Gourmet Gift Retailer (GGR) had recently emerged from Chapter 11 and required a new leader to assume the role of VP for its B2B division. The primary objective of the new leader was to rapidly stabilize the organization, deliver crucial fall forecasts, and mitigate the risk of significant revenue loss. The B2B division of this GGR had historically operated as a retention group tasked with seasonal call center activities, rather than a true selling organization targeting revenue growth and new customer acquisition.

Our team member began by establishing a new reporting structure and roles, supported by new job descriptions and team assignments, and recruited and hired a national sales manager and a team of outside reps to focus on Fortune 500 companies. They created new revenue and margin targets, supported by key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance dashboards, and revised compensation plans to incentivize performance. Finally, our team member identified, prioritized and communicated a complete roadmap of longer-term B2B growth opportunities to ensure the continued success of the organization.

The B2B business exceeded both budgeted and forecasted revenue goals for the key fall season with >86% retention rates and 9.7% gross profit increase. The sales organization also transformed from a reactive “order-taking” seasonal entity into a proactive selling organization positioned to generate year-round revenue.