How can you pivot from a solution selling approach that is not working?

Get inquisitive and go into information gathering mode. Make sure you have a solution that solves a problem for them. Dig deeper!

- Diagnose the Root Cause. - Reassess Customer Needs and Pain Points. - Focus on Value Propositions and Differentiation. - Explore Alternative Sales Approaches. - Leverage Technology and Data Analytics. - Invest in Sales Training and Development. - Monitor and Iterate.

The first you discover the cause of missing sales or missing in the process. Second you understand how to fix the problem. Third apply what you have learnt in the future systematically apply. So whenever I feel I am not getting the correct Results I always return to the basic principle of sales.

1. Evaluate the Current Approach: Analyze why the current solution selling approach is not working. 2. Understand Customer Needs: Reassess the needs and pain points of your target customers. 3. Adapt the Value Proposition: Tailor your value proposition to better align with the needs and preferences of your target customers. 4. Explore Alternative Strategies: Consider alternative sales approaches or methodologies that may be more effective in engaging customers and driving conversions. 5. Diversify Communication Channels: Expand your reach and engagement by leveraging a mix of communication channels, such as social media, email marketing, networking events, or direct sales outreach. 6. Invest in Training & Development to enhance skills.

Identify the Root Cause Personal Experience Insight: Start by conducting a thorough analysis of your current sales process to pinpoint exactly where and why it's failing. This could involve reviewing sales call recordings, customer feedback, lost sale data, and performance metrics. The goal is to identify patterns or common factors that contribute to unsuccessful sales. For example, you might find that prospects feel the solution is too complex or doesn't exactly meet their needs.

Adote uma abordagem Consultiva: Em vez de simplesmente vender uma solu??o, concentre-se em entender profundamente as necessidades do cliente e oferecer uma abordagem consultiva para apresentar a solu??o como a melhor op??o para resolver seus desafios específicos.

Adjusting your strategy after identifying the root cause of a problem is essential for addressing the issue effectively and preventing its recurrence. Here are steps to adjust your strategy: 1. Reassess Goals and Objectives 2. Refine Action Plans 3. Setting up the priorities 4. Resource allocation 5. Allocating resources 6. Develop Contingency Plans 7. Provide Training and Support 8. Monitor usage to Encourage Feedback and Adaptation 9. Celebrate Successes and Learn from Failures

Adjust Your Strategy Personal Experience Insight: Once you've identified the root causes, it's time to adjust your sales strategy. This could mean redefining your target customer profile, modifying your value proposition, or altering your engagement techniques. For instance, if customers are consistently objecting to price, consider revising your pricing model or enhancing the perceived value of your solution. Adjusting your strategy might also mean adopting a more consultative sales approach, focusing on building relationships and deeply understanding the customer’s business before pitching your solution.

Assess whether the needs and preferences of your target customers have evolved. Industries and markets change, and your solution may need adjustments to align with current demands. Analyze the strategies of your competitors. Identify successful approaches and assess how you can differentiate your solution. Look for gaps in the market that may present new opportunities. Refine your value proposition based on the feedback and market analysis.

Adjust your strategy by incorporating customer feedback, market insights, and emerging trends. Focus on refining your value proposition to better address customer needs. Collaborate with the sales team to ensure a unified approach and provide targeted training to enhance their solution-selling skills. Regularly evaluate and adapt your strategy to remain agile in response to evolving market dynamics. This iterative process fosters continuous improvement and increased effectiveness in solution selling.

Identify and leverage your unique strengths and competitive advantages in the market. Tailor your messaging to emphasize these strengths, aligning them with customer needs. Invest in specialized training for your sales team to enhance their expertise in areas where your strengths shine. Utilize success stories and case studies to showcase how your strengths have positively impacted customers. Continuously assess and refine your approach based on feedback and performance metrics to maintain a competitive edge.

Leverage Your Strengths Personal Experience Insight: Reflect on past successes and identify the strengths that contributed to those wins. This could be a particular market segment where you've had consistent success, a feature of your solution that customers love, or even a salesperson whose approach seems to resonate well with prospects. By doubling down on these strengths, you can differentiate your offering in the marketplace. For example, if your software has a unique feature that competitors lack, make sure this is highlighted early in your sales conversations.

