Gilbane Sales Change Management Approach
Gilbane needed to transform operational people into “Doer-Sellers.” The transformation included process, messaging, and leadership sales playbooks. DSG brought value and insight to Gilbane's sales culture transformation by being process driven, acting as an extension of the client organization, and being disciplined.
As an outsider looking in, sellers at Gilbane understand how best practices look. On the other hand, they can also operate as insiders who know the culture, have adopted the language, and have built relationships of trust. As a result, we can architect and achieve the needed change. However, we needed to move Gilbane from focusing on operations to evolving into a sales culture.
DSG's focus on sales change management - building playbooks, developing customized content, tools, and tailored training - fit the reality of what we needed to drive lasting sales transformation. We knew there would have to be buy-in across the board and from top-level management to push the program forward. If top management did not buy into it and leadership did not profess an acceptance of the program, it would not be part of our culture moving forward.
The overall approach has been to engage in a cycle of discovery. We defined the problems and aligned with the executive team. Then, we chose individuals with best practices within their various regions and business units to bring them together in collaborative workshops to create content. There was a doer-seller process playbook and a messaging playbook with content on how to network, which was a significant opportunity for Gilbane. We also built a leadership playbook with guidance for managers to coach the process and the messaging to their teams. The change process began as DSG engaged with team managers monthly in coaching, reinforcement, and ongoing training. DSG supported the managers in driving required change.
When we selected DSG, we found it intriguing that much of their work was outside the construction industry. We wanted a fresh approach with an entity that had worked with Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies outside our industry. DSG's value and insight in working with Gilbane for over three years have provided a cross-industry knowledge into selling best practices. They chose to work with us and continue to engage with us because we bring a broad perspective.
There were a few key insights and values which came from our engagement. The program is process-oriented and process-driven. It's interactive; DSG became an extension of our organization, myself, and the Gilbane organization by becoming part of our culture. Lastly is the discipline we have seen with the process, which is necessary for any transformation to be effective.
