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SalesMethodology,SalesProcess,SalesGuideorSalesPlaybook?
ByJanetGregory

Saleseffectivenessandsalesproductivityarecriticalintodaysbusinessworld.Thequestioniswhatwill havethemostpositiveimpact:salesmethodology,salesprocess,asaleguideorasalesplaybook?These significantelementsareallinterrelatedinasuccessfulsalesoperation.

Whatdoesmysalesteamneedmethodology,process,guidanceoraplaybook?
Asimpleansweristhatyoursalesteamneedsallofthem! SalesMethodology SalesProcess SalesGuide SalesPlaybook Eachelementisinterrelated.Itislikelythatallfourofthesesignificantelementsarealreadyatwork withinyoursalesorganization,someformallyandsomeinformally. Salesmethodologyprovidesthefundamentalsalesapproachandterminologywhentalkingabout customers.Salesmethodologycanbesingular,providedbyonegreatapproachorcanbeaunique combinationthatiscraftedthroughtheexperienceofsalesleadership.Greatsalesmethodologycan comefromanynumberofsources(professionaltraining&booksareavailable),selectexamplesare: ComplexSellingThull CustomerCentricSellingBosworth&Holland DaleCarnegie PowerBaseSellingHolden StrategicSellingMiller&Heiman SPIN(Situation,Problem,Implication,NeedPayback)Rackham TargetAccountSelling Salesprocessprovidesthetimebasedstepsofasalefrominitialqualificationtoproposaltoclose.A successfulsalesprocessparallelsacustomersbuyingprocessandmakesiteasyforacustomerto evaluateandpurchaseyouroffering.Salesprocessisnotonesizefitsall.Therewillbemanysubtle variationsbasedoncustomerindustry,verticalmarkets,productoffering,andofferingcomplexity.Each salesstep(orstage)shouldhaveawellarticulatedsetofentryandexitcriteriaaswellasobjectivesand goals.Eachsalesstepshoulddefinetheresources,expertise,managementandotherpersonnelthat shouldbeintroducedandutilized.Asuccessfulsalesprocessisreviewedandupdatedannually.Most salesprocesswillconsistof5to9steps.Belowisaclassicexampleofthecompanysalesprocess(black lettering)thatis(hopefully)alignedwithacustomerbuyingprocess(whitelettering):

 Asalesguideprovidespracticalinformationoncompetition,positioningandvalueproposition.Your marketingdepartmentisinstrumentalindevelopinganeffectivesalesguide.Manycompanieshave successfullyimplementedasalesWIKIwheresalesandmarketingpeoplecanprovidecurrent,relevant information.Competitiveinformationneedstoincludeheadtoheadcompetitors,customeralternatives andtheinertiaofinplacesolutions.Positioningcanbesubtleordramatic,changingterminologyto appealtospecificindustries,customercasestudies,marketdataandinternalwinreports.Ifthesales teamisengaginginheavydiscountactivityitistypicallybecauseyourcustomersarenotseeingthe uniquebusinessvalueofyourofferingandarecommoditizingit.Valuepropositionisoftenakey componentofpositioningbutmustalsoincludereturnoninvestment.YourROIshouldexplorenotjust costsavingsbutalsogrowthpotential.AgreatturnaroundCEOoncesaid,youcannotsaveyourwayto profitability.Intodayseconomy,companiesaremoreinterestedinhowyourproductofferingcanhelp themmakemoney.Costsavingsolutionsaloneareinsufficienttodrivebuyingdecision,customersare lookingforsolutionsthatwillcontributetotheircompanygrowth.Additionally,longsalescyclesof12to 24monthswillhaveasalesguidethatalsoincludesaccountplanningformatandguidelinesthat maintainorganizationalalignmentinthelongcomplexsalesprocess. Asalesplaybookprovidespracticalbestpracticeexamplesofsuccessfulcommunicationtools. Communicationcanbeatwowayinteractiveconversationoroneway,suchasemailoravoicemail. Thesetoolswillincludescriptsforphonecalls,emailtemplatesandtheelevatorpitch.Thesales playbookiseverchangingwithcommunicationtoolsthatsupportmarketingcampaigns,seasons, businesscyclesandspecialevents.Greatsalesplaybooksincludequalifyingcriteria,probingquestions, objectionhandling,FAQsandkeysellingpoints.Alsofindotherhighimpactarticlesonsalesplaybooksin theResourcessectionoftheKickStartAlliancewebsiteatwww.kickstartall.com.

Whatisslowingdownsalessuccess?
Whenlookingtoimprovesaleseffectivenessandsalesproductivityfirstconsiderwhatproblemsyou aretryingtosolveorwhatroadblocksarepreventingsalessuccess.Assessingthefactorsthataffect salessuccessisacomplextask.Thefactorsthataffectsuccessarebothinternalandexternal.Internal factorsaffect(andareaffectedby)yourcompany.Externalfactorsarethosethataffectyourcustomers. Belowareissuesthatresultfrominternalandexternalfactorsthataffectsales.Beselective;checkoff theissuesbelowthatarethemajorroadblockstoyoursalessuccess.

