Les Donnelly, sales lead manager, Royal Mail
Who is he?
Les began his career at the Post Office 27 years ago as a counter clerk, moving up the ranks to become an in-store media manager and then marketing manager. Within RMG, the life-long Liverpool FC supporter has also served as data integrity/extracts manager.
What does he do?
As a result of a sales restructure, Royal Mail Group account managers experienced a vast increase in the number of accounts and customer relationships they had to manage. To enable them to handle this extra workload, Les created Smart Leads, a programmatic, data-driven sales approach.
Les ensured that account managers have a maximum number of key customer leads to contact each day, with the cloud-based SmartLeads system delivering a summarised view of up to 40 key conversation topics for each contact. These are focused on the wants and needs of the customer, driving relevant conversations based around suggestions, such as incentives and bulk-buying savings.
Since adopting this new approach, RMG has increased brand loyalty, generated new revenue and reduced churn. There was also a significant uplift in the number of pipeline opportunities the sales team closed and won.
What did the judges say?
The clear use of data to meet and exceed customers’ needs, while also delivering against business goals, impressed the judges. Les was acknowledged for the smart way he had identified to qualify leads and ensure the sales teams remained productive and efficient, despite an increased workload.