spi program catalog

SPI PROGRAM CATALOGSales Performance International (SPI) helps clients to improve sales results by providing effective training programs, professional services, and automated enablement tools. This catalog describes the features and benefits of SPI’s programs, services, and tools.

TAILORED SALES PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS – BUILT FOR YOU

While SPI can deliver ready-made, “off the shelf” solutions for many sales performance problems, we recommend tailoring of deliverables to fit the unique requirements of each individual client. This catalog describes standard versions of SPI capabilities, but we often adjust and integrate components to address the specific selling challenges of each client. Therefore, please consider this catalog as a general guide to SPI’s sales development assets, though it is likely that your specific solution will be adjusted and tuned to align with your organization’s business issues and goals.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS01: THE SOLUTION SELLING LEARNING LIBRARY (Pages 4-5)

02: SOLUTION SELLING IN THE COLLABORATIVE ERA (Pages 6-13)

03: SALES MANAGEMENT & COACHING (Pages 14-19)

04: TARGETED TERRITORY SELLING (Pages 20-25)

05: TOTAL ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT (Pages 26-31)

06: R.A.D.A.R.® – STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY SELLING (Pages 32-37)

07: EXECUTIVE-LEVEL SELLING (Pages 38-43)

08: COLLABORATIVE SALES NEGOTIATIONS (Pages 44-49)

09: CHANNEL PARTNER MANAGEMENT (Pages 50-55)

10: ADVANCED SALES PROSPECTING (Pages 56-61)

11: SOLUTIONSPEAK (Pages 62-67)

12: SOLUTION MESSAGING (Pages 68-73)

13: EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTION SELLING® (Pages 74-79)

14: SOLUTION SELLING FOR INSIDE SALES (Pages 80-83)

15: SPI IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES (Pages 84-86)

THE SOLUTION SELLING® LEARNING LIBRARY

01


THE SOLUTION SELLING® LEARNING LIBRARYThe Solution Selling Learning Library is a training courseware series that addresses the many challenges of sales, marketing, and management professionals. Originally established on the solid foundation of the award-winning Solution Selling® methodology for essential sales skills and process, the Library now encompasses the full range of effective planning, execution and management skills, and methods and applications required to improve individual, team, and organizational sales performance.

The Library contains a curriculum of an integrated mix of formal learning content, evaluation methods, and application enablement tools, reinforced by informal on-demand development assets. The Library’s content is organized in configurable modules, designed to be assembled and tailored quickly for delivery through multiple training modalities and platforms to meet each client’s preferences and requirements. The Library content is highly interactive and fully compliant with established adult learning and instructional design principles. The Library’s programs are designed to minimize participants’ time required to achieve mastery, apply concepts practically in the field, and improve results.

Multiple Delivery and Reinforcement Modality OptionsPrograms in the Solution Selling Learning Library can be learned through live instructor-led training (ILT) workshops, via virtual instructor-led training (vILT) sessions, or online through on-demand eLearning and video-based content.

We find that a blended learning approach, incorporating a mix of delivery modalities, produces the best results. This minimizes time spent in training activities, while maximizing participant understanding and application to real-world situations.

Key concepts in the Library’s program content can be reinforced through a variety of on-demand learning assets, available in multiple formats, including:

• MicroLessons: Relatively short (2-5 minutes) on-demand video tutorials on sales topics – ideal for use on mobile platforms for “anywhere and anytime” learning and development.

• NanoLessons: Quick (less than 2 minutes) recorded video examples of specific sales best practices – also ideal for use on mobile platforms for just-in-time, in-the-field refreshers.

• Push Content: Configurable questions and tips that are automatically “pushed” out to professionals’ computers or mobile devices to stimulate thinking after exposure to program content – ideal for refreshing concepts and testing for retention over time.

• Templates: Downloadable, electronic templates to support application of sales or management best practices.

• Virtual Reviews: Synchronous, live coaching sessions, conducted through collaborative applications.

• Webinars: In-depth, pre-recorded lectures on specific sales-related topics.

For ILT and vILT delivery, each SPI instructor has been certified to rigorous standards, and they each bring at least 15 years of sales and management experience to ensure their credibility and enhance facilitated discussions. Alternatively, or in conjunction with SPI training delivery, SPI can certify qualified client instructors for in-house program instruction and coaching.

Localized Language SupportThe Solution Selling Learning Library content is available in a wide variety of languages. SPI has native-country instructors located around the world who can deliver content in 14 languages and who are familiar with the nuances of cultural adaptations of sales practice content in global regions. In addition, SPI can translate tailored content for clients, as required. Contact your local SPI representative for a current list of available languages for programs and learning assets in the Library.

SOLUTION SELLING® IN THE COLLABORATIVE ERA

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SOLUTION SELLING® IN THE COLLABORATIVE ERASolution Selling® in the Collaborative Era (SS-TCE) is a highly interactive training program for sales professionals, based on findings of buyer behavior research published in the best-seller book, The Collaborative Sale: Solution Selling in a Buyer-Driven World.

SS-TCE is a high-performance sales execution methodology, which includes supporting processes, tools, and critical skills development. Designed to keep the customer as the focus of every sales engagement, this program enables selling professionals to substantively increase win rates and revenue production by:

• Providing higher and differentiating value to buyers – not only by what they sell, but more importantly, by how they engage with customers

• Aligning effectively with buyers at every stage of their purchase decision process

• Understanding the critical business issues or potential missed opportunities faced by customers, and providing valuable insight for addressing those issues

• Engaging transparently with buyers throughout the buying process

• Co-creating valuable solutions with buyers

• Collaborating as equals with buyers throughout the selling process, and advising them effectively and efficiently to a good buying decision and business outcome

Intended AudiencesSS-TCE is designed for direct sellers and their managers. It can be scaled and tailored for application to nearly every industry and selling situation – from short transactions to extended, complex opportunities. The higher the need to differentiate sales teams in how they engage with customers, the better the fit for SS-TCE content.

Why use Solution Selling®? In today’s global marketplace, sales executives are asking themselves:

• How can we find enough opportunities to meet our sales goals?

• How can our sales team compete more effectively – and win more often?

• How can our company sell a broader set of our offerings to customers?

• How can our sellers increase the velocity of sales opportunities and close them sooner?

• How can our organization deliver higher levels of revenue and profit?

At the same time, buyers are becoming much more knowledgeable, empowered, and demanding in their dealings with sales professionals. In order to make a buying decision, they must:

• Have a compelling need to act

• Be able to quantify the impact and value of any purchase

• Know that they are selecting the optimal choice

• Be confident that they can implement the solution successfully, and realize benefits as expected

Sellers who are unable to fulfill these buyer demands lose deals – not just to direct competitors, but also to buyers’ decisions to take no action at all.

Therefore, to compete in today’s tough marketplace, sales professionals need to:

• Find and connect with potential buyers in a useful way, using an optimum mix of social selling tools

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and traditional prospecting methods

• Provide valuable business insight about how they can address buyers’ problems or capitalize on a potential opportunity

• Develop agility to rapidly understand each buyer’s state and align behaviorally

• Quickly understand each customer’s critical business issues, their causes and effects

• Identify the influencers and locus of power in each buying decision process

• Engage in meaningful sales conversations that help buyers develop a clear vision of solutions to their problems

• Collaboratively quantify the value of potential solutions with buyers

• Anticipate and mitigate buyer risks, and provide a clear path to a decision

• Minimize discounts and concessions to protect margins at the close

• Manage sales pipelines and territories to ensure consistent revenue production

Solution Selling® in the Collaborative Era addresses these selling challenges by fully aligning the sales professional’s behavior within each buyer’s decision process, and thus accelerating the time to results.

More than 1 million sales professionals use Solution Selling® around the world today, making it the acknowledged industry standard for effective sales execution methodology. According to surveys of our clients, organizations that adopt Solution Selling practices increase annualized sales productivity between 16 and 35 percent, on average – some organizations report even better results. Independent research by AberdeenGroup corroborates these findings – they discovered that, relative to competitive alternatives, Solution Selling delivers higher sales quota attainment rates, larger average opportunity size, and faster ramp-up time to full sales productivity.


Program ObjectivesDuring a SS-TCE workshop, sales professionals and sales managers will learn:

• How and why buyer behavior has changed, making them more empowered than ever before

• How successful sellers, including the best of the best, align effectively with empowered buyers to produce consistently high results

• The three sales roles – or “personae” – needed to align with buyers, and when to employ them

• How to develop a personal brand, built on situational fluency and expertise

• How to connect with early-stage buyers, by using both social selling and traditional prospecting methods

• How to engage in valuable sales conversations that help buyers develop a clear vision of solutions to their problems

• How to collaborate with buyers to co-create and agree on solution value

• How to mitigate buyer’s perceptions of risk, in order to help them make a confident buying decision

• How to negotiate and close business while minimizing discounts and concessions

• How to evaluate sales opportunities and determine their quality

• How to implement and apply the principles of SS-TCE on an ongoing basis


Workshop Topical AgendaSS-TCE is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led training workshop for SS-TCE is a three-day, highly interactive program, although this can be tailored to meet client-specific requirements and limitations. The standard program includes:

Day 2• Day One Debrief

◦ Review Evening Assignments

• The Visualizer Personae (Continued)

◦ Establishing Value

◦ Conversation Types

◦ Exercise: Prepare Conversation Opening

◦ Exercise: Role Play Conversation Opening

◦ Sales Conversation: Vision Creation

◦ Exercise: Role Play Vision Creation

◦ Sales Conversation: V. Reengineering

◦ Exercise: Role Play: V. Reengineering

◦ Sales Conversation: Vision Enhancement

• The Value-Driver Personae

◦ Identifying Buying Sponsorship

◦ Buyer Communication email

◦ Collaboration Plans

◦ Exercise: Create a Collaboration Plan

◦ Exercise: Create a Buyer Communication email

Day 1• Introduction to Solution

Selling® in the Collaborative Era

◦ Exercise: Introduction/Expectations

• The New Buyer

◦ How Buyers Buy Behaviorally

• Situational Fluency, Sales Personae and Dynamic Buyer-Aligned Sales Process

◦ Required Competencies and Processes

• The Micro-Marketer Personae

◦ Exercise: Creating Your Own Brand

◦ Exercise: Select a Team Case

◦ Exercise: Organizational Interdependence

◦ Demand Creation and Messaging

◦ Exercise: Develop Messaging

◦ Exercise: Social Media Activities

• The Visualizer Personae

◦ Preparing for a Sales Conversation

◦ Exercise: Create Capability Visions

◦ Differentiation

◦ Exercise: Identify Differentiation

◦ Exercise: Create a Call Plan

Day 3• Day Two Debrief

◦ Review Day Two Exercises and Assignments

• The Value-Driver Personae (Continued)

◦ The Transition Sale

◦ Value Analysis and Success Criteria

◦ Exercise: Evolve the Collaboration Plan

◦ Negotiating Final Agreement

◦ Exercise: Prepare for a Final Negotiation

• Team Presentations

◦ Finalize Presentations

◦ Conduct Presentations and Debriefs

• Getting Started

◦ Assessing Sales Opportunity Quality

◦ Using Solution Selling® in the Collaborative Era


SS-TCE typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of some eLearning content and preparatory research on a live account or opportunity, for use as case studies in the workshop exercises. Participants work on the program exercises in teams, to promote sharing of ideas and exchanges of best practices. Teams conduct structured peer reviews of exercise results, culminating in a final, competitive presentation that illustrates an example application of program concepts.

