Sales Turnaround at IT Services Firm

It's tough enough when your parent company has gone through three mergers in the past five years, allowing it to grow to more than $5 billion in annual sales. It's even tougher when the management of your local office has also changed several times in the same period.

The Southern California regional office of this large IT services firm was struggling. The staff had seen their own revenues and customer satisfaction plummet over a six-month period, going from $5 million per month to $1 million per month. Not only were they losing key customers, critical business processes were either broken or nonexistent. Morale was low and getting worse, and turnover was getting extreme. Things were so bad that the sales team had a streak of 34 consecutive proposals lost!

A new general manager from outside was hired just before sales reached rock bottom. The new general manager had previously been introduced to HeartMath through a business conference on re-engineering. She immediately saw the need to bring in HeartMath to address several key issues:

• Reduce stress on the over-worked, under-appreciated staff
• Improve communication within the staff and, especially, with customers
• Re-ignite the staff's passion for excellence and growth
• Help the new management team create their vision and strategy and create the dynamics of working together
• Increase personal and organisational coherence so the company could attract and keep good customers

HeartMath provided an array of programs and services. The entire management team attended two-day Inner Quality Management® programs, during which they began the important process of defining their turnaround plan and vision for the future while also learning to reduce stress and regain positive energy. Ongoing coaching was provided to key management staff, as well as meeting facilitation, to make sure communication throughout the organisation was improving. In addition, the 100-person non-management staff was educated through HeartMath's one-day Power to Change Performance program, as well as follow-up sessions designed to sustain the learning.

Throughout the months, the general manager showed exceptional leadership skill and sensitivity, maintaining the focus on improving internal communication, keeping stress to a minimum while giving genuine care to customers and prospects. Morale began to grow and the spirit of the place picked up. But even the most optimistic among them were unprepared for the dramatic results to come:

Within a three-week period, the firm won $45 million in new contracts

For Information
Telephone: (02) 9412 2500 (Australia)
Telephone: +61 2 9412 2500 (International)
E-Mail: info@macquarieinstitute.com.au

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