 prograd case study - exetel success story
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“I have been delighted with the rapid development of the business sales force over the past 8 months and hired a tenth graduate last week. Of the nine graduates already hired six have already passed their probation period quickly and one more is within shouting distance of doing the same while the other two show every sign of doing so before Christmas.
Our plan is to grow the business sales force to around 42 by this time next year but that plan was heavily dependent on the innovative recruiting and training processes proving to be successful and the very aggressive sales success benchmarks being achieved which everyone I spoke to telling me they were impossible. (to pass probation for instance the trainee had to make ten business data sales; 1 in the first month, 2 in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth). Totally unrealistic I was told - the first 6 trainees all made that target in around three months with the quickest being 2 months.”
John Linton, Exetel Exetel is a highly successful, growing technology company, specializing in providing services in both data and telephone communications, servicing over 100,000 customers in Australia. When ProGrad engaged with Exetel in 2008, the company had set a goal to develop a force of 40 top performing business sales people.
Whilst this objective would seem unachievable to many, the CEO decided it was possible to develop this “super sales force” using “trainees” from the ProGrad model. In February 2009, the first trainee started at Exetel. By September, there were a team of 9 trainees.
“In October these nine people (whose average time in the data communications industry is 5 months and whose average age is 23) sold 54 connections - an average of 6 per sales person with every one of them making a contribution to those results roughly in line with their time with Exetel). Our first major 'mile stone' was to sell 50 services in the month of October which was achieved shortly after 4 pm on Friday 30th October 2009.
John Linton, Exetel
Following the initial placements with Exetel in February 2009, the successful candidates are now progressing in their positions and will soon assume mentoring responsibilities for future sales trainees. The internal growth and development of the team would not be made possible without the guidance of their Sales Manager who provided a strong environment for the graduates which was both nurturing yet challenging. More than anything the company rewards their teams with great praise and wonderful recognition at every milestone. The graduates have developed a strong team culture of their own which drives productivity and increases sales results.
The recruiting process is simple. Exetel are looking for candidates who are well educated, have a good family background and who share a passion for operating in a competitive (yet highly rewarding) environment. It is a simple, yet highly effective formula which has seen great results.
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