As I think about executing a complex sale, and the sales communication opportunities associated with it, I think through the following sequence:
The goal is to differentiate our company, create value for the customer through the sales engagement process, and thereby gain a competitive advantage that will result in higher sales, higher margins and a shorter selling cycle (which lowers selling costs).
This will be a transformative process, requiring innovative approaches. This isn't about fiddling around the edges of a selling program, unlesss it's already there.
To do this requires different sales behaviors and a different selling process that shifts sales people from product information providers, to consultative, solution specialists.
Execution differs from awareness. Awareness is knowing what to do, which is addressed by sales training and information, necessary but not sufficient. Execution is winning the business.
This is fundamentally a communication challenge. Communication is all about how we deliver customer relevant messages that demonstrate our unique and relevant value.
Sales execution therefore, is all about sales conversations. Not all conversations are conducted in person, face-to-face. Consider: telephone, email, third party delivery, websites, documents, PR, blogs, events, etc.
The complex sale requires a new and different conversation from the traditional, product sale (again, behavior change). It must be tailored to each stakeholder in the buying process. And this process has shifted from a single, knowledgeable buyer, to a committee of people with different understandings of the underlying problems, associated issues, options to consider, decision criteria and process, timeframe and urgency.
Complex messages must be made simple and consumable. This is more science than art.
Marketing must take a new role to support sales with sales messaging and content that enables sales conversations with quality, consistent messaging that simplifies the complex and creates value for customers.
For most organizations with multiple product managers, this is best done with a defined sales messaging methodology that is consistently applied across all product and marketing groups. It should be supported by a feedback and update process given the dynamic nature of messaging and the ever-changing marketplace.
Knowledge sharing, especially about "what to say, and how to say it", is a critical component of sales execution. This activity is downstream from intial training activity, but is critical for just-in-time sales coaching when complex messages are involved.
Message delivery means supporting ALL the "conversation methods" involved in the complex sale. Perhaps most important is the ability to enable customer sponsors to effectively carry our message on our behalf, without the benefit of sales training, messaging playbooks, or years of experience.
Multimedia programs assist both the real time sales coaching requirements of sales and customer sponsors, and customer delivery requirements. Mutlimedia captures and holds attention, can be a virtual clone of subject experts, explains complexity and nuance better than text, and motives action.
Traditional multimedia production methods don't meet today's requirements for: tailored, personalized and relevant programs, rapid deployment, low cost, high quality and volume.
A new publishing approach to building multimedia, similar to that used with the website development process, is required. This involves a defined methodolgoy that determines what content to build, and for which communication purposes. It requires a new process that defines how to build content so it meets the above requirements.
Marketing must develop a sales communication and multimedia strategy to support these objectives.
Marketing should execute this as a set of services they provide to sales. These services should help the complex sales professional become more like a marketer to: build their personal brand as a trusted advisor (thought leader) within accounts, uncover and diagnose needs and opportunities, educate customers to set decision criteria they can win, and reduct the time and resource sinks that lower sales productivity and motivation.
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