Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

Janek Performance GroupContributors: Nick Kane and Justin Zappulla© August 2012

As we begin to make our way out of some exceedingly challenging times and work through an

assortment of sales and business challenges, one issue continues to stay at the top of most lists:

the acquisition of new customers to grow the top line. As we know, new customers mean new sales.

Along with customer retention and growing relationships, acquiring new customers is one of the

most effective ways to keep the business thriving and ensure long-term success. Unfortunately, it

can also be one of the most challenging and costly activities.

In order to produce new client relationships, your company needs to emphasize its value proposition

and target those prospects that are highly likely to value that offer to create a sound sales strategy.

This includes clarifying the company’s value proposition in a meaningful way so that it differentiates

its products and services from the competition. In addition, it is important to manage the pursuit,

that is, to align the strategy with the sales processes and develop an effective approach for seeking

higher value prospects.

This white paper will explain how a company can acquire new customers by clarifying its sales

strategy and seeing to its effective execution through alignment of the sales process.

At IssueMany sales leaders we’ve worked with find themselves so involved in the execution of sales activity

that they neglect to revisit two key questions. Do I have a clearly defined and current sales strategy?

And, are my sales processes in alignment with the strategy? Unless and until the answer to both of

these questions is yes, it is not yet time to focus on tactics and/or skill development. Unfortunately,

this is one of the most common mistakes we see sales leaders make when looking to acquire more

new customers.

Let’s begin with some definition.

Generally speaking, a sales strategy is a plan that defines the value

proposition so it can differentiate the company's products/services in the

marketplace and identifies key target markets that are likely to “value,”

or respond to, the value proposition. This is the first step in helping the

sales organization engage prospects in meaningful ways while being able

to differentiate itself from the competition.

The sales process on the other hand, similar to any other business process, is a series of steps designed

to lead to a desired outcome. More specifically, the sales process defines the rules of engagement

around prospecting, selling, and retaining customers. It details the stages, individuals involved,

activities, available tools, resources, and the definition of precise outcomes and performance indicators. Business leaders further understand that this challenge of prospecting and acquiring new customers

can be a daunting and costly task. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved when addressing sales

strategy and process in order to acquire new customers and grow the top line.

The SolutionSales Strategy Clarification

Time and time again we see sales organizations invest time and money into improving the

“execution phase” of the sales performance cycle, only to later conclude that it was the strategy

itself that was flawed from the beginning. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that not

all strategies begin flawed. Rather, we have found that they do not receive the testing required

or are not clarified often enough.

There are quite a few reasons for clarifying your sales strategy on an ongoing basis.

In our opinion, here are the top three:

Your key assumptions are no longer accurateToo many times we see organizations making decisions based upon outdated and

simply inaccurate assumptions. Before coming to an agreement on an approach,

make certain to validate your assumptions within today’s environment.

New threats are present in the marketplaceAs we all know, the marketplace is continually evolving. In order to develop an

effective sales strategy it is important to identify new threats that emerge.

These threats include: competition, promotions, public/industry policy changes,

new products releases, advances in technology, innovation, and more.

The perception of your value proposition has changedYour customers' needs are changing. As a result, the way in which your value

proposition meets their needs will likely change as well. While assessing your sales

strategy, solicit feedback from your customers on the “perceived value” of your

value proposition with respect to solving their problems.

A clarified sales strategy ensures you have a strong value proposition that differentiates you from

the competition and one that will truly resonate within the market place. In addition, your sales

strategy will identify a segment or segments of customers who are most likely to “value” your value

proposition. However, before you unleash your sales force to acquire these new found prospects,

you need to ensure your sales process is in complete alignment and supports your strategy.

Sales Process Alignment Just as sales representatives must tailor or adjust their presentations to a specific client, so too must

a company align its sales processes with its sales strategy. A defined sales process will provide the

sales team with a road map on how to execute the strategy in the most effective way. Best in class

sales processes include clearly defined stages with activities, skills, resources, and points of measurement.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage:The creation of stages is a way of breaking down the end-to-end

sales process in smaller, more manageable segments. It also helps

sales reps and coaches improve performance by working on specific

stages needing attention. While one rep may thrive at identifying

and qualifying prospects, another may be better at presenting and

closing. This becomes more and more evident as you break down

the stages of the process.

When you look at the sales process from end-to-end, it can be

quite lengthy and complex. Typically it includes several stages with

a significant number of activities, events, people, tools, and

resources—engaging at different levels over a given period of time.

Activity:Now that you have segmented the end-to-end sales process into stages, next take a close look at

each stage to determine what is required to ensure a successful outcome. When defining activities,

document the what, who, and when. Be as specific as possible.

This level of detail will ensure the team understands their role and objectives, as well as those of

others, to achieve the desired results. Typical sales process activities include: industry and customer

research, meetings, emails, phone calls, analysis, and proposal writing. The more specific you can be

about the activities, the better.

