Natasha Andrykowsky is the head of international banking in South Africa for Absa Group Limited, a pan-African financial services group. She is responsible for defining overall business strategy and overseeing its execution. Natasha attended the Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education program, Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels. She shares her impressions below.
How did you first hear about the program, and why did you decide to attend?
I learned about the program via an HBS email my CEO shared with me. At the time, I was working on a turnaround strategy for a part of our business that has been in decline for several years. One of the cornerstones of the turnaround is reviving the sales model and refocusing on our clients.
What were your biggest takeaways?
Sales is the single biggest determinant in business success, but it rarely gets the time and focus from a strategy perspective. Most of the strategic energy is directed toward proposition and product development. As a next priority, attention is focused on the resources needed to develop and sell, but the detailed sales strategy is often left to chance. At HBS, the cases and framework helped me to unpack the system and find practical ways to drive change.
How has the program changed or influenced your view of sales teams and channel management?
There were three concepts presented that changed the way I think about how I manage the sales team. First, the notion that a brilliant salesperson is born—that sales skills are difficult to train—is a fallacy. If you spend enough time understanding the detail of the sales process and clients' buying behavior, as well as what makes an effective salesperson, you can "code" those facets and teach them to others. Furthermore, a sales team requires a mix of skills that should connect to your outcomes.
Second, you need to focus on the outcomes and be very specific about the results you want. It's not sufficient to have a single revenue number; it needs to be broken down so you can allocate and track accordingly.
Third, it's a misconception to believe in channel migration, from physical to digital. Channels evolve and fulfill specific requirements in the client's buying process. You need to be comfortable with managing and optimizing an omnichannel environment.
How do you plan to implement what you learned at your organization?
I found each part of this course so valuable that I've already initiated a review of areas in our own sales process that could be upgraded. I started by sharing some of my key takeaways from the program with colleagues, as well as more detailed analysis in the areas of focus.
I understand you attended the program with a colleague. Why did you feel that was important, and how did that influence the experience?
I attended with my head of sales. I felt it was critical that we attend together so we would both have the same base from which to plan the sales strategy. Thinking about overall strategy and sales as interlocking, equally important elements of the same system, is going to be essential for us to create the step change we're looking for.
What was your favorite part of the on-campus experience?
The living group preparation before class was my favorite part, because it allowed us to debate the concepts and ideas ahead of the class session. The real-life experiences of the other participants and getting to know different industry experiences added richness and different perspectives. It provided alternative approaches to sales challenges.
How would you describe the program's value to someone considering it?
The cases are eye opening—particularly the feedback, which provided the outcomes and conclusions that occurred in reality. This was invaluable, because even consulting work based on your internal data cannot predict the future.
The format and composition of the program were well structured, and the engagement with other participants made for a unique learning experience.