What is getting in the way of better commercial performance?
Sales performance rarely breaks because people need more training.
We help sales leaders identify what is really constraining performance — across strategy, leadership, capability and execution — and determine what needs to change.
The number tells you what happened. It doesn’t always tell you why.
When commercial performance falls short, the instinctive response is often to address the most visible symptom. More pipeline. More activity. More training. Tighter forecasting. Another methodology.
But the underlying constraint may sit somewhere else entirely.
Before prescribing the intervention, understand the constraint.
Deals Repeatedly Stalling
The issue may not be closing technique.
It could be qualification or stakeholder engagement.
An Apparently Healthy Pipeline
The forecast may be the symptom, not the problem.
Look for evidence of buyer progression and leadership discipline.
Forecast Volatility
Volume doesn't necessarily mean quality.
The constraint may be opportunity quality or sales discipline.
OUR APPROACH
Diagnose before prescribing.
Diagnose
Understand the commercial environment, evidence and behaviours rather than relying solely on the presenting problem.
Prioritise
Identify the constraints materially affecting performance and where intervention can make a difference.
Improve
Apply the right combination of advisory, coaching, leadership development and capability building.
Embed
Translate improvement into repeatable commercial behaviours, management disciplines and ways of working.
Commercial improvement should show up in commercial results.
BPO / OUTSOURCING
Improving conversion, not simply increasing activity
A structured intervention identified weaknesses in sales execution and conversion rather than a shortage of opportunity. By focusing the team on the underlying commercial disciplines, the work contributed to a 25% improvement in closure rate.
TECHNOLOGY / DATA & ANALYTICS
Turning strategic accounts into an activation discipline
A strategic account diagnostic focused on a small number of priority accounts, examining stakeholder coverage, opportunity creation and the progression of existing deals. The work established account-level activation plans and a 90-day roadmap linked directly to four commercial KPIs: stakeholder connections, coverage expansion, new opportunities and conversion
NET ZERO / BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Turning capability development into revenue
Working with a UK Net Zero buildings business, we focused on strengthening sales capability and execution around live commercial opportunities. The programme was subsequently credited with generating £150k+ in additional revenue.
FINTECH / DIGITAL PAYMENTS
Strengthening the buying cycle to rebuild pipeline
A digital payments business was losing prospects during the early stages of the buying cycle, reducing pipeline and revenue. We delivered a consultative sales programme focused on how the team qualified, understood and influenced client buying decisions.
The client subsequently reported a circa 40% uplift in pipeline value and more than $200k in additional revenue.
ABOUT CDC
Commercial experience. Applied practically.
Christian Doppler Consulting was founded by Tony Shepherd following more than 25 years in international sales and commercial leadership, including senior roles with BT Global, Telefónica O2, Deutsche Telekom and Thales.
Since 2014, Tony has worked with sales leaders and commercial teams across EMEA to diagnose performance constraints, strengthen leadership and sales capability, and improve execution in complex B2B environments.
Tony Shepherd
Founder & Managing Partner