Skill:The list of activities defines the what, who and when. However, we find best-in-class sales processes

always document the skills required to carry through the activities.

This extra step provides great value in helping the sales team execute and improve performance over the long term.

Not only will this help the sales rep understand specifically where he or she should focus in order to

arrive at a more favorable outcome, it is also quite helpful for the sales coaches, who are typically

front-line sales managers.

As a sales manager, if you can measure the quality of sales activity stage by stage and rep by rep,

you can be prescriptive and strategic about your coaching efforts. Additionally, this information

should be shared with your company's Learning & Development division to ensure that group aligns

development paths and training programs to support your efforts with the sales team.

Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

1

Resource:Here you will want to list the resources that are available to a sales rep at a given stage in the sales

process. Resources are also commonly referred to as enablers. Your focus here is to understand the

resources available to the sales team to enable them to be more successful in a given stage. Typical

resources include: marketing material, available partners, systems to access, job-aides, technology,

business intelligence, and organizational tools.

We have also found that the more complex the sales environment is, the more important these

resources become. As such, they need to be considered carefully.

Measurement:Points of measurement are arguable one of the most important aspects to the sales process.

They not only tell you what to expect or what happened but how effective it was. We’ve all heard it

before—"What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done." While we tend to agree with this state-

ment, we feel there is a larger opportunity for organizations to leverage this information differently.

We find that organizations tend to “manage and evaluate” things that have already happened.

We refer to these as lagging indicators.

Although there is certain value in knowing what happened so that you can make adjustments in the future, we find it is more valuable to measure things in the moment, so that you can adjust along the way.

We encourage organizations to measure leading indicators. Leading indicators give you insight into

things that happen or are happening in the sales process before a decision is made. This information

is much more actionable, as it enables you to adjust along the way in order to achieve a more

desirable outcome. Here are a few examples of each type:

In ClosingTo achieve top line growth and acquire new customers, we at Janek Performance Group feel it is

critical that strategies are clarified and processes are aligned to effectively implement the strategy.

Sales professionals tasked to execute these processes must be equipped with the skills, tools, and

behaviors to do so effectively.

This alignment creates synergies at all levels of the sales organization and will ensure maximum success when acquiring new customers.

Executives and sales managers: re-evaluate your assumptions, the current competition in the

marketplace, and your customers' perception of your value proposition. Break down and define

with detail the stages of the sales process and the activities associated with each one. Assign the

appropriate skills to each activity. Finally, inventory your resources and calibrate your measurements

and timetables.

This task is no doubt challenging and requires an investment of time; nonetheless, it is absolutely

critical. Creating or re-focusing your sales strategy to provide a clear definition and purpose, and

aligning your sales processes with that strategy is an investment that every successful company

undertakes. Janek Performance Group can assist you to do the same for your sales organization.

© 2012 Janek Performance Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

As we begin to make our way out of some exceedingly challenging times and work through an

assortment of sales and business challenges, one issue continues to stay at the top of most lists:

the acquisition of new customers to grow the top line. As we know, new customers mean new sales.

Along with customer retention and growing relationships, acquiring new customers is one of the

most effective ways to keep the business thriving and ensure long-term success. Unfortunately, it

can also be one of the most challenging and costly activities.

In order to produce new client relationships, your company needs to emphasize its value proposition

and target those prospects that are highly likely to value that offer to create a sound sales strategy.

This includes clarifying the company’s value proposition in a meaningful way so that it differentiates

its products and services from the competition. In addition, it is important to manage the pursuit,

that is, to align the strategy with the sales processes and develop an effective approach for seeking

higher value prospects.

This white paper will explain how a company can acquire new customers by clarifying its sales

strategy and seeing to its effective execution through alignment of the sales process.

At IssueMany sales leaders we’ve worked with find themselves so involved in the execution of sales activity

that they neglect to revisit two key questions. Do I have a clearly defined and current sales strategy?

And, are my sales processes in alignment with the strategy? Unless and until the answer to both of

these questions is yes, it is not yet time to focus on tactics and/or skill development. Unfortunately,

this is one of the most common mistakes we see sales leaders make when looking to acquire more

new customers.

Let’s begin with some definition.

Generally speaking, a sales strategy is a plan that defines the value

proposition so it can differentiate the company's products/services in the

marketplace and identifies key target markets that are likely to “value,”

or respond to, the value proposition. This is the first step in helping the

sales organization engage prospects in meaningful ways while being able

to differentiate itself from the competition.

The sales process on the other hand, similar to any other business process, is a series of steps designed

to lead to a desired outcome. More specifically, the sales process defines the rules of engagement

around prospecting, selling, and retaining customers. It details the stages, individuals involved,

activities, available tools, resources, and the definition of precise outcomes and performance indicators. Business leaders further understand that this challenge of prospecting and acquiring new customers

can be a daunting and costly task. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved when addressing sales

strategy and process in order to acquire new customers and grow the top line.