Clearly communicate the unique benefits and value your solution brings to customers. Ensure it addresses specific pain points. Consider expanding or narrowing your target market. Explore new segments or niches where your solution might have a better fit. Tailor your approach to the specific needs of these markets.

One of the biggest problems to show and leverage your strengths, is to get data or testionials of use cases. My personal experience is that a lot of customers are not really into giving you "public testimonials"...therefore I always use kind of "use cases", and tell only about the characteristic of the "happy" customer (like industry, size, etc.)...

Indeed, leveraging your strengths and differentiating yourself from the competition is crucial. Highlighting unique advantages and capabilities in a compelling and credible manner is key. Utilizing case studies, testimonials, or referrals can illustrate the value and results effectively. Offering free trials, demos, or consultations allows customers to experience the solution firsthand, demonstrating expertise and authority in the field.

Simplify Your Process Personal Experience Insight: Complexity can often be a barrier to sales. Look for ways to simplify your sales process, making it easier for customers to understand the value of your solution and make a decision. This could involve streamlining the number of steps in the sales cycle, simplifying your pricing structure, or making your product demonstrations more focused and concise. The easier it is for prospects to grasp the benefits of your solution and how it works, the more likely they are to buy.

Processes are essential for control but can hinder business growth. Prioritize buyer needs over internal procedures. Document sales cycles to identify bottlenecks and discard unnecessary processes. Invest in automating contract and quotation templating to streamline solution selling. AI tools can further enhance efficiency if budget allows.

Solution Selling has been around for a long time and it works. That said, I think it's based and built on the 80/20 model. 80% of revenue coming from 20% of your customer base...meaning Enterprise clients or a vendors top clients with the most amount of revenue to spend on the vendor. Some Enterprises won't want to fit into the model, and I've been in calls where the client has said just that. They want the details and ask for everything under the sun. In this situation, it is no longer a partnership - it's all about the delivery. Smaller clients are more nimble, and also don't want to be show-horned into a long drawn out process. The key is to listen and trust your gut. Adjust, be easier with give/get, or stick to the process.

Streamline and simplify your sales process by focusing on core value propositions and eliminating unnecessary complexities. Ensure clear communication both internally and externally to enhance understanding. Emphasize user-friendly interfaces and straightforward steps for customers. Regularly gather feedback from the sales team and clients to identify areas for simplification. Implement technology solutions that automate repetitive tasks and reduce friction in the buying process.

Most of the times the buying process of the customer is not depending on you...they have their internal systems, approvals, setups, etc. But what you can do is: have all the details on hand (like you legal documents, bank accounts, whatever), and also use a fast and standardized proposal software (e.g for quoting)....we have used one and it speeded up the delivery and also revision of our quotes delivered....it is now just a couple of minutes to change a price, some lines or texts, etc. Biggest thing = Ask the question about BUDGET, and who and how it will be approved...

Follow Up and Optimize Personal Experience Insight: Continuous improvement is key to sales success. After implementing changes, closely monitor performance and gather feedback from prospects, whether they convert or not. Use this feedback to make further adjustments. Regular follow-up with customers who have made purchases can also provide valuable insights into what's working and what isn't, allowing you to continually refine your approach.

Mos of the the time in B2B sales, the real sales starts after the paperwork....implementing a solution or delivering a product is just the start. You have to educate the client about your product in order to get the best out of it, and to convert into a BELIEVER, a FAN. I strongly recommend to assign a dedicated customer success manager to this...or even the same sales employee could be staying on the client and is responsible for making him happy (incentives??)

Following up and optimizing sales performance is crucial for a successful pivot. Maintaining and nurturing customer relationships post-sale is essential. This can be achieved through regular communication, ongoing support, and offering additional value- services or products. Measuring and improving customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty can be done through various means such as surveys, reviews, and feedback calls. Analyzing customer feedback and suggestions allows for continuous improvement of to better meet customer needs. Utilizing analytics, dashboards, and reports helps track and optimize sales metrics and goals. By monitoring KPIs, adjustments can be made to the sales process to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

In my experience a solution sale is multifaceted. I sell solutions based on quality, helping clients understand where their budget is best spent, according to the individual needs of the project.

When ever there is a lack of traction in the process go back to the start. You may not have missed anything but something may have changed. It’s always good to periodically recap on the customer’s current position and constantly tweak your approach to ensure you remain aligned