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Attributes of the t3 framework:
the right stuff

The "right stuff" is about ensuring the right people are in place and ready to deliver. They feel strongly that they are working with a group of people they respect and can get the job done. The foundation of any team are the people who comprise it. The needs of any team go far beyond ensuring they "can do" the job itself (competence) and extend to areas that allow the team, and its individual members, to work effectively together in delivering the desired outcomes.

These include, for example, possessing a growth mindset, allowing people to adapt more effectively to adversity and solve problems that lead to a breakthrough (‘can do’ attitude). Openness to other’s ideas (a true team player), grit and positivity are other examples of traits of people that are important on any team.

Simply put, members of the team "can do, can do".

clarity & alignment

People and teams are clear on what they need to do and why it is important. High-performing team feel strongly that the direction is clear, and line-of-sight exists between their work and that of the teams or organization on the whole.

There is clarity in the vision, mission and objectives of the team and clarity in how such objectives cascade down to each and every member within it.

Clarity is nothing without alignment, at least over the longer-term. People who know what to do can certainly deliver some good results, within their own sphere of influence; however, alignment is vital for sustained execution excellence. Alignment suggests that people are committed to their role and what they need to do to produce good results.

Simply put, members of the team "know what to do."

empowerment

Empowerment is all about ensuring people have the freedom, support, and tools to deliver on what is expected along with the systems and process to work effectively together.

The nature of the way organizations are designed and the likelihood that most are populated by human beings leads to a natural dysfunction that often is referred to as silo thinking or behavior. Left alone, silo behavior and potentially relational-based conflict WILL arise. This calls for organizations to install a ritual that ensure these are outlined, clarified, and negotiated so that people can work effectively together in driving value for their customers, and the business.

Additionally, we find many teams that have too many priorities that are crippling the team’s effectiveness and/or leading to burnout. Typically, ad hoc demands from the business may be the culprit, and without a priority reconciliation process, frustration emerges.

Simply put, members of the team are "allowed and enabled to".

belonging

Belonging suggests that people fit within your organizational context—they "belong" here and are connected to the organization.

Organizations cannot afford to have disengaged employees—and yet, many in the workforce report being actively disengaged. Others are passively disengagement manifesting in some form of "quiet quitting." This results in lost productivity and an unhappy workplace in general.

While there are many factors that may be at play here, the most important one is a sense of connection people have with their company, a belief that they (the company) are doing the right thing (beyond making money) and that they are operating in a way that is consistent with making a real contribution to society. For newer generations of workers this is of particular importance. It all starts with purpose and values.

Simply put, members of the team "believe it's right to do".

agile execution

Agile Execution is all about how the team works together to adapt to dynamic conditions. It is our belief that no initial plan will survive for very long, placing a burden on the team to pivot consistently in order to deliver upon their strategic outcomes.

In today’s VUCA world, planning is taking on new forms as organizations recognize that within weeks after initiating any plan, it can be rendered, at worst case, useless, or in best case, intentions remain on track but how one gets there changes rapidly. The environment is simply too dynamic to invest months preparing, planning, and budgeting for a reality that may not exist in six months.

In our view, get the strategic intent right, plan on how to get there, and instill agile execution rituals that allow the team to adapt to the realities of executing against the plan.

Simply put, members of the team "will do what it takes with integrity".

togetherness

A sense of togetherness results when the teams do the other five attributes well, leading to sustained high-performance and lots of enjoyment working with fellow colleagues. No matter how remote a team may operate, leaders need to work to secure this sense of "togetherness" and, ideally, bring people together every so often.

In such teams, not only do you have exemplary engagement and behaviors from all constituent members but that final piece of "social glue" -- individuals motivated also by the very company of their team colleagues. This is the zone where intra-relationships are defined by shared levels of high professional respect and, indeed, deep friendships.

Team members bearing this attribute scale even greater heights (sometimes literally!) because not only are they passionate about what they do (as built on all the preceding qualities) but it is this comradeship that sits at the very nexus of this passion. There is no place they would rather be than with the companionship of their comrades and, with this fellowship, a sense of collective invincibility. For such teams, there is a mindset of "anything together".

Simply put, members of the team "build a legacy".

strategy & transformation

illycaffè – building repeatable commercial excellence

back to all insights strategy & transformation

a proven model for developing scalable sales capability

Introduction

Organizations seeking sustained growth increasingly recognize that commercial success cannot rely solely on individual talent. High-performing organizations build repeatable systems that align strategy, people, processes, and tools to deliver consistent commercial execution.

Perpetual partners with organizations to design and implement Commercial Excellence programs that transform sales capability into a scalable organizational strength. This article outlines the methodology used in a recent engagement supporting illy North America, illustrating how organizations can build repeatable commercial capability systems that drive performance, alignment, and long-term growth.

Working alongside illy leadership, Perpetual supported the development of a multi-stage Commercial Excellence journey involving approximately 30 commercial team members across On-Premise and Modern Trade sales teams. The program was co-designed with commercial leaders to ensure alignment with organizational strategy, customer needs, and future growth priorities.

The Commercial Excellence Philosophy – Sales Capability

Commercial excellence is not a training initiative; it is an integrated capability system. Organizations that consistently outperform competitors embed structured sales methodologies, leadership behaviors, performance frameworks, and capability development processes into daily execution.

