01 · The situation
A good business without a dependable route to new customers.
The company had a strong reputation, specialist knowledge and loyal customers. Most new work, however, arrived through the managing director’s network or recommendations from existing clients.
There was no dedicated sales role, no agreed target-account list and no consistent follow-up process. Marketing activity generated occasional enquiries, but nobody owned the next step.
02 · The challenge
Translate potential into a sales function people can run.
- ✓Choose markets where the firm’s capabilities solved a valuable, recurring problem.
- ✓Explain technical strengths in clear commercial language.
- ✓Create prospecting activity without distracting engineers and estimators.
- ✓Give the owner visibility without making him the centre of every sales conversation.
03 · The commercial plan
Start with the market, then design the activity around it.
Define the best-fit customer
Review profitable past work, production strengths, buying triggers and geographic reach to identify two priority segments.
Build a credible proposition
Turn a long capabilities list into short sector-specific reasons to talk, supported by proof, questions and useful technical insight.
Install the process
Create simple stages from target account to qualified opportunity, with an owner, next action and agreed follow-up rhythm.
Start conversations
Build a clean decision-maker list and combine telephone, email and LinkedIn outreach with proper human follow-through.
“A sales process should make the right action easier. If it only creates more administration, it has been designed for the report—not the people doing the work.”John Wicks
04 · Implementation
Put useful structure around real weekly activity.
The exact mix would be adjusted around the team, sales cycle and available capacity. The working system could include:
- 1Weekly account-selection and pipeline meeting.
- 2A practical CRM view rather than a complex reporting burden.
- 3Call guides for receptionists, operations contacts and directors.
- 4Quotation follow-up rules and a lost-opportunity review.
- 5A commission structure linked to profitable, suitable work—not simply turnover.
05 · What changes
The business gains commercial control.
A repeatable route into named target accounts.
Clear responsibility for every live opportunity.
Less dependence on the managing director’s memory and contacts.
Better commercial feedback for pricing, capacity and proposition decisions.
These are the operational improvements this approach is designed to create—not promised financial results.
John's takeaway