Sales

Right issues

Right people

Right time

What are the differentiators and advantages that attach to the above.

Client value systems:

Cohesive vs divisive
Entrepreneurial vs risk adverse

Proven solutions vs innovative solutions

Best of breed vs single supplier

Centralized vs decentralized decision making

Growth vs profit vs cash

Autocratic vs consensus
Pain

Is it a survival issue?
Big enough to cause them to buy?

Cost of doing nothing?

Can we solve the pain?

ROI for solving the pain

Can we do it profitably?
Professional vs personal agendas (must earn trust to find out)

Recognition
Power/control

Outside interests
Personal/professional growth

Promotion
Peer respect

Innovation/creativity
Money

Risk aversion
Exec buy higher level benefits
Project teams buy operational and technical benefits
Strategic Pain

Shareholder value (strategic)

Risk/gain (political)

Return (financial)
Process/change (cultural)
Tactical Pain

Applications/methodology (operational)
Tools (feature/capability)
Qualify constantly

Financial stability - threats to the funding of this project?

Business problem magnitude - is the pain great enough to cause the client to change?

Source of urgency - is there a bad thing that will happen if they don't buy now?

Political sponsorship - is there a powerful person that wants this to happen?

Budget
o
Is there one?
Who owns it?
o
Where will the funds come from if there is no budget?
o
Am I at the level in the clients organization where budgets are more of a guideline than a rule?
Competition

Strengths/weaknesses
Internal supporters

Pains/gains they'll exploit to build preference

How do they compare in matching clients requirements

Cultural alignment
What is their strategy/my counter strategy
Build preference (must know why they would have a preference before assuming they do)

-50 hostile
-40 opposing
-30 challenging

-20 skeptical ( if not know this is where they are)

-10 indifferent

0 neutral

10 open
20 accepting
30 supporting

40 disclosure
50 trust
Early prevention beats error correction (pay now or pay later)

Solution issues
Legal issues

Price/value issues
Risk issues

Political/personal issues
Managing the individual

Build rapport and preference (not direct questions below but answers to them)
o
How long have he/she worked here?
Where did they work before?
o
Who hired ?
Who does the boss look to for recommendations?
o
Who else's opinions are respected in this area?
Who else should I be calling to earn this business?
o
Who does the boss spend time with outside of work? What is thindivudial personally looking for if this project
is successful?
o
What's next for the individual?

Uncover tactical and strategic pains

Stimulate dormant pain

Raise issues
Influence the process

Position products and services

Measure and set up the competition (ghost)

Gain an understanding of the clients culture Determine politics and navigational approach
Dormant Need
Requirements
Understanding
Presentation
Close
Client
Definition
Cient Issues
Identify Issues
Survey
Politics
Linking
Blocking
Transition
Influence Process
Trap
Quantify Business
Proof
Closing
Problem
Point of Entry
Strategy
Refocusing
Differentiation
Build Rapport
Defuse Objections
Position

Identify
Influencers
Control tactics

Stimulate demand - find latent pain and seek an exclusive or an early asvantage in shaping the process

Identify and create issues- in the early stages of an evaluation, requirements can be suggested that focus on our
solution strengths

Influence process - steps in the evaluation can be suggested that expose the weakness of our competitor,
demonstrate our strengths and shorten or lengthen the process to our advantage

Qualify - choosing the right battles is the key to resource allocation

Satisfied client - will they refer/support is to win again internally/externally?

Point of entry - manage carefully

Build bonds - personal relationships in order to navigate

Position - help clients make up their minds vs trying to change opinions later (teach). Position company, solutions and
myself

Identify influencers - establish preference early with powerful people

Survey - understand client pain. Out-listen the competition. Know the need for 1:1 as not everything can be discussed
in a group setting

Political navigation - create and seize opportunities to go higher without offending the project team

Quantify the business problem - how much is it worth if I solve their problem?

Defuse objections - address issues frmbith sides head on. If it is a show stopper find out early and move on

Strategy - how do I plan to win

Refocus - get client to think about issues that highlight my strengths

Linking - connect various elements of the stool to the clients political, cultural and strategic issues.

Blocking - never leave an account without a reason to come back, especially in closing stages. Use one call to set-up
the next.

Closing - everyday a contract is unsigned gives a competitor a chance to counter attack.

Decision Making Process

Is there a defined process?

Can it be cross checked?

What do I think will happen?

Influencers and roles?

What could change?

Approval process?
Decision Models

Pseudo-democratic
Algebraic democratic
Straw poll

Departmental vote
Two tier recommendation
Autocratic

Pre-wired
Consensus
Power struggle

No decision
Analysis paralysis
Uncertainty is the killer of decisions.