Instructional MaterialsThe SS-TCE workshop is designed to support adult learning principles. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points.


SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.

Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe SS-TCE workshop incorporates the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy-to-use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the program, they capture the results of exercises in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, sellers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective use of the methodology with their own opportunities.

The job aids provided in the SS-TCE program toolkit include:

• Account Profile – a document that captures key criteria for a target company, including the likely challenges they are facing

• Key Players List – a listing by industry of important job titles, along with the likely critical business issues which each job title will likely face

• Pain Chain™ – a graphical depiction of the cause and effect relationship of critical business issues (“pains”) inside an organization

• Business Development Tools – targeted scripts / prompters used to increase a seller’s success rate at stimulating buyer curiosity and interest

• Results Story – provides a seller with compelling business insights that build credibility with a buyer, and illustrates how the seller can provide value to the buyer

• Differentiation Grid – a tool that helps sellers to identify solution aspects that are both unique and valuable to a specific buyer

• Sales Conversation Prompter (also known as the Situational Fluency Prompter®) – guides sellers through effective, insightful, and collaborative conversations with buyers

• Sponsor and Power Sponsor Letters – follow-up communications sent by the seller which document and confirm buyer visions in the purchasing organization

• Collaboration Plan – a key job aid used in conjunction with the Power Sponsor Letter. It outlines suggested steps for guiding a buyer to a confident purchasing decision

• Transition Issues and Capabilities – a document that identifies and ameliorates risks associated with implementing a solution in the buyer organization

• Implementation Plan – a plan sent along with the Implementation Plan Letter to the group within the client organization responsible for implementation

• Initial Value Proposition – a statement which projects the potential quantified benefit (value) a client could realize through the implementation of a specific capability or solution.


• Value Proposition / Value Analysis – a model used to collaboratively determine the impact and value of a solution with a buyer

• Success Criteria – a document of metrics that will help track the ongoing value of a solution for a buyer

• Negotiation Worksheet and Give/Get List – tools used during the close / negotiation to ensure equal exchange of value with buyers, and effectively reduce or eliminate price reductions and other concessions

• Strength of Sale Assessment – provides a means for evaluating sales opportunities against observed buyer behavior, and tracking progress over time

Strategic ValueSolution Selling® in the Collaborative Era provides sellers with a clear map that the right things will be accomplished in the right manner. at the right time, with the right buyers, resulting in increased sales productivity and revenues. SS-TCE is a catalyst for developing and maintaining a high performance sales culture – not only for the sales team, but for marketing, operations, customer support, and other operating groups within the company.

SALES MANAGEMENT & COACHING

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SALES MANAGEMENT & COACHINGSales Management & Coaching (SMC) is a specialized training program for sales managers that enables them to forecast future sales accurately, manage sales team pipelines, review opportunities, develop individual sales professionals’ skills, and provide insightful opportunity coaching to win more business.

SMC is based on a repeatable process for sales diagnosis, managing by exception and coaching, and includes supporting management and skills development tools.

The Sales Management & Coaching Process

AnalyzePipeline

ReviewOpportunity

IdentifySkill Issue

IdentifyOpp. Issue

CoachSkill Issue

Follow-Up

CoachOpp. Issue

UpdateCRM

DIAGNOSE

COACH

Manage By Exception

Intended AudiencesSMC is designed for first-line and second-line sales managers and executives. It naturally complements and supports the Solution Selling in the Collaborative Era methodology, but can be tailored for use in any direct sales organization.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable and highly efficient inspection and coaching cadence, SMC enables sales managers to:

• Forecast future business based on observable facts, not just opinions

• Quickly identify potential problems in the sales pipeline or funnel

• Know how to anticipate and avoid sales team performance issues, before they happen

• Project whether sales goals will be achieved, as far as a year ahead

• Close sales productivity gaps without the typical end-of-quarter scramble

• Accurately assess the quality of individual opportunities in the sales pipeline in only a few minutes

• Coach salespeople to improve the chances of winning sales opportunities

• Develop each individual seller’s sales skills and abilities


Workshop Topical AgendaSMC is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led SMC training workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program. The standard program includes:

Introduction to Sales Management & Coaching

• Objectives:

◦ Review typical areas of focus for sales managers

◦ Review course objectives

◦ Discuss sales management challenges

◦ Review course agenda

• Exercises:

◦ Introduction of deployment and management challenges

Key Sales Management Principles

• Objectives:

◦ Articulate the impact management involvement can have on sales methodology adoption

◦ Discuss the difference between pipeline management and sales forecasting

◦ Define the primary steps / components of the sales management process

Perform Opportunity Review (Quality)

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the importance of verifiable outcomes in the sales process

◦ Articulate key components found in quality evidence

◦ Inspect specific opportunities to determine / verify milestone status

◦ Assess the quality of opportunity execution in relation to milestone status

◦ Inspect the quality of verifiable outcomes to ensure accuracy of milestone status

◦ Describe six key factors that need to be strongly developed in an opportunity

◦ Pain, Power, Vision, Value, Collaborate, and Compelling Reason to Act

• Exercises:

◦ Performed exercises analyzing deficiencies in the quality of a sample:

◦ Buyer Communication (Power Sponsor) email

◦ Collaboration Plan

◦ Perform an exercise analyzing the “strength of sale” for an opportunity

◦ Practice conducting an opportunity review

Perform Pipeline Review (Volume & Speed)

• Objectives:

◦ Determine if there is enough business in the pipeline to produce the revenue needed to meet goal

◦ Describe possible actions to take to fill the revenue attainment gap

◦ Determine if opportunities are moving through the pipeline at a rate that will contribute to the


revenue needed to meet goal

• Exercises:

◦ Perform exercises analyzing a:

▪ Pipeline to determine the potential yield

▪ Pipeline report to identify potentially “stuck” opportunities

◦ Discuss ways to fill a gap in pipeline attainment

Forecasting

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss the difference between key opportunity v. batch forecasting

◦ Review a sample report with multiple forecast inputs

Coaching (Opportunity and Skill)

• Objectives:

◦ Describe best practices of effective coaching

◦ Articulate the different characteristics of opportunity and skill coaching

◦ Prepare for coaching sessions using a proven coaching methodology

◦ Describe the common selling difficulties that occur frequently at specific steps in the sales process

◦ Analyze a collection of opportunities to identify common trend(s) indicated a potential skill issue(s)

◦ Use coaching tools to help diagnose the skill issue(s) and recommend corrective actions and plans for salespeople

• Exercises:

◦ Group discussion: coaching

◦ Perform an exercise and role play preparing for and executing a coaching session after an opportunity review

◦ Perform an exercise identifying a case example and apply coaching

Getting Started

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the best practices for ensuring adoption of sales process within your organization

◦ Common pitfalls to avoid during implementation

• Exercise:

◦ Perform an exercises constructing a plan to support the adoption and implementation of the sales process within one’s area

SMC typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of reviewing brief eLearning content on foundational sales management principles. In the workshop, participants work on application exercises to develop mastery of all key concepts.

Instructional MaterialsThe SMC workshop is designed to support adult learning principles. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile


devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.

Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe SMC workshop incorporates the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy-to-use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the program, they capture the results of exercises in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, managers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective use of the methodology with their own sales teams.

The job aids provided in the SMC program toolkit include:

• Opportunity Review Checklist – a guide for reviewing key aspects of an opportunity, to determine its quality, and identify potential areas in need of further inspection and coaching

• Strength of Sale Assessment – provides a means for evaluating sales opportunities against observed buyer behavior, and tracking progress over time

• Opportunity Review Prompter – a checklist of activities for ensuring an efficient and effective opportunity review

• Pipeline Analysis Worksheet – a tool for analyzing potential productivity gaps in a sales pipeline, and for determining the amount of business development required

• Pipeline Milestones Worksheet – a tool for summarizing progress of multiple sales opportunities relative to achievement of observable and verifiable outcomes

• GRAF Coaching Preparation Worksheet – a tool for helping managers to prepare for a coaching conversation with a seller


• Skill Coaching Prompters – a guide for determining what corrective or developmental action is most appropriate for building an individual’s critical selling skill

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with SMC principles successfully

Strategic ValueSales Management & Coaching provides managers with a repeatable, easy-to-master process for quickly reviewing their team’s sales pipelines and opportunities, provide meaningful and objectively-based coaching, and improving sales team skills. The outcome of this process is complete visibility and accuracy on sales pipeline quality, resulting in much more accurate predictions of future sales. This improvement in forecasting enables executives to make better decisions about the use of company resources, thus reducing costs and improving profitability.

TARGETED TERRITORY SELLING

04


TARGETED TERRITORY SELLINGTargeted Territory Selling (TTS) is a facilitated training and planning program for sellers who are assigned to cover designated territories of accounts. Regardless if these territories are established on the basis of geography, industry, product, named account or other criteria, TTS enables sellers to efficiently segment their accounts by sales potential and level of relationship, prioritize coverage on the most lucrative accounts, and develop effective business development plans for the entire territory. TTS produces a higher level of sales productivity, more effective use of sellers’ time, and more efficient application of sales resources.

TTS is based on a repeatable process for territory segmentation and analysis, prioritization of account coverage, and development of an effective territory plan, and includes supporting analysis and planning tools.

