Note: This post replaces the one published ealier.
During the past several months there have been significant changes at FranklinCovey. In May the company sold off its Consumer Solutions Business Unit. The company is now focused on global consulting and training in the areas of strategy execution, customer loyalty, leadership and individual effectiveness.
The Sales Performance Group (SPG) has been reorganized into a fairly typical practice area. ESR subscribers will remember that SPG earned one of the two top leadership positions among the 19 sales training providers evaluated in the 2008 Sales Training Vendor Guide. (We will continue coverage in our upcoming 2009 Guide.)
SPG has a team of very talented and committed individuals. Since 2006, when ESR began covering SPG, we felt that the group was underfunded (and underappreciated) by the FranklinCovey organization. We scratched our heads wondering why that company-within-a-company wasn't able to leverage the FranklinCovey brand. That was our observation-not anything specifically conveyed to us by SPG.
I spoke today with the Covey's senior leadership team. They were enthusiastic about the sales performance practice's prospects going forward. They described FranklinCovey's broad restructuring of the business into practice areas. It makes a lot of sense.
The sales performance practice (formerly SPG) is transitioning into the mainstream of the company. Their sales performance solutions will be sold through the FranklinCovey salesforce worldwide. (There are 70 sales people in the U.S.-plus twice as many internationally, counting partners. That's a hefty salesforce as compared to many of the other players.)
As I understand FranklinCovey's new approach, I see the end customer benefitting. They will now have a salesperson calling on them with a portfolio of solutions to potentially address multiple challenges and opportunities, rather than just one. Those salespeople will have practice specialists available as resources and backup during the sales effort.
FranklinCovey is serious about growing their sales effectiveness practice. They'll be investing in marketing and in the specific areas of development that ESR has highlighted as critical for a sales performance improvement provider to meet the requirements of their customers going forward.
SPG was underleveraged. Now, after this restructuring, the sales effectiveness practice has an already-effective distribution system. With a brand-new marketing budget and funding for product development, they are determined to keep their position in the upper right-hand corner of ESR's Sales Training Arena.