the essentials of value-based selling

The Essentials ofValue-Based

Selling:

A 1-2-3 Guide

Bob ApolloInflexion-Point

Today’s #1 Sales Issue:

“Our Sales People’s Inability to Communicate the Value of our Solutions to Their Customers”

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

83%

13%

13%

83%

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83% of revenues generated by the top 13% of salespeople

[SBI]

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

1Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

2Aligning your Sales Stages withyour Prospect’s Buying Journey

3Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

2Aligning your Sales Stages withyour Prospect’s Buying Journey

3Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues Organisations Stakeholders Insights Differentiators

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues Organisations Stakeholders Insights Differentiators

Urgent IssuesMust result in Action

Important IssuesShould result in Evaluation

Interesting IssuesMay result in Consideration

Issues:

Which issues are most likely to cause your most valuable prospects to decide that they need to take action?

⁃ Type

⁃ Symptoms

⁃ Drivers, Causes + Triggers

⁃ Impacts + Implications

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues Insights DifferentiatorsOrganisations Stakeholders

Organisations:

What are the common characteristics of your most valuable target accounts?

⁃ Demographic

⁃ Structural

⁃ Behavioural

⁃ Situational

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues Insights DifferentiatorsOrganisations Stakeholders

Stakeholders:

Which stakeholders play the most important roles in your prospect’s decision making process?

⁃ Titles

⁃ Role in Organisation

⁃ Role in Buying Process

⁃ Issues, Concerns + Motivations

Organisations:

What are the common characteristics of your most valuable target accounts?

⁃ Demographic

⁃ Structural

⁃ Behavioural

⁃ Situational

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues

Insights:

Which insights are most likely to cause your prospects to recognise the need for change?

✗ Over-familiar Concepts

✓ Unanticipated Issues

✓ Unrecognised Drivers

✓ Underestimated Impacts

Insights DifferentiatorsOrganisations Stakeholders

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues

Differentiators:

Which handful of factors most set you apart from all the other options open to your prospects?

⁃ Key Differentiating Theme

⁃ 2-4 Unique Capabilities

⁃ Key Comparison Points

Insights:

Which insights are most likely to cause your prospects to recognise the need for change?

✗ Over-familiar Concepts

✓ Unanticipated Issues

✓ Unrecognised Drivers

✓ Underestimated Impacts

Insights DifferentiatorsOrganisations Stakeholders

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

3Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Satisfiedwith the

Status Quo

Open to the Possibility of

Change

Selecting Best

Option

Validating the

Decision

Final Approval Process

Deploying Chosen Solution

Establishing the Need for Action

Exploring Potential Solutions

Aligning your Sales Stages with

your Prospect’s Buying Journey

1Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Satisfiedwith the

Status Quo

Open to the Possibility of

Change

Selecting Best

Option

Validating the

Decision

Final Approval Process

Deploying Chosen Solution

Establishing the Need for Action

Exploring Potential Solutions

Aligning your Sales Stages with

your Prospect’s Buying Journey

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

The Prospect’s Perspective

⁃ What they typically want to know during this phase

⁃ What they typically need to do during this phase

⁃ Key Marketing Resources

Align the buyer’s and seller’s priorities at each stage in the process

Satisfiedwith the

Status Quo

Open to the Possibility of

Change

Selecting Best

Option

Validating the

Decision

Final Approval Process

Deploying Chosen Solution

Establishing the Need for Action

Exploring Potential Solutions

Aligning your Sales Stages with

your Prospect’s Buying Journey

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

The Prospect’s Perspective

⁃ What they typically want to know during this phase

⁃ What they typically need to do during this phase

⁃ Key Marketing Resources

The Salesperson’s Focus

⁃ What we need to know during this phase

⁃ What we need to do during this phase

⁃ Key Sales Resources

Align the buyer’s and seller’s priorities at each stage in the process

Satisfiedwith the

Status Quo

Open to the Possibility of

Change

Selecting Best

Option

Validating the

Decision

Final Approval Process

Deploying Chosen Solution

Establishing the Need for Action

Exploring Potential Solutions

Aligning your Sales Stages with

your Prospect’s Buying Journey

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

The Prospect’s Perspective

⁃ What they typically want to know during this phase

⁃ What they typically need to do during this phase

⁃ Key Marketing Resources

The Salesperson’s Focus

⁃ What we need to know during this phase

⁃ What we need to do during this phase

⁃ Key Sales Resources

Metrics and Milestones

⁃ Critical Indicators of Progress

⁃ Key Success Metrics

⁃ Continuous opportunity re-qualification

Align the buyer’s and seller’s priorities at each stage in the process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

1Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

2Aligning your Sales Stages withyour Prospect’s Buying Journey

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Talking Points

⁃ Calling Frameworks

⁃ Conversation Guides

⁃ Meeting Planners

⁃ Diagnostic Questions

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Talking Points

⁃ Calling Frameworks

⁃ Conversation Guides

⁃ Meeting Planners

⁃ Diagnostic Questions

Templates

⁃ Prospecting Emails

⁃ Confirming Emails

⁃ Presentations

⁃ Proposals

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Talking Points

⁃ Calling Frameworks

⁃ Conversation Guides

⁃ Meeting Planners

⁃ Diagnostic Questions

Templates

⁃ Prospecting Emails

⁃ Confirming Emails

⁃ Presentations

⁃ Proposals

Economics

⁃ Cost of Inaction calculators [COI]

⁃ Return on Investment calculators [ROI]

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Anecdotes

⁃ Informal stories that equip sales people to “sell through story telling”

⁃ Anecdotes database

⁃ Storytelling training

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Anecdotes

⁃ Informal stories that equip sales people to “sell through story telling”

⁃ Anecdotes database

⁃ Storytelling training

Evidence

⁃ Formal Case Studies

⁃ Analyst Reports

⁃ Independent Experts

⁃ User References

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

Anecdotes

⁃ Informal stories that equip sales people to “sell through story telling”

⁃ Anecdotes database

⁃ Storytelling training

Evidence

⁃ Formal Case Studies

⁃ Analyst Reports

⁃ Independent Experts

⁃ User References

FAQs

⁃ Frequently-asked, tough-to-answer questions with proven to-be-effective responses

⁃ Commercial + Technical

Tailored to each stage of the buying decision process

Focusing on your Most Valuable Prospects

Issues Organisations Stakeholders Insights Differentiators

Satisfiedwith the

Status Quo

Open to the Possibility of

Change

Selecting Best

Option

Validating the

Decision

Final Approval Process

Deploying Chosen Solution

Establishing the Need for Action

Exploring Potential Solutions

Aligning your Sales Stages with

your Prospect’s Buying Journey

Facilitating their Buying Decision Process

Talking Points Templates Economics Anecdotes Evidence FAQs

©2015 www.inflexion-point.com

Why Adopt Value-Based Selling?

✓ Improve Win Rates

✓Shorten Sales Cycles

✓ Increase Deal Values

✓More Salespeople on Quota

✓Accelerate Revenue Growth

Take the Next Step:+44 7802 313300

bob@inflexion-point.com

www.inflexion-point.com