Pain - how high up the food chain Preference - for, against, undecided Power - little, lot, none, negative

Parts - formal/informal role in decision making

o
Influencer
Internal informant
o
Coach (may not have power)
Recommender
o
Potential influencer
Power sponsor
o
Decision maker
Charter giver (funded project)
o
Approver (financial/legal)
Linker
o
Economic evaluator
Technical evaluator
o
Gatekeeper
Strategic Planning on Influnce
Person
Pain

Power (+5/-5)

Preference

Parts

Plan:

Out vote
Change preference
Ignore
Coach
Motivate

Support
Involve
Raise pain
Disconnect
Where will the decision be made

Coverage and expense

Local references
Culture differences

HQ or division
Location
Competition local rep

What is the bad thing that will happen to them if they don't buy when they say they will?
Organizational Navigation

Executive: ROI, EPS, Stock Price, Growth, Cash, Market Share, Competitive Advantage, Employees, Union, Morale,
Stockholders, Board of Directors, CEO Pay, Succession Planning, Takeovers, LBO's, Survival, Government Regulations,
Customers, Taxpayers, Image, Litigation, Environment, Economy, Trade Barriers, Innovation, Productivity, Quality
Partnerships, Industry Issues, Risk, Ownership, Consensus
o
Must drive strategic value/pain issues

Bottom-Up Entry: Requires org map and ability to get sponsored upwards. Must help find a reason for them to
sponsor. Must proactively ask for sponsorship.
o
Recognition
In support of their leaderships goals
o
Expert outside opinion validation Risk mitigation
o
Resource/budget approval
Bargaining
o
Personal relationship
Industry leverage
Urgency Elements
Sales

Client

Price increase
Delivery
Availability of resources
Events
Scarcity

Change in technology
Announcements
Fiscal year end
Budget timing
Mangemnt directive
Corporate changes (LBO, acquisition, spin-off)
Audit
Events
Seasonality
Personal Agenda
Cost of Lost Benefits

Sales Campaign Issues

Poor information
Failure to communicate the plan

Bad timing
Unclear objective

No testing: Variables poorly defined

Weak execution : Limited persistence

Weak strategy or too many strategies

Indecision
Lack of resourcefulness
Defined Goals/Objectives

Measurable (units/$)

Written plans/guidelines
Tactical Tools

Actions

To-do lists

Specific timelines/milestones
Shared commitment
Calendars
Milestones

Stretch goals

Measurements
Project plans

Strategy and tactics must be cohesive. Expect to have multiple iterations.

Strategic Models
Strategy
Details
Pre-Emptive
Win the battle before it starts. Usually done by
already having delivered a solution.

Frontal

Advantage or superiority based. Must have X times

superiority for this to work. Very hard to win.

Flanking

Position strengths against competitors weakness.

Innovation driven. Change ground rules and/or
buying criteria/model.

Fractional

Beach-head model. Especially useful when one

single entity can't meet requirements (or too risky
for client to rely on single source).

Timing

Impact the timing fast or slow (must be of benefit to

customer)

Tactics
1) satisfy client on previous project
2) create demand rather than demand reaction
3)ask for/seek sole source evaluation
4) align with internal power
5) walk away from bad opportunity
1) company strength
2) brand recognition/reputation
3) industry presence
4) product/service/solution strength
1) outcome driven/job to be done approach
2) power alignment
3) process
4) scope (usually much more focused)
1) parse out scope and move to best of breed thinking
2) partner with others to win (try to control
the paper
3) Trojan horse model
1) slow down the process
2) create impending event for acceleration

Management Deal Review

Sales person overview presentation

o
Prospect company profile
Proposed solution
o
Size of the deal
Close date
o
Stage of sales cycle
Competitors

Opportunity dialogue
o
Why are they doing this? (look for key issues)
Why now?/Urgency
o
What is your strategy and why will it work?
o
Who are the 3-5 key influencers?

Strategic and political benefits to each

Link to how we impact each

Individual plan for each person

o
Pain issues (strategic to tactical)

Challenge
o
If I were the competition, how would you defeat my strategy?
o
If I were the client what would be my concerns, issues or suggestions?
o
If I were the sales manager what would I have me suggest I do?
Sales Call Checklist:

How will I add value?

How will I be remembered?

How will I earn commitment?

What will I teach?

How will I provide direction, an opinion, a point of view, take control?

How will I tailor it, make it relevant?Discuss money

Define success

Post Sales Call Follow Up

Next steps in writing, add value

Statement of why they should by from me (authentic, compel to change)

Trust Based Selling

Results and relationships

Performance and personality

What you know and who you know Contracts and contacts

Substance and style

Competition and connection
Baseline Principle:

Conviction wins
o
Leverage
o
Ability to walk away

Negotiation is about people (all dysfunctional)

o
Terms and conditions are secondary

Must qualify constantly (right issues, people and time)

Wasting effort on unqualified deals is the ultimate killer

High tech and high touch