Cross-SERVE Types Making the Most Out of Your Opportunities
There are three basic types of Cross-SERVE opportunities: a “referral-based” lead, a “collaborative co-sell” and strategic “greenfield” opportunity development. A “referral-based” X-S lead exists when a Division 8 or Division 28 representative shares an immediate or upcoming business opportunity with an associate from their D8 or D28 group to take independent follow-up action on. In these cases, the lead generator does not necessarily take an active part in the selling process of their partner company to the customer. A “collaborative co-sell” X-S exists when the lead generator and the lead recipient collaborate closely with one another and with the customer to develop the most valuable solutions options, including well- coordinated system design and analysis of various procurement strategies. A “strategic/greenfield” X-S opportunity is one which often requires top-down organizational influence and support by various elements of a customer/partner, including extensive planning and coordination between and across the businesses, typically well in advance of a project bid and award. Though each type of X-S opportunity is equally as important as the other along our transformational journey, beyond the team collaboration itself, it is imperative that we properly capture, link and track our Cross-SERVE opportunities between the businesses. For this reason, tools exist today
between the branches’ opportunity capture systems to effectively link “Parent” X-S opportunities (lead generator) to “Child” X-S opportunities (lead recipient). Our transformational GOLD is represented first by the enhanced customer experience resulting from Cross-SERVE – often reflected in repeat business opportunities - and no less importantly, by the incremental “Child” value of a Cross-SERVE project in terms of additional revenue and incremental gross margin gained (which otherwise would not have occurred). Proper capture and tracking documentation of our Cross-SERVE efforts are therefore everyone’s responsibility. Though we’ve made great strides in this respect over the past year, we still have a long way to go. You’ve heard the term: “If it’s not in CookBook, it didn’t happen!” As it relates to our collective Cross-SERVE efforts, never a truer statement has been made… Thank you all for your efforts so far this year, and we wish you all continued success as we roll headlong into the second half of 2023!
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