Opportunity
A Professional Services organization in the enterprise software sector is focusing on its opportunities to move from vendor relationships to deep partnering relationships with its customers, increasing its possibilities to guide clients from pilot projects sold at ($X) to long-term engagements sold at 10-20($X). Additionally, it is improving its teaming with the company's Sales organization as well as with clients, and expanding client relationships and up-selling skills.

Solution
To tackle these challenges, S3 Solutions created a customized communication/ sales/team development program that consisted of a series of assessments, skill development programs and performance coaching. The program objectives included:

• Developing leaders within the Professional Services organization;
• Developing consultants to become trusted advisors with the clients;
• Developing sophisticated skills in communication, conflict resolution, sales and teaming;
• Expanding customer relationships to become full partnerships; and
• Significantly improving teaming with the Sales organization.
  

Approach

• Pre-Assessment – an online survey of all Customer Value participants was conducted to benchmark performance levels in all target areas.
• Conceptual Models – Participants learned an integrated methodology based on core communication, conflict resolution, selling, teaming and negotiation skills. In addition, they were introduced to a system, which allowed them to recognize others' communication styles and adjust their own styles to increase teaming and expand relationships.
• Large Group Scenarios - Participants applied specific relationship development skills to real scenarios resulting in better solutions and accelerated integration of the skills.
• Partner Role-Plays – Participants worked in triads, observed by peer coaches, to develop and hone their relationship development skills through application to customized scenarios.
• Learning Simulations – Experiential exercises were used to facilitate participants in understanding their habitual behaviors, belief systems and values which limit them from reaching their full potential in their target areas.
• Individual Performance Coaching - Participants were coached in key growth areas that expanded upon their strengths and developed weaknesses that were blocking the realization of their potential.
• Post-Assessment - following completion of the Foundation Skills Course, an online survey of all Customer Value employees was done revealing marked improvement in all areas.

Quantitative Results (Based on Post-Assessment)

• The Professional Services Organization has increased chargeability 25 points in the three months since completing the Power of Partnership program.
   
• Our client saved $40,000 and secured an additional $110,000 in future revenue by using key skills learned in the Foundations Skills Course. Only two weeks from the end of a project, a key client in the Healthcare industry expressed his dissatisfaction with the progress of the project to date. The PS Consultant successfully practiced open inquiry skills to diffuse and understand the customer's concerns. Then, he made new agreements with the customer regarding remaining project items. This dialogue ensured that the current account would be preserved and opened the door to significant future business. Using his newly learned skill of open-inquiry, the PS Consultant listened and understood his customer's position, provided summary back to the customer to show he understood, and then worked with his customer to create a partnership approach that promised long-term improved results for all involved.
   
• Our client sold $100,000 of consulting services when it helped a manufacturing customer to understand how important the consulting is to supporting a software purchase. The customer initially wanted to purchase a product license without services. Knowing that the customer would inevitably face countless obstacles without the benefit of the services backing the product, the PS Consultant was able to help the customer understand this important fact. The PS Consultant used a tactic learned in the Foundations Course to help the customer focus on his real goal, rather than allowing the expenses to cloud his vision. The customer stated how critical the account is, and decided to purchase 13 weeks worth of services (approximately $100,000) to support the product he was purchasing. Once the PS Consultant removed the apparent obstacle of budget limitations from the picture and allowed the customer to see the goal more clearly, the customer easily understood the need for services, removing any need for "convincing" by the consultant
   
• Using the same tactic, our client was able to show one of its key telecom customers that budget limitations were blocking his view as to what was really critical to him. When the PS consultant helped him focus on his goal rather than the belief that the budget was too limited for the project, the customer was able to find additional funding available for the project, allowing our client to place three additional consultants on the account, which ultimately produced improved results for the customer, reduced risk the System Integrating Partner, and secured approximately $200,000 in additional revenue for our client.
  In addition, by practicing open inquiry with this somewhat challenging customer, the PS Consultant was able to avoid an adversarial relationship and build a foundation for trust and understanding. This secured the commitment to $500,000 in future revenues.
   
• A PS Consultant secured $160,000 of services from a long-term and highly valued customer. The customer was known for having very high expectations and often became anxious about project progression. By practicing open inquiry, the PS Consultant was able to skillfully walk the customer through the process which resulted in the customer feeling relaxed and willing to sign the contract.
   
• A PS Manager has shown great improvement in leadership of his team. This consultant deals with a wide variety of people, ranging from his consultants, to representatives in the company's sales organization, to external customers. His manager states that, although he is already a top performer, he has moved into a true leadership role by effectively applying the skills that he learned in the Foundations Course. This has resulted in acceleration of sales cycles, effective coaching of his team, and empowering his team to achieve increased customer satisfaction.
  

• Teaching participants the baseline consulting skills required to function as business-focused process consultants
• Developing consultants to become trusted advisors with their clients;
• Developing sophisticated skills in communication, conflict resolution, consultative selling, and partnering
• Significantly improving partnering with the Sales organization.
  
  

• Pre-Assessment - an online survey of all Professional Services participants was conducted to benchmark performance levels in all target areas.
• Conceptual Models - Participants learned an integrated methodology based on core communication, conflict resolution, strategic selling, teaming and trust-building skills. In addition, they were introduced to a system, which allowed them to recognize others' communication styles and adjust their own styles to increase teaming and expand relationships.
• Large Group Scenarios - Participants applied specific relationship development skills to client-specific scenarios resulting in better solutions and accelerated integration of the skills.
• Partner Role-Plays - Participants worked in triads, observed by peer coaches, to develop and hone their relationship development skills through application to customized scenarios.
• Learning Simulations - Experiential exercises were used to facilitate participants in understanding their habitual behaviors, belief systems and values which limit them from reaching their full potential in their target areas.
• Post-Assessment - Following completion of the Foundations Course, an online survey of all participants was done revealing marked improvement in all areas.
• Mentor Performance Coaching - Following completion of the training program, participants were coached in key growth areas that expanded upon their strengths and developed weaknesses that were blocking the realization of their potential.

• The Power of Partnership program played a key role in the client’s successful endeavor to transform their “technical installation services” consultants into “business-focused process consultants.” Over 150 consultants were successfully trained in our program in support of the client’s goal to fully integrate their three families of software solutions.
• The client engagement lead reports that the level of trust between Professional Services and the Sales organization significantly deepened as the PSO migrated from a “sales obstacle” to a “sales asset.” Team selling of services increased significantly as a result of the program roll-out.
• The investment demonstrated by PSO Leadership in their people combined with the skill mentoring program implemented after the completion of the training program resulted in a high degree of commitment and loyalty from the field organization.