The Territory Planning Process

Identify Accounts and Prospecting

Requirements

DetermineQuali�cation

Criteria

ConductResearch

SegmentAccounts

Select Coverage Strategies and Develop Plans

TerritoryPlan

Intended AudiencesTTS is designed for any seller who must cover an assigned territory of accounts effectively. Whether a seller manages only a modest portfolio of accounts, or a multitude of potential customers, TTS provides the planning tools needed to enable that seller to be more productive.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for territory planning and coverage, TTS enables sellers to:

• Determine the number and types of opportunities necessary to achieve sales revenue objectives

• Identify ideal prospect qualification criteria

• Segment accounts in the territory according to objective qualification criteria

• Identify the most promising accounts for business development

• Develop a territory coverage strategy for all accounts in the territory

• Build a plan of action for maximizing the results in the territory

Workshop Topical AgendaTTS is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led TTS training workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program. The standard program includes:

Introduction to Targeted Territory Selling

• Objectives:

◦ Position how to identify potential opportunities through planning


◦ Discuss the steps of an effective territory planning process

◦ Review territory segmentation categories (alpha, beta, and delta) and how to prioritize them

◦ Review pre-work and use of Territory Plan analysis tool

• Exercise:

◦ Perform an introductory exercise focused on introducing themselves

Identify Accounts and Prospecting Requirements

• Objectives:

◦ Determine the amount of opportunities needed to meet goal though pipeline analysis

◦ Discuss the role of sales process within territory planning

◦ Identify potential actions to take to fill a gap in goal attainment

• Exercises:

◦ Determine / calculate prospecting requirements

◦ Create and load territory account list into the analysis tool (if not done as part of pre-work)

Determine Qualification Criteria

• Objectives:

◦ Identify the characteristics of an “ideal” customer in the territory

◦ Discuss traditional vs. non-traditional criteria

◦ Determine qualification criteria for current relationships and business potential

• Exercise:

◦ Determine (or validate from pre-work) qualification criteria

Conduct Research

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss external and internal sources of account information

◦ Discuss other sources of account information

• Exercise:

◦ Get account information and record information sources

Segment Accounts

• Objectives:

◦ Introduction to the territory segmentation model

◦ How to grade and rank accounts and make adjustments before prioritizing them

◦ Reviewing ranked results for reasonableness

• Exercises:

◦ Enter account information (grade criteria)

◦ Sort the graded accounts

Select Coverage Strategies and Develop Plans

• Objectives:

◦ Introduce the three territory coverage strategies

◦ Discuss how alpha accounts require creation of new opportunities (hunting)


◦ How to apply business development strategies and tactics to alpha accounts

◦ Discuss how beta accounts require reacting to active opportunities (farming)

◦ How to qualify and address active opportunities

◦ Discuss how delta accounts require minimal investment (gleaning)

◦ The role of marketing in applying coverage strategies

• Exercises:

◦ Build Alpha Account Coverage Plan (high business potential)

◦ Build Beta Account Coverage Plan (high relationship)

◦ Build Delta Account Coverage Plan (field marketing)

Getting Started

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss best practices for implementing the territory planning methodology

• Exercise:

◦ Develop a Territory Planning Implementation Plan

TTS typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of reviewing brief eLearning content on essential territory planning process and principles, and then gathering information about accounts in the participant’s territory. In the workshop, participants work on application exercises to apply program concepts while developing their own territory plan.


Instructional MaterialsThe TTS workshop is designed to support adult learning principles. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.

Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe TTS workshop incorporates the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy-to-use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the program, they capture the results of planning exercises in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, sellers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective execution of their territory plan, and for developing future iterations of territory plans.

The job aids provided in the TTS program toolkit include:



• Account Qualification Criteria – captures the unique characteristics that make a given account highly qualified in a territory, based on indicators of business potential and current relationship

• Territory Segmentation Model – facilitates the scoring of accounts in a territory against the account qualification criteria, and sorts accounts into coverage planning categories

• Territory Coverage Plan – captures pertinent actions and priorities for covering accounts, with an emphasis on those with high business development potential.

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with territory planning principles successfully

Strategic ValueTargeted Territory Selling provides sellers with a repeatable and practical process for maximizing sales results for a designated territory of accounts. The outcomes of this methodology are higher levels of sales from both new and existing customers, and more efficient use of sales and marketing resources, thereby lowering cost of sales and improving profitability.

TOTAL ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

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TOTAL ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENTTotal Enterprise Account Management (TEAM) is a facilitated training and planning program for sellers who are charged with maximizing sales results and customer satisfaction in strategic accounts. TEAM enables account managers to develop an effective plan for generating high-value sales and raising the level of relationship in major accounts, thus improving margins while simultaneously defending the account from competitive encroachment.

TEAM is based on a repeatable process for planning effective activities and efficient application of resources for improved sales and relationship-building within an account, and includes supporting analysis and planning tools.

The TEAM Account Planning Process

Test Your Plan

Account Sales Planning Account Relationship Planning

Evaluate the Account

Identify & Prioritize

Opportunities

Determine Strategy & Coverage

Evaluate Account

Relationship

Elevate Individual

Relationships

Inoculate & Defend the

Account

Intended AudiencesTEAM is designed for any seller who manages business with major or strategic accounts, using either assigned personnel, virtual support resources, partners, or any combination.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for account-level sales and relationship planning, TEAM enables account managers to:

• Plan for maximizing value in an account

• Identify the most effective tactics for (further) penetrating an account

• Identify opportunities for new business within an account

• Navigate the decision-making politics within an account

• Prioritize where selling resources should allocate their time

• Protect an account from competitive intrusion

• Develop higher levels of relationship with account stakeholders

Workshop Topical AgendaTEAM is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led TEAM workshop is a three-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates online eLearning and in-classroom automated tools. The standard workshop includes:

Day 1


Introduction to Total Enterprise Account Management

• Objectives:

◦ Success factors for the account planning engagement

◦ The role of the Account Manager in account planning

◦ What account planning looks like when done well

◦ Introduction to TEAM automated tools to be used in the workshop and beyond

• Exercise:

◦ Introductory Positioning and Expectations

Evaluate the Account

• Objectives:

◦ Review essential account information

◦ Analyze the organizational structure of the account

◦ Identify historical projects and activities

◦ Identify the business initiatives driving potential opportunities

◦ Identify the portfolio of current opportunities

◦ Establish the sales revenue objective

• Exercises:

◦ Review Pre-Work Assignment

◦ Review Key Historical Projects and Activities

◦ Identify Business Initiatives

◦ Identify Current Opportunities and Recurring Revenue

◦ Identify Account Sales / Revenue Objectives

Identify and Prioritize Opportunities

• Objectives:

◦ Identify opportunities to create new value (“white space”) within the account

◦ Estimate potential value of new business

◦ Assess if and how new value-added business initiatives could be positioned

◦ Formulate criteria for prioritizing opportunities

◦ Create a prioritized portfolio of account opportunities

• Exercises:

◦ Identify and Capture White Space Opportunities

◦ Linking Latent Pains to Existing or New Business Initiatives

◦ Determine Criteria & Prioritize Opportunities

Determine Account Strategy and Coverage

• Objectives:

◦ Select an appropriate account-level strategy

◦ Identify resources required to:

▪ Maintain the current pipeline


▪ Improve account relationships

▪ Help launch new opportunities

• Exercises:

◦ Selecting an Account-Level Strategy

◦ Resource Allocation

Day 2

Evaluate Account Relationship

• Objectives:

◦ Develop account objectives around:

▪ Partnership with the account

▪ Cultural compatibility

▪ Making the account a reference-able one

◦ Identify and plan resolution of any account issues

• Exercises:

◦ Complete Partnership and Related Assessments

◦ Key Account Objectives

◦ Addressing Issues in the Account

◦ Identify Additional Stakeholders

◦ Identifying Lines of Influence

Elevate Individual Relationships

• Objectives:

◦ Identify ways to penetrate other business units

◦ Identify tactics for developing influence with key stakeholders

◦ Explore tactics for building trust and preference

◦ Identify implications of operational pains in the account:

▪ Financial and Strategic pains

▪ Political and Cultural implications

◦ Determine ways to improve account partnering

• Exercise:

◦ Identify the Food Chain of Value / Findings

Day 3

Inoculate and Defend the Account

• Objectives:

◦ Identified past success that can be used to report account value

◦ Assessed competitive strategies and areas of account penetration

◦ Reviewed how to conduct effective quarterly business reviews

• Exercises:

◦ Report Success to the Account


◦ Assess Competitive Presence

Strategic Account Plan Reviews

• Reviews: Each Account Team Presents Plan Highlights

Getting Started with the TEAM Methodology

• Discuss best practices for getting started with account planning

TEAM typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of:

• Watching an online “Getting Started” video that describes the pre-work assignment and the TEAM account planning process, and introduces the automated tools that will be used in the workshop and beyond

• Compiling essential information about the account, including:

◦ Basic account profile

◦ Key performance indicators

◦ Relevant industry trends

◦ Organization structure – profit and cost centers

◦ Stakeholder analysis

◦ Key historical projects and activities

In the workshop, participants use the pre-work assignment content in application exercises to practice program concepts while developing their own account plan.

Instructional MaterialsThe TEAM workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe TEAM workshop incorporates the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy-to-use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the pre-workshop exercises and the in-workshop planning exercises, they capture the results in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, account managers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective execution of their account plan, and for developing future iterations of account

plans.

The job aids provided in the TEAM program toolkit include:

• Account Profile – essential information about an account’s business, drivers, competitive environment, industry, and key performance indicators

• Organizational Mapping and Stakeholder Analysis – a visual representation of the formal and informal structures within an account, the key people in the account, and their roles – captures influencers and power within an account

• Drivers and Business Initiatives Map – a visual tool for linking existing and potential projects to business drivers within the account

• Current Opportunities and Recurring Revenues – captures and calculates the value of current business within an account

• White Space Analysis – identifies and quantifies potential opportunities for creating new value within an account

• Opportunity Prioritization – ranks the highest value opportunities for pursuit by the account team

• Food Chain of Value – identifies account-level strategic, cultural, financial, and political connections to tactical business initiatives within the account

• Account Strategy – captures the most effective approach for competing for business within an account

• Account Relationship Assessments – tools for determining the current level of relationship and preference at the individual and account levels

• Account Resource Planning – assigns direct or virtual resources to execute required activities within an account, to win business or address customer relationship issues

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with account planning principles successfully

Strategic ValueTotal Enterprise Account Management provides account managers with a repeatable and practical methodology for winning more business in strategic accounts and elevating the level of relationship within those accounts. The outcomes of this methodology are higher levels of sales revenue, a greater share of spend within the account, and more efficient use of resources, thereby lowering cost of sales and improving margins on business in that account.

R.A.D.A.R.® – STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY SELLING

06


R.A.D.A.R.® – STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY SELLING R.A.D.A.R.® - Strategic Opportunity Selling (RADAR) is a methodology designed to enable your sales team to win complex, highly competitive, strategic sales opportunities with significantly political decision-making processes. The RADAR methodology helps sales professionals develop an effective plan to compete effectively and win opportunities characterized by committee decisions, longer sales cycles, and large strategic value for both the seller and the customer.

RADAR is based on a repeatable process for planning how to win complex, highly competitive, strategic-value sales opportunities, and includes supporting analysis and planning

tools.

The RADAR Opportunity Planning Process

Understanding the Opportunity Plan

Find the Strategic Pain

Qualify the Prospect

Build Competitive Preference

Understand the Political Decision

Making Process

Develop the Winning

Opportunity Plan

Identify Key Stakeholders with Power

Test Your Plan

PAIN PROSPECT PREFERENCE PROCESS PLANPOWER

Intended AudiencesRADAR is designed for any sales professional that competes in complex opportunities with long evaluation cycles, many players involved in the buying decision process, multiple competitors, and high strategic value for both the buyer and the seller.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for strategic opportunity planning, RADAR enables sales professionals to:

• Better understand and manage all the components of complex, high-value sales

• Apply effective strategies that win at three levels – enterprise, opportunity, and individual stakeholder

• Qualify opportunities by uncovering the compelling reason to act earlier in the sales cycle and move buyers to action, thereby maximizing seller return on time invested

• Access and sell to power – navigate to and build preference with executives early in the process

• Find the strategic issues that motivates buyers to take significant action – gain knowledge of customers’ most compelling strategic imperatives

• Build value by linking solutions to customers’ strategic imperatives

• Understand customer’s political decision-making process and individual buyer roles

• Develop plans for coordinating sales resources to compete effectively in strategic opportunities, and win consistently


Workshop Topical AgendaRADAR is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led RADAR workshop is a two-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates online eLearning and in-classroom automated tools. The standard workshop includes:

Day 1

Introduction to R.A.D.A.R.® – Strategic Opportunity Selling

• Objectives:

◦ Components of the complex sale

◦ How buyers buy: behaviorally

◦ The evolving buyer, buyer states, and three emerging sales personae

◦ Workshop Goals and objectives

◦ The R.A.D.A.R. methodology and opportunity planning process

◦ Introduction to RADAR automated tools to be used in the workshop and beyond

• Exercise:

◦ What Makes the Complex Sale Complex?