Perpetual’s Commercial Excellence methodology focuses on:

  • Evidence-based diagnostics and behavioral profiling
  • Identification and replication of top-performer behaviors
  • Alignment between strategy, processes, and execution
  • Modular capability development tied to business priorities
  • Practice-based learning supported by coaching and reinforcement
  • Internal ownership ensuring long-term sustainability

This approach ensures capability improvements scale across the organization rather than remaining isolated to individual performers.

How Perpetual approached this journey

Stage 1 & 2: Appreciative Inquiry, Audit & Commercial Blueprint

The journey begins with a rigorous appreciative inquiry process designed to identify what already works well within the organization and understand what differentiates top performers. Interviews, commercial audits, Predictive Index profiling, and t3® team diagnostics provide a comprehensive view of the commercial ecosystem, including strategy, sales methodology, leadership practices, performance management, CRM infrastructure, and supporting systems.

Key outcomes include:

  • Clear identification of behaviors, skills, and knowledge driving top performance
  • Mapping of the sales strategy, methodology, and supporting processes
  • Identification of capability gaps or structural misalignments
  • Data-driven insights guiding capability investments
  • Early leadership engagement ensuring organizational alignment and buy-in

The output of this phase is a Commercial Blueprint defining the priority capabilities required to accelerate performance.

Stage 3 & 4: Priority Capability Development — Creating the Multiplier Effect

Following the audit and blueprint stages, illy leadership and Perpetual jointly prioritized the first modular capability developments that would create the greatest organization-wide performance multiplier. Two foundational capabilities were selected: the development of a unified commercial elevator pitch and a structured illy sales meeting framework.

A Unified Company-Wide Elevator Pitch

A company-wide elevator pitch was developed to ensure every commercial team member could consistently and confidently articulate illy’s value proposition. This capability ensures message alignment across regions, channels, and roles while strengthening brand storytelling in customer interactions. By creating a shared commercial narrative, illy ensures that every customer conversation begins from a consistent strategic foundation.

The illy Sales Call & Meeting Framework

Perpetual partnered with illy sales leadership to design a structured, repeatable sales meeting framework guiding how commercial professionals prepare for, conduct, and follow up on customer engagements. The framework establishes consistent stages for sales calls, including preparation, discovery, value positioning, solution alignment, next-step planning, and follow-up execution.

Embedding this structure enables:

  • Consistent execution across teams
  • Stronger customer discovery conversations
  • Improved conversion discipline
  • Greater forecasting and pipeline reliability
  • Repeatable sales behaviors that scale across the organization

Together, the elevator pitch and meeting framework created foundational commercial tools capable of accelerating performance across the entire sales organization.

illycaffè delivery

Capability Activation: Practice-Based Learning and In-Person Sales Training

Once the elevator pitch and sales meeting framework were designed, Perpetual supported illy in activating these capabilities through structured workshops, leadership alignment sessions, video role-play simulations, and capability reinforcement exercises.

This development culminated in a two-day in-person Commercial Excellence Sales Training, where commercial team members practiced applying the new frameworks in realistic customer scenarios. The sessions focused on:

  • Role-playing real customer meetings using the new sales framework
  • Practicing and refining the unified illy elevator pitch
  • Cross-functional collaboration exercises strengthening alignment between teams
  • Leadership calibration sessions to align coaching expectations
  • Cascading capability tools across the broader commercial organization

The in-person training ensured that the frameworks moved beyond theory into daily execution, accelerating adoption and embedding repeatable selling behaviors across teams.

Stage 5 & 6: Apply, Measure & Iterate

Following capability activation, teams apply the new commercial capabilities in the field while leaders reinforce behaviors through coaching, measurement, and ongoing iteration. Agile reinforcement ensures learning translates into measurable performance improvement and allows continuous refinement of tools, methodologies, and training modules.

Program Deliverables

Commercial Excellence engagements typically include:

  • Design and development of a bespoke Commercial Excellence Program
  • t3® team diagnostics, interviews, and insight playback
  • Predictive Index profiling of top performers
  • Development of repeatable sales capability frameworks
  • In-person and virtual capability activation workshops
  • Leadership reinforcement and coaching alignment sessions
  • Learning materials, surveys, and program content

A Repeatable Model for Commercial Capability Transformation

The methodology demonstrated in the illy engagement provides a repeatable pathway organizations across industries can adopt:

  1. Diagnose performance drivers through audit and inquiry
  2. Develop a Commercial Blueprint aligned to strategy
  3. Prioritize multiplier-effect capability modules
  4. Activate learning through experiential training and leadership reinforcement
  5. Sustain performance through measurement, coaching, and iteration

By combining behavioral capability development with structural commercial process alignment, organizations create lasting performance improvements rather than short-term training gains.

Conclusion: Scaling Commercial Performance Through Capability Systems

The illy Commercial Excellence journey illustrates how organizations can transform commercial capability into a repeatable competitive advantage. By developing shared sales frameworks, unified messaging, experiential training, and leadership reinforcement systems, organizations embed commercial excellence into daily execution.

For organizations seeking to accelerate growth, improve sales productivity, or scale performance across markets, a structured Commercial Excellence capability system provides the foundation for sustained competitive advantage.

About Perpetual

Perpetual is a transatlantic talent and performance advisory firm specializing in leadership, commercial excellence, and high-performing teams. Through proprietary frameworks such as t3®, organizations move from team to tribe—unlocking the human drivers of sustained commercial performance and organizational transformation.

If you would like to discuss how Perpetual can help you, please reach out: steve@beperpetual.com, traci@beperpetual.com, huw@beperpetual.com

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