Value Selling Development Programme

Sun Chemical

Value Selling Development Programme

“Working in partnership with Cegos allowed us to bring about a real change in attitude to value selling across the group. The training they provided was a real eye-opener for many of the staff, and supported a company wide drive to build better long-term customer relationships.”

Mark Frost, Commercial Director - UK & Ireland Packaging & Nordic

Business Need

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC group, is the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments, as well as a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics and other industrial markets. It has over 8,000 employees worldwide and a network of more than 250 locations in 56 countries. The company was looking for a way to develop understanding of and use of value-based selling – enabling them to more effectively highlight the benefits and added value their customers receive as a result of a long-term relationship with Sun. Emphasising the importance of value selling would, it was hoped, give a further edge to an already successful business within a very competitive market – equipping staff with the skills to further exploit commercial opportunities.

Solution

Sun Chemical’s MD for the UK, Ireland and Nordic Region met with the Cegos team to discuss the needs of the business, and ways that Cegos could support them. A training programme was developed around those needs, with specific references to the particular challenges found within the sector. Using scenarios that related to ‘real life’, staff were given a thorough and robust understanding of value selling, and the ways it could be used to enhance relationships both internally and externally. The training was not only offered to sales teams, but also to colleagues who worked in different departments, including customer support and technical areas such as product application.

The training aimed to develop and share a common value selling approach. It built and capitalised on a set of tools which enabled the team to sell value; to work with colleagues across the business to assess value; and to share experience and best practice.

Combining pre and post course e-learning with a highly interactive two-day session, delegates were taken on a journey through value selling – all customised to Sun Chemical and its market.

Benefits

The value selling training helped to open the eyes of staff throughout the company about the importance of value selling, and the role they played in it – even if they were not directly involved in sales. Sales people benefitted by developing their skills and understanding of the process. And people who worked in other departments learned to appreciate the importance of their work in building these vital long-term contracts and relationships.

Following the training, the company was also able to start keeping Customer Value Files on key clients – documenting and maximising the added value provided to them, and using it to cement sales.

Over time, it is expected that the value selling development programme training provided by Cegos will become more embedded across the company, and produce tangible business benefits.