Arsenal of Competitive Advantage

• Objectives:

◦ Sources of competitive advantage

◦ Linking competitive advantage to create value

◦ Acting as a CEO of a virtual organization

• Exercises:

◦ Why Us? – Analysis of Competitive Advantages

◦ Review Live Opportunity (Case Study) Information

The Death Valley Sales Cycle

• Objectives:

◦ Signs of trouble in strategic opportunities

◦ Challenges of team selling

◦ Traditional sales funnels

◦ The Death Valley sales cycle & the Crucible

◦ Competitive control tactics

• Exercises:

◦ Symptoms of Out of Control Opportunities

Pain and Prospect

• Objectives:

◦ Four keys to de-mystifying the decision-making process

◦ Anticipating potential pain and missed opportunity

◦ Aspects of pain – motivating factors for buyers

◦ Impact of company culture

◦ Professional and personal agendas


◦ Building value – the Food Chain of Value

▪ Cultural Impact

▪ Financial Impact

▪ Political Impact

▪ Strategic Impact

▪ Operational Pain

◦ Prospect qualification factors

◦ Compelling reason to act

• Exercises:

◦ Complete Food Chain of Value for a Live Opportunity

◦ Identify Compelling Reason to Act for a Live Opportunity

Day 2

Preference, Process & Power

• Objectives:

◦ Building preference

◦ Defining the decision-making process

◦ Decision-making roles or parts: formal and informal

◦ Analyzing decision criteria by stakeholder

◦ Power scale, selling to power, identifying power

◦ Influence vs. authority

• Exercises:

◦ Identify Characteristics of Power

◦ Analyze Stakeholders for a Live Opportunity

Political Navigation

• Objectives:

◦ Obstacles to executive access

◦ Bottom-up navigation in buying organizations

◦ Speaking the language of power

◦ Seeking sponsorship to power

◦ Navigating political networks

◦ Building blocks of trust

• Exercises:

◦ Bargaining for Access to Power

◦ Analyze Stakeholders for a Live Opportunity

Plan to Win

• Objectives:

◦ The benefits of a plan

◦ The elements of strategic failure


◦ The four-part strategic opportunity plan

▪ Solution approach

▪ Political approach

▪ Competitive approach

▪ Closing approach

• Exercises:

◦ Develop a Strategy/Action Plan for a Live Opportunity

◦ Prepare for the Live Opportunity Team Presentation

Strategic Opportunity Plan Reviews

• Reviews: Each Workshop Team Presents Plan Elements

Getting Started with the R.A.D.A.R. Methodology

• Discuss best practices for getting started with opportunity planning

RADAR typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of:

• Watching an online “Getting Started” video that describes the pre-work assignment and the RADAR opportunity planning process, and introduces the automated tools that will be used in the workshop and beyond

• Compiling essential information about a live opportunity to be used as a case study in the workshop

In the workshop, participants use the pre-work assignment content in application exercises to practice program concepts while developing their strategic opportunity plan.

Instructional MaterialsThe RADAR workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe RADAR workshop incorporates the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy to use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the pre-workshop exercises and the in-workshop planning exercises, they capture the results in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, sellers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective execution of their strategic opportunity plan, and for developing future iterations of opportunity plans.

The job aids provided in the RADAR program toolkit include:

• Opportunity Summary – essential information about a prospect’s business drivers, competitive environment, industry, and key performance indicators that are relevant to a strategic opportunity

• Stakeholder Analysis – a visual representation of the formal and informal relationships within an account, the key people in the account, and their roles – captures influencers and power for a strategic opportunity

• Decision Criteria Analysis – identifies the priorities of each decision-maker and influencer in a strategic opportunity, and competitive strengths and weaknesses of each

• Food Chain of Value – identifies account-level strategic, cultural, financial, and political connections to operational pains in a strategic opportunity

• Opportunity Strategy – captures the most effective approach for competing to win a strategic opportunity

• Strategy/Action Planning – sets the competitive strategy for an opportunity, and assigns resources to execute required activities to win

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with opportunity planning principles successfully

Strategic ValueR.A.D.A.R.® - Strategic Opportunity Selling provides sales professionals with a repeatable and practical methodology for winning highly competitive, complex opportunities with high solution value. The outcomes of this methodology are higher win rates on large “must win” opportunities, which produces more revenue for the business, and more efficient use of selling resources, which provides a lower cost of sales.

EXECUTIVE LEVEL SELLING

07


EXECUTIVE-LEVEL SELLING Executive-Level Selling (ELS) is a methodology designed to help sales professionals gain access to high-ranking decision makers, and develop lasting trust and credibility with them. For almost any significant sales opportunity, sellers must be able to gain access to decision-makers with high authority and influence in a buying organization. ELS provides methods and skills for planning the best ways to identify the right executive-level contacts to target, securing access to them, conducting useful and valuable strategic-level conversations with them, and earning return access for future contact. ELS shows sellers how to develop stronger relationships with executive-level buyers.

ELS focuses on helping sellers to develop four essential skills for executive-level selling, each with their own set of useful methods and planning tools.

The Four Essential Executive-Level Selling Skills

CALLPREPARATION

STRATEGICDIALOGUE

RELATIONSHIPMANAGEMENT

VALUECOMMUNICATION

Intended AudiencesELS is designed for any sales professional who must gain access to and sell effectively to high-ranking buyers – that is, people with high levels of authority and influence in a buying organization.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to develop critical skills and methods for selling effectively to executive-level buyers, ELS enables sales professionals to:

• Identify the optimal high-ranking decision-makers to contact within a buyer organization

• Gain access to executive-level contacts

• Collect and process critical information needed for planning effective meetings with executives

• Conduct valuable and insightful strategic-level dialogues with executives

• Generate new opportunities from strategic-level conversations with executives

• Maintain open lines of communications with executive-level buyers

• Cultivate long-term, value-based relationships with executives

Workshop Topical AgendaELS is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led ELS workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates online eLearning and in-classroom tools. The standard workshop includes:


Introduction to Executive-Level Selling

• Objectives:

◦ Identify why and how executives play a role in strategic buying decisions, and what sellers can do to engage effectively with executive-level buyers

• Key Concepts:

◦ How organizations buy and the importance of the buyer’s planning phase

◦ Why executive involvement varies at different stages of the buying process

◦ Four executive-level selling skills needed to engage effectively with executives

▪ Executive call preparation

▪ Strategic dialogues

▪ Relationship management

▪ Value communication

• Exercise:

◦ Introduce workshop participants and discuss challenges with executive selling

Executive Call Preparation

• Objectives:

◦ Identify the information needed to develop an effective business development strategy for contacting a target executive, and how to prepare for that meeting

• Key Concepts:

◦ The three things executives will decide about you and your organization

◦ Where to find key sources of information for executive-level call preparation

◦ How pain drives executive decision-making

◦ How to prepare to deliver a sound executive-level value proposition

◦ Methods for gaining access to executives (sponsors, referrals, direct contact)

◦ Methods for uncovering influencers to help reach executives

• Exercises:

◦ Review your pre-workshop assignment research (including an Account Profile)

◦ Executive Call Preparation (Part 1) – Select an opportunity and key players, and identify information gaps and ways to address them

◦ Executive Call Preparation (Part 2) – Identify executive pain, the value of addressing the pain and the capabilities you can bring to address the pain

◦ Determine your executive business development strategy

Strategic Dialogue

• Objectives:

◦ Review and practice a conversational model for uncovering and expanding on corporate business initiatives

• Key Concepts:

◦ How to leverage gatekeepers to access executives


◦ How to apply a structured approach for conducting a strategic dialogue with executives aimed at establishing and linking to their core business initiatives

◦ How and when to use email and planning documents to stay engaged with executives after they delegate projects to other customer individuals

• Exercises:

◦ Role Play: Conduct a strategic dialogue with an executive

◦ Develop a dialogue confirmation email and business initiative project plan

Relationship Management

• Objectives:

◦ Develop methods for helping an executive to initiate new sales opportunities, and then apply techniques for maintaining ongoing contact with the executive

• Key Concepts:

◦ How to further maintain contact with executives during delegation

◦ How to develop and deliver an executive-level solution presentation

◦ How to handle situations where executives want to stay involved in the execution of a major project

Value Communication

• Objectives:

◦ Improve your relationship with the executive by measuring and reporting the value received in a structured manner

• Key Concepts:

◦ How to measure project success and leverage it to improve the relationship

◦ Review the elements of an effective executive business review

Call to Action

• Objectives:

◦ Review additional best practices to consider when applying executive-level selling skills and methods

• Key Concepts:

◦ How to maintain contact with executives

◦ How to improve an executive’s perception (from vendor to “trusted advisor”)

• Exercise:

◦ Identify how to apply executive-level selling skills and methods

Instructional MaterialsThe ELS workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and interactive content, where appropriate.

Participants complete a brief pre-workshop assignment by completing an account profile for a live sales opportunity, which will be used in case study exercises in the workshop.


Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe ELS workshop includes a variety of helpful job aids and tools. As participants complete the workshop exercises, they develop proficiency by applying these tools to their live sales opportunities. After the workshop, sellers can use the tools on an ongoing basis for effective execution of executive-level selling skills.

The job aids provided in the ELS program toolkit include:


• Pain Chain™ and Value Chain – a graphical depiction of the cause and effect relationship of critical business issues (“pains”) inside an organization, and the value of addressing those issues for a designated opportunity

• Executive-Level Business Development Tools – targeted scripts / prompters used to increase a seller’s success rate at stimulating executives’ curiosity and interest

• Executive Meeting Agenda – a structure for an effective executive-level strategic sales conversation

• Executive-Level Communications – templates for effective post-meeting communications with executive buyers

• Executive-Level Presentation Outline – a format for planning effective solution presentations to executives

• Success Criteria – a tool for capturing key value metrics of interest to an executive, and for tracking and communicating results

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with opportunity planning principles successfully


Strategic ValueExecutive-Level Selling provides sales professionals with the skills and methods they need to sell effectively to high-ranking decision-makers.The outcomes of this methodology are higher win rate for sales opportunities, an increase in the number of new sales opportunities created, and a higher level of relationship with and access to executive-level buyers.

COLLABORATIVE SALES NEGOTIATIONS

09


COLLABORATIVE SALES NEGOTIATIONS Collaborative Sales Negotiations (CSN) is a methodology for planning and executing sales negotiations to reach mutually beneficial agreements between buyers and sellers. This methodology introduces advanced negotiating methods and skills for application to high-value sales opportunities.

While the essential principles of effective negotiation and closing are included in the Solution Selling in the Collaborative Era program, CSN introduces more advanced negotiation planning and execution methods. As a result, CSN is ideal for sellers who engage in more difficult and complex negotiations.

