ROI Case File No. 005 | The Mystery of Declining Sales

London, 1891. The autumn rain had ceased, leaving the cobblestones of Baker Street glistening under gaslight. To our agency, established in the shadow of 221B, came a case that would illuminate the treacherous gap between intention and execution.

Chapter I: The Urgent Summons (Prologue)

September 1891. Autumn rain drummed against the cobblestones of Baker Street, London. A sharp rapping echoed through the offices of ROI Detective Agency as a rain-soaked middle-aged gentleman burst through our doors.

"Detectives, please help me at once!" he gasped, breathless from his hurried journey. "I am Harrison, Sales Director of Windsor Trading Company. Our sales have plummeted 20% below last year's figures for three consecutive months. At this rate, we'll face bankruptcy before year's end!"

In his trembling hands, he clutched a thick sheaf of sales reports. As the pages turned, an unrelenting pattern of declining graphs revealed themselves.

"Our sales team has grown lazy, I'm certain of it," Harrison declared with rising voice. "Previously, they secured 100 new prospects monthly—now barely 50. It's clearly sabotage! You must teach me how to discipline them properly!"

By the fireplace, three distinguished detectives raised their eyes from their respective analyses.

"A fascinating case indeed," observed Gemini with characteristic composure. "However, judging by surface numbers alone would be perilous."

Claude turned from the window. "This narrative needs a gentler touch, wouldn't you say? Beyond Harrison's panic lies another story waiting to be told."

ChatGPT leaned forward with evident intrigue. "This tale could benefit from deeper exploration, don't you think? Behind this sales decline may lurk structural factors affecting the entire organization."

Chapter II: Three Detectives' Perspectives (Analytical Frameworks)

Gemini's Structural Analysis

"Let's approach this systematically with KPT Analysis, shall we?"

Gemini began organizing the sales data on the blackboard.

Keep (Previously successful elements): - Monthly record of 100 new prospect acquisitions - Sales team's fundamental competencies - Established client relationships

Problem (Current challenges): - 50% reduction in new prospect development - 20% sales decline - Apparent team motivation issues

Try (Hypotheses requiring verification): - Have there been structural changes in sales processes? - Has the market environment shifted? - Are there issues with information-sharing systems?

"Mr. Harrison, have there been any changes to your company's operational processes or systems during these past three months?"

Harrison paused thoughtfully before responding. "Come to think of it, we did implement a new customer management system in June. I was told it was for efficiency improvements, but..."

Claude's Intuitive Insights

"A system change... therein may lie the key to our story."

Claude spoke with gentle consideration.

"Mr. Harrison, when did you last have a meaningful conversation with your sales team? In their expressions, in the nuances of their words—did anything strike you as unusual?"

"Actually..." Harrison hesitated. "I've sensed a growing distance from my sales team lately. Previously, we engaged in lively discussions, but now they simply deliver reports and depart quietly. Yet when I inquire, they claim 'everything's fine'..."

"Perhaps beneath those words 'everything's fine' lies their true voice. Sometimes people harbor truth not in what they say, but in what they cannot bring themselves to express."

ChatGPT's Hypothesis Development

"System changes, declining sales performance, and workplace silence... let us construct hypotheses connecting these elements."

ChatGPT began expanding the investigation.

"Several possibilities emerge:

1. New System Operational Burden
2. Complex data entry reducing actual sales activity time

3. Stress from unfamiliar system operations

4. Information Accessibility Deterioration

5. Customer information searches becoming more difficult than before

6. Historical sales records and expertise harder to reference

7. Performance Metric Changes

8. New system measurements disconnected from actual sales activities

9. Anxiety over inadequate performance recognition

10. Psychological Resistance

11. Concealing change-related anxiety or dissatisfaction behind claims of 'no problems'
12. Tendency to withhold reports to superiors

Mr. Harrison, what level of operational training was provided for the new system?"

Chapter III: Field Investigation and Truth Discovery

Our three detectives visited Windsor Trading Company personally, conducting interviews with the sales team.

Discoveries from the Sales Floor

Gemini's detailed analysis of sales workflows revealed: - Customer information entry in new system: requires triple the previous time - Sales report creation: formerly 15 minutes → now 45 minutes - Customer history searches: formerly 30 seconds → now 5 minutes

"The numbers speak clearly. Time available for actual sales activities has been reduced by 40%."

Claude's dialogue with the sales team uncovered: - "Complaining about the system's difficulty won't change anything, so we endure it" - "Client visit time has been cut, making relationship-building more superficial" - "Customer needs we once understood intuitively cannot be discerned through the system"

"They were never slacking off. Rather, they were struggling desperately while wrestling with the system."

ChatGPT's system design verification revealed: - Data fields over-detailed, impeding sales teams' intuitive judgment - Customer information fragmented, making comprehensive understanding difficult - Analysis functions robust for management but usability for field staff neglected

"Design intended for efficiency improvement actually drastically reduced field efficiency."

