It’s All About the (Customer) Journey

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics had a sales challenge on their hands. Until recently, a large focus of their account teams’ goals had been on initial sales—getting their blood analyzers in as many clinical labs and blood banks as possible. But this focus on new business didn’t leave enough time in the sales day to look after existing customers. Achieving a better balance meant focusing more on the customer’s entire journey.

Ortho needed to shift its sales culture to become the industry leader in customer loyalty and retention. Zimmet Group identified the skills and job habits it would take to help Ortho’s Account Managers make this shift, and created an intensive training program to develop these crucial customer-care behaviors.

Then, we put the sales force to the test.

Zimmet Group’s own learning journey started by getting inside the heads (and habits) of the highest-performing Account Managers around the world. After extensive phone interviews and days spent in the field participating in customer care visits, we analyzed and summarized our observations.

The output? First, a matrix of critical behaviors that all Account Managers should apply in order to achieve true customer care and earn the loyalty that comes with it. And second, a learning program design to teach and test these behaviors.

In the first phase of the program, we familiarized our audience with the skills and processes that will help them truly delight customers. To do this, we developed a series of eight interactive eLearning modules and nine behavior modeling videos that demonstrated behaviors to emulate and pitfalls to avoid.

For the second phase, we designed and facilitated an intense, two-day, in-person workshop. This was no boring, lecture-style training class. We got people out of their seats—thinking, interacting, and practicing for as much of the two days as possible. At the end of the event, learners were put to the ultimate test as Ortho senior leaders role-played challenging customers and the Account Managers had to successfully apply what they learned and conquer the situation.

For the final phase, we gave Ortho the tools to take the program forward through the rest of their organization. We trained and certified Ortho facilitators to deliver the program globally, and we provided evaluation and coaching forms for front-line managers to verify salespeople’s continued excellence in the field.