Question 1: When we recruit new Sales people, we use a structured interview guide to assess the competencies required to execute our Sales Process, thereby minimising hiring mistakes.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
In an interview you want to assess the candidate’s experience and more important their ability to work within your Professional Sales Process. You want to find out how big the gaps are.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Start by reviewing your Sales Process with the goal of making it the benchmark for successful selling in your business.
Then define the expected behaviours to look for and build a Success Profile
Ask questions in the interview based on the Success Profile
Insist that the candidate give examples of how they have demonstrated those competencies
Mark the candidates and see how they perform against the Success Profile.
Useful Resources
Read Blog: Interviewing Sales People - Don't Believe What They Say
Question 2: Our company Sales Process helps us win business.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Many Sales people yawn or think of control when they hear the words Sales Process. They don’t get any value from it or even feel that it gets in the way of selling.
This comment from a frustrated Sales Professional sums up what many people feel “Every hour spent meeting a customer seems to require 1 hour in front of the computer putting information into the CRM system”.
What Best Practice Looks Like
The contents of a good Sales Process should:
Be perceived by Sales people as essential for generating and winning new business
Make your sales approach a competitive differentiator
Be applicable for proactive and reactive selling (RFPs)
Help Sales people to orchestrate a selling team
Be a source of ideas for self-improvement
Support manager’s in coaching Opportunity Reviews
Help to ensure that people with the right profile are recruited
Useful Resources
Read Blog: RFPs – How to Win Against The Odds/Why You Shouldn't Always Do What Your Customers Want
Question 3: I think that we are always in control of the sales process.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Mostly you will start off not being in control of the Sales Process. Buyers will ask you for prices up front, solutions straight away or for presentations to people you don’t know. All perfect common sense for the customer. All potential disasters for you.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Position your Sales Process as a structured approach to help the customer make a sound investment decision and achieve their goals. Here are a few tips to translate your Sales Process into customer talk:
Call it your Customer Engagement Model – they will think you are off your head if you use the term Sales Process
Replace internal terms like Covering the Buying Center with customer-friendly terms like Needs Analysis
Disguise your Sales Process further by including implementation activities that normally come after the buying decision
A professional project plan like this - substantiated through a case study - allows you to gain control of the Sales Process and present the best possible solution to your customer.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Sales Process
Read Blog: Taking Control of the Sales Process
Question 4: We have a robust pipeline i.e. we make the numbers even if our largest opportunities fail to close.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
What happens when you lose the biggest deal in your pipeline, the one you have been focussing all your effort on? Life as a Sales person can become very uncomfortable if you don’t have enough opportunities to compensate for the loss. It is easy to pass the buck for lead generation to Marketing but at the end of the day Sales is responsible for making the numbers.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Always reserve at least 25% of selling time for generating leads in new and existing accounts
Focus on companies that fulfil your Target Customer Profile
Complete a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis by company and identify the areas where you can deliver value
Identify the person with Pain and Power and approach them with a Value Based Proposition
Prepare and execute your initial contact professionally – first impressions really count
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Getting Started
Read Blog:
Question 5: We continuously generate leads by asking satisfied customers to introduce us to new ones.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Most customers you have done a good job for are more then happy to make a recommendation. Based on our recent research, nearly two-thirds of survey participants (63%) said that they would be willing to introduce a trusted person to their network. And customers say that an introduction from a trusted person is the second most effective way to get a first meeting with them.
What Best Practice Looks Like
What you want is for your customer to refer you to a specific prospect saying what a great job you have done for them. Here is an example email to ask for a referral:
Dear Frank,
It has been a pleasure working with you over the last 2 years. Based on the success you have enjoyed, I would like to ask you a small favour – to introduce me to your business colleagues Erik Niederhagen and Arne Hendriksen. I prepared a text for you, based on the results you shared, if you wish to use it….
Hello Erik,
I would like to introduce you to Phil Kreindler. We have been working with Phil for the last 2 years in our sales transformation process. Today, we are winning more opportunities and discounting less – profitability is up by 23%. I really recommend having a talk with Phil; his e-mail is…….
Useful Resources
Read Blog: A Happy Customer is Your Best Salesman
Question 6: In RFP situations, we use a set of formal criteria to make a sound go/no-go decision. We then successfully introduce requirements which we fulfil better than the competition.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Customers are required to evaluate alternative solutions and encourage you to participate in RFPs. But if a preferred supplier is in the pole position and has established relationships it will be difficult to win if you are the challenger.
