Telephone Company

What is the main knowledge we acquired through the
Knowledge Based Selling Program during the last two months?

• Questioning

• Getting the customer’s concept.

• Finding out what the customer’s concept means.

• Developing a deep understanding of customer concepts.

• Customer concepts are dynamic.

• Listening is the key to sales success.

• Know when to pause when dialoguing with customers.

• Identify information gaps.

• Objections mean basic issues exist

• You must understand basic issues and get to their source.

• Confirm meetings and the meeting agenda beforehand.

• Strive for WIN/WIN.

• Customers must make commitments and deliver on them.

• Business goes on beyond the close.

• Preparation work matters.

• Right size the preparation work.

• Make sure we are a good fit with the customer’s concept.

• Credibility is essential.

• Focus on unique strengths.

• Pre-call planning work results in more effective and shorter sales calls.

• The questioning process and structured questions.

• Patience is important in selling.

• Silence is an important sales tool. (Golden Silence)

• Flexibility is very important.

• Selling is a process.

• We need to ask clients how much support they require and expect.

• Call frequency relates to the customer’s concept.

What new skills have we acquired?

• Changed upside down selling to right side up selling.

• Questioning.

• % talking (20%) versus listening (80%).

• Focused listening.

• Making more notes.

• Identifying and confirming customer concepts.

• No sell selling.

• Identifying customer information gaps.

• Confidence in asking customers for commitments.

• How to position ourselves to work with customers as partners.

• Asking questions that let the customer develop the solution.

• How to analyze sales calls and clarify the next steps.

• Determining valid business reasons.

• Focused selling versus shot gun.

• How to differentiate ourselves based on the customer’s concept.

• Techniques for following up customer action commitments.

• The right questions to get at underlying issues.

What is the concept for our self-development program?

• Increase sales.

• Make ourselves better.

• Improve our personal comfort level when asking for customer commitments.

• Become more independent and empowered.

• Become more productive and better balanced.

• Strengthen relationships with customers.

• Reach the team’s full potential.

• Differentiate Leading Publishing Company from competitors.

• Develop a common sales language for the team to communicate.

• Reinforce the team approach to selling.

• Strengthen team bonds.

How do we see ourselves now?

• Poised for success.

• Promising

• More confident.

• More aware.

• Energized.

• Apprehensive.

How do we see the ideal situation?

• The structured sales approach is totally natural.

• We are more confident about getting the sale.

• We have more rewarding relationships with customers.

• Success is the result of a logical process.

• Compensation improves because results improve.

What is the main knowledge we acquired through the Knowledge Based Selling Program during the last two months?

• Questioning.

• Getting the customer’s concept.

• Finding out what the customer’s concept means.

• Developing a deep understanding of customer concepts.

• Customer concepts are dynamic.

• Listening is the key to sales success.

• Know when to pause when dialoguing with customers.

• Identify information gaps.

• Objections mean basic issues exist

• You must understand basic issues and get to their source.

• Confirm meetings and the meeting agenda beforehand.

• Strive for WIN/WIN.

• Customers must make commitments and deliver on them.

• Business goes on beyond the close.

• Preparation work matters.

• Right size the preparation work.

• Make sure we are a good fit with the customer’s concept.

• Credibility is essential.

• Focus on unique strengths.

• Pre-call planning work results in more effective and shorter sales calls.

• The questioning process and structured questions.

• Patience is important in selling.

• Silence is an important sales tool. (Golden Silence)

• Flexibility is very important.

• Selling is a process.

• We need to ask clients how much support they require and expect.

• Call frequency relates to the customer’s concept.

What new skills have we acquired?

• Changed upside down selling to right side up selling.

• Questioning.

• % talking (20%) versus listening (80%).

• Focused listening.

• Making more notes.

• Identifying and confirming customer concepts.

• No sell selling.

• Identifying customer information gaps.

• Confidence in asking customers for commitments.

• How to position ourselves to work with customers as partners.

• Asking questions that let the customer develop the solution.

• How to analyze sales calls and clarify the next steps.

• Determining valid business reasons.

• Focused selling versus shot gun.

• How to differentiate ourselves based on the customer’s concept.

• Techniques for following up customer action commitments.

• The right questions to get at underlying issues.

What is the concept for our self-development program?

• Increase sales.

• Make ourselves better.

