Miller Heiman just released the results of their October 2008 study, which defines “World-class” sales organizations as being much more likely to achieve their targets.
The study shows that in World-class sales organizations:
– Sales and marketing are much more aligned to customer needs
– Consistently follow standardized processes to qualify opportunities
– Have a formalized, compelling value proposition
– Clearly understand customers’ issues before proposing solutions
In my experience, these same attributes apply to demos:
– Sales and marketing are much more aligned to customer needs:
Product roll-out and other marketing demos match well with real-life customer situations and are customer problem/solution oriented, as opposed to product/feature focused.
– Consistently follow standardized processes to qualify opportunities:
Software demos are viewed specifically in terms of (1) Vision Generation and (2) Technical Proof, as opposed to Harbor Tour Demos; demo need and preparation are carefully reviewed prior to presentation.
– Have a formalized, compelling value proposition:
Specific, tangible “Delta” measurements, based on customer specifics, are much more compelling than “This will save you time and money…” platitudes.
– Clearly understand customers’ issues before proposing solutions:
Thank you thank you thank you…! How can you possibly demonstrate a “solution” if you lack a sufficient understanding of the customer’s problem?
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Peter, you asked for thoughts? I have to say I’m very disappointed from that “Study”.
Does it take a study to find out “that in World-class sales organizations are much more aligned to customer needs”
Then it says “Consistently follow standardized processes to qualify opportunities” I just can’t believe that somebody is even writing this other than somebody who like to get people to their training.
It is 2009 – and we have a depressive recession where customers are HUNGRY for recognition, for companies LISTENING… And we find the “Standardized Processes” so important?
And then:
– Have a formalized, compelling value proposition
– Clearly understand customers’ issues before proposing solutions
Wow – is that news to anybody who is in sales for more than a week?
I was wondering if I should even comment on that – but hey there are probably more people who just repeat what they have been told for 20 years without even noticing that nobody is listening. I listen and state my opinion. I hope your organization is doing better than that. See my post about “Death of a Salesman – Version 2009” on Social Media Today.
@AxelS
Axel,
Your observations are fiercely accurate – and yet: many organizations DON’T listen well to their customers; many sales people DON’T seek to understand or communicate the value proposition; many sales teams present solutions (demos, for xample) before they have a sufficient understanding of the customers’ problems…
Peter E. Cohan
The Second Derivative
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Belmont, CA 94002
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