How is performance intervention different across categories: concept selling vis-a-vis selling tangibles? 
In training people on concept/tangible selling the goal would be to teach them the process and the method (tools & techniques) for becoming successful at this kind of sales.  This will then conclude with a 2-3-day program.
 
However, when you look at a performance intervention the goals are different.  To illustrate: the goals will be:

• To increase sales closure over a period of time 
• To understand what are the challenges the population is facing in closing sales
• To identify new behaviors that will establish the brand image in the minds of the customer
• To teach the population to position the brand/service and its value proposition to custom fit each customer’s unique needs & expectations 

Therefore, the intervention will result in the target group changing identified behaviors to provide solutions to the customer within their service hence becoming brand ambassadors of their organization.  To achieve this, shift they will be hand held through a facilitated learning, application & individualized coaching processes to ensure that behavioral change occurs.
 
What were the kinds of barriers to performance found by the R.E.D once the initial assessment was done? 
First challenge in such situations is always the functional beliefs/mindset that prevent a population from realizing the need for the shift.  In the case of MAX BUPA the issues were:

• The target group saw their interactions as a method providing information and then pushing for closure
• They did not see the customer as a human being with unique needs & experience; instead they saw their interaction as a transaction 
• They believed that only a type of personal selling style would make them successful at closing sales.  This needed to change to the fact that it is the customer’s need that drives the choice of style and there is no one standard successful way for closing sales
• They were following a process driven approach to providing service & then closing sales vs. a consultative method of understanding customer need and then targeting a value proposition
• The remaining challenges were about teaching the new concepts that would equip the target group to apply the behavioral & attitudinal changes.  Then give them adequate practice to apply the changes; envision success in closure of sales through trainer demonstration and their own performance and ten individually provide coaching address challenges in application

What kind of intervention was planned?
The intervention design had several touch points with the target group:

1. The basic training program for a period of three days to address attitude shifts & conceptual/application learning goals
2. Training of trainers in MAXBUPA to coach & audit performance
3. Application on the floor with self-audit tools to understand mistakes they were making
4. Feedback/coaching with audits of their customer interaction by supervisors
5. Collation of common challenges the group was facing wit solution by R.E.D
6. Individualized Coaching/feedback session by R.E.D trainers
7. Closing program to sum up issues and put systems in place for sustained performance

Why such a long period of intervention was planned, i.e. self-audits etc...How do they help? 
A long intervention is necessary to sustain behavioral change.  While in a 2-3 day training interaction you can help a population question their mindset they actual convincing that the new paradigm works happens in application on the job.  People change behaviors through success and not through critique.  So only when they see the success in their interaction with the customer the real buy-in occurs leading to a change in behavior and hence performance.  
 
Also, only when you know what you are doing wrong can you correct the behavior, someone else critiquing your performance is not necessarily as effectively internalized. It is the essential difference between understanding the change and realizing that you need the change. Self-audits ensure that this occurs.

What kind of turnarounds can we expect when we plan interventions of this nature? 
The target group will:
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• Realize that need to make behavioral shift and they will desire it for their career growth
• They will adopt & apply the new behaviors in their interaction
• This will result in increased productivity and meeting of performance goals
• They will recognize their contribution to the organizational goals and feel empowered that they are significant
• This will also result in higher motivation all across as success breeds success