the secret to smarter sales- hbr article
DESCRIPTION
Difference between traditional selling and modern selling, types of sales reps in selling world, how to motivate themTRANSCRIPT
Smarter
Sales
Presented by:Amritpal singh bedi
“Customers don’t need you the way they used to”
July-Aug/2012
What comes to your mind when you hear-
Flashback• Since 1980, selling method involves salespeople
demonstrating why their product is better than other competitors.
• Focuses more on selling solution, employees an advocate or coach who helps the company and drives the deal to completion. SMARTER
SALES
• Customers don’t know how to solve their own problem, even they have good knowledge about what their problems are.
• It’s era of sales pro’s that don’t sell just effectively- they sell differently- focusing more on agile organizations that treats “every customer is unique, has different requirements”
What kind of customers to target
How to direct the flow of conversation
How to begin the conversation
When to engage
Solution Selling Insight Selling
• with clear vision and established demands
• with changing demands and change goes on
• After customer has identified a problem the supplier can solve
• Before customer has pinpointed a problem
• Ask customers about their needs
• Offer exciting insights about what he should do
• Depends on customer wish
• Coach the customer how to buy and support him
Strategy 1: Avoid “Established demand”
MOBILIZERS
ADVOCATES
Strategy 2: Mobilizers vs Advocates
Go getters
Teachers
Skeptics
Guides
Blockers
Climbers
Friends
MOBILIZERS
ADVOCATES
Motivating “Salespeople”
Salespeople
Stars
• Beats the target before deadline
• May stop working efficiently if boundaries are imposed
Core performers
• Mixture of the two
• Get least attention but are essential part of work
Laggards
• Needs more guidance and initiation to work
• Carrots as well as sticks in many cases
How to motivate them?
• Multi-tier targets• Prizes
Core performers
• Quarterly bonuses• Natural social pressureLaggards
• No bars on commissions
• Multiple winnersStars
Selling into micromarket
Developing micro market- 5 steps of finding growth
1. Define market size
2. Determine growth potential
3. Gauge market share
4. Differentiate Market share
5. Prioritize growth areas
WORDS FROM PRO’SFounder and chairmanBOSTON BEER COMPANY
“ I knew brewing and business, but nothing about selling. I’m not natural salesman. I learned that if I could persuade a person to taste my beer, I had good shot at making a sale”
Executive vice chairmanEureka Forbes, Mumbai
“We took few important steps to grow ourselves- First, we de-centralized the sales operation, giving our regional offices more autonomy and accountability.Second, we began investing heavily in R&D and give our salespeople close interactions with customers”