The SolutionSales Strategy Clarification

Time and time again we see sales organizations invest time and money into improving the

“execution phase” of the sales performance cycle, only to later conclude that it was the strategy

itself that was flawed from the beginning. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that not

all strategies begin flawed. Rather, we have found that they do not receive the testing required

or are not clarified often enough.

There are quite a few reasons for clarifying your sales strategy on an ongoing basis.

In our opinion, here are the top three:

Your key assumptions are no longer accurateToo many times we see organizations making decisions based upon outdated and

simply inaccurate assumptions. Before coming to an agreement on an approach,

make certain to validate your assumptions within today’s environment.

New threats are present in the marketplaceAs we all know, the marketplace is continually evolving. In order to develop an

effective sales strategy it is important to identify new threats that emerge.

These threats include: competition, promotions, public/industry policy changes,

new products releases, advances in technology, innovation, and more.

The perception of your value proposition has changedYour customers' needs are changing. As a result, the way in which your value

proposition meets their needs will likely change as well. While assessing your sales

strategy, solicit feedback from your customers on the “perceived value” of your

value proposition with respect to solving their problems.

A clarified sales strategy ensures you have a strong value proposition that differentiates you from

the competition and one that will truly resonate within the market place. In addition, your sales

strategy will identify a segment or segments of customers who are most likely to “value” your value

proposition. However, before you unleash your sales force to acquire these new found prospects,

you need to ensure your sales process is in complete alignment and supports your strategy.

Sales Process Alignment Just as sales representatives must tailor or adjust their presentations to a specific client, so too must

a company align its sales processes with its sales strategy. A defined sales process will provide the

sales team with a road map on how to execute the strategy in the most effective way. Best in class

sales processes include clearly defined stages with activities, skills, resources, and points of measurement.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage:The creation of stages is a way of breaking down the end-to-end

sales process in smaller, more manageable segments. It also helps

sales reps and coaches improve performance by working on specific

stages needing attention. While one rep may thrive at identifying

and qualifying prospects, another may be better at presenting and

closing. This becomes more and more evident as you break down

the stages of the process.

When you look at the sales process from end-to-end, it can be

quite lengthy and complex. Typically it includes several stages with

a significant number of activities, events, people, tools, and

resources—engaging at different levels over a given period of time.

Activity:Now that you have segmented the end-to-end sales process into stages, next take a close look at

each stage to determine what is required to ensure a successful outcome. When defining activities,

document the what, who, and when. Be as specific as possible.

This level of detail will ensure the team understands their role and objectives, as well as those of

others, to achieve the desired results. Typical sales process activities include: industry and customer

research, meetings, emails, phone calls, analysis, and proposal writing. The more specific you can be

about the activities, the better.

Skill:The list of activities defines the what, who and when. However, we find best-in-class sales processes

always document the skills required to carry through the activities.

This extra step provides great value in helping the sales team execute and improve performance over the long term.

Not only will this help the sales rep understand specifically where he or she should focus in order to

arrive at a more favorable outcome, it is also quite helpful for the sales coaches, who are typically

front-line sales managers.

As a sales manager, if you can measure the quality of sales activity stage by stage and rep by rep,

you can be prescriptive and strategic about your coaching efforts. Additionally, this information

should be shared with your company's Learning & Development division to ensure that group aligns

development paths and training programs to support your efforts with the sales team.

2

Resource:Here you will want to list the resources that are available to a sales rep at a given stage in the sales

process. Resources are also commonly referred to as enablers. Your focus here is to understand the

resources available to the sales team to enable them to be more successful in a given stage. Typical

resources include: marketing material, available partners, systems to access, job-aides, technology,

business intelligence, and organizational tools.

We have also found that the more complex the sales environment is, the more important these

resources become. As such, they need to be considered carefully.

Measurement:Points of measurement are arguable one of the most important aspects to the sales process.

They not only tell you what to expect or what happened but how effective it was. We’ve all heard it

before—"What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done." While we tend to agree with this state-

ment, we feel there is a larger opportunity for organizations to leverage this information differently.

We find that organizations tend to “manage and evaluate” things that have already happened.

We refer to these as lagging indicators.

Although there is certain value in knowing what happened so that you can make adjustments in the future, we find it is more valuable to measure things in the moment, so that you can adjust along the way.

We encourage organizations to measure leading indicators. Leading indicators give you insight into

things that happen or are happening in the sales process before a decision is made. This information

is much more actionable, as it enables you to adjust along the way in order to achieve a more

desirable outcome. Here are a few examples of each type:

In ClosingTo achieve top line growth and acquire new customers, we at Janek Performance Group feel it is

critical that strategies are clarified and processes are aligned to effectively implement the strategy.

Sales professionals tasked to execute these processes must be equipped with the skills, tools, and

behaviors to do so effectively.