Investing resources in the wrong opportunities can hurt in more ways than one. You might be so busy chasing no-hope opportunities that you lack resources to win the good ones.
What Best Practice Looks Like
It is vital to make a GO/NO GO decision as early as possible.
Have a set of questions ready and don’t be afraid to ask them:
Do you have a preferred supplier?
What are their strengths?
What could motivate you to work with an alternative supplier?
Then ask yourself the question: How can I disrupt the evaluation by introducing requirements which we fulfil much better than the competition?
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Request for Proposal
Read Blog: Don't Flog a Dead Horse
Question 7: The quality and speed of our responses to customer requests for information sets us apart from the competition.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
From the customer’s point of view, vendors are all starting to look very much the same. Things like quality, price and reputation get you on the short list but you be up against competitors who are offering virtually the same at a similar price. At this point not “What you Sell” but “How you Sell” becomes the key competitive differentiator. That’s why Responsiveness (getting back to people quickly with the information they need and in high quality) is a significant factor in winning business today.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Here are 4 things you can work on to become more Responsive and positively influence the customer’s experience:
Ensure that all departments involved in the Sales Process (not just sales) work towards delivering the right quality responses as quickly as possible
Develop Sales Playbooks with industry-specific examples of all the tools of a pitch so that they don’t have to be developed every time from scratch
Introduce Internal Service Level Targets for response times
Cut out form-filling and meetings which eat up selling time. If you don’t give Sales people the time and space to be Responsive they can’t be.
Useful Resources
Read Blog: The Responsive Sales Team Wins
Question 8: We fully understand how our customers define good first meetings and always fulfil their expectations.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
More than half of the customer executives we recently surveyed said that they are not satisfied with the quality of first meetings. These quotes show why:
“I am sick and tired of educating Sales people about our business and industry”
“Sales people should focus on the issues I am facing, not just bring standard presentations”
“If I feel my time is being wasted, I just switch off”
What Best Practice Looks Like
If you are preparing a first meeting, ask yourself these questions;
Which industry and customer insights will demonstrate my credibility and preparation?
What questions will I ask to deepen my understanding of the customer’s needs?
How will I show what we do rather than talking about how great our company is?
How will I differentiate our company from the competition?
How will I measure the success of the meeting?
What needs to be in my meeting summary?
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Prospect Meetings
Read Blog: How to Plan the Perfect First Sales Meeting
Question 9: We always have a thorough understanding of the Buying Center and individual customer needs before we submit a proposal.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
In complex B2B Sales there are a lot of people involved, you have to discover who they all are. This important part of the Sales Process is rarely part of the customer’s buying process. Then you have to discover what each person’s role in the decision making process is and what relationships they may have with your competitors. The individual Business Goals, Personal Goals and Decision Criteria can be many and vary greatly from person to person. Failure to do all this effectively is the cause of a great many failed pitches.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Here are some ideas to develop trust and increase the likelihood that your initial contact will introduce you to the Buying Center:
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of their business and industry
Be responsive and professional in your communication
Share a sample project and explain how important it was to understand the requirements of all stakeholders
Make the person feel important and help them shine internally
And don’t forget to ask an internal colleague to challenge your perception of the Buying Center.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Buying Center Analysis
Read Blog: Make the Buying Center Your Allies
Question 10: The way we engage as a team is seen by our customers as a competitive differentiator.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Did you watch the last World Cup? The host country Brazil had a proud history of footballing success and a team of international star players. But in the semi final they suffered a massive defeat, going down 1-7 to Germany who went on to win the cup. Brazil may well have had the better players, but Germany were the better team.
In the world of B2B selling, a well aligned team can clearly differentiate you from the competition and be a deciding factor in winning deals and developing accounts.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Assemble your Opportunity Team based on what is needed – not what is available
Include management – it demonstrates company commitment and shows that the customer is dealing with people who matter
Invest face-to-face time to establish trust and mutual respect
Develop an Opportunity Roadmap and a clear understanding of everyone’s role in the Sales Process
Avoid one person becoming a Primadonna – if someone tries to be in charge of everything, other team members disengage
Ask the customer how you are performing as a team and have the guts to make changes
Remember: Everything you do in the Sales Process shows what it will be like to work with you.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Selling is hard work
Read Blog: It Takes Team Work to Win
Question 11: The way we do Opportunity Reviews today, is perceived as a positive experience.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
B2B sales cycles are getting longer and more complex, so the cost of pitching is rising. The increased investment you have to make means it’s more important than ever to make sure your Sales Process is under control. The management tool you use is an Opportunity Review.
