sma online experts’ exchange managing “pre sales:” · pdf filespent over 10...

SMA Online Experts’ Exchange

February 25, 2011

Presented by

© Copyright 2011 The Sales Management Association.

Managing “Pre-Sales:” Making the Most of

Sales Engineering Investments

About the Sales Management Association

A global, cross-industry professional association for sales

operations and sales management.

Focused in providing research, case studies, training, peer

networking, and professional development to our membership.

Fostering a community of thought-leaders, service providers,

academics, and practitioners.

1

© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved Slide 2

Learn More: www.salesmanagement.org

MAR

10

Workshop: “Optimizing Sales Management’s Coaching Impact”

A workshop for sales leaders interested in implementing, assessing, and optimizing effective sales coaching programs in their sales organization. Held at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.

Join Us for this upcoming SMA event

http://www.salesmanagement.org/

Today’s Presenters

© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

John CareManaging Director

Mastering Technical Sales

Slide 3

Sean CullenDirector, Global Field Strategy & Operations

SAP America

John LittletonSales Engineering Manager

Cisco Systems

Presenters’ Background

4

Sean Cullen

• Director of Global Field Strategy & Operations at SAP America.

• Over 20 years work experience in sales and business operations,

strategic management, and business analysis at MCI, DataPath,

Ariba, and BusinessObjects (acquired by SAP).

• At SAP Sean’s focus has been developing and maturing global field

operations function

Slide 4© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

John Littleton

• Sales Engineering Manager at Cisco Systems.

• Has worked in the Networking Industry for over 18 years. John has

spent over 10 years in Sales Engineering Leadership, with the last

5 years working for Cisco Systems.

• Prior to Cisco, John worked for a Partner, other Manufacturers, and

a start-up company in various roles including Network Consultant,

Systems Engineer, Account Manager and Systems Engineering

Manager.

Presenters’ Background

5 Slide 5© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

John Care

• Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales.

• Previous positions managing pre-sales teams at Oracle, Sybase,

Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects.

• Published in CIO, InfoWorld, Touchline and The Wall Street

Journal.

• Most recently he was Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-

Sales at CA.

Managing “Pre-Sales:” Making the Most of Sales Engineering Investments

February 25, 2011

Presented by


Managing Pre-Sales at Cisco

SE Engagement

Slide 7© 2011 Copyright Cisco Systems. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Strategic Account Engagement

• Less is More

• Assign Strategic Accounts per SE (Sales and SE Management)

–SE’s Develop regular scheduled calls once every other week (Set Goal per week)

– Current projects

– Lunch & Learn

– Product Updates

– Proactive Product Specialist Engagement

–SE’s have formal architecture account planning session with AM

• Consistency Outperforms any Individual Effort

• Metrics

–Monitor SE engagement in Strategic Accounts

–Show Technologies covered within Strategic Accounts

–Show pipeline/bookings for strategic accounts

–Account Plan – Architecture Review with AM

How to Finish First:

Do the Things that Matter Well


Measure for Success

SE Name, Account Name, Strategic/Opportunity - Examples below use only three variables

Team Account

EngagementSE #2 Strategic

Account Focus

SE #2 Strategic

Account Focus


It’s all in the Execution

• Prescribe – Direct - Measure

• Drive Adoption/Culture

- Get agreement on “Must Wins”

- Set reasonable/achievable goals with team

input/feedback

- Leverage SE Activity Data

- Review Progress – Let the SE Lead discussion!

- SE details “What’s working/What’s Not”

Style Matters!!!



February 25, 2011

Presented by


Data Driven SE Business

Sales Engineering or “SE” = Presales function

© 2011 SAP. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

Sales Engineering = Pre-Sales


The Field Faces Increasing Business Challenges & Pressures

Consultative Approach to Addressing Business:


Data Driven SE Organization Relies on Systems:


Metrics Can Bring Visibility To Sales Contribution:


Dashboards can elevate management visibility to the SE metrics

and call for action in the business.

Slide 17

Note: Produced in SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard, formerly known as Xcelsius


Dashboards Elevate Management Visibility


Basis for SE Resource or Investment Planning:


February 25, 2011

Presented by


Pre-Sales Enablement Best Practices

The Three Big Messages From This Session

Slide 20© 2011 Mastering Technical Sales. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

We’re Different!

Three Kinds Of Training

Why It’s Important

(aka Why You Should Care..)

The Three Kinds Of Training/Enablement

Slide 22

Technology

Solutions

Personal


Think About The Engagement Model

Slide 23

Time

Leve

l of C

once

rn

Risk

Price

Needs

Solution

Cost

Phase I Phase II Phase III

Technical Validation

Complex Demo

POC +Trial

Differentiation

Initial Meetings

Discovery

RFx

Standard Demo

Technical “Whack-

A-Mole”


Deals in

Forecast Are

Further Away

Than They

Appear

Four Reasons Why It’s So Important

Slide 25

Career Development =

Employee Retention

Skills = Pipeline

Skills = Velocity

Skills = Revenue


What’s Your ROPE?

Slide 26

Can You Measure It?

How Do You Know If It’s

Any Good?

How Can You Make It

Better?


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