A multinational defence technology company faced a pivotal moment under the direction of a new CEO. With ambitious plans to not only drive growth in established markets, but break into new territory, they needed to strengthen commercial capabilities across their teams. This strategic objective required a cultural shift – particularly within their sales, bidding, account management and procurement teams. Having strategic partnerships already in place with high-profile clients like the MOD and the US Department of Defense, the company recognised that equipping their teams with commercial excellence skills would be essential to help realise their expansion. Enhancing sales skills and providing valuable training in advanced negotiating and influencing skills could help support their growth goals and unlock new markets.

A Multi-Programme Partnership for Commercial Skills Development

Alchemist partnered with this client to deliver a bespoke, multi-year programme to their commercial teams. Over four years, these programmes developed high-impact commercial skills in their staff, directly supporting the company’s expansion goals.

The partnership consisted of three core programmes tailored for both sales and non-sales staff:

Negotiating for Growth

‘Negotiating For Growth’ was a foundational programme focused on developing advanced negotiation skills. This bespoke, blended approach combined workshops, self-directed materials, and video resources, equipping employees with practical skills essential for achieving the company’s growth goals and customer engagement objectives.

Selling for Growth

Following the success of the negotiation training, Alchemist extended its partnership by introducing ‘Selling for Growth,’ specifically designed for the company’s business-winning teams. This ILM-accredited programme equipped sales managers with advanced sales skills necessary for pursuing large-scale deals and strengthened the company’s market positioning.

Engaging for Growth

To ensure a cohesive commercial message across all client-facing teams, Alchemist launched ‘Engaging for Growth,’ a programme focused on elevating communication skills for non-sales employees. This programme empowered participants to confidently represent the business’s value proposition, boosting alignment and building confidence across the company’s client interactions.

Collective Commercial Success: Market Expansion and Bigger Deals

The overall result of the programmes was impressive. Spanning a total of four years, Alchemist’s strong and collaborative partnership with this client supported the development of over 650 employees across Europe, Australia, and Canada. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, achieving scores of up to 9.5/10 in negotiation and 9.3/10 in sales. The trio of programmes directly contributed to securing more larger, strategic deals – enhancing the company’s presence in new markets and furthering its growth objectives.

The Head of Business Faculty praised Alchemist’s partnership throughout the ambitious growth drive, stating, “I actually couldn’t recommend them highly enough… their ability to get to the root of the problem you’re trying to solve and help you identify your vision was invaluable.” He highlighted how Alchemist’s close collaboration with their procurement and commercial teams ensured that all stakeholders were in alignment – and key voices within the company were included in the shaping of the programme. The result was a solution tailored to their unique needs and objectives.

The Head of Business Faculty further noted how the comprehensively designed learning journey made the training accessible and engaging for different learning styles. He highlighted how Alchemist’s ‘coaching approach’ had enabled teams to “get under the skin of the customer” and understand client drivers more effectively. He also praised the variety and depth of the programme’s learning experience, which included video-based learning, experiential exercises and the seamless integration with their existing coaching app.

On the Path to Future Growth

Armed with advanced negotiating and sales skills, our client’s staff now feel prepared and confident in their abilities to drive long-term success in a competitive market landscape. The clear measurable impact of this partnership on this company’s commercial success is clear – and exemplifies Alchemist’s client-centric approach to enabling lasting results.

Get in touch to learn more about our commercial capabilities training and how we could help your leaders excel.