aka “Business Savvy”
Business Acumen is about understanding the broader business landscape and recognizing how your decisions impact the company's success and the decision making ability of your colleagues. Business Acumen is for the sales force and supervisors, it is for leaders in all departments. It is for everyone who plans, analyzes and makes business decisions, below the level of strategic planning.
As part of Beam Suntory’s tailored Finance & Strategy workshops, employees gained practical tools to improve commercial acumen — and the impact was immediate.
During one workshop, an Account Executive realized they were lowering prices more than necessary in the simulation. That got them thinking: Was this happening in the real world too?
Back at their office, the Account Executive reviewed their pricing strategy and discovered they could reduce discounts by $700,000 per year — without affecting sales volume.
The change was significant:
Insight: The Account Executive connected pricing decisions to profitability during the workshop.
Action: They reduced unnecessary discounts, increasing revenue without losing sales.
Result:
→ Increased Profit is a Better Business Result! Income|Outcome is a profitable investment (it more than pays for itself!).
The Program
This was a 2-day Finance & Strategy program, tailored to include some dynamics specific to the beverage industry. Over a 2-year period, the program was rolled out to over 500 people in the Americas and Europe. We partnered with Percept Research to conduct pre- and post-workshop surveys measuring the impact. Six weeks after the workshop, participants reported significant improvements in their business acumen, with noticeable gains in decision-making, alignment with company goals, and understanding of financial health.
Today Beam Suntory continues to build commercial acumen using the Income|Outcome business simulation.
These workshops start by building an awareness of financial results as shown in the P&L and Balance Sheet and then challenge teams to simultaneously manage the present and plan for the future.
Teams dive head-first into the thrill of running a business, grappling with financial statements, and tasting the challenge of competing in a cut-throat market.
Programs include formal planning and analysis tools such as Budgeting, Cash Flow Forecasts, and Break-Even Analysis. Longer program gives additional tools and additional practice with tools.
8 hours
In-Person Only
A comprehensive one-day workshop that introduces formal finance tools, including budgets and cash flow forecasts. This takes the awareness of financial results as shown in the P&L and Balance Sheet, and moves it into planning for the future. Includes formal planning and analysis tools such as Budgeting, Cash Flow Forecasts, and Unit Cost Analysis.
12 hours
In-Person Only
A 1.5 day program runs additional cycles to provide the opportunity to manage for the ‘long-term view’. It introduces additional financial planning and analysis tools (e.g., Break-Even Analysis, Income Statement Analysis) and offers opportunities for targeted content such as Financial Selling or Team Dynamics.
"Great experience for learning & team building."
Business acumen equips your team to make smarter decisions that drive performance. Income|Outcome programs give your employees the tools they need to align their actions with company strategy and deliver results.
"Business acumen is the ability to understand and deal with business risks and opportunities in a manner that is likely to facilitate a good outcome. It involves financial literacy, strategic thinking, market awareness, and operational insight. "