CSN’s methods and skills enable sellers to close more opportunities successfully, with fewer concessions and discounts, resulting in higher margin business. Furthermore, CSN is designed to be a non-manipulative, collaborative approach which assures that the final agreement will be valuable for both the buying and selling organizations, thus improving customer satisfaction and level of relationship.

CSN provides repeatable methods and practical tools for developing sellers’ negotiating skills, and covers all aspects of high-stakes negotiations, where maximizing value between buyers and sellers is paramount to their mutual success.

CSN covers all aspects of negotiating to an optimum agreement.

Customer A (Different Approach)

Customer B

Status Quo (Do Nothing)

Do It Themselves

Buy From Competition

Seller Customer A

Value

Risk Benefits

Cost

RecessChange Players

Others?

TANGIBLE / INTANGIBLE

JOINTLY AGREED UPON OPTIONS

SELLER’S ALTERNATIVES

BUYER’S ALTERNATIVES

Intended AudiencesCSN is designed for any sales professional who engages in complex negotiations to close high-value sales opportunities.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for planning and executing sales negotiations, CSN enables sales professionals to:


• Understand their strengths, vulnerabilities, and degree of preparedness for an upcoming sales negotiation

• Determine the best alternatives for a negotiated agreement

• Collaboratively negotiate and close any high-stakes sales opportunity with confidence

• Provide higher levels of value for both buyers and the seller

• Reduce delays at the end of sales cycles

• Increase and protect margins

Workshop Topical AgendaCSN is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led CSN workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates online eLearning and in-classroom automated tools. The standard workshop includes:

Welcome and Introduction to Collaborative Sales Negotiations

• Objectives:

◦ Welcome the participants

◦ Position the workshop objectives

◦ Review negotiating difficulties and allow the participants to introduce themselves

The Essentials of Negotiating

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss the various points in the sales cycle when a negotiation might occur and that negotiating is not something that happens only at the end of the sales cycle

◦ Uncover the fact that we set the stage for future negotiations by the way we respond to requests made by the buyer - these requests often times occur early in the sales cycle

◦ Study the phases that buyers go through physiologically during their process of buying and understand how their concerns shift over time

◦ Review the definitions of key negotiating terminology and when each comes into play during the negotiation process

◦ Discuss negotiating readiness and why it’s important to be ready for the negotiation before the buyer takes a position

• Exercise:

◦ Conduct a priced-based negotiation

Buyer and Seller Alternatives and Options

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss the three alternatives buyers have if they are not able to reach agreement with the seller

◦ Discuss the two alternatives sellers have if they are not able to reach agreement with the buyer

◦ Explore the potential agreed upon options buyers and sellers have if they are unable to reach agreement but want to continue trying

Measure your SV Factor™

• Objectives:

◦ Using the Formula for a Successful Sale, measure your strengths and vulnerabilities


◦ Based on your SV Factor, determine how much power you have in a particular negotiating situation

◦ Position end-of-day presentation format and how each exercise for the rest of the day leads up to the final presentation.

Determine Alternatives and Options

• Objectives:

◦ Determine the impact to the buyer of each of their alternatives vs. coming to agreement with you.

◦ Determine the impact on you and your company of the alternatives vs. coming to an agreement with the buyer.

◦ Identify the options that could mutually be agreed upon between buyer and seller in the event an agreement is at a stalemate but both sides are committing to finding a solution to the impasse.

• Exercise:

◦ Anticipate your buyers alternatives and options

Three Methods of Negotiating

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss how a typical negotiation begins and why they often times become competitive

◦ Understand how buyers and sellers feel as though the other party is trying to stake claim to an unfair advantage

◦ Explore the three methods of negotiating and why one is most favorable

Positions and Interests

• Objectives:

◦ Review buying tactics often time displayed by buyers

◦ Define the different types of positions taken by buyers

◦ Discuss the type of position most likely to occur during each phase of the buying process

◦ Determine the areas of interest that are important not only to buyers, but sellers alike

• Exercise:

◦ Determine the positions and underlying interests of your buyer

Withstanding the Buyer’s Squeeze

• Objectives:

◦ Learn the different types of stands that a seller might take in response to a buyer’s position

◦ Determine which stand is most effective by matching stand types to buyer positions

Expanding the Pie

• Objectives:

◦ Explore the different areas of growth for both buyer and seller in an effort to expand the pie

◦ Prioritize both your gets and gives by rating the value of each to the other party

• Exercise:

◦ Create negotiating stands and prepare a get-give list


Negotiating Dialogue Prompter™

• Objectives:

◦ Review both the framework and a prompter for responding to a buyer’s position in an effort to expand the pie. This prompter is used as a learning tool to develop the situational fluency required after the program.

Exercise: Final Team Presentations

Each participant team presents their Negotiation Readiness Worksheet™ to the class and practices negotiating with the instructor

Review Principles of Collaborative Sales Negotiation – Wrap-up

• Objectives:

◦ Review the principles discussed during the program and gather final thoughts before exiting the program

◦ Provide closing comments and evaluations

CSN typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of collecting information about a specific opportunity that is partially through the sales cycle, including:

• The key players and their critical business issues (“pains”)

• The defined value of a proposed solution

• The assumed value of a primary competitor’s offering

• The possible negotiating positions the buyer may take

In the workshop, participants use the pre-work assignment content in application exercises to practice program concepts. At the completion of the workshop, the participants will have a well-organized and documented Negotiating Readiness Worksheet™ and be prepared to collaborate with their customer to reach an agreement that brings additional value to both themselves and their buyer.

Instructional MaterialsThe CSN workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.

Useful Negotiation Planning Tools and Job AidsThe CSN workshop provides automated negotiation planning tools. As participants complete the in-workshop exercises, they capture the results in these tools. After the workshop, sellers can use the tools on


an ongoing basis for application in their own sales opportunities.

The tools and job aids provided in the CSN program toolkit include:

• SV Factor Analysis – captures essential strengths and vulnerabilities for a sales negotiation

• Negotiating Dialogue Framework – a structure for planning an ideal negotiation conversation with a buyer

• Negotiation Readiness Worksheet – analyzes the buyer and seller alternatives, strengths and vulnerabilities, positions and interests, stands and offers, and how to prepare all elements needed for a collaborative negotiation

• Get-Give List – identifies concessions of similar value for trade between a buyer and seller in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with collaborative sales negotiation principles successfully

Strategic ValueCollaborative Sales Negotiation provides sales professionals with a repeatable and practical methodology and skills for planning and executing sophisticated negotiations, and securing mutually valuable agreements with buyers. The outcomes of this methodology are a higher win rate, reduced sales cycle times, lower levels of discounts, fewer concessions, and higher levels of customer satisfaction, resulting in lower cost of sale, better margins, and happier customers.

CHANNEL PARTNER MANAGEMENT

10


CHANNEL PARTNER MANAGEMENTChannel Partner Management (CPM) is a methodology designed to help channel partner managers to develop and manage a portfolio of partners to generate higher levels of sales results. CPM provides repeatable methods and tools, and develops the skills required to effectively identify and recruit channel partners, jointly plan for partners’ growth and success, and significantly improve the level of relationship with channel partner organizations. The result of CPM is a more successful channel sales organization with higher levels of sales productivity, more efficient use of channel support resources, and more profitable business.

CPM focuses on helping sales professionals to develop higher levels of business to, through, and with a portfolio of channel partners.

The CPM Channel Management Life Cycle

TARGET, RECRUIT AND ENCOURAGE GROWTH PLANNING AND ENABLEMENT

MANAGE PLAN AND RELATIONSHIP

Recruit and Encourage “Sales” Process

Prepare Build Plan Execute PlanMonitor, Check & ConfirmTarget Create Qualify Develop Prove Close

Intended AudiencesCPM is designed for any sales professional who must build and manage a portfolio of channel partners, and maximize their sales results.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to develop critical skills for working effectively with channel sales partners, CPM enables sales professionals to:

• Identify and recruit the right kinds of partners

• Analyze partners and identify their relative strengths and weaknesses

• Work more effectively with channel sales partners

• Prioritize partner sales activities and optimize use of company support resources

• Identify hidden issues impacting partner performance

• Jointly plan and set realistic expectations for partner performance

• Earn trusted advisor status with channel sales partners

• Gain greater “mindshare” of channel partners for selling company solutions

• Sell more business to, through, and with channel partners

Workshop Topical AgendaCPM is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led CPM workshop is a three-day, highly interactive program, using in-classroom tools and application exercises. The standard workshop includes:


Day 1

Welcome and Introduction to Channel Partner Management

• Objectives:

◦ Identifying the desired state of many partner relationships

◦ Identifying your level of relationship with your partners

◦ Introducing the channel management lifecycle

• Exercise:

◦ Discuss and capture channel management difficulties

Target, Recruit, and Encourage Channel Partners

• Objectives:

◦ Understanding how partner organizations plan, evaluate, and buy

◦ The steps of the “recruit and encourage” sales process

◦ How to effectively target and select the right partners

◦ How to identify the pain and power sponsorship in partner organizations

◦ How to stimulate interest with the targeted partners

◦ How to conduct an effective meeting and diagnostic sales conversation

◦ How to create a plan for a partner to evaluate the potential relationship

◦ How to demonstrate value to sell and close partnerships

• Exercises:

◦ Discussion: What constitutes effective partner selection criteria?

◦ Team activity: Create a Reference Story to stimulate interest and credibility with partners

◦ Team activity: Pain admission exercise

◦ Role play: Role play a consultative sales conversation with a prospective partner

◦ Team activity: Controlling the sale exercise

Day 2

Channel Partner Growth Planning and Enablement

• Objectives:

◦ Identifying the Trusted Advisor Value Cycle

◦ Identifying partner enablement capabilities and differentiation

◦ Elements of a Partner Growth Plan

◦ How to create effective partner growth plans that benefit both parties

▪ Identifying the key relationships in the partnership

▪ Identifying the primary business initiatives of the partner

▪ Key tasks and timeframes for action

▪ Value and success criteria

◦ How to assess the strength of the growth plan

• Exercises:

◦ Team activity: Identify your differentiators


◦ Team activity: Build a Partner Growth Plan

Managing the Channel Partner Plan and Relationship

• Objectives:

◦ How to conduct a business review session

◦ Identifying competitive encroachment

◦ How to check the health of the partnership

◦ Leveraging partner satisfaction surveys

• Exercises:

◦ Team activity: Conduct a Partner Health Check

◦ Team activity: Conduct a Sales Company Indirect Health Check

◦ Activity: Discuss value of partner satisfaction surveys and how to use them

Day 3

Managing the Channel Partner Plan and Relationship (continued)

• Objectives:

◦ How to act as a virtual sales manager to the partner sales team

◦ How to conduct pipeline and opportunity reviews with partners

◦ A model for preparing and executing coaching sessions with partners

▪ Opportunity vs. skill coaching

▪ Preparing for coaching discussions: GRAF model

◦ Partner pipeline management

• Exercise:

◦ Activity: Discuss the types of partners you engage with globally

Getting Started with Channel Partner Management

• Objectives:

◦ Discuss the importance of putting CPM principles to work

• Exercise:

◦ Activity: Prepare a 30/60/90 day implementation plan

Instructional MaterialsThe CPM workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and interactive content, where appropriate.


Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe CPM workshop includes a variety of helpful job aids and tools. As participants complete the workshop exercises, they develop proficiency by applying these tools to their channel partner portfolio. After the workshop, channel partner managers can use the tools on an ongoing basis for effective execution of partner management skills.

The job aids provided in the CPM program toolkit include:

• Partner Selection Criteria Worksheet – analyzes the fit of a potential channel sales partner

• Partner Recruiting Tools – a set of helpful job aids that enables channel partner managers to stimulate the interest of potential partners, conduct effective recruiting conversations with them, verify the potential value of a partnership, and negotiate and secure new partnership agreements

• Differentiation Grid – identifies the unique and highly valuable aspects of solutions for sale by a channel partner

• Partner Growth Plan – a planning tool for determining the optimum ways for jointly developing a channel partner’s sales results

• Strength of Plan Check – analyzes the quality of a joint channel partner plan

• Partner Health Check – evaluates the level of business relationship with a channel partner

• Strength of Sale Analysis – analyzes the relative quality of partner sales opportunities

• GRAF Coaching Preparation – helps channel partner managers to prepare for a virtual sales coaching discussion with a channel partner

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with channel partner management principles successfully


Strategic ValueChannel Partner Management provides channel partner managers with the skills and methods they need to develop a portfolio of productive partners and increase channel sales results. The outcomes of this methodology are new growth in channel sales, higher partner productivity, and a higher level of relationship and share of sales with channel partners.

ADVANCED SALES PROSPECTING

10


ADVANCED SALES PROSPECTINGAdvanced Sales Prospecting (ASP) is a methodology for helping sales professionals identify and create qualified opportunities as well as build healthy sales pipelines. This methodology introduces sophisticated methods and skills for developing sales pipelines of sufficient volume and quality, to ensure achievement of goals and maintain consistently high levels of performance.

While the essential principles and methods for effective prospecting are included in the Solution Selling in the Collaborative Era program, ASP introduces more advanced prospecting skills. As a result, ASP is ideal for sellers for whom continuous business development is a critical success factor.

ASP focuses entirely on practical prospecting methods. It is not a territory or account planning program, but it is entirely complementary to those sales planning methodologies.

ASP is based on a repeatable process which includes practical methods and tools for developing sellers’ prospecting skills:

Effective Business Development Process

PLAN:Uncover information

to support the Business

Development Strategy

PREPARE:Prepare the

components of the Business Development

Strategy

PRACTICE:Practice the

tactics of the Business

Development Strategy

PREFORM:Excecute

the Business Development

Strategy

FOLLOW UP:Validate the

business issue and the next steps

Intended AudiencesASP is designed for any sales professional who must develop and maintain a significant volume of sales prospects, in order to achieve sales goals and ensure consistent levels of performance over time. Specifically, ASP is well-suited for:

• Salespeople (account managers, consultants, etc.) – ASP provides value to anyone in a direct sales role, regardless of what products or services they are selling.

• Sales management – First-line and second-line sales managers will find value in ASP, as it will provide options for helping sellers to build their sales pipelines, and to enable them to coach sellers more effectively about prospecting issues.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for building sufficient sales pipeline volume and quality, ASP enables sales professionals to:

• Use advanced prospecting methods to find and create new sales opportunities, including micro-marketing, social selling, and personal brand development

• Improve prospect targeting and messaging for business development

• Improve initial opportunity qualification and disqualification


• Increase consideration rate and qualified opportunities in the pipeline

• Increase the efficiency in the use of company resources for prospecting

Workshop Topical AgendaASP is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led ASP workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates online eLearning and in-classroom application tools. The standard workshop includes:

Business Development Key Concepts

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the importance that business development plays in their organization

◦ Articulate the importance of create opportunities instead of responding to active ones

◦ Describe the steps of an effective business development process

Planning for the Business Development Strategy

• Objectives:

◦ Employee best practices around pre-call planning

◦ Answer: How much prospecting do I need to do to reach my goal

◦ Identify what they need to know in order to effectively target prospects

◦ Leverage specific sources to conduct customer research

◦ Identify and define a prospect’s pain, how it flows throughout their organization, and how this can help with targeting

• Exercise:

◦ Create an Account Profile and Build a Pain Chain® (showing organizational interdependence of critical business issues)

Prepare the Business Development Strategy

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the keys to effective business development and elements to avoid when prospecting

◦ Describe best practices for executing sales-driven and marketing-driven business development strategies

◦ Discuss the 4 key components of a sound Business Development Strategy

◦ Use specific job aids to attempt to stimulate interest with prospective buyers including: Business Development Letters and Prompters, Reference Stories, and Value Propositions

• Exercises:

◦ Build a Reference Story

◦ Construct a Targeted Value Proposition

◦ Develop a Business Development Strategy

Practice Executing the Strategy and Addressing Road Blocks

• Objectives:

◦ Explore tactics for addressing roadblocks in their plan such as:

▪ How to get out of “voicemail jail”


▪ How to address gatekeepers

▪ How to leverage influencers and referrals

◦ Practice executing the “stimulating interest” component of their business development strategy

• Exercises:

◦ Road Block Best Practices

◦ Executing Components of the Business Development Strategy Prepare Use of a Prompter– Part 1

◦ Executing Components of the Business Development Strategy Role Play Use of a Prompter and Reference Story – Part 2

Perform the Business Development Strategy

• Objectives:

◦ Identify the key decisions prospective buyers make during a first call or meeting

◦ Articulate tactics for aligning with prospective buyers leading to the admission of pain

◦ Use specific job aids to assist in navigating the steps of a first call or meeting

• Exercise:

◦ Call Introduction and Get Pain Admitted Role Play

Follow-Up

• Objectives:

◦ Clearly articulate what customer information needs to be provided when “handing off” an opportunity

◦ Develop a Lead Letter documenting business issue (pain) reasons and next steps back to the prospect

◦ Getting started

ASP is a hands-on workshop, designed to apply lessons to a target account and opportunity, so that the participant leaves with a business development plan (opportunity-focused) aimed at stimulating interest with a live, real-world prospect.

Instructional MaterialsThe ASP workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Useful Sales Prospecting Tools and Job AidsAs participants complete the in-workshop exercises, they capture the results in useful tools. After the ASP workshop, sellers can use the tools on an ongoing basis for application in their own territories and accounts.

The tools and job aids provided in the ASP program toolkit include:



• Key Players List – a listing by industry of important job titles along with the likely critical business issues which each job title will likely face


• Business Development Tools – targeted scripts / prompters used to increase a seller’s success rate at stimulating buyer curiosity and interest

• Results Story – provides a seller with compelling business insights that build credibility with a buyer, and illustrates how the seller can provide value to the buyer

• Initial Value Proposition – a statement which projects the potential quantified benefit (value) a client could realize through the implementation of a specific capability or solution.

• Business Development Strategy Worksheet – a tool for developing the most effective messaging for stimulating a prospect’s interest, and identifying the best vehicles for transmission of the messages

• Sales Conversation Prompter (also known as the Situational Fluency Prompter®) – guides sellers through effective, insightful, and collaborative conversations with buyers


• Follow-up Communications – templates for post-meeting messages sent by the seller which document and confirm buyer visions in the purchasing organization

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with advanced sales prospecting principles successfully

Strategic ValueAdvanced Sales Prospecting provides sales professionals with a repeatable and practical methodology and skills for generating a higher volume and quality of sales opportunities. The outcomes of this methodology are higher levels of revenues, increased sales goal attainment rate, more efficient use of business development resources, and more predictable future revenues.

SOLUTIONSPEAK

11


SOLUTIONSPEAKDelivering Solution-Focused Sales Presentations

SolutionSpeak is a methodology designed to enable business professionals to plan and execute high-quality sales presentations, which creatively capture the attention of a prospect audience with meaningful insights, and then demonstrate value by showing how to solve the audience’s problems – and the potential value of doing so.

SolutionSpeak provides the methods and tools to help sellers understand their audience, and develop solution-focused messaging that aligns with buyers and their interests. This program also develops critical presentation skills, including proper use of visual aids, handling questions effectively, understanding and using dynamic body language

techniques, and collaborative meeting and web-based delivery management. Participants will leave with the knowledge and ability to develop and deliver persuasive, buyer-aligned sales presentations.

SolutionSpeak is based on an effective sales presentation model that is easy to learn and apply:

The Four C’s Presentation Model

Intended AudiencesSolutionSpeak will help sales professionals, account managers, sales managers, and marketing professionals to create and deliver buyer-aligned presentations that will connect with audiences, command their attention, and convince them of the value of proposed solutions to their problems.

Program ObjectivesDesigned to develop critical skills for developing and delivering effective sales presentations, SolutionSpeak will help participants to:

• Discover and understand what buyers really want

• Know the right time to give a buyer-aligned and solution-focused presentation

• Develop compelling buyer-focused presentation content


• Improve their personal communication style

• Deliver an effective sales presentation

• Differentiate effectively from competitive alternatives, including the status quo

• Increase odds of winning more opportunities

Intensive Presentation Skill DevelopmentSolutionSpeak is a live instructor-led training (ILT) workshop that is focused on developing participants’ presentation skills. Workshop participants engage in group exercises and role-plays, some of which are captured on video and reviewed for critique and coaching.

Each SPI SolutionSpeak instructor has been certified to rigorous standards, and they each bring years of sales presentation experience to ensure their credibility and enhance facilitated discussions. Alternatively, SPI can certify client instructors for in-house delivery and coaching of SolutionSpeak methods, at the client’s option.

Workshop Topical AgendaSolutionSpeak is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program, using in-classroom tools, video recording and review, and skill application exercises. The standard workshop includes:

Day 1

Introduction to SolutionSpeak

• Objectives:

◦ Understand what a sales presentation is and where it occurs in a sales process

◦ Describe how buyers buy procedurally and behaviorally

◦ Learn how to deliver presentations at the right time with the right message

• Exercises:

◦ Conduct an introduction exercise and passion presentations

◦ Participant prepared presentations

The Four C’s Presentation Model

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the importance of utilizing a presentation development process

◦ Learn how to capture your audience’s attention

◦ Learn how to connect with your audience

◦ Learn how to create dynamic content in your presentation

◦ Learn how to conclude your presentation

• Exercise: Conduct individual and group exercises focused on:

◦ Developing interest capturing openings for your presentations

◦ Develop five important audience connection points

◦ Develop a strong conclusion that ties to your capture

Proper Use of Visual Aids

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the keys to effective power point presentations


◦ Learn to use flip charts and handouts for max impact with your audience

Day 2

The Three V’s of Communication

• Objectives:

◦ Describe the importance of Visual, Vocal, and Verbal in communication

• Exercise:

◦ Conduct group exercise to capture the characteristics of a great presenter

Effectively Handle Difficult Questions

• Objectives:

◦ Learn how to effectively field questions

• Exercise:

◦ Role-play handling common questions

Participant Presentations

• Exercises:

◦ Conduct an exercise to allow participants to deliver five to eight minute presentations

◦ Provide peer and facilitator feedback

Getting Started

• Objectives:

◦ Describe short term and long term actions that salespeople and sales managers should consider taking to help reinforce and support new found Presentation Skills in their organization

◦ Review pre-presentation Planning Worksheets


◦ Conduct evaluations; close the workshop

Instructional MaterialsThe SolutionSpeak workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and interactive content, where appropriate.

