Selling Breakthroughs Boot Camp

Selling Selling Breakthroughs:Breakthroughs:

Boot Camp for Mastering Boot Camp for Mastering Market LeadershipMarket Leadership

2013 Executive Leadership ConferenceRichard Currier

Mastering the Breakthrough Topline

The must do’s to quickly and decisively:• Quickly accelerate revenue• Ensure superb new product/service launches• Fix topline problems/ eliminate selling roadblocks• Slash sales cycles• Annihilate the competition, especially do nothing• Drive high impact, consistent company execution

reve

nue

Market Leadership Works

Three Alternative Leadership Approaches

Solution Leadership

Sales Leadership

Market Leadership

Time

Succ

ess

When Solution Leadership Works

• High percentage of the solution is unique

• Buyers dig deep to appreciate unique values

• Solution especially appeals to early stage buyers:• Bleeding-edge, leading-edge, early adopters are excellent targets• Pioneering buyers seeking significant advantages• Productive evaluations: buyers dig into your solutions• Successful implementation: buyers readily push the solution’s limits

and are not put off by rough edges

Alas, Solution Leadership Erodes

• More and stronger competitors emerge

• Competitors respond by copying your core features

• Feature-based competitive edge erodes rapidly• “Good enough”: 20 - 80% features • Proving differentiation to less knowledgeable buyers • Fewer and fewer new “killer app” feature opportunities

The Development Death SpiralCrashing faster while struggling to develop your way out of competitive

differentiation issues/ problems

When Sales Leadership WorksYou excel at “hand-to-hand combat”:

• You can readily master new account entry• Develop “own leads” if necessary, but it’s not that tough• Fight to enter “active evaluation "as a real contestant

• And, master competitive battles• Great product/industry knowledge• Superior sales personnel• Strong sales support: engineers, consultants, product/industry specialists

• Sales leadership works very well from earliest stages through to mid-stage buyers

Sales Leadership Erodes

• Cost• Operation costs too much, takes too long, is much too hard• Huge growth challenges: slow-to-realize, costly failures

• Capacity• Quickly run out of skilled hand-to-hand combatants

Eagles don’t flock

• Often run out of early-stage/mid-stage buyers

• Leads to the evolution of into a “deal-driven company”

Mastering Topline Performance

Mastery of the must do’s for breakthrough top line Success:

• Market Thought Leadership Message-based market leader strategy: positioning and message-based strategies to define, seize, and “own” markets, plus crush competitive threats

• Account Thought LeadershipVision-Driven Selling – Crafting and refining a highly productive, reliably predictable “killer sales machine”

• “Obliterate Obstacles” Focus“Boulder Blasting” Marketing – a problem-focused high-impact solution that obliterates major success-impacting obstacles to quickly boost revenue/ fix growth problems

Market Leader or Hand-to-Hand?

A market thought leader has:• High positive aura and exciting market buzz• Broad message consistency• Easily reached strategic/tactical-direction consensus• Natural pipeline sufficiency/easy pipeline growth• Highly efficient, predictable revenue production

Symptoms of excessive hand-to-hand combat:• The 3 D’s: Demo, Discount, Develop• Poor conversion of leads to closed sales• Hard to create urgency and consistent timely closes• Accounts languishing in pipelines• Select performers produce almost all the revenue• Difficulties in maintaining price

Minimize hand-to-hand combat

Ultimate Leadership: Category Killer

First, Create the Category• Name it• Define key characteristics• Promote differentiated,

compelling benefits

Then, Become the Category Killer• Position for leadership• Follow the validation roadmap• Promote leadership/

growing momentum

Marketing and Market Leadership

“Marketing is the one thing in a company that is too important to delegate”

— David Packard

MasteringMasteringMarketMarket

LeadershipLeadership

InsightThe Insight to Lead

Understanding the 3 Key Dimensions of Buyers

To really understand buyers:

you must understand the three key dimensions that drive critical actions -- who, how, when and what they buy:

• Action Drivers

• Time-shifted Action Drivers

• Level-shifted Action Drivers

Primary Action Driver Categories

• UrgentDrives action:

Buy

• ImportantDrives activities:

Active evaluation

• UsefulDrives interest:

“Drive by” activities

Why Pitch to Other Than Urgent?

