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by Gunnar Schröder

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der

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Accelerate your Sales Performance

To be really successful

in complex B2B sales

6 Steps

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© G

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6 Stepsto be really successful in complex B2B sales

If you are in B2B, complex sales with many different stakeholders is your daily routine. However sometimes you might feel stuck in a project or wonder why a prospect is not interested in your offer.

This little story about the Smith family (customer) and myself (sales guy) guiding you through the different stages of a complex sale with different stakeholders.

The presentation including the big “look and see” picture is intended to be a concise reminder for common best practices but is surely also useful as an introduction for newcomers .

Gunnar Schröder, September 2016

Accelerate Your Sales Performance

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Content6 Steps to be really successful

in complex B2B sales

The “Complex Sales” CircleLook and see picture summary.

1 ProspectingApproaching the right customer.

2 QualifyingIdentifying the right timing to approach.

3 Identify Customer StakeholdersThe 4 most important stakeholder types.

4 Working on OpportunitiesThe strategy to successful sales.

5 ClosingStriving for Win Win results.

6 Self ManagementWith discipline to constant sales results.

Accelerate Your Sales Performance

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© Gunnar Schröder 2016

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2016 1 Prospecting

Approaching the right customers

Giant Slide

Ultimate fun for

The whole Family

Try it today !

I’m Gunnar the sales guy

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The perfect customer fit

Prospecting the right customers is the key for sales efficiency.

Make up your perfect customer profile to minimize the risk of wasted efforts and bad business.

Analyse the characteristics of your current and past customers.

Analyse the character of your most pleasant and most terrible customers.

Please refer to Annex 1 for a table of typical characteristics to consider.

I’m too old

I love Giant Slide

I’m too small

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Identifying the right timing to approach.

2 Qualifying

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Even though you identified customers which could be potentially interested in your product or service they might not be in the right “mood” to be a good customer for you at this time point.

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Open for business proposals.Need for change.

Progress mood

o Need for quantity and/or quality improvement

Sell “support”

Problem mood

o Reality is different than expected

Sell “survival”

This is the most boring holiday I

ever had

Mom, I think the slide

is too small for me

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Not open for business proposals. Resistance to change.

Happy mood

o Satisfied with the status quo

How to approach

o Best to tackle with another stakeholder in the same organization

o Challenge them that actual reality is different than they believe

o Make them aware that they could achieve much more

This is the best thing I can imagine

Swinging is so much fun

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Not open for business proposals. Resistance to change.

Day dream mood

o More than satisfied with the status quo

o Could be that their target setting is just to low

o That they have unrealistic view of the situation

How to approach

o Stay in touch and wait

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2016 3 Identify your

Customer StakeholdersIntroduction to the 4 most important stakeholder types.

I’m Mia

Hello, I’m Mrs.Smith

My name is Tom Smith

I’m GandmaSmith

Hey there, my name

is Leo

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Identify your customerstakeholders

Once you have qualified an opportunityit is utmost important that you get toknow all possible stakeholders, their desires, their personal feelingabout your offer.

Each stakeholder has different needsand responsibilities in the purchaseprocess but also different influence/power to the purchasedecision.

Only by understanding your positionwith each of the stakeholders you canperfect your sales strategy andoffer.

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The Smith family

customer organization

This is the Smith Family. Mia a little girl aged six and and Reon a wild boy aged 10. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Grandma Smith.

Grandma Smith is the Mother of Tom Smith. She loves her grandchildren and knows the desires, behaviors and roles of each family member by her heart.

I’m Mia

Hello, I’m Mrs.Smith

My name is Tom Smith

I’m GandmaSmith

Hey there, my name

is Leo

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Mia + Leo

User

Mia + Leo are representing the “User”. They want to use the “Giant Slide”

“User” will use or supervise the product or service you are selling.

“User” will judge on the impact to their work. They focus on practical concerns for the use of the product.

o Ease of use

o Training needs

o Service record

o …

I’m a bit scared

This is Exactly what

I want

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Mrs. Smith

Spec Checker

Mrs. Smith is representing the “Spec Checker”.

The “Spec Checker” is

o Screening possible suppliers

o Evaluates the fit of the product or service against the requirements and needs

o Limits the number of sellers

o Can say “No” to a purchase

o Often to find in the purchase department

A “Spec checker” can be also just legal restrictions or other internal company rules.

Is it really save ?

I’m too small110 cm

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Tom Smith Wallet

Mr. Smith is representing the “Wallet”.

The “Wallet” gives the final approval for a specific purchase.

He focuses on

o Price / performance

o Bottom line impact to the organization

o Return of investment

o Strategic concerns

Please refer to Annex 2 for information where to find the “Wallet” in an organization.

Wouldn’t it be nicer to do something the whole family

can enjoy together?

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Grandma Smith

Insider

She represents the “Insider”.

An “Insider” is your guide in the customer organization for a specific opportunity and an information source.

A good “Insider”:

o You have credibility with the person

o Has credibility with the customer stakeholders

o Wants your product/solution

I really want my grand child's to enjoy

the Giant Slide

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2016 4 Working on Opportunities

The strategy to successful sales.

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Opportunity check list

1. I have identified all customers stakeholders.

2. I have determined the degree of influence of each stakeholder (Annex 3).

3. I know my position with the individual stakeholder.

4. I have located my areas of weakness.

5. I have located my areas of strength.

6. I have identified the mood of the stakeholders.

7. I know how the individual stakeholders feel about my proposal.

8. I have identified individual results and wins (Annex 4).

9. I have evaluated my competitive position (Annex 5).

1.2.3.4.

