Process

SFE Sales Engagement Process

The success of an international business development project requires a close collaboration between SFE, its client and the market. Our Engagement Process starts this cooperation through a set of formal steps aiming at leaving as little as possible to chance. Objectives:

- The reduction of risk through reciprocal due diligence and market feedback
- The agreement on market entry strategies and priorities
- The creation of a detailed, working Sales Plan

Main steps:   

ENGAGEMENT PLANNING– In this one- to two-week initial step, we perform mutual assessment and validation, aiming at reaching an agreement on international strategies and priorities.

• We send you a short questionnaire about your products, applications and target markets; the sales and marketing strategies; the financial factors; the international sales status, objectives and priorities.
• Following discussions focusing on your international objectives, we produce a short Engagement Report summarizing our views, options to move forward and recommendations.
• We then review this report with you, driving the definition of a set of SFE objectives, strategies and action items for the next step.

IN-COUNTRY SALES ENGAGEMENT – When the SFE target markets are clearly identified and qualified, we immediately engage our in-country sales representatives in the selected countries and sectors.

• Our view is that our representatives are more effective when they are integrated into your own team as one of yours. By becoming part of your own organisation, they execute the strategies and tactics you define; they communicate with you at least once a week; they use business cards and email address of your company and they conform to your processes and administrative procedures.
• Our tested sales development and management processes (quarterly objectives, weekly reporting, regular reviews, continuous training, experience sharing, etc.) allow us to grow revenues and gain market share.
• During the engagement, we also collaborate with you to adapt and refine strategies, to define and implement new marketing programs, to launch new products and to plan expansion into new markets.

IN-COUNTRY MARKET QUALIFICATION (optional) – When there are uncertainties about what would be the most appropriate SFE target markets, we propose a three-month qualification project before entering ‘full-sales’, in order to define the target markets with the best fit and interest.

• In this phase we also engage in-country sales representatives, yet in a greater number of potential countries and sectors, to gain firsthand feedback from channels and end-users.
• Through weekly reporting and monthly reviews, we progressively select the markets with the best fit and the highest potential success.
• This practical approach on a broad scale allows us to refine sales strategies, to prioritize markets and, in some cases, to close the first channel partners and to organize early client trials.
• In the third month, we produce a Market Qualification Report including identified prospects and summarizing our findings and recommendations, that we review with you to select ‘go’ countries and define actions for ‘full’ engagement.

>>> See also our BUSINESS MODEL <here>