8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 1/12

 

Complex Sales

The challenges of 

managing complex sales

Ashutosh Bijoor, March 04, 2008

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 2/12

 

Typical Complex Sales Process

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 3/12

 

The Complex Sales Pipeline

M1 Lead Captured

M2 Requirements Understood

M3 Solution Proposed

M4 Negotiation

M5 Order Confirmed

Milestones

63 4 5 8721

Opportunities Funnel

M6Order Lost

63 4 5 8721

63 4 5 8721

63 4 5 72

4 5

63 8721

Responsible Time

0 days

15 days

35 days

55 days

70 days

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 4/12

 

Stake Holders

Top Management / Principals

Sales Management

Sales Executives

Customer Support & Fulfillment

Channel Partners / Distributors

Customers

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 5/12

 

Top Management / Principals

•

Long sales cycles• Low conversion ratio

• Scarcity of skills in sales

team

• Commoditized products• Un-predictable demand

leading to high inventory

cost and long lead times

•

Speed up sales process• Improve conversion ratio

• Better utilize available skills

• Enhance product portfolio and

cross-selling

• Forecast demand centrally,

based on direct / channel

sales pipeline

• Centralize inventory and just-

in-time distribution

Challenges Needs

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 6/12

 

Direct Sales / Sales Management

Large number of prospects

High cost of sales

Low revenue per customer 

Ineffective channel salesteam

Improve collaborationwith channel partners toincrease reach andreduce cost of sales

Track movement of opportunities throughpipeline to identifybottlenecks

Provide on-time salessupport to channels

Challenges Needs

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 7/12

 

Channel Partners / Distributors

Not enough opportunities

Unpredictable demand

Long lead times for 

procurement fromprincipal

Work with principals togenerate demand andqualify leads

Share sales pipeline data

with principals, allowingmore accurate demandforecasts

Just-in-time procurement

facilitated by accuratelyforecasted centralizedinventory

Challenges Needs

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 8/12

 

Support and Fulfillment

Incomplete, inconsistentor un-viable order specifications

High discounting

Inappropriate fulfillmentand credit terms

Delayed collections

Monitor sales offers for technical and commercialviability

Take away responsibility

of creating andconfiguring offers

Provide online customer outstanding and credit

viability information tosales

Challenges Needs

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 9/12

 

Customers / Business Partners

Sales process of suppliers not matchingbuying process

Unresponsive sales

process Unavailability of requisite

items in stock

Long delivery times

Engage with suppliersearly in buying cycle

Prioritize suppliers basedon responsiveness

Assign higher value tosuppliers capable of on-time deliveries

Provide online feedbackof required deliveryschedules

Challenges Needs

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 10/12

 

Current Solution Options

Spreadsheets

− Simple, easy to use mechanism of collecting salesinformation

Ready-made Sales Automation System

− Comprehensive features starting from contact management,

opportunity management and CRM

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 11/12

 

Implementation Challenges

Lack of user adoption

−

Sales executives and channel partners are not amenable toreporting sales data

− Most implementations fail due to lack of adoption

No direct gains in sales performance

− System use not directly translated into enhanced salesperformance

− Users tend to view these systems as an obstacle to work

Inappropriate metrics

− Sales metrics analyse past performance and statisticalforecasts

− Lack of operational metrics that assist day-to-day decisions

8/14/2019 Complex Sales Challenges

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/complex-sales-challenges 12/12

 

Find out how On2Biz can help manage 

your complex sales

http://on2.biz