A Next Level Case Study in Elevating Performance
In a competitive industry like industrial distribution, incremental improvements in sales strategy can mean the difference between stagnation and sustainable growth. For OneSource Distributors, a leading electrical distributor and a division of Sonepar, the challenge was to create a scalable, repeatable, and measurable sales process that would drive long-term success.
Shawn Bodnar, VP of Industrial Sales at OneSource, recognized this challenge. While the company had a strong legacy, it needed to elevate its sales approach, standardize best practices, and empower its teams to engage more effectively with customers. That’s where Next Level came in.
Four years into its partnership with Next Level, OneSource has not only improved revenue and efficiency but has also built a culture of high accountability, strategic selling, and leadership development. Here’s how they did it and what sales leaders everywhere can learn from their journey.
Scaling Sales Effectiveness in a Changing Market
The industrial distribution industry has undergone major shifts in recent years. With COVID-19 disrupting customer interactions, supply chain instability causing pricing challenges, and increasing demands for value-added services, OneSource needed to adapt and modernize its sales approach.
Shawn and his team identified three core challenges:
Inconsistent sales processes across teams – Without a common methodology, different teams were selling in different ways, resulting in inefficiencies and lost opportunities.
Lack of a strategic approach to customer engagement – Sales reps were focused on transactional selling rather than building C-level relationships and positioning value-added services.
Time and resource inefficiencies – Without structured pre-call planning and post-call debriefs, sales efforts weren’t always targeted or optimized.
Shawn recalls, “We needed to figure out how to establish a consistent process around calling on customers. And beyond that, how to call on them at the right level and have more strategic conversations.”
Building a Sustainable Sales System with Next Level
Next Level helped OneSource embed a repeatable, reinforcement-based selling system that aligned their teams and drove measurable results.
1. Creating a Common Sales Language and Playbook
One of the first steps was standardizing sales best practices across the organization. This included implementing:
Pre-call planning to ensure reps entered meetings prepared and with a clear agenda.
Up-front contracts to align expectations with customers from the outset.
Pain funnel questioning techniques to uncover deeper business challenges.
According to Shawn, “One of the early metrics we tracked was simply having a better meeting than our competition. That meant preparation, asking the right questions, and following a structured approach.”
2. Elevating the Role of Sales Leaders
OneSource also recognized that great sales managers lead to great sales teams. Yet, many sales managers were promoted because they were top salespeople, not because they had leadership training.
Next Level worked with OneSource to:
Establish structured coaching for sales leaders.
Implement scorecards and KPIs to drive accountability.
Develop clear expectations for sales performance.
Shawn emphasized the importance of this shift: “We want A-players on our team. C-players kill productivity, and part of our evolution has been giving leaders the tools to coach their teams effectively and move on from those who won’t embrace the process.”
3. Aligning Sales Strategy with Business Goals
A key shift for OneSource was moving from product-based selling to solution-based selling. Rather than just selling electrical components, they focused on elevating conversations with decision-makers and offering value-added services, such as contract warranties and efficiency consulting.
This required a mindset shift, particularly in how sales reps communicated value at the executive level.
Shawn explained: “In our industry, sales reps traditionally sell widgets. But when you’re selling value-added services, you need to call higher in the organization. We had to train our people on how to navigate those conversations and position solutions, not just products.”
The Results: More Strategic Selling, Higher Revenue, and Stronger Leadership
Four years into their partnership with Next Level, OneSource has achieved measurable results:
Stronger revenue performance – Their second year in the program was their strongest revenue year ever, driven by improved deal execution.
More effective sales planning – OneSource’s teams now prepare detailed pre-call plans for key meetings, maximizing productivity on customer visits.
Greater accountability and coaching – Sales leaders are better equipped to mentor their teams, resulting in reduced turnover and improved rep performance.
A more strategic sales approach – Reps are engaging higher in customer organizations and securing larger, more strategic deals.
One specific example highlighted the impact:
"We had a specialist visit Hawaii for a week. Instead of flying out and making calls with no clear plan, they prepared 18 pre-call plans in advance. Every meeting was documented, debriefed, and tracked for follow-up. That’s how you maximize return on time invested.”
Key Takeaways for Sales Leaders
Shawn’s journey with Next Level offers valuable lessons for any sales leader looking to level up their team’s performance:
Process beats intuition. Standardizing a sales methodology ensures consistency, scalability, and higher win rates.
Changing your sales culture isn’t an event—it’s an investment. One-time training sessions fade fast. Sustainable results come from ongoing reinforcement and coaching.
Strong sales leaders create strong sales teams. Investing in manager development pays off in better coaching, higher accountability, and stronger team performance.
Sales and leadership are about time optimization. Structuring pre-call planning and post-call debriefs ensures sales teams focus on the right activities and maximize productivity.
Elevated sales require elevated conversations. If you want to sell bigger deals, you need to engage higher in the organization and ask better questions.
A True Business Partnership
For OneSource, Next Level became a strategic business partner.
"We don’t consider Next Level a vendor. They’re part of the OneSource family. If you’re looking to streamline your process and work with real, ethical, and experienced professionals who understand business, Next Level is top-notch.”
The results speak for themselves. A structured sales process, empowered leadership, and a focus on high-value selling transformed OneSource’s sales culture.
If you’re a sales leader looking to drive predictable growth and create a high-performance team, the OneSource story is proof that investing in the right sales system pays off.
Want to Elevate Your Sales Team?
Next Level specializes in helping companies implement repeatable, scalable, and results-driven sales systems. If you’re ready to transform your sales culture, reach out today.