• Improve our personal comfort level when asking for customer commitments.

• Become more independent and empowered.

• Become more productive and better balanced.

• Strengthen relationships with customers.

• Reach the team’s full potential.

• Differentiate Leading Publishing Company from competitors.

• Develop a common sales language for the team to communicate.

• Reinforce the team approach to selling.

• Strengthen team bonds.

How do we see ourselves now?

• Poised for success.

• Promising

• More confident.

• More aware.

• Energized.

• Apprehensive.

How do we see the ideal situation?

• The structured sales approach is totally natural.

• We are more confident about getting the sale.

• We have more rewarding relationships with customers.

• Success is the result of a logical process.

• Compensation improves because results improve.

What do we need to do to close the gap between
how we see ourselves today and the ideal situation?

• Execute Knowledge Based Selling in our daily work.

• Use the Sales Call Planning Guide.

• Coaching – group/individual

• Use the Knowledge Based Selling approach when discussing customer issues in meetings and conference calls.

• Share our learning experiences.

• Stay focused.

• Deepen our understanding of each customer.

• Profile competitors where relevant for sales success.

Client - A Major Transportation Company  

To maintain their leading position in the industry, the Client needed to address major new cost and people issues with their most important accounts. These included:

• Significantly higher equipment costs due to new emissions standards
• A serious shortage of drivers due to the unattractiveness of driving as a career.
• Major increases in insurance costs (400% in two years) due to huge settlements in the U.S. courts
• U.S. Homeland Security is creating serious delays at border points and is causing serious down time.

• A deep understanding of background on the major cost issues was developed.
• The strategic impact of the new costs challenge was established.
• The company's sales and management team clearly understood the business issues and were committed to addressing them for the company's on-going success.
• A communication program that focused on all important customers was developed.
• Implementation plans were spelled out in detail for immediate execution and follow up over the next 30, 60 and 90 days.

• All strategic accounts were briefed on the price increase within two weeks so they were able to plan their 2003 and 2004 pricing.
• 100% of the price increase target of 5% to 7% overall was accomplished with strong support from the company's strategic accounts.

• Swine production is consolidating on a world wide scale.
• Reducing the use of pharmaceuticals in meat production is a priority wellness issue.
• R&D costs are high to develop new products that impact the quality of pork significantly in terms of human health and nutrition.
• Most relationships between swine producers and the animal health suppliers were at the technical level.
• Few strong senior executive relationships existed.
• The planning time frame was generally on a one year basis.

• Strategic accounts were identified in terms of long-term mutual benefits.
• Cross-functional account teams were created to manage the main strategic accounts.
• Each strategic account's relationship's status was benchmarked.
• Plans were put in place to deepen and broaden the relationship.
• SWOT analyses for each strategic relationship were completed to provide a clear understanding of the issues and opportunities.
• Three year strategic plans were established for the four largest strategic accounts.

• Senior executive contact has increased.
• New strategic initiatives to work on jointly are being identified.
• The supplier's strategic focus has improved significantly.
• Responsiveness to strategic accounts has increased.
• Three year strategic goals have been agreed to and are being worked on jointly.
• The involvement of senior executives in building long-term strategic relationships is well advanced.
• The supplier's competitive position has been reinforced.

This client holds a significant lead position in its market area. It needs to reinforce its relationship with a provincial power utility, which understands the need for closer relations. Important issues were as follows:

• Business complexity has increased due to new regulation, technology and competition.
• Internet growth is the most important opportunity
• Major cost improvements are required to maintain the company's competitive position.
• Competitors practice market share growth at all costs with no understanding of long-term cost issues.
• Addressing frontline service issues has been successful in minimizing market share losses.
• Customers see real value in system reliability.

• The importance of working jointly and removing tension from the relationship was agreed to.
• An opportunity to leverage each company's maintenance and capital investment programs was identified.
• A joint recognition that continuous cost improvement is a strategic issue and needs to be addressed jointly.
• An aging workforce is a strategic issue for both the supplier and account and plans were put in place to address this challenge jointly.

• Immediate action has been taken on the non-important issues which were creating tension in the relationship.
• Finalizing the 30, 60 and 90 day work plans is well advanced.

Work-Outs are customized for each client.
For more information, contact Brian Smith at BrianSmith@BrianHarrisonSmith.com

Updated May 2006