by Site Staff
December 20, 2005
Through the implementation of a real-time business simulation, Dave Basarab, director of employee development at Pitney Bowes, transformed his sales district directors’ staff into capable general management employees. The program equipped sales leaders with innovative business skills that would potentially increase sales, revenue and customer loyalty.
Basarab has held his position with Pitney Bowes for four years with duties including influencing and persuading the president and staff of the company that specific simulations are appropriate for positive business results and approving the expenses involved with various initiatives. He also assesses company strategies to ensure that current conditions are effective. Basarab has 31 years of experience in the learning and education field with leadership positions at NCR and Motorola and is a published author of numerous articles and co-author of “The Training Evaluation Process.”
The Right Stuff Executive Challenge was a successful business initiative and premier awareness experience designed as a two-year business transformation that helped district directors begin to acquire effective managerial leadership traits. The purpose of the program was to teach how decision-making affects not only the company as a whole, but also the end result.
Basarab focused on three main objectives: to develop market opportunities, develop a staffing and modeling structure and optimize revenue drivers. The challenge offered successful results by defining the important behaviors essential to the success of the program leading to skill development and to valuable learned knowledge.
Some of the commendable results have influenced company accomplishments, including one district director’s conversion rate increase from 28 percent to 48 percent. The district also has realized nearly $135,000 of additional revenue. A policy and incentive for balance discounting was also created, which resulted in one district director having no price exception requests and a near 10 percent overall growth and 40 percent growth in systems business.