Case Study:

Sales Productivity Soaring!

Do you believe that a good sales person will flourish in any environment? Many hiring managers have this mistaken impression.  Like all good hiring decisions, sales people must be selected on the basis that they will fit well with the organization's culture, sale complexity, customer sophistication and business environment. Interviews and first impressions are not enough to make an informed decision on these types of employees.

In a sluggish economy, would you rather boast a good sales force or a great sales force? Managing a sales force can be trying at times, but remember just because employees are producing good results and the company is making money, don't settle! Why be good, when you can be great?

Bard Medical was founded by Charles Russel Bard over 100 years ago and has become a worldwide industry leader. Bard Medical creates innovative products and services to meet the needs of healthcare providers and patients. A global leader that focuses on products in 3 areas: Vascular, Urology, and Oncology, their core values are based on quality, integrity, service and innovation.

A provider in such a fast-paced industry, Bard was faced with the challenge of selecting employees that were consistently at the top of their game. New medical products were always under development or redevelopment.

Sales people had to be credible experts in all products, since their prospective customers were doctors, nurses, surgeons and specialists.

Bard implemented profiling tools in the past to help them identify candidates suited to these unique sales roles. The employees needed to be persistent, technical, and possess traits such as drive and motivation to be a top performer.

Paul Murphy, Senior VP of HR at Bard was unsatisfied with their existing profiling tools and set out to find an assessment provider more suited to their needs. He conducted a thorough analysis of all tools on the market but he was drawn to the ProfileXT for its reliability. After a quick test drive, its profitability potential was clear and Murphy presented the results to his superiors. 

Bard's immediate goal, to improve the probability of a potential hire, yielded high performance and results.

After implementing the tool, Bard was able to create an "ideal success profile" based on their high, middle and low performers. They were able to outline the type of person that is right for the job and match potential candidates from it.

Results were produced quickly; within a year, performance was up. Prior to using the tool, average sales were almost $170K and post- implementation, the figure was at over $230K per sales representative.  In the first department to use these solutions, overall Critical Care sales increased 28% per sales representative.

Understandably, Bard implemented the tools in other departments.

"In the medical industry, it's all about proof of concept," explains Paul Murphy. "All of our products go through a clinical trial process and we don't intervene unless we know something works. Therefore, it's very exciting to be able to go through the same process with our profiling tools. We have been able to take something inherently subjective and demonstrate objective results."

Their success did not stop there. The PXT also allowed Bard to identify employees that had potential to improve. The tool outlined action steps for coaching and development.

Validation was a key factor that attracted Bard to these tools and spot-on accuracy and proven results allowed Bard to achieve their goals. Bard Medical has been a firm believer in what these tools can do - add to a bright future of driven, stronger and more effective teams.

I have found that these tools have added immeasurably to the value we bring our clients at JV Consulting. They add to our serious commitment to proven results and helping you attain your objectives.

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