How switching to an outcome-based model doubled sales conversion rates for a Canadian telecoms provider
The goal
To maximize a major Canadian telecommunications provider’s sales conversions and operational efficiency without compromising CX through transitioning from a traditional hourly billing model to an outcome-based approach.
The outcome
23%
conversion rate (improved from a baseline of 11%)
12%
absolute improvement in sales conversion yields
100%
transition from hourly to outcome-based pricing model
Results within 6 months
of operational transition
The challenge
As one of Canada’s largest telecommunications providers, our client operates in a market defined by intense competition, cost sensitivity and evolving consumer expectations.
Foundever had been delivering inbound sales support for the client, operating under a standard hourly billing model. Traditional engagement models provide security, minimize risk for the client and make costs predictable. However, over time these models can limit the ability to innovate, or anchor both partners to a framework that rewards effort over impact. In a market where customer interactions increasingly double as revenue opportunities, both Foundever and the client recognized that the arrangement was leaving value on the table.
The proposal
To better align with the client’s strategic ambitions, the decision was made to shift to a Revenue Generating Unit (RGU) model — a true outcome-based structure where Foundever would be compensated based on sales per activated unit. The decision came down to trust. The client trusted Foundever to invest in the right talent, sales expertise and proactive deal-closing behaviors the model demanded. In return, Foundever trusted the client to invest in prospective customer flow, enabling technology, marketing support and competitive incentive structures to fuel conversion.
This shared accountability unlocked new operational freedom, with the client granting Foundever flexibility to test new conversational approaches and follow up on open leads — capabilities that had not previously existed within the program.
But the transition carried financial risk. Conversion rates were trending at 11%, driven by a high volume of low-intent interactions that drained capacity and diluted metrics. Under an RGU model, this call mix would make the operation financially unviable.
Likewise, the existing performance management framework wasn’t built to optimize the sales behaviors a performance-based model demands. A culture oriented around sales coaching, activation and individual accountability was needed.
The solution
Foundever’s operations team partnered closely with the client to overhaul four critical pillars of the operation: call routing, intent filtering, collaborative governance and associate incentives.
Industry
Telecoms
Channel
Voice
Language
English
Foundever’s operations team partnered closely with the client to overhaul four critical pillars of the operation:
- Defining and filtering call intent: Foundever’s continuous improvement team applied Six Sigma methodologies to analyze the call mix, identify interaction patterns and build a data-informed picture of intent. This enabled targeted engagement protocols and specific behavioral interventions at the frontline. A strategic filtering strategy was then implemented to intercept low-intent and non-sales interactions before they reached the sales floor.
- Focusing agent capacity on revenue-generating conversations: With fewer low-value calls, agents could sharpen focus on high-quality, revenue-generating conversations, improving the overall sales experience.
- Establishing collaborative governance: Daily performance management cadences and calibration sessions with client stakeholders provided real-time visibility into sales behaviors, enabling rapid identification and resolution of performance gaps.
- Redesigning incentives around outcomes: A customized incentive program directly linked associate rewards to RGU achievements. Where the previous model rewarded productive hours, the new framework rewarded creative thinking, behavioral discipline and genuine sales impact.
Results
23%
conversion rate (improved from a baseline of 11%)
12%
absolute improvement in sales conversion yields
100%
transition from hourly to outcome-based pricing model
6 months
Results within 6 months of operational transition
As low-intent interactions were filtered out, agent selling techniques and drive sharpened in parallel, and the operation shifted from a compliance-driven mindset to a sales coaching and activation culture. Agents and managers adopted new ownership over every interaction, tracking each open lead, counter-proposal and valid sales opportunity with clear individual accountability.
The conversion rate more than doubled, surging from 11% to a sustained 23%. The integrity of these results was validated through 30-day activation rates, confirming that sales were genuine and customers retained their services post-activation.
This success validated the commercial viability of the new model and created a proven, scalable framework for this line of business. It also established a repeatable template for performance-based operations that can be extended to other segments.