Defying Conventional Wisdom
Low impact replaced with a disciplined territory philosophy that salespeople consistently executed.
The Situation
A global financial corporation managing $1.4 trillion in assets had a problem that looked simple on the surface: a sales team covering 1,000 financial advisors, ranked from highest to lowest producer. The conventional wisdom seemed obvious which was to focus on the top of the list, the biggest names, the advisors moving the most business. But results told a different story. The challenge was to cut through assumptions, identify where the real business was generated, and create a territory management philosophy that salespeople would actually embrace and execute.
Our Approach
We began by questioning the fundamental assumption: were the "top" advisors actually driving 80% of the business? Or was leadership optimizing around the wrong metric?
The goal wasn't to cover everyone but to focus narrowly on advisors who either generated meaningful business today or represented high-probability opportunity tomorrow.
We discovered the firm had been chasing prestige while the real producers weren't receiving proportional attention.
Our Recommendations
A Territory Management Philosophy Built on Precision, Not Presence or Prestige. Use the Maximum Impact 'ARMS Strategy'
The Four-Box Segmentation Model
Acquisition
New advisors, high opportunity
Migration
Mid-tier,
growth potential
Retention
Top performers, consistent attention
Maintenance
Lower priority, minimal outreach
-
Shift from coverage to strategy. Implement the four-box segmentation model.
-
Build personal account management philosophies. Data from CRM systems tells you what happened but not what to do next. Salespeople need to develop individualized strategies for each key advisor, considering both internal dynamics (how the advisor's firm operates) and external factors (market conditions, competitive threats).
-
Apply the 80-20 rule ruthlessly.
-
Use the Maximum Impact Partners’ "ARMS strategy." Help salespeople get their arms around their business by understanding exactly who drives results, why those relationships work, and how to replicate that success with similar profiles.
The Result
The transformation was immediate and measurable:
-
Sales increased by 300%. By focusing narrowly on advisors who actually generated business and strategically pursuing high-potential targets, the firm unlocked growth that had been trapped under unfocused activity.
-
Salespeople shifted from reactive to strategic.
-
The culture moved from activity to impact. Management stopped asking "How many advisors did you see?" and started asking "How much deeper did you go with your top 20%?"
