Global executive with North America and LatAm leadership experience in companies like P&G, Mondelez and Pepsico. Known for aggressively growing sales of consumer brand products in fiercely competitive North American and Latin American retail markets. Transformational P&L leader with a track record of building new startup divisions, turning around underperforming businesses, rapidly growing distribution channels, and accelerating growth and profitability in new, existing, and emerging markets. Equally adept at launching brands in new markets and successfully executing previously failed brand re-launches. Builder and leader of world-class teams with a deep understanding of multi cultural dynamics and the impact on customer buying decisions in different markets.
PROFILE
P&L Leadership: Held P&L accountability for U.S. and LATAM sales organizations with annual sales of up to US$3B, overseeing as many as 6,000+ direct and indirect sales professionals.
Business Startup & Growth: Directed the full startup of new Brazilian office for Mead Johnson, including structures, systems, and organization; tripled annual sales $40MM to $150MM in 3 years and increased share in all categories within a market that was only one-fifth the size of that in Mexico.
Turnaround Leadership: Restructured and expanded trade marketing and sales operations for a $2B U.S. sales business at PepsiCo, growing snacks business by 8% above target in 1 year; achieved best track record of innovation in 10 years.
Global Sales Optimization: Revised RTM strategy to close a US$63MM profi gap for a struggling multi-country, multi-category business, which included leading a 360-category re-launch of 2 major brands and securing first-time preferred supplier status with major retailers.
In-Store Execution Excellence: Designed and implemented Perfect Store program that delivered US$50MM incremental growth, in addition to reducing annual sales operating costs by US$5MM through sales automation.
The first thing I always recommend after more than 20 years of selling experience in more that 20 countries is... quite simple. This is not about you... your product... its benefits... its features... IT IS ABOUT THEM! The customers, their problems, their organizational structure, their legal requirements.
The era of side by side advertisement showing a soap vs. the next key competitor a long gone. Antecipating needs is only done by hour and hours of observing your potential customers in their normal habitat, in their normal pain. Specially in training many people think in terms of showing what you have to offer... In my point of view you could follow the following order/process:
1- Identify the background that could generate interest of you main potential customer segment (assuming you identified them and quantified them). Generate the need
2- Introduce the idea. If you did point 1) right the idea should be already in your potential customer mind
3- Show the benefits (remember it is about them)
4-Show how it works. Explain with simplicity (low effort high benefit)
5- Close the sale