[Sales process disclosure] Understanding customer intent from data ── Bringing data science to the sales organization
▲Comment from Akira Kurabayashi of DNX Ventures
▲Comment from Shunpei Fukui, CEO of Archetype Ventures Inc.
"Bringing data science into your organization's operations"
The above are comments from investors Kurabayashi and Fukui about XICA's sales process.
The sales process that XICA has developed through repeated trial and error is now the core of XICA's business. It has also attracted a lot of interest from shareholders, and is a hot topic at shareholder meetings, with attendees writing away in their notebooks in a flash.
Companies make large investments in advertising and promotion costs. We are developing a business that uses valuable customer data and data analysis technology to maximize the effectiveness of our customers' advertising.In order to provide our customers with more accurate analysis results, we have established a process within our own organization that thoroughly quantifies and visualizes data.
Today, I would like to introduce you to XICA's sales process, which incorporates data science, and share my thoughts on data analysis.
Understanding customer sentiment from data
XICA's sales team has been divided into the following functions: Marketing → Inside Sales → Field Sales → Customer Success."THE MODEL"We have adopted a formal organizational structure.
Source: https://www.salesforce.com/jp/hub/sales/the-model/
At XICA, we incorporate the following into this sales process:We have incorporated a "customer phase management" system that sets "customer phases" that are key actions for receiving orders and tracks the numbers for each phase..
The definition of the customer phase is "the changes that occur to the customer." The key actions of customers who have signed a contract or renewed a contract are the reasons for placing an order,Define customer phases by determining the changes in emotions and behavior caused by key actionsIt is set to
The strengths of the XICA sales organization are speed, accuracy, and reproducibility
We thoroughly manage the numbers during the customer phase. We utilize our unique analysis technology to extract suggestions from data,We interpret customer thoughts from data and derive highly accurate hypotheses for improvement.By incorporating this series of sales action improvement flows into the sales process and systematizing it, we are able to make improvements with a sense of speed.
In addition, sales data is quantified and stored. The accumulated sales know-how and knowledge can be viewed by anyone on a numerical basis,Reproducible sales that do not depend on personal intuition or experienceWill be possible.
The definition of customer phases is reviewed regularly during departmental and cross-departmental reviews."Does the current definition accurately capture and articulate the feelings of the customer?" "Are you truly sympathetic to the customer's feelings?"We review these results on a numerical basis and make repeated improvements.
I want to solve the problem of sales being personalized
Until 3, three years ago, XICA had adopted a traditional sales process where one salesperson was responsible for everything from appointments to receiving orders. The biggest challenge at this time was,Individualization of work.
- Sales process is not visible
- Sales know-how is not accumulated
- The hypothesis is less accurate
- Not doing business from the customer's perspective
In order to solve these problems caused by personalization, we will attempt to change to a "THE MODEL" organizational structure.
How did they do it?
In conjunction with the organizational change, we invited an inside sales representative from Salesforce.com, the creator of "THE MODEL" and a shareholder of XICA, to give a lecture on the "THE MODEL" sales process.
After the organizational change, a project to change the sales process was launched with the aim of identifying "key actions that lead to orders." In January 2018, when Yano was appointed COO, the organizational structure and operational flow were solidified, and about a year after the project was launched, the current customer phase management took shape.
▼Click here for an interview with XICA COO Mr. Yano, who spearheaded the release of the new service "ADVA".
Currently, we have set up around 10 customer phases for both field sales and customer success, and we combine win/loss data with a UX (user experience) perspective to create hypotheses and make repeated improvements.
Changes brought about by thorough data management and customer understanding
Through thorough numerical management and user-friendly sales process design, the organization has seen the following effects.
- Sharing information about customers has become easier
- Communication across the organization has become more active
- It became possible to set goals linked to business objectives
With a system in place that allows for smooth information sharing, we have created a system in which the entire sales team can properly receive customer requests, and it has become possible to manage goals internally from a perspective closer to management.
Why we created this sales process
XICA is a service that visualizes the effectiveness of all types of advertising, including TV commercials and transportation ads, whose effects are difficult to see."ADVA MAGELLAN"Offers.
Magellan's specialty is"Data visualization and quantification"と"Due diligence".
This was achieved by MagellanBy incorporating these two strengths into the sales organization, we will be able to create a reproducible organization that is free of personal dependencies. By combining this with a UX perspective, we will be able to contribute more to customer results.With that in mind, we created this sales process.
Going forward, we will continue to make the most of our strengths to accumulate knowledge and make precise improvements to ensure our customers' success.
If you are interested in XICA's sales organization, please feel free to come and talk to us.
*The content of this article is based on information at the time of publication, so the current organizational situation may have changed since the content of the article.
