No marketing area is changing more than sales and channel management. And with the proliferation of new sales channels and technology-enabled selling, most companies now have the opportunity to transform their selling organizations. A lower-cost sales platform and improved customer service can actually drive incremental revenue.

For over 20 years, we have developed leading-edge approaches to diverse sales challenges. We combine traditional McKinsey expertise in business strategy and customer profitability with a deep understanding of our clients’ fundamental sales and channel issues: rapidly changing customer needs, evolving technology, selling models, multiple channel management, sales force and manager skill building, compensation and organizational issues, and innovative go-to-market strategies.

Strategies that Drive Profit
Our typical approach to strategy design involves equal focus on customer needs and the client’s economic and organizational capabilities. Understanding both customer segment needs and the client’s cost-to-serve requirements ensures profitability.

We then work with the client to develop go-to-market strategies tailored for each customer segment. These strategies frequently involve selecting the right mix of selling models (consultative versus transactional) and selling methods (face-to-face versus technology-enabled).

In conjunction with the go-to-market strategy, we design an implementation plan that takes into account the roles, skills, organizational capabilities, performance evaluation, and compensation changes required for the client’s success.

We involve consultative partners, where appropriate, on specific issues to ensure functional excellence and measurable impact. For example, we work frequently with experts on sales training and compensation issues. We also provide clients with assistance in technology partner selection.

Getting Results
Using this approach, we have helped hundreds of clients across a variety of industries achieve lasting improvements with their sales and channel strategies and infrastructures. Over the past 5 years, a typical initiative might result in a 30 to 40 percent improvement in sales performance within 6 months of implementation.