This alignment creates synergies at all levels of the sales organization and will ensure maximum success when acquiring new customers.

Executives and sales managers: re-evaluate your assumptions, the current competition in the

marketplace, and your customers' perception of your value proposition. Break down and define

with detail the stages of the sales process and the activities associated with each one. Assign the

appropriate skills to each activity. Finally, inventory your resources and calibrate your measurements

and timetables.

This task is no doubt challenging and requires an investment of time; nonetheless, it is absolutely

critical. Creating or re-focusing your sales strategy to provide a clear definition and purpose, and

aligning your sales processes with that strategy is an investment that every successful company

undertakes. Janek Performance Group can assist you to do the same for your sales organization.

Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

© 2012 Janek Performance Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

As we begin to make our way out of some exceedingly challenging times and work through an

assortment of sales and business challenges, one issue continues to stay at the top of most lists:

the acquisition of new customers to grow the top line. As we know, new customers mean new sales.

Along with customer retention and growing relationships, acquiring new customers is one of the

most effective ways to keep the business thriving and ensure long-term success. Unfortunately, it

can also be one of the most challenging and costly activities.

In order to produce new client relationships, your company needs to emphasize its value proposition

and target those prospects that are highly likely to value that offer to create a sound sales strategy.

This includes clarifying the company’s value proposition in a meaningful way so that it differentiates

its products and services from the competition. In addition, it is important to manage the pursuit,

that is, to align the strategy with the sales processes and develop an effective approach for seeking

higher value prospects.

This white paper will explain how a company can acquire new customers by clarifying its sales

strategy and seeing to its effective execution through alignment of the sales process.

At IssueMany sales leaders we’ve worked with find themselves so involved in the execution of sales activity

that they neglect to revisit two key questions. Do I have a clearly defined and current sales strategy?

And, are my sales processes in alignment with the strategy? Unless and until the answer to both of

these questions is yes, it is not yet time to focus on tactics and/or skill development. Unfortunately,

this is one of the most common mistakes we see sales leaders make when looking to acquire more

new customers.

Let’s begin with some definition.

Generally speaking, a sales strategy is a plan that defines the value

proposition so it can differentiate the company's products/services in the

marketplace and identifies key target markets that are likely to “value,”

or respond to, the value proposition. This is the first step in helping the

sales organization engage prospects in meaningful ways while being able

to differentiate itself from the competition.

The sales process on the other hand, similar to any other business process, is a series of steps designed

to lead to a desired outcome. More specifically, the sales process defines the rules of engagement

around prospecting, selling, and retaining customers. It details the stages, individuals involved,

activities, available tools, resources, and the definition of precise outcomes and performance indicators. Business leaders further understand that this challenge of prospecting and acquiring new customers

can be a daunting and costly task. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved when addressing sales

strategy and process in order to acquire new customers and grow the top line.

The SolutionSales Strategy Clarification

Time and time again we see sales organizations invest time and money into improving the

“execution phase” of the sales performance cycle, only to later conclude that it was the strategy

itself that was flawed from the beginning. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that not

all strategies begin flawed. Rather, we have found that they do not receive the testing required

or are not clarified often enough.

There are quite a few reasons for clarifying your sales strategy on an ongoing basis.

In our opinion, here are the top three:

Your key assumptions are no longer accurateToo many times we see organizations making decisions based upon outdated and

simply inaccurate assumptions. Before coming to an agreement on an approach,

make certain to validate your assumptions within today’s environment.

New threats are present in the marketplaceAs we all know, the marketplace is continually evolving. In order to develop an

effective sales strategy it is important to identify new threats that emerge.

These threats include: competition, promotions, public/industry policy changes,

new products releases, advances in technology, innovation, and more.

The perception of your value proposition has changedYour customers' needs are changing. As a result, the way in which your value

proposition meets their needs will likely change as well. While assessing your sales

strategy, solicit feedback from your customers on the “perceived value” of your

value proposition with respect to solving their problems.

A clarified sales strategy ensures you have a strong value proposition that differentiates you from

the competition and one that will truly resonate within the market place. In addition, your sales

strategy will identify a segment or segments of customers who are most likely to “value” your value

proposition. However, before you unleash your sales force to acquire these new found prospects,

you need to ensure your sales process is in complete alignment and supports your strategy.

Sales Process Alignment Just as sales representatives must tailor or adjust their presentations to a specific client, so too must

a company align its sales processes with its sales strategy. A defined sales process will provide the

sales team with a road map on how to execute the strategy in the most effective way. Best in class

sales processes include clearly defined stages with activities, skills, resources, and points of measurement.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage:The creation of stages is a way of breaking down the end-to-end

sales process in smaller, more manageable segments. It also helps

sales reps and coaches improve performance by working on specific

stages needing attention. While one rep may thrive at identifying

and qualifying prospects, another may be better at presenting and

closing. This becomes more and more evident as you break down

the stages of the process.

