Challenge: IBM's Information Lifecycle Governance software division was failing to achieve its revenue targets. More challenging yet, IBM management set the division's year-end target to be 10x higher than the previous year. Sales reps were worried; they felt that the pipeline generated by marketing wasn't closing many deals. How could sales and marketing accelerate sales? How could the division leverage IBM's extensive customer base and sales force?

Solution: Firebrick created a demand gen program that aligns marketing and sales with the highest value accounts and accelerates the sales cycle. Deep analytics identified and prioritized target accounts which were segmented for cross-selling, up-selling, and new customer opportunities. Sales reps were enabled with buyer-centric conversations and customized target account and buyer lists. Marketing and seller activities and buyer response was tracked in order to quickly expand upon success in a buyer segment.

Results:

• Identified the most valuable target accounts for a total revenue potential of $50M+
• Developed strategic coverage plan and 30 customer and industry campaigns to achieve revenue target by year end
• IBM management expanded the program to other software divisions

Challenge: As the cloud computing market began to heat up, Microsoft undertook a development effort for a ground-breaking platform, but found itself at a disadvantage. Established competitors had already set buying criteria in their favor. To gain the leadership role, Microsoft had to evangelize their point of view and progressively alter the course of the category.

Solution: Microsoft asked Firebrick to create a new positioning strategy and a series of issue-led buyer conversations to wake up the market and clearly articulate a compelling value proposition for its pioneering platform. The new positioning and messaging were put into action through a Field Playbook to accelerate adoption by the field channel organization and optimize their selling efforts.

Results:

• Microsoft won over key analysts and influencers to become a category leader
• Enabled dozens of channel partners and field sales to put them in action in 41 countries
• Converted one of the world's largest business applications companies, establishing credentials and starting domino effect

Challenge: As the virtualization market matured, VMware wished to elevate their leadership position from virtualization to strategic vendor in cloud computing, offering a wide variety of solutions. This shift called for the re-orientation of its field sales and channel organizations to sell higher in customer organizations to a broader spectrum of buyers where they would encounter different set of competitors. They needed intelligence about their new targets and business-level conversations to open up cloud opportunities with IT executives and business leaders.

Solution: Firebrick created a set of Fight Plan sales enablement tools to help VMware's field and channel organization identify sales scenarios, engage new buyers and combat new competitive pressures. These brief message guides provided buyer-centric sales conversations, and delivered them in easily digested role-based packages to optimize selling efforts across its various product lines.

Results:

• Of the 1,200 sales tools and documents available on the VMware sales portal, Fight Plans accounted for 6 of the top 10
• Achieved 40% CAGR during 2-year engagement with Firebrick, holding gross margins and operating margins steadily high and above industry norms
• Accelerated sales effectiveness, particularly with new buyers, to become pre-eminent cloud computing vendor

Challenge: Acquisitions left Emptoris with strong solutions but a diluted position. Thought leadership and sales growth plateaued as diffuse sales and marketing efforts were inadequate to sustain momentum.

Solution: Emptoris enlisted Firebrick to shape a positioning story that would bring disparate solutions into clear focus and strengthen competitiveness against established ERP players. Firebrick first uncovered new buyer insights then formed a unified positioning story and enabled the field sales organization with a business-oriented value proposition that resonated deeply with executive buyers.

Results:

• Sales shot up 91% in the first six months using new positioning story vs. 9% YAG
• Gained access to c-level decision makers in 94% of sales cycles
• Took market share from established ERP and e-procurement vendors and achieved a leadership position in Gartner Magic Quadrant

Challenge: Stuck in extended, technical sales cycles, AppSense competed with a host of niche players in a number of solution categories. Tire-kicking, endless feature comparisons and price-based shoot-outs were the norm. To assume their rightful place among strategic vendors, AppSense had to create a business-led conversation for c-level business and IT execs and shape the buying criteria for the new category.

Solution: AppSense turned to Firebrick to create a positioning story, compelling buyer conversations, and sales transformation tools that elevated sales interaction from speeds and feeds to bottom-line business issues.

Results:

• After adopting their new positioning and training the sales team for new buyer conversations, sales trajectory jumped to 50%, and sales outlook increased over 100%
• Secured strategic investment from Goldman Sachs
• Solidified standing with influential analysts, and helped establish evaluation criteria in Appsense's favor

Challenge: The leader in business analytics had developed a host of new customer intelligence offerings, but struggled to secure a solid positioning that would define their territory. Meanwhile, larger competitors were making inroads with strategic buyers (CMOs). SAS needed to consolidate its distinctive advantages into a clear, cohesive story to capture the attention of CMOs and spur action.

Solution: Firebrick teamed up with SAS to create a fresh and provocative positioning story that could only come from SAS to get the attention of CMOs, drive clear points of difference and create urgency.

Results:

• SAS Customer Intelligence revenues grew 68% following roll-out
• Big win for marketing: sales team was wildly enthusiastic about the new story
• Dramatically cut win/loss ratio against IBM

Challenge: Riverbed created the category for WAN acceleration, and attracted a rabid following among network specialists along the way. However, to become the next $1B technology company meant facing down the 800-pound gorilla and rising from niche vendor to strategic supplier in the face of an economic down-turn.

Solution: Firebrick created a progressive positioning which lifted sales efforts from the geek-speak world of the network specialist to the business-led office of the CIO. The positioning strengthened Riverbed's competitive position against Cisco, giving them new stature and dramatically increasing growth.

Results:

• Riverbed became the #2 vendor for CIO purchasing decisions
• 45% year-over-year growth
• During economic downturn, achieved a 42% market share differential vs. major competitors

Challenge: The race for the multi-billion dollar mobile customer was on. Infinian had to send a clear signal to the market in the midst of unprecedented competitive clatter and FUD. They wished to penetrate the market with a key set of charter customers ahead of surging competitors.

Solution: Infinian came to Firebrick to create a high-impact positioning strategy and introduction story that would accelerate acquisition of early customers. Firebrick developed a provocative viewpoint for Infinian that resonated with key executive buyers and articulated its technology advantages in clear and compelling terms.

Results:

• After months of hitting the wall, signed first set of charter members in the 6 weeks after roll-out
• Carved out a clear, contrasted position from the variety of mobile technologies in the market
• Achieved new level of success reaching c-level decision makers: Penetrated 100% of sales cycles at executive-level