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To do’s on each opportunity in the sales funnel

(Re) Define your opportunity target setting

o Whom to sell

o What to sell

o How many to sell

o When to sell

I want to sell one family day ticket

for “Giant Slide” to the Smith’s by 10 a.m.

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Watch out for relevant potential changes

What might impact the sales positively or negatively ?

o A new product your company will launch soon

o A new competitors product

o Financial situation of the customer

o Production issues with the product you are offering

o Organizational changes at the customer

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Identify potential issues for each individual stakeholder

o Missing Information

o You do not understand the role of a stakeholder

o You do not know who is responsible

o Uncertainty about information

o Not 100% sure if the information is correct

o A stakeholder you have had no contact yet

o Any stakeholder new to the job

o Reorganization at the customer

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Develop actions to improve your competitive position Define concrete actions which will bring you closer to your target for a specific opportunity.

Think of a plan B - what else could you do - if an action is not successful.

Any action should

o Improve your differentiation

Clearly identifiable difference between your proposal and alternatives which matters for the customer

o Improve your position

Increases the chance for your success

o Should be relevant to reach the target of a specific opportunity

o Reduce price sensitivity

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Evaluate your feelings against the opportunity target

If you feel too confident winning an opportunity or feel too unsecure – As a result you might do too less activity or too much- both can be dangerous.

Being aware about you feelings is therefore key to efficiency and success.

I’m super confident

For the sales opportunity

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2016 5 Closing

Striving for Win Win results.

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Striving for win-win results

Personal win’s are the real reason why people buy.

A win result is a personal gain that satisfies an individual customer stakeholder self interest.

Quantifiable results are the precondition for Win results.

Difference between results and wins:

Resultso Measurable impact of

product or serviceo Objectiveo Effects Corporate

Winso Not measurableo Subjectiveo Personal

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2016 6 Self Management

With discipline to constant sales results..

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Work continously on all levels ofyour sales funnel to avoid thatyour pipeline is suddenly empty:

Lead generationIdeal customer, potential change /need

QualificationAny concrete information that this customerneeds my product or service

OpportunitiesHave contacted at least one customerstakeholder and know how the product orservice you offer can produce results for thecustomer

Hot Opportunitieshave all information , business can beclosed in less than half of selling cycle, I know the tasks to be done to close the deal

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Best time management structure to plan your

Work scheduleWhile it is natural to work on opportunities as long as you have enough, your pipeline easily dries out when you do not equally work on prospecting and qualification. Especially when your sales cycle is very long.

Therefore make sure you plan your schedule in the following order :

1st : Closing work on really hotopportunities

2nd : Prospect

3rd : Qualify

4th : Work on Opportunities

This is the most boring holiday

I ever had

1.2.3.4.

Hope You got some Inspiration

Gunnar Schröder

+41 76 748 34 93Gunnar.Schroeder@bluewin.ch

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Character of the perfect customer

Company Compatibilityo Company size/revenueo Company industry o Company reputationo Distance from your service/shipping

point

Product Compatibilityo Compatibility of your product to

existing infrastructureo Number of users of your producto Current equipment condition/ageo Compatibility with norms and

directives

Culture Compatibilityo Ethical standardso Attitudes towards peopleo Openness to innovationo Importance of qualityo Importance of costo Seeking for long term relation

Only a customer which fits to your company, products and culture will be a good customer which appreciates and values you, your products and services.

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Where to find the “Wallet”in an organization ?

The person giving the final approval for a purchase is not a specific person or position in an organization. The person might change even from project to project.

Where to find depends on : Moves the hierarchy level

Up Down

Business condition of the customer

Critical financial situation

Wealthy

Experience with you No experience Trusted partner

Experience with the specific product or service

No experience Much experience

Potential organizational impact of the product or service

Large Small

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Who is the most important stakeholder ?

Things to consider

o Organizational ImpactWhere in the organization your proposal will have the biggest impact ?

o Level of Expertise for the product /service you are offereingWho has the biggest knowledge about your products/services and relatedapplications ?

o LocationUsually the one who is geografically closer to the „Impact“ has moreinfluence

o Personal PriorityLevel of personal interest

o Politics

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Stakeholder Potential Results

User

o Reliabilityo Increased efficiencyo Upgrades his skillso Improves his performanceo Best problem solutiono Versatilityo Excellent serviceo Easy to learn o Easy to use

Spec Checker

o Specifications meeting the requirements

o Best technical solutiono Timely delivery

Wallet

o Low cost of ownershipo Good fit with the budgeto Return of investmento Increased Productivityo Profitabilityo Cash flowo Flexibility

Insider

An Insider does not get measureable results but personal wins.

o Recognitiono Visibilityo Contributes

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Personal Win Examples

Gain recognitiono Be an instrument of changeo Be looked on as a problem solvero Contribute to the organizationo Get more knowledge

Feel more secureo Remain in a given locationo Remain in power

Avoiding a loose

o Loss of credibilityo Loss of recognitiono Loss of the job

Get more powero Get a promotiono Increase responsibilityo Increase authorityo Achieve control over others

Self fulfilmento Have more funo Get more leisureo Get more confidenceo Improve social statuso Have more time with familyo Follow a lifestyle

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Competitor Assessment

Assess major competing firms

o How does your offer differentiates ?

o Who is the “Insider” of the competition ?

o Targeting the same “Wallet” ?

o Who are their supporters/detractors

o Experience of the customer with this supplier ?

o Strength and weakness

o Price difference ?

o Service/Support differences ?

Identify and assess likely alternatives

o Buying from someone else

o Using budget for something else

o Using internal resources

o Doing nothing

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