How well does your B2B marketing team play with your sales team?

by Robb Woolsey

How well does your B2B marketing team play with your sales team? It is commonly referred to as the Sales and Marketing organization, however in many organizations today we have siloed the two organizations rendering both less effective.

In today's world of complex solutions, products and sales cycles, does your company's marketing team understand the challenges that the sales teams are facing. Do they fully understand the product or solution being offered, as well as, the key differentiators between your companies offering and the competition? How well are we arming our sales people with those key differentiators? What are our "unique" strengths?

I recently read a post by Laura Lake, Vice President of Interactive and Client Services, for Entrepreneur Advertising Group in Kansas City. She had just attended a sales seminar by Jeffrey Gitomer author of The Sales Bible and The Sale Re-defined.
"one thing I noticed in the session was that Jeffrey continued to bring up the topic of sales teams getting materials from the marketing department. The materials simply didn't do the job. The statement actually brought laughter to the room; especially the comment of having the marketing team sell using the materials they had given the sales department.

While I too laughed at the statement, I was also reminded on how divided and disjointed our sales and marketing departments are. This is especially true in large companies. Why is this?

Marketers often feel frustration when encountering the difficulties of getting their brand message translated into equity-building, price increasing, and margin-enhancing results by the sales force. Salespeople feel frustration when trying to get marketers to understand the real business situations sufficiently to deliver them practical and effective sales tools that will actually convert a potential customer into a customer." If you have read any of my posts in the past you know that I am a big proponent of Teaching for Differentiation Rule #1 - "Teach to Your Unique Strengths". Many times what sounds like a key differentiator in the creative room is simply not perceived to be relevant to the sales conversation. In fact "only 14% of companies so-called unique benefits are perceived by customers as both unique and beneficial!" the Challenger Sale.

The simplest step is to make certain both departments understand the realities of the other. Sales and Marketing need to engage each other, so that both understand the products and challenges of the market place they are trying to penetrate. Not only will this provide valuable insight for the marketing team, but by involving the sales team, marketing will naturally receive better support for their marketing efforts. Marketers would also benefit by going out with the sales force to see from the front lines what is needed. Don’t rely on outside market research as the only source of information.

Implementing the right strategy of communication in the Sales and Marketing departments will create a synergy that will drive new wins that both teams can own.　

Differentiate or Die

By Robb Woolsey

What Set's you Apart?

reidhoffman - startup-of-you

 

 

 

Why should your customer's buy from you over anyone else?

by Robb Woolsey

How are customers supposed to choose between suppliers that they perceive to be more or less undifferentiated?

Simple...They choose based on price!

Do you find yourself or your reps, if you are a manager, constantly going back to price in order to win business? Or worse, you discover an issue and teach the customer how it can be done better. Then the customer puts out an RFQ on your solution, making you a free consultant.

What do you as a company do better than anyone else? What are your "unique" strengths? In today's increasingly complex world of Solution Sales, most reps do as they have been taught. They follow the system of discovery. They teach their customers how they could do something differently, bring in an ROI model, achieve buy in from the customer for their solution, and attempt to close the sale.

The Challenger Sale, Teaching for Differentiation Rule #1 - "Teach to Your Unique Strengths"

Teaching customers ways to be more efficient, save money, increase revenue etc... is something, I believe, that most solutions sales reps do on a daily basis. But, for solution sales to be consistently successful, what you teach your customers must lead them back to something you do better than anyone else. Magic happens when you shared relevant, new insight teaching your customer not just to want help, but to want your help.

The sweet spot of customer loyalty is outperforming your competitors on those things that you have taught your customers are important.

Are you and the rest of the sales force armed with the key differentiators of your company, it's products and services, or are you commoditizing your solution? Grasp this as a company, sales team and individual contributor and watch your numbers climb through the roof.

"The Challenger Sale" a Quick Summary

by Robb Woolsey

I am a Challenger, now I am not saying that I am challenging, though my colleagues might disagree. I have used this process to be successful in my entrepreneurial ventures and my sales career.

Challengers are the debaters on the team. They have a deep understanding of the customer’s business and use that understanding to push the customer’s thinking and teach them something new about how they can compete more effectively. They are not afraid to share their views, even when they are different and potentially controversial. Challengers are assertive and tend to press customers both on thinking and price.

I am in the process of working through the book "The Challenger Sale Taking Control of the Conversation"; below is a quick summary.

In a world of hesitant, risk-averse, empowered customers, where research and product is but a mouse click away, what sales approach consistently wins?

To find out, CEB surveyed over 6000 sales reps across geographies and industries. The research revealed that sales reps fall into one of five profiles:

1. The Hard Worker
2. The Problem Solver
3. The Challenger
4. The Relationship Builder
5. The Lone Wolf

Each profile can turn in average performance, but only one consistently outperforms - the Challenger.

    The graph below show the percentage of high performers per profile

Each rep embodies characteristics from each profile however for almost every rep a specific subset of the attributes defines their primary approach to customers.

According to the research the Challenger is so much more effective and likely to win than any other profile, that 40% of all star performers fall into the Challenger profile as compared to the Relationship Builder which only has 7% representation in this elite group.

4 Principles of building the Challenger Selling Model into the organization;

1. Challengers are made, not just born
1. According to the research every rep in the study had traces of the Challenger "gene" with the right tools, training, coaching, and reward and recognition system, many reps can be equipped to act more like Challengers at least in front of customers.
2. It’s the combination of skills that matters
1. The ability to teach, tailor and take control, while maintaining constructive tension.
3. Challenging is about organizational capability, not just the rep skills
1. In order to implement this model across all reps, it’s as much about building organizational skills as it is about developing individual skills
4. Building the challenger sales force is a journey, not an overnight trip

With many organizations focus on hiring Relationship Reps and the stark contrast in results between the Challenger and Relationship profiles, this book offers a different perspective on the struggles that many sales organizations face today. In todays exceedingly complex sales environment this book should be in your top 10 must reads.

What are your thoughts? Have you read the book? What struggles are you or your sales teams facing today? Do you think this could be at the root?

Sweat the Small Stuff

Sweat the Small Stuff

by Robb Woolsey

Unfortunately, our reputations often rest not on our ability to do what we say, but rather on our ability to do what people expect. Which makes it all the more important to set the correct expectations.

This past week I was reminded of this simple yet valuable lesson. I was shopping for professional services and had narrowed my search down to two candidates. After speaking with both and being asked to provide them with information, each had promised a written proposal by the next morning. One responded within hours, the other responded wanting another phone call.  While I know this sounds trivial, that finalized my decision. From their perspective, I am certain that asking for another phone call seemed insignificant. However, from my perspective, with her half way across the country and already not following up with what had been promised, I was instantly aware of the distance between us and was now uneasy that the entire process could drag out and have issues of miscommunication.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have been guilty of this in the past as well.  While uncommon, I’m certain that all of us have seen deals go south over seemingly trivial reasons. Most of the time people are too polite to tell us why they went another direction, especially if it was our fault. What are our customers’ expectations? What are their fears? Have we clearly understood and communicated their needs and our response? In today’s world where customers can hop online and purchase virtually from any place on the planet, it becomes even more important to sweat the small stuff. What are your thoughts?