What Best Practice Looks Like
A good Opportunity Review benefits everyone. Here are some of the things to look for:
The Opportunity Owner highlights all issues transparently
The Manager uses positive coaching techniques to reach consensus about the issues
The Manager facilitates a brainstorming of ideas to advance the sale
A de-briefing ensures that Opportunity Reviews are continuously improved
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribbles: Opportunity Roadmap
Read Blog: Learn to love Opportunity Reviews
Question 12: We always tailor our value propositions to the different needs of the key stakeholders.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
An Individual Value Proposition focuses on one person, perhaps a key decision maker or an important influencer. Depending on the complexity of the customer’s buying process, there may be many people involved. This means you have to develop multiple Individual Value Propositions – one size does not fit all.
This type of customisation sets your communication apart from the competition. Remember “How you sell is why you win”.
What Best Practice Looks Like
An Individual Value Proposition is often written – such as the follow-up e-mail to a meeting and must as the name implies address the needs of that person.
Ideally, the recipient recognises their own words in the description of the goals and solution requirements discussed in the meeting.
The solution and benefits show a clear link to their goals, and the description of your competitive strengths is not just words, but mirrors their experience of working with you.
So, in summary, the goal of an Individual Value Proposition is to ensure that the people in the decision-making process feel well understood – and motivated to buy from you.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Individual Value Propositions
Question 13: We carefully assess our competitive strengths and weaknesses in each sales opportunity and then develop and execute the best competitive strategy. We consistently outwit the competition.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Most Sales people only apply one strategy and that is to put their best solution forward. Even if your solution is superior to the competition and you are the front-runner, you need a strategy because your competitors will try to catch you out. And what if you are in a weak position? How can you outwit the competition and win?
What Best Practice Looks Like
Ask yourself these questions to define the best competitive strategy:
Is your solution superior to the competition? If the answer is yes, go Direct, if the answer is no, go to the next question.
Can you change the buying criteria to better match your strengths? If the answer is yes, go Change, if the answer is no, go to the next question.
Can you divide the business to win a portion in an area where you are strong? If the answer is yes, go Divide, if the answer is no, go to the next question.
Can you delay the decision to improve your position over time? If the answer is yes, go Delay, if the answer is no, go to the last question.
Have you considered walking away from the business, as you might not have a winning strategy?
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Competitive Strategy
Read Blog: How to Beat your Competitors
Question 14: We have a good understanding of the KPIs affected by our solutions and work with our customers to quantify the benefits.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
The quantification of benefits takes the focus away from price and connects your solution to the finance and senior business executives whose KPIs your solution will impact. It accelerates the customer’s buying process and improves your negotiation position.
What Best Practice Looks Like
These are the kinds of question you should be asking about the KPIs affected by your solution:
Problem questions to uncover and develop needs
Impact questions to expand the customer´s perception of the
problem by exploring its effect on their business
Benefit questions to get the customer to quantify the potential benefit of addressing the problem e.g. “If you could reduce this type of incidence by say 25% how much additional revenue would that generate?”
Note: You may opt for 3 versions of the numbers in the Benefit Calculation – worst, target and best case.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Business Case
Read Blog: A Business Case accelerates the sale
Question 15: We always influence the final customer decision by preparing our contacts for internal selling.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Projects are receiving increased scrutiny by top management before being approved. But the CEO and the rest of the C-suite in a large modern company are very busy. Highly competent people surround them and key tasks like selecting vendors are usually delegated. Depending on the size or importance of the business, the CXO signs off, but they don’t want to spend lots of time sitting through meetings with vendor Sales organisations.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Smart Sales people develop a Deal One Pager for their highest contact to use in internal communication with their CXO’s. We suggest the following format:
Objectives and requirements - make sure you include points important to the final decision maker
Solution description – make sure that it really matches the customer’s objectives and requirements
Benefits - make sure that the benefits listed address all stakeholders involved in the decision
Strengths - make sure they are relevant for this customer and really differentiate you from the alternatives being considered
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Deal One-Pager
Read Blog: Stop the selling to CEO hype
Question 16: We fully understand how our customers define good proposals and always fulfil these expectations.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Based on our survey of 300 customer executives, a high percentage on respondents said that vendor proposals do not meet their expectations:
57% feel that the solution is not described clearly and that too much generic text is used
62% are dissatisfied with the Management Summary, the first thing they read
48% feel that specific benefits for key stakeholders are missing
What Best Practice Looks Like
Develop relationships with the whole Buying Center and understand their needs and decision criteria so that you can present benefites specific to them in the proposal.