When you look at the sales process from end-to-end, it can be

quite lengthy and complex. Typically it includes several stages with

a significant number of activities, events, people, tools, and

resources—engaging at different levels over a given period of time.

Activity:Now that you have segmented the end-to-end sales process into stages, next take a close look at

each stage to determine what is required to ensure a successful outcome. When defining activities,

document the what, who, and when. Be as specific as possible.

This level of detail will ensure the team understands their role and objectives, as well as those of

others, to achieve the desired results. Typical sales process activities include: industry and customer

research, meetings, emails, phone calls, analysis, and proposal writing. The more specific you can be

about the activities, the better.

Skill:The list of activities defines the what, who and when. However, we find best-in-class sales processes

always document the skills required to carry through the activities.

This extra step provides great value in helping the sales team execute and improve performance over the long term.

Not only will this help the sales rep understand specifically where he or she should focus in order to

arrive at a more favorable outcome, it is also quite helpful for the sales coaches, who are typically

front-line sales managers.

As a sales manager, if you can measure the quality of sales activity stage by stage and rep by rep,

you can be prescriptive and strategic about your coaching efforts. Additionally, this information

should be shared with your company's Learning & Development division to ensure that group aligns

development paths and training programs to support your efforts with the sales team.

Resource:Here you will want to list the resources that are available to a sales rep at a given stage in the sales

process. Resources are also commonly referred to as enablers. Your focus here is to understand the

resources available to the sales team to enable them to be more successful in a given stage. Typical

resources include: marketing material, available partners, systems to access, job-aides, technology,

business intelligence, and organizational tools.

We have also found that the more complex the sales environment is, the more important these

resources become. As such, they need to be considered carefully.

Measurement:Points of measurement are arguable one of the most important aspects to the sales process.

They not only tell you what to expect or what happened but how effective it was. We’ve all heard it

before—"What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done." While we tend to agree with this state-

ment, we feel there is a larger opportunity for organizations to leverage this information differently.

We find that organizations tend to “manage and evaluate” things that have already happened.

We refer to these as lagging indicators.

Although there is certain value in knowing what happened so that you can make adjustments in the future, we find it is more valuable to measure things in the moment, so that you can adjust along the way.

We encourage organizations to measure leading indicators. Leading indicators give you insight into

things that happen or are happening in the sales process before a decision is made. This information

is much more actionable, as it enables you to adjust along the way in order to achieve a more

desirable outcome. Here are a few examples of each type:

In ClosingTo achieve top line growth and acquire new customers, we at Janek Performance Group feel it is

critical that strategies are clarified and processes are aligned to effectively implement the strategy.

Sales professionals tasked to execute these processes must be equipped with the skills, tools, and

behaviors to do so effectively.

This alignment creates synergies at all levels of the sales organization and will ensure maximum success when acquiring new customers.

Executives and sales managers: re-evaluate your assumptions, the current competition in the

marketplace, and your customers' perception of your value proposition. Break down and define

with detail the stages of the sales process and the activities associated with each one. Assign the

appropriate skills to each activity. Finally, inventory your resources and calibrate your measurements

and timetables.

This task is no doubt challenging and requires an investment of time; nonetheless, it is absolutely

critical. Creating or re-focusing your sales strategy to provide a clear definition and purpose, and

aligning your sales processes with that strategy is an investment that every successful company

undertakes. Janek Performance Group can assist you to do the same for your sales organization.

3Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

© 2012 Janek Performance Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Typical stages of the sales process include:

• Prospect

• Qualify

• Discovery

• Present

• Close

• Implement

• Service

As we begin to make our way out of some exceedingly challenging times and work through an

assortment of sales and business challenges, one issue continues to stay at the top of most lists:

the acquisition of new customers to grow the top line. As we know, new customers mean new sales.

Along with customer retention and growing relationships, acquiring new customers is one of the

most effective ways to keep the business thriving and ensure long-term success. Unfortunately, it

can also be one of the most challenging and costly activities.

In order to produce new client relationships, your company needs to emphasize its value proposition

and target those prospects that are highly likely to value that offer to create a sound sales strategy.

This includes clarifying the company’s value proposition in a meaningful way so that it differentiates

its products and services from the competition. In addition, it is important to manage the pursuit,

that is, to align the strategy with the sales processes and develop an effective approach for seeking

higher value prospects.

This white paper will explain how a company can acquire new customers by clarifying its sales

strategy and seeing to its effective execution through alignment of the sales process.

At IssueMany sales leaders we’ve worked with find themselves so involved in the execution of sales activity

that they neglect to revisit two key questions. Do I have a clearly defined and current sales strategy?

And, are my sales processes in alignment with the strategy? Unless and until the answer to both of

these questions is yes, it is not yet time to focus on tactics and/or skill development. Unfortunately,

this is one of the most common mistakes we see sales leaders make when looking to acquire more

new customers.

Let’s begin with some definition.

