We recognized that connections formed through Ecolab’s E3 women’s employee resource group produced cross-enterprise selling opportunities with major corporate accounts. However, there were no best practices or case studies to help a broader set of employees leverage similar strategies and tactics. Since our field teams work remotely and in some cases are very isolated, we wanted to establish a way to increase their engagement, provide opportunities for development and networking, and drive cross-enterprise discussions with customers. 

E3 formed a cross-functional and divisional team to support corporate cross selling opportunities and capture key learnings that could be shared across divisions and with E3 chapters including virtual chapters.

We started a Virtual Chapter that is open to anyone working remotely. We have developed six webinars that target specific needs of our sales associates and the challenges they face. 

Additionally, we have two field-based chapters that meet on a regular basis to network, share challenges, and drive business opportunities.

We have had two webinars for the Virtual Chapter to date. Our second webinar had nearly 1,000 participants who participated remotely. Feedback on the events has been outstanding and is driving a sense of community.

The connections formed through E3 led to sales with two major corporate accounts worth 400K in new sales to one customer and a 20 percent increase in sales to another.

The case studies serve as a template to help engage our field associates with content that focuses on their specific needs. The case studies can also be used to generate support from managers as field associates use employee resource groups to increase their network and promote an inclusive culture.

Janie Cameron