Shortlist best integration of sales and marketing: ‘Game Changer Forum- Strengthening Sales Middle Management’In 2010-11 HCL faced major marketing challenges. Annual Customer Satisfaction Scores among its top 30 accounts (40% of revenues) showed key clients wanted better service. As a result, HCL experienced difficulty selling new services and solutions to clients and transforming itself from Commodity Supplier to Problem-Solving Partner.In response, HCL Marketing and Sales sought advice from its top 75 CIO/CTO Customer Advisory Council members on what they wanted and needed from us. Based on this research, we launched Game Changers Forum, an ambitious program to strengthen account management skills of sales leaders responsible for our 25 largest clients.Sponsored by HCL’s President and Global Head of Marketing, the GCF comprised skills- and knowledge-building activities as well as focused performance management reviews. The primary goals were to facilitate best-practice sharing among top account managers and position HCL as a strategic partner of choice among major customers.By 2012-13 the GCF had produced tremendous results. Customer satisfaction increased by 10%. The sales costs for new services in Existing Accounts decreased, and the retention and growth of existing accounts jumped 15%.