Keys to successful transformation of a commercial organization

It is not easy to defend the value of the organization when the dominant culture raises the satisfaction of the individual, as if Maslow's pyramid had run out of steps. Perhaps that is why it is time to demonstrate that the best version of the individual is produced when he works in a context that allows him to bring value to his customers, community, investors... In other words, the success of an organization in the marketplace will depend not so much on the individual as on the collaboration between its members.

Dave Ulrich, global expert in leadership and human resource management and professor at the Ross School of Business (University of Michigan), puts figures to the initial statement: the organization has four times more impact on the results of a company than the individual.?

“The organization has 4 times more impact on the results of a company than the individual”

The organization is defined by the dominant culture, capabilities of the people, processes, and the work environment. Capabilities, i.e., talent alone, do not transform the organization if they are static and individual. They must be set in motion with a clear objective and a compelling vision that is shared by the teams.

In commercial organizations, the key to success and the starting point of their transformation lies in understanding the customer journey and always accompanying them. In this context, leaders must manage five levers.

The first, the definition of the why, begins and ends with the customers, whose characteristics, and expectations we must know very well. Today's new customers are "hyper" because they are hyper-connected, hyper-social, hyper-technological, difficult to impress and somewhat egocentric and, above all, they are unique beings who are difficult to fit into a standard target. Personalization is a critical factor.

Their expectations are commercial relationships characterized by agility, immediacy, simplicity, flexibility, personalization, omni-channeling, health, sustainability, and the possibility of sharing experiences. Reasons that feed on emotions and emotions that feed on reasons make each customer decide at every moment their relationship with the brand.

“1.?WHY: the definition of the why begins and ends with the customer”

The second is to adapt quickly to change. Eduardo Gómez Martín , CEO of ESIC, often says that "today is the slowest day of our lives because some of what happens tomorrow will surely be faster". In this environment of acceleration brought about by technological advances, sales teams must transform themselves quickly. This requires first and foremost a positive and proactive attitude towards change. The speed of change is driven by customer needs and varies by industry, but in most cases, external change is faster than in large companies.

Organizations must constantly transform themselves. Such transformation will happen if the organization, in all its roles, looks to the customer of the future and questions the historical ways of doing things. In sales roles, for example, the enemy of such transformation is to take for granted that "I already know my customer" or that "my sales skills are already excellent" or to see as a threat the technological tools that allow us to better understand customers and improve our outreach.

“2. ADAPT QUICKLY TO CHANGE: all roles in the organization must constantly transform themselves”

The third lever is engagement, a level of commitment that applies to both the customer and each member of the team. The customer feels it and expresses it. Communication channels, especially social networks, are rife with such sentiments, which can have an unequal influence on the mood of an organization. For the organization to listen to the market and infect it with positive emotions, it is essential that teams feel engaged. This concept, which expresses the individual's commitment to a project and leads to alignment with objectives, necessarily requires a high dose of empathy.

“3. ENGAGEMENT: internal and external listening and emotional connection is essential for engagement”

The fourth lever is culture. In business, the culture that matters is not how values are perceived internally, but what is the culture that generates value for our customers. We must ask ourselves: What do we have to offer to succeed in our market? What does our customer want from us? The organizational culture must create the conditions to respond effectively to the promises we make to our customers.

And ask our customers: What values do they want us to have? What do we have to do to demonstrate these values to them? And, when we demonstrate them, will they buy more from us??

“4. CULTURE: the organizational culture must create the conditions to respond effectively to the promises we make to our customers”

Finally, the fifth lever is to drive excellent leaders, who are those who empower people rather than empower themselves. People who deal with people and who lead from inspiration and vision and who, above all, create a psychologically safe environment. The good leader is at the service of his team, listens, guides, accompanies, gives autonomy, and encourages curiosity and psychological security.

“5. DRIVE EXCELLENT LEADERS: who lead from inspiration, vision and create a safe environment”

The best way to sell more is always to sell better.