Generally speaking, a sales strategy is a plan that defines the value

proposition so it can differentiate the company's products/services in the

marketplace and identifies key target markets that are likely to “value,”

or respond to, the value proposition. This is the first step in helping the

sales organization engage prospects in meaningful ways while being able

to differentiate itself from the competition.

The sales process on the other hand, similar to any other business process, is a series of steps designed

to lead to a desired outcome. More specifically, the sales process defines the rules of engagement

around prospecting, selling, and retaining customers. It details the stages, individuals involved,

activities, available tools, resources, and the definition of precise outcomes and performance indicators. Business leaders further understand that this challenge of prospecting and acquiring new customers

can be a daunting and costly task. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved when addressing sales

strategy and process in order to acquire new customers and grow the top line.

The SolutionSales Strategy Clarification

Time and time again we see sales organizations invest time and money into improving the

“execution phase” of the sales performance cycle, only to later conclude that it was the strategy

itself that was flawed from the beginning. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that not

all strategies begin flawed. Rather, we have found that they do not receive the testing required

or are not clarified often enough.

There are quite a few reasons for clarifying your sales strategy on an ongoing basis.

In our opinion, here are the top three:

Your key assumptions are no longer accurateToo many times we see organizations making decisions based upon outdated and

simply inaccurate assumptions. Before coming to an agreement on an approach,

make certain to validate your assumptions within today’s environment.

New threats are present in the marketplaceAs we all know, the marketplace is continually evolving. In order to develop an

effective sales strategy it is important to identify new threats that emerge.

These threats include: competition, promotions, public/industry policy changes,

new products releases, advances in technology, innovation, and more.

The perception of your value proposition has changedYour customers' needs are changing. As a result, the way in which your value

proposition meets their needs will likely change as well. While assessing your sales

strategy, solicit feedback from your customers on the “perceived value” of your

value proposition with respect to solving their problems.

A clarified sales strategy ensures you have a strong value proposition that differentiates you from

the competition and one that will truly resonate within the market place. In addition, your sales

strategy will identify a segment or segments of customers who are most likely to “value” your value

proposition. However, before you unleash your sales force to acquire these new found prospects,

you need to ensure your sales process is in complete alignment and supports your strategy.

Sales Process Alignment Just as sales representatives must tailor or adjust their presentations to a specific client, so too must

a company align its sales processes with its sales strategy. A defined sales process will provide the

sales team with a road map on how to execute the strategy in the most effective way. Best in class

sales processes include clearly defined stages with activities, skills, resources, and points of measurement.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage:The creation of stages is a way of breaking down the end-to-end

sales process in smaller, more manageable segments. It also helps

sales reps and coaches improve performance by working on specific

stages needing attention. While one rep may thrive at identifying

and qualifying prospects, another may be better at presenting and

closing. This becomes more and more evident as you break down

the stages of the process.

When you look at the sales process from end-to-end, it can be

quite lengthy and complex. Typically it includes several stages with

a significant number of activities, events, people, tools, and

resources—engaging at different levels over a given period of time.

Activity:Now that you have segmented the end-to-end sales process into stages, next take a close look at

each stage to determine what is required to ensure a successful outcome. When defining activities,

document the what, who, and when. Be as specific as possible.

This level of detail will ensure the team understands their role and objectives, as well as those of

others, to achieve the desired results. Typical sales process activities include: industry and customer

research, meetings, emails, phone calls, analysis, and proposal writing. The more specific you can be

about the activities, the better.

Skill:The list of activities defines the what, who and when. However, we find best-in-class sales processes

always document the skills required to carry through the activities.

This extra step provides great value in helping the sales team execute and improve performance over the long term.

Not only will this help the sales rep understand specifically where he or she should focus in order to

arrive at a more favorable outcome, it is also quite helpful for the sales coaches, who are typically

front-line sales managers.

As a sales manager, if you can measure the quality of sales activity stage by stage and rep by rep,

you can be prescriptive and strategic about your coaching efforts. Additionally, this information

should be shared with your company's Learning & Development division to ensure that group aligns

development paths and training programs to support your efforts with the sales team.

Resource:Here you will want to list the resources that are available to a sales rep at a given stage in the sales

process. Resources are also commonly referred to as enablers. Your focus here is to understand the

resources available to the sales team to enable them to be more successful in a given stage. Typical

resources include: marketing material, available partners, systems to access, job-aides, technology,

business intelligence, and organizational tools.

We have also found that the more complex the sales environment is, the more important these

resources become. As such, they need to be considered carefully.

Measurement:Points of measurement are arguable one of the most important aspects to the sales process.

They not only tell you what to expect or what happened but how effective it was. We’ve all heard it

before—"What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done." While we tend to agree with this state-

ment, we feel there is a larger opportunity for organizations to leverage this information differently.

We find that organizations tend to “manage and evaluate” things that have already happened.

