Services

Thriving Commercially

The most powerful
force on earth is the
human soul on fire”

Click here to read the Thriving Commercially whitepaper

Becoming a trusted & valued business partner is an art rather than a job. Our ‘Thriving Commercially’ model can be the starting point for conversations about a custom Commercial Excellence program. Based on the complexity of the (global) commercial roles, we design a bespoke solution, using all building blocks. We focus on meaningful value: concrete, measurable output, revenue, market share, gross margin. And at the same time on non-measurable, observable outcome: next practices, new -virtual- ways of working, infectious team spirit, enhanced team dynamics. These are the ingredients of tomorrows success. Linking the results to the United Nations sustainable development goals and/or the meaningful improvement of the lives of all stakeholders in the commercial process, inspire our work to be more purposeful than ever before.

Sales Leadership

The sales leadership program is a highly proven three-day accelerator during which commercial teams are facilitated to co-create a commercial breakthrough in their market or country during a period of 6 months. In addition, participants are prepared to overcome the obstacles they will encounter whilst activating their project back in their business. The real work and learning starts back in the business when the teams activate their breakthrough project in their market, creating measurable output and tangible outcomes.

Commercial skills program

Professionals at the start of their commercial career are provided practical tools and skills to enter client conversations with more self-confidence and courage. In 3 – 5 days attendees experience the ‘Thriving Commercially’ model in a practical way. Everyone focuses on a specific client account and learns to apply the basic skills to create trust and provide value through a customized client solution: effective influencing, conversation skills, presenting with conviction, from idea to opportunity, managing conflict, dealing with politics and decision-making process. Results always show in the client account your people chose to work on and their self confidence.

Client Value Lab

A client value lab is a half-day pressure-cooker, in which leaders of your client company are invited to share their real-life business challenge. The learning lab is an incubator for breakthrough ideas for your client and enhanced skill to be a ‘trusted & valued’ business partner for your commercial professionals. Within four hours of time you will be challenged to shift your perspective of the challenge at hand and receive first suggestions for solutions you did not expect.

Commercial breakthrough

The sales team from Belgium presented exceptional results of their Commercial Improvement Project at the end of their Sales Leadership Program: An EBITDA increase of €…k and a new way of working, which enabled them to break into a new client markets in Belgium. Their eyes were sparking with energy. Over drinks at the reception afterwards, we discussed the difference between ‘output’ and ‘outcome’ with the CEO: “The outcomes of this team (new way of working & team spirit) will become more important than the output (€…k) they presented” we said. After a short silence the CEO said: ‘Don’t bother my salespeople with this mumbo jumbo, we are only interested in the output, the hard results’.

One year later, a message from the CEO reads as follows: “In the past 25 years we have never been market leader in this segment in Belgium. Now we are. And only you and I know why”. What happened? The Belgian sales team returned highly motivated to their country after their presentation to the Board at HQ. They started to inspire their colleagues to adopt the new way of working in their teams too. This spread like oil. After that it was just a matter of time. Nowadays the CEO is predominantly interested in the outcomes, since he knows these are the cornerstones of tomorrows success.

Thought leadership

Read the Whitepaper

This era will be remembered as the darkest or finest hour for many organizations. Climate change, viruses and increasing divides between people, are leading to merciless global events. These events grow the public awareness that humanity and nature are the most precious gifts we have. They expose the weaknesses of a global economic system, which grows economies for corporate profits only. We believe that this system needs to change to help us in the future. Businesses need to transform towards people-driven, societally relevant, and environmentally friendly organizations, delivering ‘meaningful value’. Creating value needs to touch more levels than just the bottom line: business-, growth- and societal level.

Inspiring people

Spotlights

‘Never stop Learning’

In this spotlight is the fast-thinking board
member and non-executive director Sander
van ‘t Noordende via camera. He was Group Chief Executive for Products for six years during his 32-year tenure at Accenture.

‘Space is the new place’

In the spotlight is the exuberant John Batten via camera from New York. He is the Global Cities Director for Arcadis. The Global Cities program started in 2013 and doubled in size from €500m back then to €1.1b in 2020.

‘Not all clients are created equal’

In this spotlight is the energetic and determined Managing Director of Global Strategic Accounts at Randstad Enterprise Group, Tania de Decker. Tania brings more than 25 years of experience in all facets of talent acquisition solutions and
technology.

‘Making clients happy’

Bob van Putten, co-founder & managing director of Flatland is looking back at a year of uncertainty, swift adjustments and commercial experiments. In partnership with the Thrive they designed a commercial excellence program at one of the most undefined moments in their history.