Element

Internal(Company)Issues

External(Customer)Issues
Approachnotalignedwithcustomer marketplaceormarketneed Buyerdoesnotprioritizeyourofferinginto somethingrequiringseriousconsideration

Internalmiscommunication Sales Internalmisunderstanding Methodology Accountstrategy&planningproblems Forecastingcantarticulatesituation

Sales Process

Sales Guide

Sales Playbook

PooruseofSEs&salessupport Managementnotusedappropriately ToomanyLonewolfsalespeople Forecastingnotsurewhatsnext Pooruseofmarketingmaterials Toooftenblindsidedbycompetition Cantkeepalongorcomplexsalealive Forecastingbuyingprioritiesarenotclear Highdiscountactivity Individualscreatingownsalestools Highvariationinindividualperformance Inconsistentcustomermessages Forecastinglotsofactivity,fewresults

Salesprocessnotalignedwiththe customerbuyingprocess Buyingdecisionresultsinnodecisions& dryruns Customerdoesnotseecompetitive differentiation Buyingdecisionbasedonpriceyour offeringhasbeencommoditized Customerconfusionvaluemessagesare unclear Buyerdoesnotprioritizeyourofferinginto somethingrequiringadecision

Whichelementabovestandsoutasslowingdownyoursalessuccess?

StrategyorTactics?
Salesmethodology,salesprocess,salesguidesandsalesplaybookscontainbothstrategyandtactics; theyshouldallbegroundedwithbestpracticesanddaytodaypracticesthatreinforcetheir organizationalimpact.Yourassessmentofwhatisslowingdownsalessuccesswillilluminatewhether morestrategyortacticsisneededtoachievethesaleseffectivenessandsaleproductivityyouare strivingfor.

Strategicelementslikesalesmethodologyandsalesprocessaresystemic.Theyarethebasisofthe companylexicon,howpeopletalkaboutprospectsandcustomers.Theconceptsbecomeuniversally understoodwithintheorganization.Terminologyisclearwhenusedinforecasting,accountplanning andaccountstrategy.Salesmethodologyandsalesprocessprovideacommonlexicon,approachand stratagemforworkingwithprospectsandcustomers. Tacticalelementslikesalesguidesandsalesplaybooksareactivebestpracticehandbooks.Theyare usedeveryday;theychangeasmajorinternalandexternalfactorschange.Theapproachandtoolsare sharedandresultinelevatingthesuccessofallindividualsonateam.Prospectandcustomer communicationsareconsistent,relevantandappropriate.Salesguidesandsalesplaybooksprovide

actionorientedmethodsandtemplatesthatdeliverconsistentcommunicationwithprospectsand customers.

GettingStarted

Youcanstartanywhere.Justgetstarted!Youmaybefartheralongthanyourealize. Startwithyoursalesforceautomation(SFA)system.IfyouhaveaworkingSFAsystem(like Salesforce.com,Oracle,Netsuite,ACT,Goldmineorothers),youwillfindsalesprocess,some commonlanguage(salesmethodology)andsomesharedtoolsthroughoutthesystem. StartwiththeSalesWIKI,SharePoint,salesdriveorwhereeversalesdocsarecaptured.You willfindcomponentsofasalesguideandsalesplaybook(hopefullybestpracticeexamples)of salestools,templatesandothermaterials. StartwithMarketing.Theyhavecreatedvaluestatements,tools,collateralandawealthof information.Youwillfindelementsofasalesguide,salesplaybookandsomemethodology.The traditionaldividebetweensalesandmarketingcanbeminimizedbyaligningtheworkofyour marketingteamwithsalesmethodologyandsalesprocess.Marketingmaterialsincludedina salesguideorsalesplaybookdramaticallyincreasessalesaccessanduse. StartwithSales.Interviewsuccessfulsalesteammembersandfindoutwhatsworkingforthem, whattoolstheyuseandhowtheytalkabouttheiraccounts.Theyhavesiftedthroughmessages, collateral,toolsandtechniquestofindtheonesthatwork.Bestpracticetoolsandtechniques providecredibilitytomethodology,process,guidesandplaybooks. StartwithaKickStartAllianceconsultant.Wehavelotsofexperienceinbuildingsalesplaybooks andsalesguides,aswellasdocumentingsalesprocessandmethodology.Havingan experienced,objectivethirdpartyassistalsotakesthepoliticsoutoftheprocessandfocuseson outcome,resultsandimprovingsalessuccess. Saleseffectivenessandsalesproductivityarecriticalintodaysbusinessworld.Salesisaprocess.Itisas importanttodefinethesalesprocessasitistodefineaccounting,manufacturingorcustomersupport process.Theelementsofmethodology,process,guidanceandplaybookareallinterrelated.Eachis important.Startbydevelopingtheelementthatwillbestaddressthespeedbumpsorroadblocksthat areslowingyoursalessuccess.
Janet Gregory is a veteran sales executive and co-founder of KickStart Alliance. For assistance with sales strategy, sales planning, training, sales enablement, compensation or any aspect of sales operations, contact Janet. Janet leads the sales readiness practice at KickStart Alliance. For help in aligning sales & marketing for results contact any member of the KickStart Alliance team.

September2010