reorganizing our route to market to grow margin, not volume."
Customer tiering, distributor partnerships, cost pressure and new owners lead many companies to reshape their sales organization. Service levels change, free services become paid, and reps have to work differently with distributors and key accounts.
Signs you're in this situation
If two or more of these sound familiar, this page is for you.
- You're tiering customers or changing routes to market.
- Free services are becoming paid for some customer groups.
- Global account plans compete with regional priorities for the same people.
- You have a sales skills gap analysis, but not the programs to close the gaps.
What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations with marketing and commercial leaders.
“We're reorganizing our route to market, and we want to grow margin, not volume.”
“Once free services start being charged, our reps need help handling the objections.”
“We've done the sales skills gap analysis. Now we need partners for key account management and negotiation.”
Why it’s hard
Reshaping a sales force changes who reps call on, what they offer and how they’re measured, all at once. Key account plans fail when support teams are fractional and regional priorities override global ones. The changes hold when segmentation, service levels, account plans and skills are designed together.
How we help
Segment and tier customers →
Service levels and offers for each tier.
Key account plans →
Resource allocation that works across global and regional teams.
Value selling and negotiation →
Skills applied to live accounts, including handling objections.
Sales cadence →
Pipeline, account reviews and CRM habits.
How an engagement usually runs
Typical phases. Every engagement is scoped with you, and many clients start with one phase.
| Phase | Typical timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Segment and tier | 4–8 weeks | Customer tiers by need and value, with service levels for each. |
| Plan key accounts | Next quarter | Account plans and resource allocation that work across regions. |
| Build skills | By role | Value selling, negotiation and objection handling applied to live accounts. |
| Embed | Ongoing | Pipeline cadence, account reviews and CRM habits that make it stick. |
Clients who faced something similar
All case studies →Europe · Key account planning
Recent work · 2026
Key account planning across a European commercial unit
A European commercial unit wanted key account plans that connect to marketing campaigns and sales routines, starting in Benelux.
Read the case →Semiconductors · Global
[Result]
Raising key account management capability for global account teams
The global leader in semiconductor fabrication equipment wanted every key account manager, some leading teams of up to 500 people, at an agreed standard.
Read the case →Academy program
Key Account Management
Apply the KAM process to your own accounts with coaching from senior consultants, and leave with a forward road map for each target account.
$1,500 per person · Next: [Dates] Nov 2026
See dates →Questions clients ask
How do we decide which customers get which service level?
Tier customers by need and value, then define what each tier gets as standard and what is charged. Transactional customers often pay for services strategic accounts receive as part of the relationship.
Can you work alongside our other training partners?
Yes. Many companies let each business unit choose partners for different skills; we often cover key account management, value selling and negotiation.
How do key account plans work with regional teams?
Plans need clear resource commitments and a governance rhythm, so regional and global priorities are agreed up front.
How do we keep the change from fading?
Build it into pipeline reviews, account reviews and CRM routines, not only training.
Other situations we help with
"We've been sales and rebate led for years."
Moving from commodity to specialty
Your strategy now depends on selling on value, but the sales force, pricing and segmentation were built for volume.
How we help →"I've just taken over marketing, and we don't have standard tools."
Building or rebuilding a marketing function
A new marketing leader in a lean organization needs a team, a process and early results, fast.
How we help →"We're a new company with a parent company's marketing habits."
After a spin-off, carve-out or PE acquisition
A new owner or independent company means new growth targets with marketing infrastructure that was left behind.
How we help →Facing this right now?
Book a 20–30 minute sounding board conversation with a senior consultant who has sat in your seat. No cost, no commitment.