Show an example of a previous proposal to the prospect and ask is this the level of detail they expect?
Ensure that the Management Summary is centered on their needs, your solution benefits and what makes you different
Review it with your Coach in the Buying Center
Ask for concrete feedback about what the customer liked and disliked
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Proposal Presentation
Read Blog: 12 reasons your proposal will be rejected
Question 17: We never make a price concession without getting something in return.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Whether you are trying to win a new customer, close new business with an existing account or renegotiate an annual contract, you will almost always end up facing a tough Buyer demanding a price reduction. They use all the tricks in the book to put you under pressure and get a better deal.
What Best Practice Looks Like
The key to making concessions acceptable is to find things that would be of high value to you but are relatively easy for the customer to give away because they have a low or no cost. Variables of unequal value can also be things that are of high value to your customer but cost relatively little for you to provide.
For example, a customer of ours had no contact to the other 4 divisions of the client organisation. So when they made a concession during the negotiation they traded a small discount for a referral to the other division heads after successful project completion. This had high value for our customer and no cost for their client.
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Closing Deals Profitably
Read Blog: Negotiation – the science of making everyone happy
Question 18: When we lose a deal, we identify deficits in our own sales approach and build these learnings into future sales opportunities.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important:
When they lose a sale, most Sales people take what the customer gives as a reason at face value. They do not dig deeper to identify deficits in their own sales approach. This results in mistakes being repeated and resources being wasted.
What Best Practice Looks Like
To really learn from losses, you need in-depth feedback, not just the usual question “Why did we lose” which leaves the door open for the customer to say that the price was too high. You have to ask specific questions about your sales approach e.g. How well in your opinion did we understand your needs?
How well did we communicate the benefits of our solution and what differentiates us from others?
To which decision makers did we lack access?
Which words would you use to describe our sales approach?
Useful Resources
Watch: Sales Scribble: Win-Loss Analysis
Read Blog: How to turn a loss into a win for you
Question 19: We have good relationships with all the different and relevant Buying Centers in customer organisations for our portfolio of products and services.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
Winning new customers is great but unless you expand your relationship into other Buying Centers at a customer, revenue can quickly dry up after the first project is completed.
What Best Practice Looks Like
First, you have to do an excellent job before you can ask for an internal recommendation.
Draw up a list of all the influential contacts you have and the people you would like to work with in other departments, business units or countries.
Rank each person Green, Grey, Red and Yellow depending on the quality of your relationship.
Ask Greens (influential supporters) to introduce you to Greys (influential people in other Buying Centers who do not know you).
Involve the relevant experts in your organisation.
Prepare the first meeting, carefully consider your questions and relevant information, minute the meeting and follow up effectively.
Useful Resources
Read Blog: Developing Relationships in Existing Accounts
Question 20: Our Sales Trainings are relevant and have a fast and sustained impact on business results.
Your Answer:
Why This Is Important
A significant amount of time and money is wasted on Sales Training. Despite good evaluation scores there is often no change in the way people work.
But if you do a few crucial things right you can get adoption to above 80%.
What Best Practice Looks Like
Based on our experience, these are the key sticky factors
As a leader bring home to people how urgent the need for change is
Make sure that the training content is relevant and can be used straight away in day-to-day work
Get all relevant areas of the business involved – not just Sales
Make sure managers lead from the front and support on-going learning and application through follow-up coaching
Ensure that technology is in place to support the application in daily business
Certify managers and team members through evidence-based presentation of how the concepts have been implemented
Useful Resources
Watch: Making it Stick
Read Blog: 3 Essentials to Make Sales Training Stick
