Connect your Value Proposition to Sales Conversations
The Visual Confection below contains a lot of information and can convey a complete understanding with minimal explanation. This is our own visual value proposition. We have integrated the following ideas, tools and methods to produce results for our clients. As you look at this series of images, think of how you could represent your own capabilities and value proposition in pictures.
Moving the Needle to Create Sustainable Sales Improvement
Most sales training efforts fail to produce real value (dotted red line), whereas the
goal is to move the whole quota distribution curve to the right...green curve. This is our mission.
Four Buying Cultures
There are only four buying cultures that govern the point of sales engagement in the buying process. The closer to the start of the buying process, the higher the value in the relationship and higher profit potential.
Sales people will likely be dis-intermediated out of the Value Offered and Value Added roles in the next 5-10 years. [By 2020 over 85% of the transactions between businesses will be completed without human intervention. (Source: Gartner Group)]
Sales Professionals will be needed in value captured or outcomes-based sales and in selling discontinuous technology in value-created sales where risks and potential value are less obvious. Sales people will need to behave like consultants to be effective in engaging early in the IMPACT buying cycle.
Start with the Buyer to Create a Messaging Architecture
The place to start in the sales engagement process is with the buyer and this is marketing and sales enablement's role. This
means understanding your buyer-persona and creating messaging focused on the challenges of your buyers...not your product. This drives the Website copy, keywords, sales conversations and sales-cycle relevant communication during middle of the sales funnel process.
We use a Messaging Architecture to capture and maintain positioning pillars, win-themes (capabilities), the big-idea etc., over time. We use messaging architecture elements to create whiteboard stories that drive relevant sales conversations.
Inbound Marketing - HubSpot
The buyer-relevant messaging guides Website content development and inbound marketing messaging. Inbound Marketing is built on the premise of creating SEO optimized, keyword-rich content that captures your capabilities
and value proposition for various segments and placing it on the Website and in blog forums most likely to be visited by your ideal customers. We recommend HubSpot for this.
Buying-cycle Relevant Lead Nurturing and Messaging
HubSpot incorporates marketing automation tools to nurture leads over their life-cycle from converting from a visitor to a lead by completing a form, through to becoming a customer. The messaging we need at the start of the buying cycle is likely to be different to the messaging that we use to nurture stakeholder-buyers interest as the buying process matures. Thought leadership is important in creating effective messaging at each step in the IMPACT nurturing sequence below;
- Identify - What is the opportunity and what are the risks?
- Mentor - Who are you and why should we meet?
- Position - What have others achieved and will it work for us?
- Assessment - Does this make business sense?
- Case - Why should I choose you over your competitors?
- Transaction - Why should I do this now?
Whiteboard Stories Engage Buyers Around their Issues
We use and recommend Whiteboardselling methodology to capture the value
proposition and enable sales and support teams to tell a compelling story and engage the buyer in true dialogue. With disciplined practice, salespeople will become expert in their ability to engage buyers over any medium and certification helps to create behavior change.
Ongoing Development
Professional development is an ongoing process for salespeople, not a one-off
event and we focus on communication, language and listening skill development as well as sales technique.
Admarco Sales and Marketing Method - A Visual Confection
