ACG’s Growth Summit: Optimizing the Sales Engine

At the ACG Growth Summit in Dallas, industry leaders gathered to discuss strategies for optimizing the sales engine—a critical element for achieving sustainable organic growth. The primary themes centered around process, systems and people. If you couldn’t attend, here’s a breakdown of the essential strategies discussed:

1. Process: Fine-Tuning the Sales Machine

Lead Generation and Structured Training:

John Dupuy, CEO of Audax-backed home improvement and renovation company Renovo Home Partners, emphasized the importance of a well-structured sales process in the first 100 days post-acquisition. “It comes down to lead generation and the pieces underneath that,” Dupuy said. This includes knowing your sales model and recruiting and training your sales staff efficiently.

Frequent Tracking and Reporting:

Regular meetings and accountability are crucial. Dupuy highlighted the importance of frequent tracking and reporting: “Are you having weekly meetings and holding people accountable on their goals? Are you having that ongoing training?”

Clearing Assumptions:

MJ Maloof, a venture capital investor and operator who currently serves as CEO of Utah-based Stealth Mode, stressed the importance of setting aside assumptions and understanding the real drivers of the business. “It’s about coming in and casting aside all assumptions, really figuring out what drives the business.”

2. Systems: Measuring What Matters

Effective Use of CRMs:

Summer Craig, partner at Craig Group, underlined the necessity of a robust CRM system for tracking sales activities: “You’re talking about the quality of interactions, the amount of people in an organization that you touch. Diligence doesn’t typically do that work: identifying who your buyers are and how you’re going to expand those buyers to reach revenue goals.”

Objectives Over KPIs:

Maloof advised focusing on objectives rather than just KPIs, especially when still grasping the business dynamics. “The objectives matter more than the KPI, in the sense that you don’t want to be chasing the wrong metric or perverting incentives.”

Choosing the Right Tools:

While Salesforce was recommended for its robust features, Maloof pointed out that there are cost-effective alternatives that might be quicker to implement. “If the goal is speed and not overcomplicating it, there are some other options to look at.”

3. People: Prioritizing the First Senior Hires

Thoughtful Hiring:

Bringing in experienced professionals for top roles is critical but should be done carefully. “The most expensive mistake you can make are senior hires that you get wrong,” Maloof cautioned.

Strategic Roles:

Dupuy shared insights from Renovo’s experience, highlighting the importance of roles like CFO, CIO, VP of Strategic Integration, and CHRO in their early stages. “We debated about bringing in a CMO at the time but said, let’s go with a value-added board member who’s actually going to help us identify a good internal candidate, but also help define the role much better, so she was a great addition.”

Value-Added Board Members:

Both Dupuy and Maloof agreed on the benefits of having actively involved board members with specific skills. “There is a big difference between a drive-by level of board membership and someone who’s actively involved,” Maloof noted.

Driving Sustainable Growth Through Sales Optimization

For more detailed strategies and support, visit Craig Group and explore the resources offered by the Association for Corporate Growth at ACG.