Case Study: phs Group

phs Group, a leading provider of compliance, hygiene, and safety solutions, supports over 2,000 clients with safety compliance services and more than 120,000 clients with hygiene and specialist services throughout the UK.

To enhance their business development capabilities, PHS Group partnered with Lucrum House to implement a tailored sales training program focused on prospecting, pipeline building, and consultative selling.

This collaboration aimed to provide phs Group’s sales team with advanced techniques to convert opportunities into new business and fortify relationships with existing clients, while aligning with phs Group’s high standards and customer-centric values.

Client Needs and Challenges

phs Group’s sales team, which serves clients in high-stakes environments like fire safety, electrical compliance, and hygiene, faces unique challenges in both business development and client engagement. Their goals for the training program were:

• Advanced Business Development Skills: Equipping the team to uncover and professionally approach new business opportunities.
• Effective Sales Pipeline Management: Ensuring that their pipeline-building techniques supported ongoing engagement and high conversion rates.
• Consultative Client Engagement: Fostering long-term partnerships through tailored, consultative sales approaches that resonate with clients’ safety and compliance needs.

To address these needs, phs Group sought an engaging, adaptable training program to benefit both new sales professionals and experienced team members in need of a skills refresher.

Our Solution

Lucrum House proposed a one-day Selling with EASE business development masterclass, delivered by Chris Murray, which introduced phs Group’s sales team to a structured, client-centred sales framework.

This program was designed to provide practical skills and insights, regardless of the team member’s experience level, through the Selling with EASE methodology:

• Earn the Right: Building rapport and credibility, establishing a strong foundation for every client interaction.
• Ask the Appropriate Questions: Engaging in strategic questioning to understand each client’s unique needs, especially relevant in compliance and hygiene sectors.
• Solve the Problem: Aligning PHS Group’s solutions with client pain points, ensuring a clear match between service capabilities and client expectations.
• Execute the Solution: Developing strategies to close confidently, ensuring long-term partnerships built on trust and effective communication.

The program incorporated real-world examples and interactive sessions to ensure practical, hands-on learning that could be applied immediately by the sales team.

Implementation and Delivery

The workshop began with an introduction to the Selling with EASE framework, establishing a consultative approach that is crucial for phs Group’s unique client base.

Early sessions focused on understanding client buying motives, allowing the team to shift from transactional sales to relationship-driven engagement. To support the team’s ability to expand business with both new and existing clients, Chris introduced strategies for engaging three key client contact types and developed targeted messaging for each.

As the day progressed, participants worked through exercises on differentiating features, benefits, and client opportunities. The team explored various sales scenarios to practice aligning service benefits with customer needs effectively.

The afternoon sessions emphasised objection handling, prospecting, and pipeline management. Exercises allowed participants to refine their approach to common client objections, develop compelling initial sales pitches, and implement effective 21st-century prospecting techniques.

The course concluded with a focus on closing techniques and client commitment, addressing strategies for balancing client needs and phs Group’s long-term goals.

Client Feedback

Feedback from phs Group’s sales team was outstanding, reflecting the value of both the Selling with EASE framework and Chris’s engaging, personalised delivery:

• Jas Panesar, Key Account Manager, PHS Compliance: “This was the most useful sales course I’ve attended. It was highly informative, and I came away with a wealth of new techniques.”

• “The best course I’ve been on. Chris presented it in such an engaging way, with simple but effective changes that I’m already implementing.” Collette Bent, Strategic Business Development Manager, PHS Compliance

• “Flawless. Best course I’ve taken for sales – it covered everything, with plenty of new ideas and tools to adopt.” Mick Cuthbert, Major Account Manager, PHS Compliance

• “I was extremely fortunate to have a day’s training with Chris on prospecting. The day was amazing! Chris is able to deliver in a way that helps you understand, have light bulb moments and genuinely make you feel invincible. I highly recommend training with Chris, he is fantastic.”
  Emma Moore, Head of Business Development, PHS Group

• Stuart Netting, Business Consultant, PHS Group: “If anyone thinks sales training is all the same, they need to experience Chris’s approach. It was, quite simply, the best business development class I’ve attended.”

Results and Outcomes

The Selling with EASE masterclass empowered phs Group’s team to approach their roles with renewed confidence and a client-centred mindset. The immediate outcomes and long-term benefits of the training included:

• Enhanced Prospecting and Pipeline Development: The team gained a structured, practical approach to prospecting and pipeline management, increasing their ability to identify and qualify leads relevant to PHS’s high-stakes services.
• Refined Objection Handling and Closing Techniques: Team members left with clear strategies for managing objections effectively, allowing them to confidently engage clients in compliance-focused discussions.
• Renewed Confidence and Enthusiasm: Chris’s relatable training style inspired both new and experienced sales professionals, fostering a motivated, cohesive team better equipped to drive results.

phs Group’s sales team not only gained valuable insights into client motives but also adopted a consultative sales style that encourages long-term relationships. This approach aligns with phs Group’s values, emphasising quality, trust, and an unwavering commitment to meeting client compliance and safety needs.

Conclusion

Lucrum House’s collaboration with phs Group is a testament to the transformative impact of consultative sales training.

By equipping PHS’s team with the skills and tools to approach each client with a personalized, problem-solving mindset, the Selling with EASE masterclass strengthened the team’s ability to build client trust and navigate the complexities of compliance and safety services.

We look forward to supporting phs Group in their continued success as they apply these strategies across the UK.