Acosta Europe & Expression for Growth.
An award-winning partnership.
Precision Selling and Precision Thinking.
Acosta Europe’s challenge
Back in 2020, Acosta Europe started a review of its level of capability across its client-facing functions. With competition accelerating and a clear view that companies with superior commercial capabilities outperform their peers in revenue and margin growth, they set about creating a plan to build and sustain best-in-class commercial capabilities.
Acosta Europe prepared to create a competency framework to measure their current and desired capability across multiple functions, then develop a clear plan to invest in enhancing these capabilities to drive outstanding performance.
Ian Forshew, Group Managing Director, led a discovery process that supported their commercial leadership to align on a framework and language so they had a shared understanding of current capability.
They linked each capability set with specific outputs and results, ensured all this aligned with their long-term strategy, and engaged the teams driving adoption to reach critical mass, leading to clear and tailored development plans by individuals. It was key to us that all improvements could be tracked and quantified.
Following the measurement, Acosta Europe identified the areas across multiple functions with real bench strength versus where they needed to raise the bar to be fit for the future. It quickly became apparent that they could use some of their in-house experience to develop their programs in some areas, but they would need some external stimulus and support in others.
“This partnership has been recognised, not once but twice, with two Diamond Awards from LearnX for Best Sales Training and Best Learning Transfer, demonstrating the impact on each participant, the impact on others, the impact on their clients and their business results.”
Ian Forshew, Group Managing Director, Acosta Europe
Rigorous partner and solution selection
Following a rigorous partner and solution selection, Ian was confident that Managing Director Steven and the team at Expression for Growth could help us in some critical areas. They defined an 18-month rolling programme split into multiple cohorts and programmes. After some exploratory meetings, they decided their Precision Thinking and Precision Selling products would deliver for the teams.
Working with Expression for Growth.
An award-winning partnership.
Acosta Europe utilised an accreditation approach, recommended by Steven, to ensure that the skills and tools from both programmes would live and breathe within the business well beyond the initial training. The feedback from the Acosta Europe team and the initial energy for the content and approach were palpable.
Expression for Growth knows that skills and training can take up to 12 months to embed fully, so we planned the accreditation follow-up around 6-8 months after the training.
Ian said, “I can say, hand on heart, that the first cohort made such an impact that some of the team asked to be enrolled in the next event.
The second cohort, which ran early in 2022 and the subsequent accreditation several months ago, has delivered a step change in the team’s capability, with us reaching a tipping point where the content and language have become part of the Acosta Europe ways of working, even for those who haven’t attended the training.
The accreditation process meant that the attendees could coach those who didn’t attend, and those individuals have been asking for access to the tools and support in utilising them from their peers. The team now have some tools on the walls of one of the meeting rooms for reference in planning and collaborating with clients.”
He continued, “our teams live and breathe within their client strategies and utilise tools with clients in a workshop format. In addition, they have short videos and exercises available in the Acosta Europe training portal.
The step change in “the Acosta way” and performance shown against the original capability framework that the approach has delivered in partnership with Expression for Growth has been amazing.”
Results, impact and ROI
Best Sales Training
Best Learning Transfer
Ian went on to say, “the training has delivered incremental revenue, margin, and a more motivated and capable team. I am confident that the way we have partnered with Expression for Growth, utilising Precision Thinking and Precision Selling, led by Steven and his team, will continue to stand us in good stead for the future.
I am proud to say that this partnership has been recognised, not once but twice, with two Diamond Awards from LearnX for Best Sales Training and Best Learning Transfer, demonstrating the impact on each participant, the impact on others, the impact on their clients and their business results. Acosta Europe is resolute that our belief in investing in our team and their skills create a culture of accountability, performance, and success.”
Case study correct at time of the Award win.
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