A Sandler Success Story: How LSL CCD Expanded Into A New Sector From No Clients To 18 Clients In 2025
Client: LSL Corporate Client Department
Location: Exeter
Sector: Business Services, Property Management
Size: 40+ employees
Who is LSL CCD?
LSL Corporate Client Department (LSL CCD) is an Exeter-based corporate property service, led by Managing Director Sebastian Caunter.
LSL CCD’s primary business model was initially built around providing asset-recovery solutions to mortgage lenders, from repossession to closing the sale. Sebastian started as a team leader for LSL CCD in 2009 before stepping into the role of Operations Director in 2013, building up his experience in client relationship management as well as managing his sales team.
As operations grew, Sebastian wanted to diversify the company’s income stream to working with other contacts selling corporate properties.
Challenge:
While LSL CCD excelled at managing existing client relationships, neither Sebastian nor his team had built up the business development skills necessary to create those new opportunities. This meant a complete cold start for the company without a client base in their new sector.
Sebastian met our Associate Tom Nation at a networking event and introduced him to the managing director at the time, which then progressed to a series of discovery calls about how we could support their business development aims, starting their relationship with our Sandler South West franchise.
Solution:
The team enrolled in our Sales Development Series course, learning the Sandler selling methodology to help them successfully expand their market. This involved a mix of online Essentials training sessions and 1-2-1 coaching with our South West team.
Through the programme, the team implemented core Sandler concepts including:
Establishing clear up-front contracts to create stronger, more focused conversations
Using the Sandler Sales Cookbook to add structure, discipline, and accountability to the sales process
Improving questioning skills to uncover genuine pain points rather than surface-level interest
Creating a shared sales language that supported coaching, review meetings, and performance management
“We have learned that the client base in this sector doesn't make decisions quickly,” Sebastian Caunter says. “Which is part of the problem, but some of our follow up techniques weren't being particularly effective. We adopted new approaches after discussing this with Sandler, which have really moved things forward.”
As LSL CCD expanded, the team hired a new business development manager in 2024, and based off of the positive experiences of the training, Sebastian enrolled his new hire into the same course the following year, booking them onto a two-year training period.
Result:
Sebastian has reported starting from zero clients in the expanded sector to now working with 18 different firms after the 2025 training period. The team has nurtured their new client relationships to the point they have started conversations around repeat business, which has led to further work.
Sebastian has also reported his business development manager successfully using our Sandler techniques such as the up-front contract to enhance lead generation, and has given them more discipline in their sales approach and work ethic within the office.
“Our Business Development Manager has met with 50-60 different firms and got business out of a really good proportion of those, and it's got better and better as 2025’s gone on,” Sebastian Caunter says. “That's a lot to do with the Sandler training and him improving and getting more confident in his approach.”
If you'd like to find out more about how our sales solutions can benefit you and your company, feel free to fill out the form below and we can arrange a discovery call.
“If you're in a business where business development is not your main role, you would really benefit from the Sales Development Series. You get more out of those conversations that you're having, you'll understand the kind of people you're talking to, and overall be more effective at achieving your results.”
Sebastian Caunter, Managing Director at LSL Corporate Client Department
