Read how Partner APX took advantage of the Cisco co-marketing offering for presales training and telemarketing support to generate new sales.

1. Partner Sales Teams Hone Skills on “Blitz Days”
Cisco co-marketing accelerates sales call success among target
customer groups.
Customer Name: APX Business Impact
Industry: ICT • Dedicated presales training for targeted campaigns
using Cisco prospect list
Location: France and regions • Competitive drive of partner sales team enhanced to
optimize productivity
Number of Employees: 1500
• Multiple senior-level pitch meetings arranged in single
day with fresh leads
Case Study
Business Challenge Alain Mariotta, APX regional director for Ile de France, was Blitz Days helps to generate new sales
APX is a national information and communications keen to try out a dynamic and innovative approach that would quickly, and fosters a more robust “hunting
technology (ICT) consulting, integration and outsourcing focus exclusively on targeted Cisco solutions and, at the same culture” among the sales team for the
company, specializing in infrastructure, applications and time, enhance the ability of the APX sales team to convince longer term.
workspace services. It operates in six regional units across prospective customers of their value. He wanted to enhance Solution and Results
France, serving large and medium-sized enterprises in the the company’s sales effectiveness in a new way.
Cisco Blitz Days is a flagship programme for partners who
financial, distribution, industry, healthcare, transport and “For two years, we’ve had our own programme with a join the innovative Cisco Avant Garde partner enablement
telecommunications sectors. Its annual revenues are methodology to address the ‘big stories’ we use to promote programme. Typically, Avant Garde covers over 20 Avant
€180 million. sales in the enterprise,” says Mariotta. “As an integrator, we Garde Plus partners, who want to boost their sales to target
Formed in 2000 from a three-way merger, APX is a major resell products from various vendors. So when an APX groups; and 300 partners in Avant Garde Start, which is
player in technology information systems and services. The salesman is working from our offices, he’s not just designed for small business integrators. The guiding
company sets out to optimize infrastructure performance, and prospecting for business; he’s representing the full APX offer. principles of Cisco co-marketing programmes are
to develop, integrate, and evolve customer applications in line effectiveness, competitive differentiation, and ease of use.
“In those circumstances, we don’t want to put forward Cisco
with the needs of growing businesses. It aims to enhance solutions in advance of researching a customer project in
competitiveness, business agility and cost control. full,” Mariotta says. “Our function at APX is to respond to the
specific needs of a project we’ve identified, as the solution-
“On a special day like this, your team is able
As a dynamic commercial organization, APX also depends on
builder (constructeur) for that project.” to concentrate exclusively on prospecting
driving sales volumes and finding new customers to strengthen
its market position. In a competitive environment, where
for new customers. The Cisco Blitz Day not
This broad, solutions-based culture helps build customer
businesses have reacted to economic difficulties by reviewing intimacy and loyalty, but it can be very effectively
only enables us to focus new business, it also
their ICT investment priorities more carefully than ever, APX complemented by a more proactive sales approach to new sharpens our proactive sales skills.”
relies on an effective sales force to keep revenues flowing. prospects. In this way, the highly focused approach of Cisco®
Alain Mariotta
Regional Director, Ile de France, APX

2. Partner Sales Teams Hone Skills on “Blitz Days”
Continued
Case Study
Cisco has created a simple, integrated online application Paris office. Taking the sales team out of its normal working distract them, your team is able to concentrate exclusively on
system for firms wishing to take advantage of a co-marketing environment is considered to have strong team-building prospecting for new customers. The Cisco Blitz Day not only
programme. They are accessible via the Cisco co-marketing benefits, though Cisco is also open to conducting Blitz Days enables us to focus new business, it also sharpens our
website, which covers telemarketing, the Cisco WebCollage on partner premises. proactive sales skills.”
automated product information update display service for
Each sales person was given a list of about 80 contact In 2010, APX made 16 fresh appointments with the potential
SME partner sites, Cisco Blitz Days, and more. Those
numbers, representing companies known to have a data to bring in new business. In 2011, during its second Blitz
selected for a Blitz Day may also apply to have up to 50 per
center. People worked through their lists in two sessions, Day, the total was significantly higher, at 26 and similar rates
cent of the cost paid by Cisco.
morning and afternoon. The emphasis was on speed and of new business are forecast. Asked whether he would
A Blitz Day includes valuable preliminary training by a Cisco results, with the teams trying to reach CIOs first time and choose to repeat the experience for all APX regional sales
sales specialist, carried out over its flexible collaboration avoid traditional secretarial barriers or being dismissed with teams, budgets permitting, Mariotta does not hesitate:
platform, Cisco WebEx®. Sales teams learn the most effective later call-back times. The Blitz Day partner teams are “Absolutely,” he says.
ways to pitch Cisco products, along with key features and supported throughout by a dedicated Cisco coach. Each time
headline business benefits. Cisco provides a list of new an appointment is arranged, the salesperson’s name goes up
prospects and contact call-sheets to use on the day, in close on a board. The best-performing team member wins a prize
consultation with the partner. These are based on geographic at the end of the day. For More Information
criteria, company size and the desired technology focus. To find out more about Cisco Blitz Days, please click here
Mariotta has high praise for the energy generated during the
A Blitz Day is especially useful in the small business segment, Blitz Day and the quality of Cisco coaching support. He
but is also highly beneficial to companies serving the describes both as “highly dynamic and professional” adding:
,
medium-sized or enterprise markets. The day affords a “It works because Cisco turns it into a bit of a contest for the
powerful opportunity to reach out and engage with fresh people taking part. They can all see how everyone is
prospects, and to convert these leads into profitable new performing, written up on the table, which shows the names
bookings. Sales teams are encouraged to develop much of the salesmen, the number of appointments made, and the
more of a “hunting culture” and are thus able to raise their name of the prospect company.”
performance levels.
This intense atmosphere encourages participants both to
APX has now taken part in two Blitz Days, first in 2010 and outperform each other and to improve their own
again in 2011. On the second occasion, ten salespeople performance, a lesson that can then be carried back into their
took part. They came from two regions (Ile de France and daily work. “However dedicated, you sometimes have to push
France Nord), and their focus was on data center your sales teams to get on with the job,” says Mariotta. “But
opportunities. The day-long session took place at the Cisco on a special day like this, with no PCs and no mobiles to
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