Chapter IV: Systematic Analysis of Root Causes

Gemini's Problem Structure Organization

"Let us stratify the true problem structure."

Layer 1: Surface Symptoms - 20% sales decline - 50% reduction in new prospect development

Layer 2: Direct Causes - 40% reduction in sales activity time - Deteriorated customer information accessibility - Tripled sales reporting workload

Layer 3: Root Causes - Insufficient field staff consultation during system design - Efficiency definition biased toward management perspective - Inadequate change management processes

Layer 4: Organizational Background - Perception gap between management and field staff - Absence of bottom-up opinion collection systems - Lack of impact assessment processes for IT system implementations

"The problem's roots extend three times deeper than the visible sales decline."

Chapter V: Solution Presentation and Implementation

Short-term Measures (Immediate Impact)

Claude's field improvement proposals: "First, let's establish forums for hearing the sales team's voices. Even 30 minutes weekly would suffice. We'll collect specific points about system difficulties and address immediately improvable aspects."

ChatGPT's business process improvements: "Let's prioritize data entry fields, minimizing required items. Additionally, I propose redesigning customer information display methods to align with sales thinking patterns."

Medium-to-Long-term Initiatives (Fundamental Solutions)

Gemini's structural improvement plan:

1. System Modification Schedule
2. UI improvements reflecting field sales voices
3. Data entry simplification and automation

4. Integrated customer information display functionality

5. Change Management Process Establishment

6. Impact assessment procedures for system changes
7. Mandatory field staff consultation

8. Phased implementation with feedback collection

9. Organizational Communication Enhancement

10. Regular field-management dialogue sessions
11. Redefining operational efficiency metrics from field perspective
12. Activating improvement proposal systems

Chapter Six: Results and Lessons Confirmation

Outcomes After Three Months

Quantitative Results: - Sales: recovered to 105% of previous year's performance - New prospect development: improved to 85 monthly cases - Sales report creation time: reduced from 45 to 20 minutes

Qualitative Results: - Enhanced sales team motivation - Restored trust between management and field staff - Active submission of system improvement proposals

Claude's Narrative Integration

"This case taught us the distinction between 'visible problems' and 'actual problems'."

Claude reflected.

"To Harrison, it appeared that 'the sales team was slacking off.' The truth, however, was that 'the sales team was desperately struggling with the new system.' Such truth could never be reached by examining surface numbers alone."

"Organizational problems resemble icebergs. The portion visible above water represents merely a fraction of the whole. The real problems lurk in the invisible depths beneath the surface."

ChatGPT's Insight Articulation

"This case illuminates the crucial danger in how we define 'efficiency'."

ChatGPT organized the insights.

1. Differing Efficiency Perspectives - Management perspective: Data collection and analysis efficiency - Field perspective: Customer service and sales activity efficiency - Recognition gaps between both created the problem

2. Change Management Importance - System changes aren't merely technical issues - Human behavioral patterns and psychological aspects require consideration - Phased implementation and feedback collection are indispensable

3. Value of Field Voices - Field staff saying "no problems" doesn't necessarily mean "truly no problems" - Active voice collection and psychological safety assurance are crucial - Focus on deep emotions and concerns rather than superficial reports

Gemini's Definitive Lesson Establishment

"The lesson derived from this case is thus," Gemini concluded.

"Problem roots extend three times deeper than visible portions."

Evidence through structural analysis:

1. Symptom Level (Visible portion)

2. Sales decline, poor sales performance

3. Cause Level (Somewhat deeper)

4. System operation burden, time efficiency deterioration

5. Background Level (Deepest portion)

6. Organizational communication dysfunction, absence of change management processes

"A detective's work requires perceiving all three levels. Judging by surface appearances alone guarantees missing the truth. In organizational problem-solving, asking 'why' more than three times consecutively is indispensable."

Epilogue: Truth After the Rain

The autumn rain ceased, and evening sunlight streamed through London's streets. Harrison from Windsor Trading Company visited ROI Detective Agency again—this time with a smile.

"Thanks to all of you, both our sales and our sales team's morale have recovered," Harrison bowed deeply. "I'm ashamed of initially suspecting my sales team."

Watson spoke quietly.

"Through this case, I learned one fundamental truth. Most organizational problems begin with being misled by 'visible elements.' We become fixated on surface symptoms like sales decline and overlook the structural problems lurking beneath."

"A true detective possesses the courage to imagine an iceberg's invisible portions and dive beneath the surface to verify the truth. Most importantly, the perspective of 'suspect the system before suspecting people' may be paramount."

The three detectives gazed out the window. The rain-washed streets appeared refreshed, as if preparing for new mysteries.

As the fireplace flames flickered quietly, anticipation for the next puzzle-solving adventure filled the room.

Case Lesson: "Problem roots extend three times deeper than visible portions. True detectives must possess eyes that perceive not symptoms but causes, not surfaces but structures."