Useful/important needs bring these benefits:

• EmpathyResonates with “popular/ trendy thinking”

• SpeedOften easier and quicker to present and explain

• InterestGreater range of feature/benefits can make for more interesting marketing materials and sales conversations

• VolumeCreates much “longer lists” when needed

Drive focus to urgent needs as you approach the sales goal lineRemember: customers distract you by seemingly focusing on useful and important issues

Before and After: The Time-shifted Action Drivers

Pre-sales list:• List incomplete • Sales and marketing can

influence lists• Excel at useful and important but

may lack urgent needs • Often early leaders, but frequently

fads, then shelfware• Second-acts essential

Most likely embraced by:• Sales dominant• Those newer to domain

Post-sales list:• List clear, soon obvious• Meets most urgent and some

important/useful needs• Usually niche, but with a loyal

customer base• Enriched product line/ more

products crucial to growth

Most likely embraced by:• Engineers/product specialists

dominant• Those with domain expertise

Market Leaders master BOTH lists

Above and Below: The Level-shifted Action Drivers

Budget MakersBudget Takers

Words: Risk, Cost, …Focus: problems, strategiesChallenges: journeysUrgent needs: wins on my watch, in charge not in control,strategic problem yet no strategic solution, …Words: Risk, Cost, …Focus: products, processesChallenges: destinationsUrgent needs: I’m valuable/ important/ strategic, …

Some Early PC Market Examples

Apple Microsoft

Market ApproachComputer in every home Computer on every desk

Some Urgent Needs

Ease of use, fun Be faster and better at your job,Control your destiny (your own: data; timing, change, processes, etc.)

Some Pre-Sale Needs

Integrated, single-vendor complete solution, works immediately out of the box, “I” can do it; elegant, simple

Open, extensible (new capabilities), upgradeable (future-proof), multi-vendor commoditized approach (lower cost), familiar enterprise vendors (safe)

Creating Urgency

The three key rules for creating urgency:

1. Position to urgent needs

2. Create/leverage decision-level relationships

3. Obliterate showstopper objections

Creating Demand

• You can’t create need

• But you can transform latent needs into active demand

• In today’s markets “demand creation” becomes paramount

• “Leadgen” is not demand generation, therefore leadgen has become less and less effective

Acquiring/ Vetting Knowledge

• The “testing” scenario• Tell peer-based problem stories and their proposed solution

direction• Suggest hypotheses• Feedback based on “tells”

• Speed to aha

• Openness and energy

• Word/ theme reuse and enriching

• Consider formal testing • Always perform informal, continuous testing

22

Targeting Summary

• Target “markets” not “populations”• Populations: superficial commonality (size, geography, etc.)• Markets – commonality in buying/lead with a common message

• More compact markets are way more efficient• Easier to know/understand/serve• More affordable to reach• More credible to become the perceived leader

• Ideal markets:

You can quickly and credibly become perceived as #1 or #2 and the market (segment) is just big enough to meet your revenue targets

Targeting Summary (cont’d)

Targets• Groups with high buyer homogeneity – alike in dimensions such as

buyer profiles • urgent/important/useful• Pre/post• Strategic values/tactical needs

Sales versus marketing targets• Overlap but not completely congruent• Sales sweet spot: likely to buy from you on standard terms• Marketing target: focus for market leadership initiatives, demand

creation activities and sales support leverage


LeadershipLeadershipMessage-based

Thought Leadership

The Leadership Framework

MarketTargetingVision Market

TargetingPositioning

PositioningPackaging

PackagingPackagingExecution

Strategies

Long-term company strategy and marketplace position

Current competitor- and marketplace-focused strategies, tactics and messages[per product/product line/market]

High impactproblem-solving/revenue-drivingexecution

The Tale Telling of the Tale Driving Results

3 - 7+ Years 6 - 18+ month refresh cycle

BusinessStrategies

Programs

Transform Strategies to Action

Mastering Market LeadershipIt Starts With Vision

Leaders consistently project a clear, crisp, compelling vision within their companies and throughout their marketplace

Vision drives focus for market leaders

Competitive Positioning:

SAP – The MostCustomers, features, languages, processes, partners, …

PeopleSoft – PeopleNice people to do business with, Leverage human capital, …

Baan

Oracle – TechnologyTechnology leader, best technology, …

JD Edwards – ? Technology leader?Nice people to do business with?Mid-market?

Staking Out The Corners

Leveraging Communications The Three Primary “Aha!”Types

• NarrativeProse text, analytical/logical presentation

• MetaphoricalWord pictures, stories, analogies

• VisualGraphics, charts, diagrams, pictures

Because “speed to aha” is critical

The Message Structure• Level 0 – problem context

• Problem theme• Drive the sales cycle/account focus: solve this problem • Drive focus on urgency to drive action

• Level 1 – benefit theme• The compelling customer promise• Grabs attention/builds empathy/sets the tone

• Level 2 – differentiation theme• “What sets us apart from everyone else is …”• Drives leadership

Account entry/mass market messaging/executive selling

• Level 3 – the secret sauces• Key differentiation enablers

avoid fluff, make it real

• Defend positioning/set competitive traps• Level 4 – your solution

• Prove the vision• Showcase the feature• Ace the checklist• Prove the assumptions/ ROI basis

