Overview

Abbott Diabetes Care (ADC) is a global leader in diabetes care, supported by a team of approximately 70,000 employees and a robust portfolio spanning diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, and generic pharmaceuticals. Operating in over 150 countries, Abbott is renowned for its science-led innovation and commitment to improving health outcomes.

Objectives

• Establish a unified and sustainable sales culture

• Prepare the sales force for rapid expansion

• Enhance consistency and accountability in sales call execution

• Equip managers to lead and coach effectively

 

Challenges

Following the launch of their innovative glucose monitoring system, FreeStyle Libre, ADC needed to ensure their commercial teams were ready to support aggressive growth targets. The sales team included both traditional account managers and clinical specialists, which presented a unique challenge: shifting from a “farmer” mindset to a more proactive, “hunter” approach to business development.

Previous sales methodologies had been introduced but lacked follow-through, resulting in limited behaviour change and inconsistent call execution. Compounding the challenge, the organisation was in the process of doubling its sales team and leadership group. To support this scale-up, managers needed to be capable coaches, and the business required a lasting, values-aligned sales culture.

Solutions

The project lead, having previously experienced the success of Integrity Selling® across multiple healthcare organisations, championed it as the ideal solution for Abbott Diabetes Care. The values-driven, purpose-centred nature of Integrity Selling® resonated strongly with ADC’s culture and clinical environment.

The rollout began with a pilot in the HCP Sales Organisation, followed by a broader launch to the national sales team at the company’s Summit in September 2019. Ten internal ADC trainers were certified to deliver the programme, and sales managers received comprehensive coaching resources to embed the learning within their teams.

Training included:

• Pre-course online learning

• In-person workshops

• Structured follow-up reinforcement, including three months of weekly coaching calls led by ADC managers and Certified Facilitators

Integrity Solutions also conducted a Sales Culture Inventory and delivered a detailed Report of Findings, offering strategic insights into team strengths and development areas.

To maintain momentum and deepen capability, ADC partnered with Integrity Solutions to develop a pull-through strategy. This involved:

• Six targeted 2-hour competency workshops

• Sales microlearning bursts sent via email

• Coaching-focused microlearning for sales leaders

• Behaviour Styles assessments for all participants

Impact

In the first year of the Integrity Selling® implementation, Abbott Diabetes Care achieved an impressive 48.2% year-on-year sales growth. Significant gains were recorded across core competencies and behaviours tracked before and after training, including:

• Pre-call planning: +55.1%

• Written long-term goals: +45.2%

• Identifying customer needs and challenges before solutioning: +31.4%

• Applying a clear call structure: +22.8%

• Asking customer-focused questions: +19.5%

• Behaviour Styles application: +19.5%

• Perceptions around the purpose of selling: +13.9%

These measurable results, combined with 360° assessments, enabled ADC to gain leadership support for ongoing development—cementing Integrity Selling® as a key pillar in their growth and sales effectiveness strategy.