What Is Your Strategy to WIN?

Hi Dan:

As a sales manager, I conduct forecasting calls for our major deals. When I ask my team for their strategy to close the deal, they usually say, "If I offer a larger discount I think I can close it." This is not what I want to hear! Help me coach my team to be better at sales strategy so I can protect my margins.

Sharon,?North Carolina

Sharon,

You are asking a great question.?Step 1 in driving improvement is knowing you have a problem. You already realize that providing a larger discount is NOT the answer. Nor is it a Major Opportunity Sales Strategy. The price paid for not knowing the 12 Major Account Strategies is called a DISCOUNT.

Step 2 in driving improvement involves teaching your reps to strategize more effectively. In my Trust Triangle Selling workshops, I focus on 12 Major Account Strategies.?Here they are, along with a Trust Triangle Selling 12 Major Account Strategies "Cheat Sheet." ?

1. Sole Source

No Competition.

2. Frontal Attack

Do exactly what the client tells you, and agree to the client's purchase criteria and buying process.

3. Expand The Pie

Make the purchase encompass more than initially described by the client.

4. Reduce The Pie (Fractional)

Make the purchase encompass less than initially requested by the client.

5. New Process

Add new steps, delete, or shuffle the steps in the client's internal buying process.

6. Re-Prioritize Criteria

Change the rack and stack of the current purchase criteria.

7. New Criteria

Add new criteria to the current purchase criteria and elevate them to top status.

8. Redefine Criterion

Redefine the current purchase criteria.

9. New Players

Insert new decision makers/influencers into the buying process

10. Accelerate

Speed up the buying process.

11. Delay

Delay the buying process.

12. Disengage

Remove your company and solution from consideration.

NOTE: No "Lone Rangers"! This Is A Very Risky Strategy. You Must Have Management Approval Prior To Using This Strategy!

For a high resolution Major Opportunity Sales Strategy cheat sheet click HERE https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H21lHSJackbD9oqzoF6QeFy1HNmm_O_3/view

For I-Phone users you can download The Sales Strategizer app. It is an intelligent app I devised to automatically select the correct strategy and coach you to victory.?It will help you to win more deals in less time, at higher margins with greater forecasting accuracy. Click HERE

Once your team members learn these strategies they can respond accurately and intelligently when you ask, “What is your strategy to win this opportunity?”?They should select one of the 12 strategies and then support that strategy with several tactics.?What are tactics??Tactics are the to-do items that support the strategy.

Lets take an example.?You are selling a solution to the Director of Operations.?You are not sure that she will vote for your offering.?You have a unique competitive advantage--your software has the industry's best intrusion detection system. The representative would like to get the Information Technology department involved in the decision to improve your chances of winning.??You select the Change the Decision Maker Strategy.?Now, what are the tactics (to-do items) that will support that strategy?

·?Set up a meeting with our “coach” Sue Simpson and our technical specialist.

·?Help Sue to involve the IT department.

·?Provide Sue with the ammunition she needs to persuade the Vice President of Information Technology to get involved in this buying process.

Sharon, I hope these examples demonstrate the importance of using tactics such as these to support and deploy the appropriate major opportunity strategy. If you become more strategic, you will all be Sales Superstars!

Here are a few great quotes to remind your team of the importance of Strategy:

"You Can Win Without A Strategy. It's Called Luck."

-Rick Page

"A Sales Representative Without A Strategy Is Merely A Visitor."

-Trust Triangle Selling?

"Hope Is NOT A Strategy!"

-Unknown

"Those Skilled In War Subdue the Enemy's Army without Battle. They Conquer By Strategy."

-Sun Tsu

"A Sales Representative Without A Strategy Believes In Miracles."

-Trust Triangle Selling?

?

Good Selling