Useful Presentation Planning Tools and Job AidsThe SolutionSpeak workshop includes a variety of helpful job aids and tools. As participants complete the workshop exercises, they develop proficiency by applying these tools to their practice presentations. After the workshop, participants can use the tools on an ongoing basis for effective development and delivery of their own presentations.

The job aids provided in the SolutionSpeak program toolkit include:

• Understanding Your Buyer Worksheet – a template for capturing essential information needed to ensure a highly relevant, insightful, and buyer-aligned sales presentation

• WINIT Capture Template – a tool for determining the best way to capture the attention of a prospective sales presentation audience

• Capability Visions Worksheet – a method for creating a clear picture of solution capabilities that are highly relevant for solving a buyer’s problems, for use in a sales presentation

• Four C’s Presentation Checklist – a tool for ensuring that all elements of a buyer-aligned, solution-focused presentation have been properly developed

• 30/60/90-Day Implementation Plan – a planning tool for getting started with SolutionSpeak sales presentation principles successfully


Strategic ValueSolutionSpeak provides presenters with the skills and methods they need to capture their audience’s attention, connect with their problems, provide meaningful and engaging content about a solution’s value, and conclude with a compelling call to action. The outcomes of this methodology are increased sales revenues, higher competitive opportunity win rates, and faster sales cycle times.

SOLUTIONMESSAGING

12


SOLUTION MESSAGINGSolution Messaging is a repeatable and reliable methodology that enables marketers to develop differentiated positioning messages for their products and services, which show buyers how those offerings solve customer problems and create value. In addition, this methodology helps marketers to apply those messages in practical and impactful ways to improve the effectiveness of promotional and sales activities.

Solution Messaging helps marketing teams to change their mindset from a product and feature-centric perspective to one that emphasizes the value of solutions for customers’ problems and critical business issues.

Solution-centric messages enable sellers to more clearly express the differentiated value of offerings to buyers, and thus win more opportunities, sell a broader set of the solution portfolio, and close business at higher margins. Product marketers can use solution-centric messaging to generate higher quality leads from optimally targeted buyers, differentiate solution capabilities more clearly against competitive alternatives, and improve the sales results on the

launches of new and upgraded products and services.

Solution Messaging is based on a repeatable process which includes practical methods and tools for developing effective solution-centric messages, and then applying those messages to a wide variety of marketing and sales purposes.

Intended AudiencesSolution Messaging is designed for product marketing managers, marketing support teams, industry marketing professionals, and marketing executives. Representative inclusion of sales and sales support functions is recommended to enhance the usability of results in the field.


Program ObjectivesDesigned to provide a repeatable methodology for building highly differentiated, solution-focused positioning messages, Solution Messaging enables marketing teams to:

• Generate product marketing messaging that can be used effectively throughout the entire buyer engagement cycle

• Align marketing activities with how targeted buyers actually buy

• Identify a strong set of defensible differentiators for a solution

• Identify ideal target buyer personae, and tailor effective solution messaging for each

• Enable sales professionals to engage in insightful and valuable conversations with optimally targeted buyers

• Develop solution-centric content that can be applied effectively to a wide variety of marketing and sales activities

Voice of the Buyer Research and Competitive AnalysisThe Solution Messaging program begins with pre-workshop interviews of a representative sample of target customers and prospects, in order to develop a meaningful understanding of the “voice of the buyer”, conducted by an SPI consultant. Further, SPI will conduct a review of competitive alternatives by examining competitors’ product positioning in web content and collateral materials. The findings of this research will be provided in a summarized report and will be used as a pre-workshop reading assignment for participants.

Interactive Application WorkshopThe Solution Messaging workshop is a hands-on application experience facilitated by a highly qualified consultant. Each SPI facilitator has been certified to rigorous standards, and they each bring years of marketing experience to ensure their credibility and enhance facilitated discussions. Alternatively, SPI can certify client facilitators for in-house delivery and coaching, at the client’s option.

Workshop Topical AgendaSolution Messaging is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led Solution Messaging workshop is a two-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates in-classroom application tools. The standard workshop includes:

Day 1

Introduction to Solution Messaging

• Objectives:

◦ Identify common difficulties in creating effective marketing messages

◦ Define the primary steps / components of effective sales process and where marketing messages play a key role

◦ Explain the importance of situational fluency and how effective marketing messages can help

◦ Navigate the steps of a buyer-driven sales process

◦ Describe the process for how buyers buy

◦ Define solution differentiation

◦ Explain characteristics of defensible solution differentiators

• Exercises:

◦ Participant introductions and Voice of Buyer (VoB) research review, analysis, and discussion

◦ Construct a Pain Chain® showing organizational interdependence of critical business issues (“pains”) for a targeted buyer


Solution Messaging Flow Model

1. Identify Trigger Events

◦ Objectives:

▪ Define key terms (e.g. sales trigger event)

▪ Explore tools that help monitor sales trigger events

◦ Exercise:

▪ Identify sales trigger events that may align well with solution capabilities

2. Determine the value and uniqueness of a solution

◦ Objectives:

▪ Explore components of a solution

▪ Examine differentiator characteristics and types

▪ Identify the process for critically appraising a clinical study

▪ Identify key clinical findings and explore examples of how they may be linked to key messages

◦ Exercise:

▪ Identify and map solution components and capabilities; identify defensible differentiators

▪ Link differentiators to key messages

3. Define Key Players and Their Business Issues

◦ Objectives:

▪ Define key terms (e.g. buyer persona)

▪ Describe roles and characteristics that key customer individuals may play in an opportunity

◦ Exercise:

▪ Create a Key Players List that identifies multiple business issues for multiple roles, their key performance indicators, and representative profile

4. Distill Business Issues

◦ Objectives:

▪ Identify the process to inventory business issues addressed by a solution

▪ Describe how to summarize business issues into a useful list for messaging

◦ Exercise:

▪ Inventory business issues addressed by a solution and distill them into a prioritized list

5. Produce Messaging Snapshots

◦ Objectives:

▪ Describe the intent and value of the Solution Messaging Card

▪ Explain and illustrate the components of Solution Messaging Card

◦ Exercise:

▪ Create a Solution Messaging™ Card for an identified solution

Day 2

6. Leverage Solution Messaging & Buyer Personas in Applications

◦ Objectives:


▪ Explore various applications where solution messaging and buyer personas should be emphasized

▪ Identify steps to complete each selected application

◦ Exercise: Team presentations to:

▪ Defend one Solution Messaging Card

▪ Identify and describe one application where the card will be used

▪ Describe how the card will be used in building the application

Next Steps

• Objectives:

◦ Implement best practices for ensuring adoption of Solution Messaging

◦ Discuss next steps for completing the work started in the workshop

• Exercise:

◦ Describe the action steps that you/your organization will take in the next 60-90 and 91-360 days to build several applications that leverage Solution Messaging

The Solution Messaging Flow Model

Instructional MaterialsThe Solution Messaging workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Strategic ValueSolution Messaging provides marketing teams with a repeatable and practical methodology and skills for generating highly effective, solution-focused messages to customers. The outcomes of this methodology include higher sales of a broader range of offerings in the product portfolio, more successful new product launches, competitively differentiated messages in marketing promotions and sales conversations, more efficient use of sales and marketing resources, and higher operating margins.

EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTION SELLING®

13


EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTION SELLING®

Healthcare solution providers are in the midst of a paradigm shift in their business model, which creates new expectations for sales professionals in the life sciences industry. 77% of physicians want sales representatives to be prepared for serious discussions of therapeutic options – 91% want salespeople to be prepared to use clinical studies and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) facts.

To succeed today, sellers of life sciences products and services need to be more than dispensers of product information. They must also be prepared to help physicians solve business problems in their practices.

Evidence-Based Solution Selling (EBSS) is a repeatable methodology that gives healthcare industry sellers the skills and tools they need to succeed today. EBSS enables sellers to apply clinical expertise in a solution-focused selling approach, required to be effective in today’s life sciences marketplace. EBSS provides life sciences sales representatives with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to establish their credibility and deliver patient-oriented solutions based on the needs and goals of the healthcare provider. The unique combination of EBM with Solution Selling gives sales representatives the situational fluency needed to improve their access, credibility, and market share with buyers.

Intended AudiencesEBSS is designed for teams that sell to healthcare providers or major accounts that incorporate the principles of EBM into their decision-making process such as:

• Primary Care Sales Professionals

• Specialty Sales Professionals

• Regional/National Sales Managers

• Group Practices Account Managers

• Hospital Sales Professionals

• Medical Science Liaisons

• Sales Managers

Program ObjectivesEBSS enables life sciences sales professionals to:

• Help healthcare industry buyers make valid, relevant decisions

• Execute intelligent, value-added calls with healthcare professionals

• Conduct evidence-based conversations

• Provide impactful demonstrations of healthcare solutions

• Establish trust and credibility with physicians and other healthcare buyers

• Win more business and achieve sales goals consistently

EBSS is based on a validated competency model. To help sellers learn and master EBSS, the training program uses a multi-step process based on Bloom’s taxonomy to develop highly effective clinical selling skills and abilities. The EBSS program includes pre-work for knowledge acquisition, an eight-hour instructor-led training class for skills practice, and post-training reinforcement tools for managers.


Pre-Workshop PreparationLearning EBSS begins with a brief on-demand eLearning program, to familiarize the participant with essential concepts, and a short knowledge assessment.

Interactive Application WorkshopEBSS is a hands-on application workshop facilitated by a highly qualified consultant. Each SPI EBSS facilitator has been certified to rigorous standards, and they each bring over a decade of life science industry sales experience to ensure their credibility and enhance facilitated discussions. Alternatively, SPI can certify client instructors for in-house delivery and coaching, at the client’s option.

Workshop Topical AgendaEBSS is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led EBSS workshop is a one-day, highly interactive program, and incorporates in-classroom application exercises and tools. The standard workshop includes:

Introduction to Evidence-Based Solution Selling

• Objectives:

◦ Current Sales Environment and Expectations

◦ Why Are You Here?

◦ What is Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)?

