Case Study
Primary Intelligence
Discovery sessions solve a critical problem for Primary Intelligence
In a nutshell
After engaging in a pilot program with a client, we conducted a win loss interview with them. Even though this was a non-competitive win, meaning no other vendors were considered, the respondent only gave us a 5 out of 10 for responsiveness.
As a result of the Discovery Session, we identified a glitch in our marketing automation software that delayed our communication with the client. By solving this issue, we were able to prevent other website "Contact Us" requests from being ignored.
Download a free copy of our industry report, “How to Win at a Higher Price.”
The problem: Lack of responsiveness to a contact inquiry
Primary Intelligence won a pilot engagement with a large retail pharmaceutical company, and afterwards conducted a win loss interview with the buyer. In the interview, our coach and respondent from the company gave us a 5 out of 10 in responsiveness. This was a non-competitive win as no other vendors were considered. This low score was concerning and the program consultant asked why they gave us a low score in responsiveness:
“Our vice president had used Primary Intelligence in the past...[and] when I told her that this was basically a knowledge gap for us, she got all excited and she jumped on your company's website and sent an inquiry. Weeks went by and she hadn't heard back. I don't know what happened, but that kind of caught my attention as did she go to your website. There was something there where we were sort of like, 'Jeez does this company really exist or is it just a website?' I told her, 'Don't sweat it. I'm going to be the project lead. I will try to get in touch with them.' I did and I don't remember having any issues with it, but there was something there where she claimed to have submitted an inquiry that never got answered.”
“She jumped on your company’s website and sent an inquiry. Weeks went by and she hadn't heard back.”
The solution: Use a discovery session to find out what happened internally
During the discovery session with the Primary Intelligence team, the sales rep associated with the deal was asked when they had reached out to follow up with the company. He was able to show an email chain that started the day sales got the contact notice from Marketing.
Marketing was then asked to identify the date and time the vice president had actually filled out the form on the website. We found that it had been in a holding pattern on our marketing software system.
Insights: Fine tune software delivery systems
We were able to determine that its marketing software was structured in a way that caused some leads to be held in limbo. The problem highlighted the need to review the process in which leads from the website were being passed on to the appropriate channel.
Actions: Quick software fix
The change in the marketing software was simple and completed in only a few minutes. Even though the solution was simple, the problem could have cost the company valuable leads from companies actively requesting our services. This highlighted the need to double-check every automated system, regardless of how minor.
The Outcome: Streamlined automation processes to avert a potential problem
This one problem could have easily equated to 10% loss rate just from a responsiveness issue.
Mike Brose, our Vice President of Sales, said, “Without the discovery session, the whole win loss program could have been harmed. The sales team and leadership would have been in conflict with the perception of the buyer, and credibility could have been diminished.”
True actionable improvement comes when root causes are captured and leveraged either on the positive side or eliminated on the negative side. Without the root cause, you just have nice feedback but not necessarily actions that can improve process. Discovery sessions ensure that the real root cause is determined from hearing both sides of the conversation. Without that, it is easy to jump to the wrong conclusion and potentially damage systems and relationships unnecessarily.
“Without the discovery session, the whole win loss program could have been harmed. The sales team and leadership would have been in conflict with the perception of the buyer, and credibility could have been diminished.”