SalesGrok

Review: Getting Into Your Customer's Head

Though this book was first published in 1996, it's completely relevant.  The "aha" moment that inspired Kevin Davis to write Getting Into Your Customer's Head was his realization that after more than a decade in Sales that he knew almost everything about sales processes and very little about his customer's buying process.  How comfortable are you with your grasp?...

Kevin begins by defining two distinct buying patterns, Buy-knowing and Buy-learning.  Buy-knowing is comprised of fairly simple, transactional sales (simple products that don't require salespeople...like paper), whereas Buy-learning is a complex, strategic process where the customer must match their needs with multiple alternatives. Kevin stresses that because today's decision makers have more power and more risk, they are more apt to delay purchases until they are absolutely sure they are making the best decision.

To build up the case that a different approach is a must for success in the digital economy, Kevin shares a story about a loss using the traditional method where he led the prospect all the way through to the close only to lose the sale to a competitor a week later.  He shares interesting research including a Thompson Publishing Study that found customers make 80% of purchases on or after the 5th sales call, whereas 90% of salespeople stop selling before then!  Another poignant stat was a Forbes study that revealed the top 5 greatest customer frustrations with salespeople:

#5 over promising, un-delivering

#4 slow delivery

#3 over aggressive selling ("self-focused product pusher with commission breath" LOL!) 

#2 lack of knowledge of their business

#1 difficulty in communicating with salespeople (fatal mistakes)

The coolest bit of the book is the practical categorization of sales behavior that maps to the Buy-learning process.  The categories are simple, memorable...and brilliant (why didn't I think of this??). They are: Student, Doctor, Architect, Coach, Therapist, Negotiator, Teacher, and Farmer. 

Here are a few examples of how these characters manifest during the sales cycle: 

Before the call: Think like your customer. Anticipate challenges or opportunities. Do your homework. (Student)

During the call: Discover pain and needs. (Doctor)  Propose relevant solutions that focus on your strengths. (Architect) Secure a commitment from the prospect with every interaction. (Coach)

During the close: Understand and address customer fears. (Therapist) Prepare and execute a mutually beneficial agreement. (Negotiator)

After the sale: Ensure that the customer realizes the full value of the solution (Teacher) and grow the account. (Farmer)

I strongly recommend you check out Getting Into Your Customer's Head. If you absorb and implement Kevin Davis' advice, you'll effectively align with the customer's buying process and unique needs to consistently win the business while building a strong, lasting relationship.

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Business Plans for Sales Dummies

Hope I don't get sued for using the "Dummies" title.  I'll put in a link to one of their books later to cover my tail...  I was reading through my copy of the Art of War yesterday (OK, I have to take a book into the dry sauna!) and I rediscovered an interesting phrase, "taking whole". 

Taking whole is a core tenant of Sun Tzu's work, which is heralded for its military AND business applications.  A relevant example you may have heard: "Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles,  a thousand victories."  So how do you leverage this principle to make your numbers? (Consistent) Attainment = Planning + Execution.  

Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned veteran, you need a business plan. It's so amazing to me how many salespeople don't prepare a business plan (call it a sales plan or territory plan of you like) unless they are prodded by their manager. Ridiculous! 

At the root your plan should look and feel like you are launching your own business...because you are. If you believe that you are building a franchise and put the enthusiasm, energy and brain power behind crafting and executing your plan, your probability of lasting success will increase many times over. 

Let's talk about how to develop your plan. Here are the basic elements including a bit of color:

Mission & Objectives 

Your mission is a statement that maps to your position (hint: exceeding revenue targets set forth by management is a great start...), while objectives are the support elements, e.g. maintain a pipeline of 5x quota, achieve $150,000 in sales commissions, generate new business, or grow existing account revenue by 40%.

Customers 

The most important section.  Without customers, nothing else matters!  What key attributes define your target customer, including industry, size, and territory?  Identify specific industry trends impacting your prospects - what changes are creating opportunities?  Who is your buyer and what does their buying process look like? What are the best approaches for penetrating new accounts and/or expanding existing accounts?

Solutions

Define your products and/or services in terms of unique features and value delivered.  What are your key differentiators? How does it stack up against alternatives?  Who are your top competitors? How does the customer benefit financially, operationally or personally, e.g. Will your solution reduce costs, increase revenue or both?  Outline  the specific areas of value and document each with customer examples.  How will your customer measure success?  BTW this is a great reason to call on executives at existing customers - many in our field don't follow up post-sale (hit and run??!) - so you will differentiate yourself and gain up-sell or referral opportunities. 

Action Plan

What strategies will you employ to maximize results (revenue)?   You know where your targets live so what are the best methods to engage?  Consider what resources you will need to execute on all levels of the plan from contracts to product training to services (Hoovers/EDGAR) .  Select the top 5-10 top priorities and build from there. Examples include building target customers lists, completing quality calls with top customers, and bi-weekly plan reviews.    

There are a ton of resources out there that dive way deeper. And here is that link to the Dummies book! (it's good!:) 

Try not to over-think it (the fast eat the slow) and make it yours.  If you make it happen and keep it current, you will outperform your peers and competitors quarter after quarter, year after year...guaranteed.

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