Company at a Glance
Actuate Corporation is a world leader in Enterprise Reporting Applications. It provides the platform for Global 9000 organisations (revenues greater than $1 billion p.a.) and packaged application software vendors requiring Web portal-like reporting and analytic applications. There are some 3,000 customers globally in financial services, pharmaceuticals and other sectors.
Rea Marketing has considerable experience in the structured application of sound marketing principles to strategic business challenges. Patrick helped us at Actuate to clarify and streamline our channel strategy in the face of strong competition.
The Challenge
To align of sales and marketing through an agreed understanding of the sales process; to ensure transparency and measurement in the process; to identify and address key issues in the process. To maximise ROI from sales and marketing.
The Strategy
There was a 4-phase strategy to achieve the objectives: 1) To develop or enhance an effective market segmentation; 2) develop, agree and publish the “Go To Market Plan” strategy, tactics and activities; 3) evaluate different promotional methods and prepare the “Marketing Communications Plan”; 4) review the sales process, make recommendations, agree key milestones, set targets and establish a measurement system – from prospect, through enquiry to TQL.
The Project
Rea Marketing defined the market that offered the optimal opportunity to maximise revenue. We identified market opportunities by understanding historic revenue data; we analysed sales data over three years and assessed contribution by client, industry sector and purchased services. This enabled Actuate to plan sales activity according to market trend information as well as prioritised rankings of clients for repeat sales value and opportunity.
The Results
The review of the sales process included setting targets and establishing a measurement system from prospect, through enquiry to TQL. To address specific process issues, telephone marketing techniques, scripts and support materials were revised; a new contact strategy was implemented throughout the qualification phase; a referral system was established.