• Exercises:

◦ Watch and discuss a short video clip, “Viva la Evidence” about the importance of EBM

◦ Group discussion to help define EBM and its key components and the evidence cycle

Clinical Study Design & Statistical Terms

• Objectives:

◦ Recognize and articulate the clinical study design and statistical terms related to EBM

◦ Define terms related to EBM

◦ Use the terms in a simple example

◦ Analyze a set of terms and how they relate to one another to articulate an explanation of key terms

◦ Recognize and evaluate the accuracy of a term’s use in specific situations

• Exercise: In groups, individuals prepare a short presentation to include:

◦ Definition of the EBM term

◦ A “5th grade” example of the term/calculation


◦ How the term may be used in a clinical conversation to support the validity, significance, and relevance of the clinical study

Critically Appraising a Clinical Study

• Objectives:

◦ Explain an effective way to read a clinical study

◦ Critically appraise a clinical study

• Exercises:

◦ Group discussion to identify and organize the steps to reading a clinical paper

◦ Individual completion of a critical appraisal of a clinical study

◦ Team teach-back of a randomly assigned critical appraisal section

◦ Individual matching (or development) of key selling messages to key study findings identified in the critical appraisal

Linking Key Approved Messages to Key Study Findings

• Objectives:

◦ Link key approved messages from your company’s promotional items to key findings in your company product’s study

• Exercise:

◦ Individual matching (or development) of key selling messages to key study findings identified


in the critical appraisal

Selling with EBSS®

• Objectives:

◦ Identify the steps of the EBSS® call process

◦ Explain where EBM is specifically used in the call process

• Exercise:

◦ Team review and teach-back of an assigned step of the EBSS call process

The EBSS® Call

• Objective: Given several realistic selling opportunities, follow the steps of the EBSS call process, and more specifically:

◦ Given a clinical study and relevant data about a target HCP, answer a few questions to help you plan the call

◦ Create interest by demonstrating any of the key differentiating competencies of a sales representative

◦ Confirm specific issues raised during the planning process to develop a solution

◦ Articulate responses using the Acknowledge, Clarify/Verify, Address the Concern, and Confirm model when handling obstacles

◦ Close the call

• Exercises:

◦ Role-play in threes with a sales representative, an HCP, and an observer who peer critiques the dialogue using a checklist

◦ Group discussion to share successes and challenges of navigating a clinical conversation

Instructional MaterialsThe EBSS workshop is designed with adult learning principles in mind. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Post-Workshop ReinforcementEBSS provides managers with an online coaching tool and helpful EBSS Glossary Mobile App, to assist them with ongoing inspection and review of sellers’ use of EBSS principles.

Strategic ValueEvidence-Based Solution Selling provides life sciences solution sales teams with a repeatable and practical methodology, skills, and tools for differentiating themselves, not only by what they sell, but by how they engage with healthcare buyers. EBSS provides the clinical selling and EBM application expertise needed by sales representatives to be productive and successful in today’s rapidly-changing healthcare market.

The outcomes of using EBSS include:

• Improved SFE scores compared to competitors

• Increased access to key physicians and healthcare professionals with a high level of buying influence

• Improved differentiation and value articulation, relative to competitive alternatives

• Higher ability to link relevant clinical information to promotional messages

• Higher win rates on sales opportunities

SOLUTION SELLING FOR INSIDE SALES

14


SOLUTION SELLING FOR INSIDE SALESSolution Selling for Inside Sales (SSIS) is based on the award-winning Solution Selling® methodology, adapted to address the specific needs of salespeople selling over the telephone and/or using collaborative interaction technology. SSIS provides sales processes and activities tailored for either or both inbound and outbound inside selling, and addresses the specific types of sales situations faced by inside sales professionals (i.e., tele-prospecting, transactional sales, add-on sales, complex solutions, and/or customer issue resolution).

Always tailored to the specific needs of individual inside sales teams, SSIS enables sellers to:

• Apply relevant tactics and methods for creating demand

• Identify customers’ business problems

• Educate buyers on how to solve their problems

• Validate or enhance existing buyer visions of solutions

• Create new value for customers

• Collaborate more effectively with buyers

Intended AudiencesSSIS is designed for inside sellers and their managers. It can be scaled and tailored for application to nearly every industry and selling situation – from short transactions to extended complex opportunities. The higher the need to differentiate inside sales teams in how they engage with customers, the better the fit for SSIS content.

Program ObjectivesDuring an SSIS workshop, inside sales professionals and sales managers will learn how to:

• Describe how buyers buy and align inside selling activities accordingly

• Stimulate interest and establish credibility with both new prospects and existing customers

• Get prospects / customers to share / admit their business issues and solution ideas

• Engage in consultative dialogue that promotes the differentiated strengths of solutions

• Effectively qualify and disqualify inside sales opportunities based on objective decision criteria

• Better control and manage inside selling cycles

• Improve inside sellers’ win odds, especially in competitive opportunities

• Shorten inside selling cycles and avoid “no decision” outcomes

• Negotiate the steps leading to successful closure of an inside sale

• Modify inside sales call activities based on call type (i.e., outbound / inbound calls)


• Adapt inside selling activities to address various sales situations (i.e., tele-prospecting, team sales handoffs, transaction sales, add-on sales, complex / solution sales and/or customer issue resolution)

Workshop Topical AgendaSSIS is a modular program, designed to be tailored to the unique requirements of each client. The standard instructor-led training workshop for SSIS is a one-day, highly interactive program, although this can be tailored to meet client-specific requirements and limitations. The standard program includes:

• Key Inside Sales Concepts

• Buying Process and Seller Alignment

• Inside Sales Process(es)

• Proactive Inside Sales Planning / Developing Situational Fluency & Pre-Call Planning

• Stimulating Buyer Interest / Gaining Trust and Credibility with Buyers

• Call Opening, Positioning, Getting Pain Admitted

• Consultative Inside Sales Conversation

◦ Creating a Buying Vision

◦ Reengineering Existing Requirements

• Collaborative Solution Evaluation / Risk Management

• Qualifying and/or Transitioning the Opportunity

• Negotiation / Reaching Final Agreement

• Reactive Inside Selling

• Getting Started

SSIS typically includes a pre-workshop assignment consisting of some introductory eLearning content and preparatory research on a live account or opportunity, for use as case studies in the workshop exercises. Participants work on the program exercises in teams, to promote sharing of ideas and exchanges of best practices. Teams conduct structured peer reviews of exercise results to facilitate understanding of program principles.

Instructional MaterialsThe SSIS workshop is designed to support adult learning principles. The program’s instructional materials facilitate participant understanding by using a mix of media to transmit and reinforce key learning points. SPI provides full-color training content in electronic interactive workbooks, for use on participants’ mobile devices or laptop computers, as well as color reference charts, animated presentations, and video content, where appropriate.


Useful Sales Tools and Job AidsThe SSIS workshop can incorporate the integrated use of SPI-Sales Process Playbooks – an easy-to-use, automated tool that includes a variety of helpful job aids. As participants complete the program, they capture the results of exercises in the SPI-Sales Process Playbooks application. After the workshop, sellers can use the application on an ongoing basis for effective use of the methodology with their own opportunities.

The job aids provided in the SSIS program toolkit include:

• Account Profile – a template that captures key criteria for a target company, including the likely challenges they are facing

• Key Players List – a listing by industry of important job titles along with the likely critical business issues which each job title will likely face


• Business Development Tools – targeted scripts / prompters used to increase an inside seller’s success rate at stimulating buyer curiosity and interest

• Results Story – provides an inside seller with compelling business insights that build credibility with a buyer, and illustrates how the seller can provide value to the buyer

• Differentiation Grid – a tool that helps inside sellers to identify solution aspects that are both unique and valuable to a specific buyer

• Sales Conversation Prompter (also known as the Situational Fluency Prompter®) – guides inside sellers through effective, insightful and collaborative conversations with buyers

• Buyer Communication Letters – follow-up communications sent by inside sellers which document and confirm buyer visions in the purchasing organization

• Collaboration Plan – a job aid which outlines suggested steps for guiding a buyer to a confident purchasing decision

• Value Proposition / Value Analysis – a model used to collaboratively determine the impact and value of a solution with a buyer

• Success Criteria – a document of metrics that will help track the ongoing value of a solution for a buyer

• Negotiation Worksheet and Give/Get List – tools used during the close / negotiation to ensure equal exchange of value with buyers, and effectively reduce or eliminate price reductions and other concessions

• Strength of Sale Assessment – provides a means for evaluating inside sales opportunities against observed buyer behavior, and tracking progress over time

Strategic ValueSSIS provides inside sellers with effective methods and skills, resulting in increased sales productivity and revenues. SSIS enables inside sellers to differentiate themselves not only by what solutions they offer, but also by how they engage professionally with customers.

SPI IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES

15


SPI IMPLEMENTATION SERVICESThe SPI team measures success by how well customers achieve their intended sales performance improvement results. To that end, SPI offers specialized implementation services to help customers achieve the best fit for their tailored sales enhancement solutions. The following are brief descriptions of these services.

Sales Process DesignThis engagement results in a documented, buyer-aligned, dynamic sales process definition – which may also include multiple process variants, depending on the number and types of buyer constituencies served by the client. The principal engagement deliverable is a sales process map, showing the key selling steps aligned to buyers’ preferred purchase stages. This map includes definition of recommended sales activities, verifiable outcomes, sales tools, and primary resources for each sales step. Finally, win odds / probabilities can be assigned to each completed sales stage to assist in forecasting, pipeline management, and coaching activities.

The Sales Process Design engagement consists of:

• Structured interviews (approximately 1 hour each) with a representative sample of sales leaders, managers, operations, and sellers

• Collation of interview results, including initial definitions of tailored processes

• 1-day facilitated workshop to review and tune the final sales process design

• Final documentation and delivery of the agreed upon sales process map(s)

In addition to incorporating sales process definitions into sales team development training, the sales process maps can also be used for:

• Definition of sales manager inspection criteria and cadence

• Forecasting standards determination

• Alignment of sales process within CRM applications

• Defining the ideal customer experience with sales

• Providing a standard for pipeline and opportunity quality reviews

Other Information:

• The engagement can be delivered in a variety of ways using interviews, live face-to-face working sessions with a targeted group of customer stakeholders

• The engagement can be conducted using SPI’s Sales Process Playbooks enablement software for ongoing application in the field

• This service can be delivered in a wide array of languages, anywhere in the world


Sales Tool BuildThis engagement results in a tailored set of sales execution sales tools for specific selling situations. The set of sales tools include documents, letters, plans, and templates that facilitate the successful execution of each step in a sales process.

A Sales Tool Build engagement usually precedes implementation of a program in the Solution Selling® Learning Library, especially the Solution Selling in the Collaborative Era (SS-TCE) program. By building examples of tailored tools for use within these programs, the relevancy of the content is greatly enhanced, improving the rate of initial adoption and application.

The Sales Tool Build engagement consists of:

• A 1-day or 2-day facilitated workshop (depending on the scope and number of tools to be built) to populate the relevant sales tools

• Several days of iterative review and refinement of the tools

• Delivery of a final, published set of relevant sales tools

Other Information:

• The engagement can be conducted using SPI’s Sales Process Playbook enablement software to create electronic versions of sales tools, for easier application by sellers in the field

• This service can be delivered in a wide array of languages, anywhere in the world

• Sales Tool Builds can be combined with Solution Messaging to meet a broader set of messaging objectives (see Solution Messaging)


ABOUT SPISales Performance International (SPI) is a global sales performance improvement firm. We help the world’s leading companies drive predictable revenue and profitability growth by optimizing sales organization performance.

Founded in 1988, SPI has been the leader in helping global companies apply process and methodologies to transition from selling products to marketing and selling high-value, customer-focused solutions.

Our extensive sales performance expertise, deep industry knowledge, global resources, and verified results uniquely position SPI as the go-to firm for organizations seeking to gain a competitive edge by how they sell.

SPI has assisted over 1,500,000 sales and management professionals in more than 55 countries and 15 languages to achieve higher levels of sales effectiveness.

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