We refer to these as lagging indicators.

Although there is certain value in knowing what happened so that you can make adjustments in the future, we find it is more valuable to measure things in the moment, so that you can adjust along the way.

We encourage organizations to measure leading indicators. Leading indicators give you insight into

things that happen or are happening in the sales process before a decision is made. This information

is much more actionable, as it enables you to adjust along the way in order to achieve a more

desirable outcome. Here are a few examples of each type:

In ClosingTo achieve top line growth and acquire new customers, we at Janek Performance Group feel it is

critical that strategies are clarified and processes are aligned to effectively implement the strategy.

Sales professionals tasked to execute these processes must be equipped with the skills, tools, and

behaviors to do so effectively.

This alignment creates synergies at all levels of the sales organization and will ensure maximum success when acquiring new customers.

Executives and sales managers: re-evaluate your assumptions, the current competition in the

marketplace, and your customers' perception of your value proposition. Break down and define

with detail the stages of the sales process and the activities associated with each one. Assign the

appropriate skills to each activity. Finally, inventory your resources and calibrate your measurements

and timetables.

This task is no doubt challenging and requires an investment of time; nonetheless, it is absolutely

critical. Creating or re-focusing your sales strategy to provide a clear definition and purpose, and

aligning your sales processes with that strategy is an investment that every successful company

undertakes. Janek Performance Group can assist you to do the same for your sales organization.

4Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

© 2012 Janek Performance Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Typical Leading Indicators:

• Lead to appointment ratio

• Pipeline to quota ratio

• Presentation to proposal ratio

• Average days in each stage of the sales process

Typical Lagging Indicators:

• Close %

• Average deal size

• Sales revenue

• Deal margin

As we begin to make our way out of some exceedingly challenging times and work through an

assortment of sales and business challenges, one issue continues to stay at the top of most lists:

the acquisition of new customers to grow the top line. As we know, new customers mean new sales.

Along with customer retention and growing relationships, acquiring new customers is one of the

most effective ways to keep the business thriving and ensure long-term success. Unfortunately, it

can also be one of the most challenging and costly activities.

In order to produce new client relationships, your company needs to emphasize its value proposition

and target those prospects that are highly likely to value that offer to create a sound sales strategy.

This includes clarifying the company’s value proposition in a meaningful way so that it differentiates

its products and services from the competition. In addition, it is important to manage the pursuit,

that is, to align the strategy with the sales processes and develop an effective approach for seeking

higher value prospects.

This white paper will explain how a company can acquire new customers by clarifying its sales

strategy and seeing to its effective execution through alignment of the sales process.

At IssueMany sales leaders we’ve worked with find themselves so involved in the execution of sales activity

that they neglect to revisit two key questions. Do I have a clearly defined and current sales strategy?

And, are my sales processes in alignment with the strategy? Unless and until the answer to both of

these questions is yes, it is not yet time to focus on tactics and/or skill development. Unfortunately,

this is one of the most common mistakes we see sales leaders make when looking to acquire more

new customers.

Let’s begin with some definition.

Generally speaking, a sales strategy is a plan that defines the value

proposition so it can differentiate the company's products/services in the

marketplace and identifies key target markets that are likely to “value,”

or respond to, the value proposition. This is the first step in helping the

sales organization engage prospects in meaningful ways while being able

to differentiate itself from the competition.

The sales process on the other hand, similar to any other business process, is a series of steps designed

to lead to a desired outcome. More specifically, the sales process defines the rules of engagement

around prospecting, selling, and retaining customers. It details the stages, individuals involved,

activities, available tools, resources, and the definition of precise outcomes and performance indicators. Business leaders further understand that this challenge of prospecting and acquiring new customers

can be a daunting and costly task. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved when addressing sales

strategy and process in order to acquire new customers and grow the top line.

The SolutionSales Strategy Clarification

Time and time again we see sales organizations invest time and money into improving the

“execution phase” of the sales performance cycle, only to later conclude that it was the strategy

itself that was flawed from the beginning. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that not

all strategies begin flawed. Rather, we have found that they do not receive the testing required

or are not clarified often enough.

There are quite a few reasons for clarifying your sales strategy on an ongoing basis.

In our opinion, here are the top three:

Your key assumptions are no longer accurateToo many times we see organizations making decisions based upon outdated and

simply inaccurate assumptions. Before coming to an agreement on an approach,

make certain to validate your assumptions within today’s environment.

New threats are present in the marketplaceAs we all know, the marketplace is continually evolving. In order to develop an

effective sales strategy it is important to identify new threats that emerge.

These threats include: competition, promotions, public/industry policy changes,

new products releases, advances in technology, innovation, and more.

The perception of your value proposition has changedYour customers' needs are changing. As a result, the way in which your value

proposition meets their needs will likely change as well. While assessing your sales

strategy, solicit feedback from your customers on the “perceived value” of your

value proposition with respect to solving their problems.

