S S Ten Slides in Ten Minutes: Parable of the Pink Ponies [Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Prospects & Clients]

Presented by:

Bill Graham APM.APMP

April, 2014

bill.graham@sales-synthesis.co.za

Market

Management Relationship

Building Opportunity

Scouting

Prompts: • Global trends • Industry knowledge • Unfolding

opportunities • Emerging risks

Prompts: • Pedigree/s • Preferences • Requirement/s for

advancement • Resource alignment • Communication plan/s

Prompts: • Wants vs. needs • Resourcing

requirements • Solutions vs. Risks • Ability to deliver • Competition

Account Managers

should be “Thought

Leaders” in specific

industries

Account Managers

need to be

articulate & be the

Single Point of

Contact [SPOC]

Account Managers

need to understand

the clients’ needs

and deliver against

this need

Fact 1: Account Management assists in the Determination of Solutions

2

Abundance of

Solutions Selection of

Solutions

Mutually Agreed

Solutions

Relevant solutions must be mutually agreed between the Service Provider & the Client

Source: Sales Synthesis

Client

3

Source: Sales Synthesis

Fact 2: It is a Necessity to Deploy Relevant Cost-Efficient Solutions

A Common Strategic

Vision with Clients

Basic Products

Basic Solutions

Value-Added Services

The Competitors’

Trajectory of

Irrelevance

Evolving Solutions

Moment of Truth

Competitive

Mountain

Competitive

Molehill

An evolving relationship

4

Thus, given that….

Fact 1: Account Management assists in the Determination of Solutions Relevant solutions must be mutually agreed between the Service Provider & the Client

Fact 2: It is a Necessity to Deploy Relevant Cost-Efficient Solutions

&

The Sales Bag will contain a defined set of offerings…

5

Thus, given that….

Fact 1: Account Management assists in the Determination of Solutions Relevant solutions must be mutually agreed between the Service Provider & the Client

Fact 2: It is a Necessity to Deploy Relevant Cost-Efficient Solutions

&

But none, I guess, would be a real Pink Pony…

The Sales Bag will contain a defined set of offerings… Sales Bag:

Without Pink Ponies

6

Pink Ponies and a Point to Ponder

A customer walks into a major retail outlet and asks the sales assistant, ‘Do you sell Pink Ponies?’ The sales assistant has (probably) three possible answers: 1. “Yes” 2. “No” 3. “Come back in ‘X ‘weeks and we’ll have them in stock”.

What would their answer ‘typically be?…

7

Pink Ponies and a Point to Ponder

A customer walks into a major retail outlet and asks the sales assistant, ‘Do you sell Pink Ponies?’ The sales assistant has (probably) three possible answers: 1. “Yes” 2. “No” 3. “Come back in ‘X ‘weeks and we’ll have them in stock”.

It would be ‘No’…

What would their answer ‘typically be?…

8

A Question for Sales Leadership

Question: Would you allow your salesforce to attempt to sell Pink Ponies? Answer: 1. “Yes” 2. “No” 3. “Come back in ‘X ‘weeks and we’ll have them in stock”.

This is commonly referred to as ‘shoehorning…

A Forced Solution is a Forecast for Failure

9 Source: Sales Synthesis

Solution Fit

Profitability

and / or

Business

Fit Ascent of

Acceptability

Forcing a solution to fit a client’s requirements [commonly referred to as ‘shoehorning’] will result in lower marketplace credibility and lower long term profitability

The Path of Pink Ponies to the

Days of Customers’ Past

100% 0%

The Region of

Ruined Solutions and

Pink Ponies…

The Rapid Rise

of the Sound

Solution

The Peak of

Performance

A Forced Solution is a Forecast for Failure

Build mutually beneficial and sustainable long-term client relationships by crafting solutions that support a clients’ Business Needs

10

In Closing: A Lesson to Learn

Scenario 1: A customer walks into a major retail outlet and asks the sales assistant, ‘Do you sell Pink Ponies?’ The sales assistant answers: “Yes”

…and the retail outlet goes out of business because of non-delivery.

Scenario 2: A customer walks into a major retail outlet and asks the sales assistant, ‘Do you sell Pink Ponies?’ The sales assistant answers: “No”

… and the retail outlet grows from strength to strength by selling relevant offerings.

Do Not Compromise your Salespeople - or Your Growth in the Marketplace - by Proposing Irrelevant Offerings, such as Pink Ponies…