Improving productivity at Sage - Transcript

Transcript

Chris Rauch – EVP, Customer Success - Sage

Sage set up this program with PwC as part of its focus on customer obsession and customer success. Part of our challenge was to both address the renewal rate, but also the cash collection. The strategy was really about targeting the right customers, speaking to more of them, having better conversations that would lead to better outcomes. We work with different parts of PwC to bring together one seamless team. Equipping and supporting the team leaders with the right coaching skills and the right tools and techniques to help drive their teams is key. Sage has always run huddles but Perform Plus has changed the game for us. It structures the meetings, it surfaces the data and KPIs, and engages colleagues in the process. We saw 70% improvement in the customers contacted, that uptick in productivity really is the art of impossible. What’s been nice has been how the PwC team essentially worked as one with the Sage colleagues.

There are three things I’d draw out. The first is around the quality of the people, the second is around the tenacity and the commitment they placed throughout the project to drive results, and third, probably this is the most important point, the trust they engendered with the teams on the ground, and how that translated into finding out what the real issues were , so we could tackle those real issues and drive results. We’ve seen a transformation in the way the agents talk to customers, from talking about the product, now talking about the value and the success it can bring to those customers.

For having more conversations with customers and improving those conversations, we’ve seen an uptick of over 2% in revenue retention, which makes a massive difference to the business. Through better and more structured conversations with our customers, we’ve seen a 22% reduction in the number of outstanding invoices after 30 days. Its not just about the metrics rush, you can really feel the buzz and energy on the floor, all of that has led to a significant improvement and change in culture, and the results have been amazing.