VisionMessageStructure

The Market Leadership Message

• Starts with problem-based bonding

• Driven with vision-centered messages• Crisp, clear• Speed to “aha”• Compelling (different)• Repeatedly used/ Repeatable by them• Multi-level “what’s in it for me”

Initial Core Messaging that Yielded Breakthroughs

Approach/Vendor i2 PeopleSoft SAP Oracle

Problem ThemeNeed for

Step-changeCost savings

Mantra of modern business : Do more

for less forever

Execs not in control of global business

Islands of automation run the business

Benefit Theme $50B …Breakthrough

productivity at the frontlines of business

Regain control of the enterprise

Knit together the islands of automation

Differentiation Theme Integrate

ForecastingGlobal SC …

Push power of the computer to the

frontlines

Integrated single global application

solution

Integrated global data across disparate

platforms

Secret sauces[2 – 6]

MRORTAP

…

PeopletoolsVisual organization

…

One version of the truth

Baked in processes support

Multiplatform supportFast first step

Complete environment



Vision-Driven Selling

Account Leadership

Leadership Throughout the “Sales Funnel”

Attract

Engage

Position

Present

Prove

Close

$$

Traction

The Real Battle in the Sales Funnel

Traction Vision Lock

Engage

(Re) Position

Prove

Close

Feature List Hell

Traction without leadership No Vision Lock

Predictable Feature Hell outcomes:• Do nothing• Buy from biggest/ safest• Buy cheapest• Lose to predetermined vendor• A crushing implementation• A profile successful sale

Market the Vision, Sell the Solution

Market the Vision:• Crucial to create “right” interest • Key to call high/stay high• Drives evaluation requirements

Vision

Solution Messages:• Showcase comprehensive, rich, solution • Drive series of “next steps”• Leverage references, demos, proofs

Solution

Seize Control:Define the battle

Make the Sale:Win the battle

Vision Messages:• Focus on the customer• Crisp, clear, compelling messages• Showcase named problem/features• Leverage techniques:

• Stories, examples, visuals, sound bites, metaphors

Sell the solution:• Evaluation focuses on vision proof• Sets competitive traps• Maintain executive focus/involvement

VisionLock

VisionLock

Messages TransformThe Telling of the Tale Evolves Across the Buying Process

Top of Funnel

Bottomof Funnel

Traction

Different

Hot,Exciting

Better

Safe

CrispMessages

RichMessages

Speedto “aha”

Quantity/Depth

Themes

Lists

Customer-centric

Productcentric

AuraBuzz

Relationships

StrategicValues

TacticalNeeds

H2HFails

H2HOK

= Comfort Zone

≠ Comfort Zone



Message-based

Market Leadership

"New Message” Communications

1. Company internally

2. Customers

3. Influencers

4. Mass media

5. Prospects

Effective Communications Leverage

Numbers of Communications Constituents

The Prioritized Sequence for New Message Roll-out

Pebbles Rocks BouldersAnnoying Slows down sales activities Roadblocks sales activities

Marketing solutions may “feel good” but provide little practical sales benefit

Good marketing can streamline results and minimize sales slowdowns

Great marketing essential for revenue success

Minimal effect on any rep Especially effects new reps and below-average performers; minimal effect on skilled hand-to-hand combatants

Hits all reps hard

Magic wand to make them disappear: no effect on revenue

Magic wand to make them disappear: revenue improves slightly, especially if lots of new reps or large number of below-average hand-to-hand combatants

Magic wand to disappear make them disappear: revenue explodes

Obliterating Obstacles

Only Programs Blast Boulders

Boulders:Huge revenue backup• Hand-to-hand: useless• Breakthrough revenue increase potential

Aprograms

Large Rocks:Sales may slow down but likely just difficult• Real/perceived problems• Trips good reps sometimes, new reps more often

Bprograms

CNo

programs

Small rocks/Pebbles/gravel:Often annoying• Marketplace real/perceived problems• Other real/perceived issues/factors

Obliterating Obstacles: Leverage A/B/C Programs

“A” Boulder-mover programs• Approach: whatever It takes for World-class• Gate #1: ability to execute world-class for programs type• Gate # 2: competitive/marketplace context allows world-class

• rise above the “clutter”• rise above market share leaders• rise above mindshare leaders

“B” Friction point reduction programs

Minimal resources for passing resultspass, don’t fail, but don’t waste resources beyond passing

“C” None of the aboveonly if you have loads of excess budget/bandwidth

“A' ” — Opportunistic programs: A-level results for minimal costs

Aprograms

Bprograms

CNo

programs