Supplier of wholesale electrical building products wants to involve all departments in drive to improve bottom-line results.

Apply Sales Growth Specialists’ proven sales management principles that already helped increase revenue to all areas of the organization.

• Completed most profitable month in company’s history—38% higher than same month last year.
• Completed a profitable first quarter—exceptional achievement considering first quarter historically has been unprofitable.
• Metrics improve dramatically to increase margin over last year—from 31-42% depending on product line.
• Distributor organization’s revenues are up 21% over same month last year.

Engineered Products Company (EPCO), a supplier of specialty products to electrical contractors and distributors/wholesalers, are firm believers. Four years ago, on the recommendation of Sales Growth Specialists (SGS), EPCO began a transformation of the company’s business approach by incorporating accountability measures into their sales organization. Engaged to help ignite flat revenues, SGS Principal, Danita Bye, introduced sales management processes and tools to EPCO President, Jack Schuster, and led him through the implementation. Since then, the company’s annual revenues have grown.

In changing our way of thinking, Danita has been a major influence in our growth. Her “No-Excuse Sales Culture” philosophy of accountability was essential in overcoming a huge hurdle—relying on excuses for not meeting objectives. It was easy for us to complain that our competitors have much broader product lines than ours and blame them for EPCO not having rep agencies’ and distributors’ share of mind. Danita turned our thinking around.

One of the most valuable tools, according to Jack, was the SGS-recommended scorecard that tracks activities and results. It improved communication processes among management, clarified expectations, and kept the focus on priorities.

“The scorecard helped us focus continuous attention on sales results,” Jack explains. “The documentation forces analysis of situations and leads to greater accomplishment. After seeing the positive results with our sales reps, I realized that we could extend these principles across the entire business. The scorecard could be a valuable tool for focusing on and tracking the most critical measurements across our entire business. Together with my management team, we isolated and weighted 20 key measurements that would have the biggest impact in improving our business results. Those measurements became our core focus for the next year. ”

Since October 2005 at each monthly management meeting, we zero in on our lowest scores and discuss how we can improve those “weak links”. We post charts that depict progress in achieving our metrics to maintain our visual focus. And at each monthly management meeting, the manager whose area has attained the highest metrics during the previous month earns the Critical Metric Achievement Award and a $20 gift certificate.

After just five months, EPCO completed the most profitable month in its history—38% higher than last April. Plus, the most recent quarter was profitable—an exceptional achievement considering that first quarter historically has been not only its slowest of the year, but actually unprofitable. Metrics that contribute directly to the company’s margin results have improved dramatically over last year—anywhere from 31-42%. What’s more, distributor revenues are up 21% over last April.

Jack adds, “Unlike the military service, where feedback is entrenched, businesses are more likely to create departmental silos, which rely on feedback within the enclave. And this limited approach is where we used to be. Now our entire management team—myself included—has become more strategic and thoughtful about how their responsibilities and objectives affect the entire business. They see the domino effect. Plus, our management scorecard has promoted communications among departments that didn’t previously ‘talk’ with each other. The continuous feedback has helped each manager discover new ways of doing things that have made a difference.”

Jack is actively coaching and developing his management team as well as others at EPCO. To provide a leadership development opportunity, Jack assigns a team member to facilitate part of a monthly meeting. “Danita has proven to be a trusted advisor in helping me develop my coaching skills. I am now able to develop both growth strategies and my people.”

After just five months, we completed the most profitable month in our history—38% higher than the previous year. We also had a profitable quarter—an exceptional achievement considering that first quarter historically has been not only our slowest of the year, but actually unprofitable. Metrics that contribute directly to our margin results improved dramatically during our first year of implementing Danita’s growth strategies—anywhere from 31-42%. Plus, our distributor organization’s monthly revenues increased 21% over the previous year.

Sales Growth Specialists has provided EPCO with sales management principles that not only improve sales results, but also when implemented across the entire organization improve overall growth and results. According to Danita, “By extending the use of a scorecard to all departments, EPCO is truly fulfilling the components required for a well-managed high-growth organization—accountability, coaching, motivating and recruiting.”

Fast forward to October 2007. We broke our all time sales record—shipped $2,110,007—five years after breaking through the million-dollar level. Everyone at EPCO deserves a great big pat on the back; from sales, to purchasing, to manufacturing, to shipping—all contributed to a terrific month.

In agreement, Jack says, “Danita has not only helped us develop our distribution network, but also has been the impetus behind our overall improved results.”