ROI
Every business venture has a return on investment, and the
relationship with Sandler is no different. “It’s hard to express in a dollar amount or percentage,” says Chuck. “Much of the return is with the culture and what has happened intrinsically.” But he knows that when you lay a solid foundation based on communication, you can build a company that has no limitations. That’s why Cougar Mountain Software can compete with multimillion-dollar and billion-dollar companies. If you ask Dave, he’ll be the first to tell you a lot of the same rewards. “It allows us to communicate and talk in a manner that allows us to understand each other,” he says. “It’s more than being on the same page. It gives us more confidence in life. I’ve watched our managers, first- time managers, become leaders as a result of Sandler Training.” The future can be a scary topic for most but not for Dave. “We just came off one of our best years in over a decade. We’re in a growth mode,” he says. “We want to continue to grow and continue our culture.” Chuck has a similar outlook. “We’ve got the experience, and we’re just excited about the future of our product.” Both Chuck and Dave agree that recommending Sandler is a must. “Definitely try it,” advises Dave. “You have nothing to lose. The time you put in and the many benefits for you and those around you — try it. Not for a week or a month. Incubate yourself for 90 days to six months.” It would appear the sales training is rubbing off on Dave, because Sandler couldn’t have said it better. The company is about delivering small incremental changes. Sandler has been blessed to do that for Cougar Mountain Software, and they look forward to doing that for many more businesses to come.
“We found that to be very, very valuable,” he says. “Not only from the process of saving time, but from the methodology Sandler uses.” Our hiring practices have a comprehensive set of parameters. On Page 2, you’ll see some details about the DISC assessment. It’s a starting point for understanding the expectations you can have about how someone communicates and how their personality can match in a specific role. For example, you’re probably going to want someone with a high “I” or “D” score to be working in sales if you don’t have a grounded process, but when you do, you’ll need someone who has more “C”. Every prospective Cougar Mountain Software employee is sent through this assessment, as well as others that focus on job-related competency sets. They then go through Sandler’s extensive screening process. “There’s a lot of value in that process,” says Chuck. “It’s very clear, and I think it provides a foundation for learning and change for all the individuals involved.” Dave dives deeper into the details by explaining the framework of how Sandler approaches this. “[Sandler] is trained to interpret those assessments,” he says. “From there, they do a phone interview. If the phone interview goes well, they go to a personal interview [with Sandler]. Then, and only then, do they get involved after that point.” Sandler’s process is detailed because they’re focused on bringing the highest standard of candidate to their clients. And it’s working, according to Dave. “Nine out of 10 candidates we’ve hired [were] a result of the screening process.”
VERTICAL STRATEGY
“We’ve invested in a lot of areas, but come back to nonprofits as our vertical focus,” Chuck says about his strategy. One of the unique selling propositions (USP) for Cougar Mountain Software is their secure audit trail. QuickBooks and other off- the-shelf applications cannot match this standard. “The last thing a controller or accountant wants is something out of order,” he says. “Our secure audit trail gives traceability to every transaction ever completed.” Without that protection, you leave yourself exposed to threats and the IRS. Nonprofits have to be audited every year. When you combine Cougar Mountain Software’s secure audit trail with a company you know the IRS will be looking at, it makes for a perfect USP. “Without a secure audit trail, you’re vulnerable,” Dave explains. “Not just the company, but the individuals using the software are at risk.” Nonprofits have a problem, and this local Idaho company is the solution. Perhaps the most important calling card that Cougar Mountain Software has is their service. “We can cater to our customers’ specific needs. We customize.” Dave says. It’s not just customizability, but also relationships that make their business model work. “[The customer] can talk to the same people all the time. They work with the same person in support, and [support] knows who they are and what they do. It’s personalized service and support.” That level of intimacy is something other companies just can’t offer.
6 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
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