Growth doesn't happen by chance — it is built CHIEF'S LETTER
The employees at Alligo didn't want to miss the sales training
Interview with Håkan Ferm, regional manager at Swedol and Alligo
Alligo and Mindit have been working together over the past year to develop a company-specific program, with training for the company's different types of sales functions. We interviewed Håkan Ferm, who has been leading the initiative at Alligo.
Swedol and Alligo – almost tripled turnover in ten years
Swedol, which is part of Alligo, has had impressive growth. Håkan Ferm, regional manager for almost three years, describes the strength in their breadth:
"We have a good product mix and a good customer mix with both small and large customers. That way we are not so vulnerable. We are one of the largest in the industry and that means that many customers know us and have a positive opinion of all our concept brands Swedol, TOOLS & Grolls."
800 employees in sales in Sweden
Alligo has an extensive sales organization with various sales channels and stores across the country:
"We have several different sales channels that work together with a nationwide store network of 90 stores. The outside salespeople, who are connected to the stores, exclusively hold physical sales meetings. In addition, there is one district salesperson per store and several regional salespeople in each of the 10 regions. In total, we have just over 800 employees in sales in Sweden, divided into Outside Sales, stores, KAM and Inside Sales/Warehouse Sales."
Took the initiative to train all salespeople
A year ago, Alligo contacted Mindit with the goal of developing skills in their sales roles:
"We wanted to develop the skills of our field salespeople, key account managers and internal salespeople. We thought Mindit stood out and it felt like they had the best setup for field salespeople and KAM. It was also a good option to combine it with the geographical spread."
Functionally adapted training was really good
Together with Mindit, the needs for different sales functions were mapped and the training was adapted accordingly:
"Mindit developed the training in close collaboration with us at Alligo. We then mapped out the needs that were linked to different functions. This resulted in instructions for how the training should be designed and adapted to the different sales functions within Alligo. This made the training really good!"
Involving the organization is a key to success
"My tip for those of you who want to develop the skills of your employees is to involve the organization in the development of training. That is the key to making it successful; making it relevant to your industry, situation and your customers."
About Alligo and Swedol TOOLS Grolls
Alligo is a leading player in workwear, personal protection, tools and supplies in the Nordic region. The business was formed in 2020 through the merger of Swedol and TOOLS and has been part of the joint group name Alligo since 2021.
The staff didn't want to miss the training
The training courses from Mindit were quickly appreciated:
"We have received very good reactions so far from employees; spontaneous reactions from people who think it has been good and even staff who are absent due to illness have expressed that they do not want to miss the training!"
300 employees on 17 training sessions
During the fall of 2022, training was conducted for all sales roles – a total of 300 people over 17 occasions. Sales managers also participated in the training together with their teams:
“Training can be ineffective if leaders are not involved in the effort and follow up on the initiative afterwards.”
Follow-up with ROLF
To ensure long-term impact, Alligo follows up on the training using the digital platform ROLF. The tool is used to set goals, monitor development and evaluate effects at an individual level. It will be mandatory for sales staff in the coming year.