ABOUT DIAMOND K GYPSUM INC.
Located in the small town of
Richfield, Utah, Diamond K specializes in the production of high quality
agricultural, industrial, food and pharmaceutical products derived from gypsum
(calcium sulfate dihydrate). With 24 employees, the company engages in
every phase of product development, from the mining of the natural resources
to the production of crop nutrients, industrial use products, and food and
pharmaceutical products distributed throughout the world. The company
mines gypsum from its own 98%+ pure natural deposit using precise
mechanical rotomilling instead of quarry blasting.
THE CHALLENGE.
Diamond K Gypsum has worked successfully with MEP
Utah, a NIST MEP affiliate, in the past to implement manufacturing process
improvements in the business. These improvements increased the company’s
ability to maintain its goals for quality and capacity. However, sales growth
had only been 2-5% annually in recent years. As a result, Diamond K felt the
need to take a similar approach that would emphasize sales process
improvements.
MEP CENTER’S ROLE.
Diamond K’s leaders sought to increase sales
through training that identifies and instills best practices, enhances
consistency, and establishes a clear, repeatable sales process across
territories. Management desired to help salespeople develop greater
professionalism and confidence. And the company sought to help them be
more successful individually through professional development. The MEP
Utah went on-site at Diamond K to implement MfX, a sales accelerator
program intended to help manufacturers increase revenues.
Diamond K brought in its salespeople from the company’s territories across
the country to attend a full day of training. This initial training was followed by
weekly and monthly follow-up sessions to help salespeople continue
improving sales skills and manage their sales pipelines more effectively. MEP
Utah’s MfX consultant worked with company leadership before, during and
after the program to establish sales management practices for consistency
and accountability in the sales team. The MfX consultant also implemented a
system for continued reinforcement of the improved sales process at Diamond
K. At the request of management, the MfX consultant also helped the
company improve its hiring process to bring on two new sales representatives.