A clarified sales strategy ensures you have a strong value proposition that differentiates you from

the competition and one that will truly resonate within the market place. In addition, your sales

strategy will identify a segment or segments of customers who are most likely to “value” your value

proposition. However, before you unleash your sales force to acquire these new found prospects,

you need to ensure your sales process is in complete alignment and supports your strategy.

Sales Process Alignment Just as sales representatives must tailor or adjust their presentations to a specific client, so too must

a company align its sales processes with its sales strategy. A defined sales process will provide the

sales team with a road map on how to execute the strategy in the most effective way. Best in class

sales processes include clearly defined stages with activities, skills, resources, and points of measurement.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage:The creation of stages is a way of breaking down the end-to-end

sales process in smaller, more manageable segments. It also helps

sales reps and coaches improve performance by working on specific

stages needing attention. While one rep may thrive at identifying

and qualifying prospects, another may be better at presenting and

closing. This becomes more and more evident as you break down

the stages of the process.

When you look at the sales process from end-to-end, it can be

quite lengthy and complex. Typically it includes several stages with

a significant number of activities, events, people, tools, and

resources—engaging at different levels over a given period of time.

Activity:Now that you have segmented the end-to-end sales process into stages, next take a close look at

each stage to determine what is required to ensure a successful outcome. When defining activities,

document the what, who, and when. Be as specific as possible.

This level of detail will ensure the team understands their role and objectives, as well as those of

others, to achieve the desired results. Typical sales process activities include: industry and customer

research, meetings, emails, phone calls, analysis, and proposal writing. The more specific you can be

about the activities, the better.

Skill:The list of activities defines the what, who and when. However, we find best-in-class sales processes

always document the skills required to carry through the activities.

This extra step provides great value in helping the sales team execute and improve performance over the long term.

Not only will this help the sales rep understand specifically where he or she should focus in order to

arrive at a more favorable outcome, it is also quite helpful for the sales coaches, who are typically

front-line sales managers.

As a sales manager, if you can measure the quality of sales activity stage by stage and rep by rep,

you can be prescriptive and strategic about your coaching efforts. Additionally, this information

should be shared with your company's Learning & Development division to ensure that group aligns

development paths and training programs to support your efforts with the sales team.

Resource:Here you will want to list the resources that are available to a sales rep at a given stage in the sales

process. Resources are also commonly referred to as enablers. Your focus here is to understand the

resources available to the sales team to enable them to be more successful in a given stage. Typical

resources include: marketing material, available partners, systems to access, job-aides, technology,

business intelligence, and organizational tools.

We have also found that the more complex the sales environment is, the more important these

resources become. As such, they need to be considered carefully.

Measurement:Points of measurement are arguable one of the most important aspects to the sales process.

They not only tell you what to expect or what happened but how effective it was. We’ve all heard it

before—"What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done." While we tend to agree with this state-

ment, we feel there is a larger opportunity for organizations to leverage this information differently.

We find that organizations tend to “manage and evaluate” things that have already happened.

We refer to these as lagging indicators.

Although there is certain value in knowing what happened so that you can make adjustments in the future, we find it is more valuable to measure things in the moment, so that you can adjust along the way.

We encourage organizations to measure leading indicators. Leading indicators give you insight into

things that happen or are happening in the sales process before a decision is made. This information

is much more actionable, as it enables you to adjust along the way in order to achieve a more

desirable outcome. Here are a few examples of each type:

In ClosingTo achieve top line growth and acquire new customers, we at Janek Performance Group feel it is

critical that strategies are clarified and processes are aligned to effectively implement the strategy.

Sales professionals tasked to execute these processes must be equipped with the skills, tools, and

behaviors to do so effectively.

This alignment creates synergies at all levels of the sales organization and will ensure maximum success when acquiring new customers.

Executives and sales managers: re-evaluate your assumptions, the current competition in the

marketplace, and your customers' perception of your value proposition. Break down and define

with detail the stages of the sales process and the activities associated with each one. Assign the

appropriate skills to each activity. Finally, inventory your resources and calibrate your measurements

and timetables.

This task is no doubt challenging and requires an investment of time; nonetheless, it is absolutely

critical. Creating or re-focusing your sales strategy to provide a clear definition and purpose, and

aligning your sales processes with that strategy is an investment that every successful company

undertakes. Janek Performance Group can assist you to do the same for your sales organization.

5

Janek Performance Group

As a leader in sales performance solutions, Janek works with a broad range of clients in a variety

of industries to provide the resources, expertise, and training and consulting services to support

organizations in meeting their sales objectives.

Contact us today to talk about how we can help your company achieve greater sales success.

Website: www.Janek.com | Email: info@Janek.com | Phone: 800.979.0079 | Fax: 800.979.0074

Acquiring New Customers: The Impact Strategy and Process have on Growing the Top Line

© 2012 Janek Performance Group, Inc. All rights reserved.