Commercial companies and professional firms can now benchmark important activities such as winning business, building key account relationships and purchasing. Completing a questionnaire enables them to compare their own approaches with those of their peers and most successful competitors as recorded in the database of a continuing investigation led by Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas. Participating companies receive a bespoke report and confidentiality is observed.
Winning business activities and performance can be compared with companies in general or specific sectors. Professional firms can compare themselves both across and within particular professions. Related research reports identifying critical success factors for winning business in sectors such as engineering and manufacturing and IT and telecoms can help participating companies to take appropriate action. Professional fields covered range from accountancy and the law to engineering, IT and management consulting.
The winning business benchmark reports covering the professions compare performance at 128 activities. Each benchmark analysis is structured so that it is easy to use while studying the related winning business report. Following hints on how to interpret the ten pages of statistical tables, comparisons are made with all other firms in the database and those that are the most successful at winning new business.
To help users pinpoint the issues which are really important for their firms, the benchmark reports contain a ‘top ten action checklist’ which highlights where the particular firm falls furthest behind the most successful. This can enable firms that are already successful to identify and address particular weaknesses. The comparisons are equally valid for small and large firms because the issues covered are relevant for all those seeking new clients.
The purchasing benchmark covers 137 issues and again the resulting report includes comparisons with the average for all companies in the database and those that win most benefits from their purchasing functions, as well as a ‘top ten action checklist’. The building strategic and key account relationships with customers benchmark examines 110 factors in eight areas ranging from selection to locking out competitors.
Further information can be obtained from www.ntwkfirm.com/
Bespoke winning business benchmarking reports, a related ‘Winning New Business’ resource pack, and winning business reports covering individual sectors and seven professions can be obtained from Policy Publications:
A range of further support services are also available from the winning business research and best practice programme led by Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas, co-author of 'Winning New Business, the critical success factors', who has reviewed the winning business processes and practices of over 100 companies and spoken at sales and business development events in some 30 countries. He can be contacted via Tel: +44 (0) 1733 361 149, Fax: +44 (0)1733 361459 or www.coulson-
