EFI, Inc. – Redesigning Sales Strategy Without Losing Momentum
Electronics for Imaging (EFI)
2004 Revenue
$395M 2004 Revenue
Global Reps
30,000 Global Reps
Year
2005
Overview
EFI was a market leader in digital print controllers, with $395M in 2004 revenue and a dominant position through its Fiery product line. But its go-to-market model leaned heavily on OEM partnerships, which limited EFI's access to customer data, control over messaging, and ability to recognize its own salesforce's contributions.
Key Challenges
- •Lack of end-user visibility due to selling through OEMs like Canon, Xerox, and Ricoh
- •Geographically fragmented sales structure that didn't align with OEM purchasing decisions
- •Misaligned compensation model that rewarded team performance equally regardless of individual contribution
- •Shifting OEM dynamics with in-house controller production eroding EFI's technical advantage
Solution
EFI implemented a comprehensive strategy: rethinking compensation to reward individual performance, gaining visibility into end-user activity through software products, realigning sales structure with centralized planning, and intensifying support and marketing to OEM sales teams.
Results
EFI successfully evolved its sales approach while maintaining momentum, gaining better control over customer relationships and performance measurement through software channels, and strengthening OEM partnerships through targeted marketing and support.
Key Learnings
- •Control vs. Reach: OEM model provided access to 30,000 reps but limited customer insight
- •Data Drives Accountability: Performance metrics are essential for identifying and rewarding top talent
- •Structure Must Match Strategy: Sales organization needs to align with where influence is exercised
- •High Performance Needs Recognition: Incentive programs are strategic tools for talent retention and sales behavior
Conclusion
EFI stood at a critical inflection point where its sales model needed to evolve to match its growth ambitions. By modernizing compensation, centralizing sales influence, and investing in channel intelligence, EFI could shift from a product-led to a performance-led organization while maintaining its collaborative culture.
To compete in a faster, more data-driven world, EFI needed more than great products—it needed visibility, agility, and a sales model built for ownership.