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29 Apr 2008 NEW Seminar June '08 - Improving Retail Sales Performance

Business Performance

Expert blended learning can accelerate your business performance.

Why Imparta

When founder Richard Barkey started Imparta in 1997, the goal was to provide an antidote to an industry that was – and remains – focused on delivering events rather than results.

CNBC Interview

Imparta CEO, Richard Barkey, raises questions all business leaders should ask.

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Business Impact

What clients say about our impact on their business.

Kantar Case Study

The Client Need

Kantar is one of the world’s largest research, insight and consultancy networks. The company is part of WPP the global marketing communications company. Well known brands within company include Millward Brown, Research International and the Added Value Group.

To meet their goals Kantar Group companies have to drive revenues and profits through organic business growth, client acquisition, and a move away from one-off projects to longer-term, relationship-based revenue. To achieve this, account executives (at all levels) need to be proactive in developing relationships with key clients and in identifying and securing new business.

The situation was complicated by the fact that many account facing executives did not believe it was their role was to sell. They are specialist market researchers and consultants who take great pride in their craft skills. Many have little motivation towards business development, and wait for clients to ask them to carry out a project, rather than actively seek out opportunities.

The Solution

Imparta developed a highly tailored Creating Client Value programme for Kantar executives that focuses on building consultative selling skills - the skill of understanding client’s problems, issues and opportunities in a new or different way and then showing them new or better solutions which closely match their needs.

The programme is entirely focused on meeting buyer’s needs and provides participants with the skills to uncover new business opportunities in a careful and culturally acceptable way. By taking a consultative and analytical approach to uncovering business needs Kantar executives were able to build on their natural skills sets and intellect.

The programme included computer based simulations, class room role plays and tailored case studies. Heavy emphasis was based on application to real account situations. The programme has been rolled out across Europe, the US and Asia.

Chris Robinson, Head of HR at Kantar said ‘the programme was very successful in helping our people understand that selling is not a ‘dirty business’ but an essential, and value creating, component of our relationship between ourselves and our clients’.